To skim or not to skim

[christan1959]

Hello people, have been running a 60-litre long reef for past month with mechanical and chemical (carbon) filtration.

Tank has lots of live rock and live sand.

I change 20% of water each week.

So far, livestock quite ok.

Just wondering if I can do without a skimmer in the long run.

Any thoughts? Anyone has a successful reef tank w/o skimmer?

[hotsoup]

Most of us will say Skimmer is the most impt piece of equipment in reefing. Not only it helps to remove waste before they break down to NO3 and also acting as a Oozonizer, providing more oxygen in water.

[tropic]

You may not use the skimmer now but only a matter of time all that hotsoup mentioned will build up .

[zico]

I suppose possible.... you use an effective ATS or a massive refugium + very good mechanical filtration.

[christan1959]

Thanks for comments.

Saw a v nice tank set at Ah Beng's. Square 1.5'x1.5'x1.5' - what i like most is the cylindrical overflow unit, which takes in water from the surface as well as the bottom. And it incorporates the outflow too. Rare to see such a neat design.

[solasido]

Hi bro, since you have done weekly water change, skimmer may not be required.

Reference:

http://www.nano-reef.com/articles/?article=3

Protein skimmers are beneficial however, because they remove excess nutrients from the water, but this advantage is out weighed by the disadvantages. To remove the excess nutrients from this system you do a partial water change. The water change also doubles to replenish your trace elements, which are in your synthetic sea salt. Nitrates are removed, dissolved organic compounds are removed, and your trace elements are replaced. Your nitrates will always be at or near zero, and the elements will stay at a consistant level.

[peacemaker]

For smaller systems, it is more effective for nutrient export to perform regular water changes as compared to skimming, since the number of nano effective nano skimmers are limited at present. However, for bigger systems, water changes can be tedious, if not, expensive, to rival what a large and powerful skimmer could do. Both has its pros that the other does not:

Water changes - replenishes trace elements and perimeters

Skimming - provides more oxygen

I would say, if it is possible, to incorporate both methods of nutrient export.

[christan1959]

thanks bros! will stick to water changes for now and keep you posted on progress. might also incorporate chaeto algae in HOB.

[terencekhung]

Regular water change helps lots