Can I go without a protein skimmer

[adresher]

I have a 90 gallon Reef tank and all my level/parameters are great with very little algae and nitrates are basically 0. Currently I do have a skimmer which my wife refers to as the "iron lung"! It is an MRC that is outside ofside of the sump.

I am running a UV sterializer and in my wet/dry I run three pads before the water even gets to the blue balls.....I run a blue/white pad, a nitrate pad and a phosphate pad that really prevent anything from getting through. (pads are changed atleast once a week)

Also the skimmer is producing very little and i have to change the cup like once a month.

Do I still need to have my skimmer on? It is large/noisey and sits outside next to the tank.

I do have a refugium and I only use RO/DI water


Thank you for your input

 

[Poonaka]

There's a bunch of people who don't use a skimmer. I think a lot of them use an algae scrubber instead. I couldn't stand the noise of my skimmer and tried a couple of them before switching to a scrubber. It's still noisy but not as bad.

You could always unplug the skimmer and see how it goes for a while. Just make sure to keep a close eye on things and keep up with the maintenance routines.

 

[PSU4ME]

When I had my 90, for whatever reason, my skimmer didn't pull a lot just like yours. If you think about it, all your skimmer does is clean the water so between the manual cleaning you have before the skimmer and if you're pretty good about WC's, I would think you're ok.

Have you thought about only running it 1-2 times per week?

 

[TylerHaworth]

After seeing all the crap my skimmer pulls out, there is no way in heck I would run without it... Of course, I am a bit heavily stocked

 

[BigAl07]

Can you run w/o? Yes!

Should you? That's a whole OTHER story! Maybe it just needs to be "Tuned" in order to produce more skimmate.

One thing I can tell you is this.. the pads, wet/dry and all are pulling something entirely different than what the skimmer (foam fractionator) is pulling out. Unless you have a very light bio-load, you do weekly and heavy water changes, and your skimmer isn't very efficient I'd suggest running the skimmer at least SOME of the time. They go a LONG way to helping take some of the load of your Bio-Load and provide some degree of a "Safety Cushion' for Human Error.

 

[BigAl07]

If it works so good for Mother Nature why not go with it . . . . ?

 

[Msigler]

Cool pics. Thats some serious skimmate in the first pic.

 

[GlassMunky]

I would NOT want to be that guy......gross

 

[adresher]

Thanks everyone....I do weekly water changes. I guess from the responses so far I will keep it going.

 

[Msigler]

I am from the school of "protein skimmers are the most important purchase for your aquarium". It was the way I learned but I have seen many successful skimmer-less aquariums.

 

[jedi82knight]

Can you run w/o? Yes!

Should you? That's a whole OTHER story! Maybe it just needs to be "Tuned" in order to produce more skimmate.

One thing I can tell you is this.. the pads, wet/dry and all are pulling something entirely different than what the skimmer (foam fractionator) is pulling out. Unless you have a very light bio-load, you do weekly and heavy water changes, and your skimmer isn't very efficient I'd suggest running the skimmer at least SOME of the time. They go a LONG way to helping take some of the load of your Bio-Load and provide some degree of a "Safety Cushion' for Human Error.

+1 to that.

If you want a quiet skimmer, it will cost a ton of money and still won't be silent. Running it intermittently could be counter productive since it takes time to actually start producing skimmate.

 

[redneckgearhead]

What brand/model of skimmer do you have? I have an SWC 160 and I cant hear it at all even when im messing around under the tank. Maybe switching to a differant skimmer, or even trying a different pump on your current skimmer, will make it more efficient and quieter.

 

[adresher]

It is a MRC

 

[Thespivster]

If you decide not to run a skimmer should you run an airstone to supplement O2 levels?

Sent from my iPad using Forum Runner

 

[mcmullenmark]

I am skimmerless on my frag tank. I use an algae scrubber and there WAS only a copperband in the tank. He is now in my display. I have no problems with nutrients but the tank is a 55gal and only had a single fish with frags. I certainly believe you can go skimmerless. They pull out lots of junk but also will strip the water of some good stuff too. I would not try it without an algae scrubber....thats for sure! And I would have the scrubber up and running a couple months before turning of the simmer. I really like the idea of going skimmerless, but I have a large bio load in my display and I feed HEAVILY.....twice a day most days. I'm thinking of getting a larger sump and if I do running an algae scrubber. If and when I upgrade I will be sure to chronicle the progress as I know there are more and more people interested in the "Idea" of going skimmerless. Ha, I know the thought of going skimmerless makes a lot of reefers cringe!!! And who knows, the long term may be disaterous!!

 

[GrendelPrime]

i have an asm g-2 on my 75 and when the doors are closed it sounds like its not even on, very quiet