Going skimmerless?

C

Carabelli

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As I continue to work on the details for the 30 gallon nano I am working on ... I am considering something radical for me ... going without a skimmer ...

some details on the system ... it will be a low bioload ... probably a couple of clown fish and one or two other small fish ... barebottom ... lps, macroalgae, softies and shrooms for corals ... plan on weekly 15% water changes .. sump will house a dsb and a refugium section with chaeto and caluerpa (lit 24/7) ...

am I asking for a disaster ?
 
In the past, I have had issues with tanks being overskimmed ... I don't like to feed a lot, so, it does tend to make sense to me ... but, maybe I am crazy :)
 
@Matt wrote:
I probably wouldn't do it because historically...I overfeed but I think if you maintain regular water changes and keep the load low it can be done. Might keep a skimmer on standby? LOL said:
a safety blanket of sorts :)
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I had a skimmerless tank a couple times. Once it was because I was a noob and didnt know better. I was using tap water back then! I had tons of algae problems but probably not from being skimmerless.

The second time I had a little 13 gallon tank with a hang on back filter modded as a fuge. It worked pretty good but I only had one fish and the water changes did the butrient export for me. It was easy with only 13 gallons.

I like to feed heavy for my fish and corals and I just feel safer with a skimmer. I like to be able to see all the gunk that comes out of my tank. Also with a skimmer you can do smaller water changes which is a big factor for me.
 
With your water change schedule, macro and lack of feeding I don't think you are going to have a problem at all. I ran my 20 long mixed reef for over a year with no skimmer. When I did add a skimmer it really didn't do much. They only time I had problem was when I tried to add a sun coral and over feed the heck out of it.

Edit: On my 20L I ran a 20G sump as a settling tank. It was really easy to just vacuum all the junk out when I did a water change.
 
Why not run a skimmer?

Skimmer for that size tank prob is less than $150 new prob $50 - $75 used. Benefits out weigh the cons for something that inexpensive


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I have had my 28g Nano cube up and going for 11 months without a skimmer. I haven't had a problem (except when I let my Alk bottom out). The main thing will be to stay religious with your water changes. I get lazy with my water changes every once in a while, and my corals let me know about it.
 
pros: one less piece of equipment to malfunction ... less cost ... plus the mysterious goal of running a skimmerless "natural" tank ... some of that is tongue in cheek, but, I am interested to see what a system runs like w/o one

cons: higher risk of algae issues associated with nutrient build-up .. more frequent water changes ...
 
You should be fine as long as you keep the fish hungry and do regular water changes. [smilie=wink.gif]
 
I doubt you will need a skimmer, go for it.

A DSB+Macro algae will export your nutrients (phosphate+nitrates) just fine without the use of a skimmer. ESPECIALLY if your not feeding much.
 
Remember when the BioCube/Nano Cube first came out? You couldn't find a skimmer to fit. And if you did.. it was usually junk. Technology and time has since caught up with the little cubes though. I know your not doing an AIO nano, but you can run one successfully without skimming... Running a decent skimmer on it will be more "forgiving" though. I'd at least research the better skimmers that would work and keep that list tucked away.
 
I have both of my cubes for 5 years no skimmer and everything is fine. Really no need for one

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Thanks everyone for the replies ... I have decided to start without a skimmer ... the sump is designed to maximize room for a dsb and refugium section (separate) and I can implement a skimmer if the need develops - thanks again.
 
@Carabelli wrote:
Thanks everyone for the replies ... I have decided to start without a skimmer ... the sump is designed to maximize room for a dsb and refugium section (separate) and I can implement a skimmer if the need develops - thanks again. said:
Doesn't sound like you will have any issues. Good luck. I used to be skimmer less when I first started. Mainly because I didn't know you needed one, and the fact that I didn't have much in the aquarium. Of course, as you go it gets bigger and more. Keep us posted.
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