skimmer

[dlhirst]

my DT is about 56 gals, and the tank (RSM250) comes with a built in protein skimmer that works sometimes, others it just pumps out clean wet foam - everywhere. So, I tend to run it for a couple days at a time, maybe every other week. But, I do change water, either 5 gals or 10 gals every week.

[binford4000]

What difficult times are we talking about here? Aside from the ones that regular water changes won't take care of.

Human nature definetly is a top one for sure.Also to be considered is the accumalation of fecral matter that remains in the sand bed that your water change's and clean up crew miss.This waste will breakdown but eventually it will catch up to it's limited enviroment and with nowhere to go can cause issues such as amonia spikes or No3 raised levels or algae issues such as red slim and so on.Doing water changes is important but too many or to big can also create an unwanted cycle too.Like I said you can get away from useing a skimmer no doubt about it. but some consideration has to be used if you decied to go that route.The tropicorium has never used them but their vats hold thousands of pound of live rock and are constructed basicly like a giant under ground filter also they do SUPER HUGE water changes and tanks that host fish atleast have an old school underground filter system which pulls the waste into a designed area for bacteria to consume the waste.If I was going to run a tank without a skimmer I would be very careful to not have fish and a small bio load of coral.Understand this is just my opinon tho.Back when we first started this hobby skimmers where not used but also are the direct result of trying to resolve issues that limited waste exportation creates.Like your question said:can you run a tank without a skimmer?? YES you can! My questions is why would you?, unless hauling water is part of your daily workout and you enjoy makeing things harder on yourself and your tank inhabitants.Your tank looks fantastic so whatever your doing is working just fine.I just believe whole hartedly that a skimmer would allow your great looking tank to stay that way for a much longer time.This means your corals would get even bigger then they have and you will be forced to upgrade in which case you will have to use a skimmer and this conversation will be null and void. LOL Hmmm???? Mizs 240 has a nice ring to it doesn't it?

[CalmSeasQuest]

Tunze 9002 on ~50 gal system and an air-stone driven DIY skimmer on my Desktop (currently being fitted with a bubble plate and micro pump.)

[adalius]

I don't run one on my 29 gallon. I haven't had nitrate issues ever, the tanks been up 2 years this June, I only do monthly water changes, and with the exception of die off from when my lighting took a crap and I didn't have the gusto to fix it, I've never had any water parameter issues in the last 16 months. So can you? Yes you can. Is it possible to do so without water issues and without undue burden? Sure. Does it require a little bit of luck? Personally, I think so.

That said, I'm still toying with the idea of an under-stand sump for my BC29 so I can skim.So I'm not opposed to using them, I just haven't. I've actually had better luck on my BC29 without one than I did on my old 30 with one. *shrug* I could just be the rare case against the norm too though.

[Sir Patrick]

I will always run a skimmer on my tanks.

Even the smaller inefficiant ones still help with gas/oxygen exchange.

I feel the benefit outweighs the cost, but thats just my oppinion.

[MizTanks]

I will always run a skimmer on my tanks.

Even the smaller inefficiant ones still help with gas/oxygen exchange.

I feel the benefit outweighs the cost, but thats just my oppinion.

Wouldn't good surface movement do the same thing?

[Sir Patrick]

Wouldn't good surface movement do the same thing?

Yes, it does the same thing, but no where near as effectively/efficiantly.

In some cases, depending on your reefing approach, surface aggitiation is not enough.