Is this overstocked or can I add a few more?

lol... I had a feeling this was going to turn into a "you need a protein skimmer" thread.
but i see your points...
Any recommendations for a protien skimmer for this tank?
One that is quiet would be very preferable.

Would I still need the HOB running if I got the skimmer? I have powerheads for the water flow, would the HOB still be necessary for any filteration purposes?

Also, The hawkfish and goby are about as big as they are going to get, the foxface will probably grow another 3-4 inches. I guess I could wait till he gets a little bigger and see how things look.

 

I'm not saying you absolutely need a skimmer but it will help you greatly... Just between you and me i'm not running a skimmer right now. But i only have one small fish in my 20gal and its only temporary i will be looking in to getting a new skimmer in the near future.

Do you have a sump?

You can keep the HOB filter running for some carbon or something like that but its not necessary IMO.

Marc.

 

no sump, dont really have the space

I would need a HOB skimmer.

Is there any kinda combo filter/skimmer or are they all junk?

I'm trying to limit the amount of "unnatural" things on my tank. Between the HOB, heater, grounding rod, power heads, thermometer probe its starting to look too "equipped" if you know what i mean.

 

A skimmer works in two main ways IMO!
First of all and most important is it acts like the waves at the shores of our oceans. The waves are the oceans Protein skimmer. The white/brown foam washed up from the waves are the tiny particles of waste etc. that the bubbles from the waves have captured and removed from the living organisms below. Skimmers/foam fractionators are responsible for ridding contaminants from our water column! Without one, if you have to heavy a bioload, you will not have the type of water quality needed to keep livestock successfully for an extended period of time for the most part!
The second benefit of having a skimmer is that the tiny air bubbles created help to aerate your water giving your bacteria, and other living organisms more (DO) dissolved oxygen in the pelagic(water column) area of your tank, decreasing the the amount of CO2 and possible suffocation of fish etc. in a worst case scenario!