anything other then a skimmer?

[nightfire76]

hey guys me again i dont have a skimmer right now cause of the cost and i was wondering if there are any recomendations of a sluge medecation,additive,suppliment or such that can help me get rid of built up "grime" my water is cristal clear but since i last medecated and such build up on my koralia and filter intake has come up and does every so offten even with out medications,would this help me out? Aquarium Maintenance: Liquid Gravel Vac

 

[reef dummy]

I would say no, a skimmer is pretty essential to good water quality. You could try making one if youre handy to save money until you can buy a real one.

 

[nightfire76]

i am "handy" but never tried a diy project for aquariums lol

 

[CATALYST]

You can try a polyfilter or some filter floss (pillow stuffing). I wouldn't add anything that you pour in. I had a cheapie hang on the side filter that I would put filter floss in...and just throw it away every couple days. The polyfilter is nice but it's more spendy. I did without a skimmer for awhile but I recommend getting one. I would blow off the rocks with a turkey baster and the filter floss would catch it. At least it will help with the big chunks. If you have a sump, you could try a filter sock.

 

[nightfire76]

thanks for the idea and no my emporer hangs on the back of my tank

 

[Varga]

Do a google search for "skimmerless tank" Lots of folks are going skimmerless and some of them have really amazing setups.

 

[burning2nd]

Water changes... and you wont need any of this. No filter, no skimmer..

control between you adding nutrients and you removing thur water changes.

 

[nightfire76]

varga i know many go with out skimmers and for now i am though it seems to me that with out one its a bit harder to mantain

 

[BigAl07]

I feel a skimmer is an intergral part of a Reef tank. On some systems (some are just better at Husbandry than others) it's not required but I have yet to see a system do better without a quality skimmer than with one. What it does it use "Foam fractionation" to let DOC (Dissolved Organic Compounds) adhere to the tiny bubbles. Once the bubble is "Coated" it rises up and out of the chamber where-by taking the DOC's with it. Once you run one on your tank and you see (and o lordy smell) what it pulls from your tank you'll be much more likely to run one on everything.
Keep in mind that "Foam fractionation" is a part of nature and visible on my any beach when the conditions are right. That nasty looking (almost vanilla/chocolate colored) foam that collects in slow/quiet areas is the same thing as Skimmate (by product of skimming).

So CAN you run a tank without one? Of course.

Should you run a tank without one? Up to you.

Would I run a tank without one? Not if I can help it. It just does so much to HELP you with water quality that it's worth it's weight in gold. I LOVE MY SKIMMER!!

 

[Bounce]

I struck out trying to find a skimmer that would fit in the tiny sump below my 54gal (because it's a 1/4 circle shape tank and stand) so I have set up baffles in the sump with the filter floss that the water HAS to run through before returning to the tank. It has only been running two days but has caught a lot of 'gunk' that the coarser filter pads have missed. It will be interesting to see how this tank "does" with the filter floss replacing a skimmer.

 

[jesse92]

check this outhttp://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/general-reef-aquarium-discussion/35294-mega-powerful-nitrate-phosphate-remover-replaces-skimmer-refugium-everything.html
it replaces a skimmer completely and does a better job......i run a tank without a skimmer and everything is perfect....hope that helps

 

[Clownfish518]

You can run a tank without a protein skimmer, but it isn't very wise. It is the the piece of equipment that has enabled this hobby more than anything else. It is like a big safety net. Did a poor job rinsing your charcoal? The skimmer will clean that right out. I once floated a bag with 6 nassarius snails in my sump to even temperatures - there was a foreign substance on the bag and my skimmer went nuts - but it cleaned it out. Robbert from Euro Reef tells a story of a bucket of paint that got spilled into a big reef tank. The skimmer cleaned it out, and no corals or fish were lost. Anemones, fish dying, the list goes on.

Even if you have the best husbandry in the world, the day will come when the skimmer saves you. The two most important investments in your tank are your light system and your skimmer. How those two function will dictate your success.

 

[BobBursek]

Skimmers add lots of DO to you water, but there are other ways to get DO into it.

 

[DaveK]

The bottom line here is get yourself a skimmer, or if you are good at DIY projects, build yourself a skimmer.

While some people do set up system that don't require a skimmer, I think you can see that a skimmer comes "highly recommended".

Lastly, and I'm not trying to be harsh or nasty, but SW reef systems tend to be expensive. If your budget is such that you have to worry about not being able to afford a skimmer, you may want to consider another hobby.

To explain this point, a quality skimmer for a 55 gal tank will cost you about $200, but compare this to SW livestock. A typical fish, except damsels, will set you back about $20 to $60. A typical coral will cost you $20 and up, depending upon what it is. Of course, you can go way up from there. It is only going to take a few losses at these prices to pay for the skimmer or other quality equipment you may need.

 

[MrPex]

That nasty looking (almost vanilla/chocolate colored) foam that collects in slow/quiet areas is the same thing as Skimmate (by product of skimming).

I always thought it looked like the top of a root beer float! :apint: :apint: :apint:

 

[jnohs]

dont add anything!!!!! try to not feed. and atempt at getting a skimmer. my skimmer was 110 dollars and works great.Live rock is the only other filter needed.

WATER CHANGES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!