Going Skimmerless?

[Anguilla82]

Hi all,

just done a nitrate test and its absolutely 0 which is great as i haven't done a water change for over 2 weeks!
have also been feeding at least once if not twice with flake or frozen every day.

my question is based around my skimmer.
Its not pulling anything out. i haven't emptied the cup for around 3+ weeks!
its working fine (so no probs with the equipment) but i guess my system is just pulling all the crap out instead of the skimmer?
i'm running alot of live rock and algae in the sump.

i am planning on maybe picking up a flasher wrasse this weekend, and that will probably be it for the stocking, so am wonderring........ if my system is filterring the water so well do i really need to have the skimmer running at all?

 

[daveydave]

best thing i'd say is try it!
how about having the skimmer on a timer to run at night only?
i have run a 3x2x2 'Just' on a refugium
my present 1300l system has a refugium (still maturing) and a v2 400. quite obviously underated but still pulls a small ammount of skimmate every week.
I did try without mine and did notice things looked not quite so happy. this was only a couple of weeks of plumbing up the fuge tho.
try it, monitor water regularly, any signs of things not looking happy turn it back on, or as mentioned just have it on a few hours a night.

good luck Dave

 

[kj23502]

If you have it, why not keep it on anyway?

 

[daveydave]

it has been proven (by some clever boffin (not me)) that skimming also pulls good stuff out. hence the development of skimmerless refugium systems.
as stated above i run a skimmer massively underated for my system size, its set low and will be coming off once the refugium has been running for a few months.
Dave

 

[kj23502]

Do you have any more info about it, please? I'm interested

 

[ben1987]

the reef is a naturally low nutrient environment. So to replicate the natural home of your corals and fish you should run the skimmer imo.

 

[Anguilla82]

the reef is a naturally low nutrient environment. So to replicate the natural home of your corals and fish you should run the skimmer imo.

but if there aren't enough nutrients for the skimmer to pull anything out, surely i'm just wasting sump space and electricity?

 

[ben1987]

but there will be in time. As fish and corals grow, new additions etc. I believe that my skimmer is one of the most important things in my tank. I ran my old one skimmerless for a good few months. I noticed a massive difference in my corals once it got bedded in. If you lose anything in your tank they go mad and pull out loads of gunk. I would just rather have eveything possible working for me.

 

[daveydave]

http/www.ecosystemaquarium.com/products/miracle-mudr.html

a great shop i visit from time to time has working displays of these systems which led me to try it on my old 3x2x2
i have never seen such a vibrant looking tank as the 30" cube they have set up. this display has been running for years too.

 

[kj23502]

Interesting read:

Reef Food w/Borneman-talks about how skimmers n stuff take nutrients out of the water.
http/reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-07/eb/index.php