ok first fuge and protien skimmer question

ok ik i'll sound like a noob asking this but, when i got into salt water someone told me i should use both a fuge and protein skimmer well now someone who has been in the game longer says if you use a fuge with macroalgea (i have chaeto) i dont need a protein skimmer since the chaeto will filter out the stuff the protein skimmer would normally take out. i wanted other inputs on this and, also he is a pic of my fuge it should be self explaining but from right to left is like this, my trickle filter for carbon filter/pad live rock, next empty space (pump in it being used for skimmer) was for my skimmer then the fuge with chaeto, and then return area the fuge is 10in length and 12 in width, is the fuge big enoghe or no for a 55 gallon display tank. and the sand bed is 3in deep also have airstone (some said to for the the chaeto)if i dont need skimmer any suggestions on what could go in empty space would be nice . any input is welcome

 

looks good...evrything at the same level? generally it is overflow to the next to next and so on...but it looks like its gonna work...put your skimmer right there in the sump area...its a wrap..... Yes, you do need a skimmer...IME and IMO...small investment... Great benifit,

 

+1 Unless you're going to keep a really small bioload, with only softies and maybe a few LPS, I'd rec a skimmer, gonna save ya alot of hassle and WC's. IMO

 

yes water is at the same level all the way across, i have a home made pvc skimmer the im fiddling with (friend made it from blue pints and has been useing one) how much waste should a new tank with skimmer pull out of water cause its been running and dosnt seem to be pulling much waste out. but for some reason tank has been running fine and had a very short cycle i mean like a month, all reading on the nitrite, ammonia, nitrate (read a little high at 20ppm). i mean i have fish in main tank all are doing fine only 1 death

 

short cycle : / ..could be trouble down the line..if you have a small bio load as cosmo stated, you will not have much action on the skimmer...shoot some pictures on this skimmer...we are always curious on the DIY gadgets out there..I know I am.. : ) lol ... love to see this thing in action...might be able to share some insight on its function.
I'm assuming by the size of the sump etc..you tank is 75 or larger? give us some specs on your set up also.. : )

 

my main tank is 55 with a 40 gallon sump, i plan on eventually upgrading the 55 to 75 or larger that's the reason i made the sump so large, the skimmer seems to be pulling stuff out of the water just not as much as i see in other tanks but like you said a small bio may to be blamed. when i said 1 month i mean 1 month with fish in it, i dont remember how long i had it set up befor i had fish in it i think about 3-4 weeks, i always thought you had to cycle with fish in it to feed the bacteria with their waste i guess i may have been wrong or miss understood my friend. for those 3-4 week i did a water change every week like i was told to my friend had give me some live sand and live rock at the start.

 

got some pictures ? ; )

 

I'm currently putting together a refugium. Pretty basic, a skimmer, LS, LR, maybe some chaeto and a UV Sterilizer.

My question is what are the advantages of placing the skimmer in the front section of the refugium versus the last section?

 

Generally you would want the DT to feed the fuge and then the skimmer. You dont want the water being too stiped of nutrients by the time it gets to the fuge.

 

So your suggestion is for the skimmer to be last?