No skimmer?

Discussion in 'General Reef Topics' started by jhawkor, Jul 17, 2009.

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  1. jhawkor

    jhawkor Millepora

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    Garden Plain, Kansas
    Is it possible to run a successful reef with no skimmer and just heavy weekly water changes? Just wondering.
     
    jhawkor, Jul 17, 2009
    jhawkor, Jul 17, 2009
    #1

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  2. jonjonwells

    jonjonwells Great Blue Whale

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    Yup, as long as you have good biological filtration. Refugium,lots of live rock. Try to keep the bioload very low.
     
    jonjonwells, Jul 17, 2009
    jonjonwells, Jul 17, 2009
    #2
  3. jhawkor

    jhawkor Millepora

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    The reason I ask is because I'm currently not running one on my 75 because I have no room in my sump to put one I would have to add an HOB one.
     
    jhawkor, Jul 17, 2009
    jhawkor, Jul 17, 2009
    #3
  4. Daniel072

    Daniel072 Giant Squid

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    what size tank?? There are countless nanos out there running skimmerless.
     
    Daniel072, Jul 17, 2009
    Daniel072, Jul 17, 2009
    #4
  5. jonjonwells

    jonjonwells Great Blue Whale

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    That does suck. I ended up having to hang mine as well. I lacked about a half inch of being able to remove my collection cup. I ended up getting a Remora. It does make a little noise, but works well, and I hardly notice it anymore.
     
    jonjonwells, Jul 17, 2009
    jonjonwells, Jul 17, 2009
    #5
  6. cira050

    cira050 Torch Coral

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    im running skimmerless and i have 3 fish in a 22 and water params are perfect. But i have to say, the cadlights have some pretty good filtration so...

    edit: o ya and i also have a refugium so that helps keep everything in check
     
    cira050, Jul 17, 2009
    cira050, Jul 17, 2009
    #6

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  7. Daniel072

    Daniel072 Giant Squid

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    dude, I would get a bigger sump. Believe me this isn't something you want to skimp on. I think the skimmer is one of the most important parts to a reef tank. Or you could get a smaller skimmer
     
    Daniel072, Jul 17, 2009
    Daniel072, Jul 17, 2009
    #7
  8. mikejrice

    mikejrice 3reef Affiliate

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    My 30 gallon has been running skimmerless for over a year and a half with only two water changes when I moved the tank. I have a 30g DT 10g fuge with mangroves sand chaeto and a UV filter sump holds 25g. In the tank I have about 50lbs. live rock scribbled rabbit fish, copperbanded butterfly, scooter blenny, snowflake eel, huge CUC and over 50 different corals including SPS that are doing great. Way overstocked no skimmer. Nitrates? What nitrates. Never been able to detect nitrates in my system.

    Iv come to believe that if your bacteria is conditioned not to have a skimmer they just populate enough to compensate for that.

    Oh almost forgot the sebae anemone that is happy as can be.
     
    mikejrice, Jul 17, 2009
    mikejrice, Jul 17, 2009
    #8
  9. jhawkor

    jhawkor Millepora

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    I guess I could just hang a remora on the back of the DT...
     
    jhawkor, Jul 17, 2009
    jhawkor, Jul 17, 2009
    #9
  10. 32Boom

    32Boom Coral Banded Shrimp

    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2009
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    Location:
    MI
    I don't have a skimmer or do water changes on my 55. If anything, coral growth has improved since I stopped skimming. The entire reef only has two fish though, an ocellaris and a bicolorpseudochromis. All params are perfect.
     
    32Boom, Jul 17, 2009
    32Boom, Jul 17, 2009
    #10
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