Protein skimmers...should I or shouldn't I

[stardrop]

Hi all

I've got a newly established 29g biocube and I"m thinking about a protein skimmer.  My water has been testing stable everytime I test it, but someone suggested I add a skimmer. It will be a coral/fish combo.  So what's your opinion?  Should I get one...and if so, which one do you recommend??

[Hookup]

More info about your setup is required to make an educated comment however I cannot imagine where a skimmer would not be a good idea.  Personally, I consider them pretty mandatory for saltwater systems..

[gauthier613]

I think your limited by size here is the Oceanic one designed for your system. http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/store_pages/product-info.php?product_ID=aq-ocbskim

Wonder if you can get a tunze to fit in there?

[stardrop]

Well, it's a Oceanic biocube 29 gal with about 20lbs of live cured rock in it.  The rock was cured at my store so I know it's been done.  Water testing is Ph 8.1, amm 0, nitrite 1.1, nitrate 5, temp 76, SG 1.026.  Any additional info that you need?

[Funkmotor]

You really can not go wrong with a skimmer.  It removes DOC's (Dissolved Organic Compounds) from your water that your kits don't test for.  Your water will be cleaner, and that is good.

I'm never putting up another tank (other than a quarantine) without a skimmer.

[rechaud]

To be honneswt with you, i will DEFENETLY go with a protein skimmer!! When you are talking about fish and LR, i think you will also put some coral ?? so if you have all that, whe call that Reef tank and i kknow what i am talking about as i have a reef tank. The protein skimmer i for my self a must, maybe you could be good for a while but when it will start to get crazy ( cyano or hair algea  etc...) you will need that kind of thing. Always keep in mind that a not establish set up will have big variation befaure it will completely stabalize. For the choice of the right skimmer, i can tell you to give a shout at Red belly or Ray, tey are pretty crazy guy when its time to talk about SW set up 

For your choice, is always better to go bigger, it will just help your set up 

Good luck man and enjoy!!!!
Réchaud...

[Hookup]

Well, it's a Oceanic biocube 29 gal with about 20lbs of live cured rock in it.  The rock was cured at my store so I know it's been done.  Water testing is Ph 8.1, amm 0, nitrite 1.1, nitrate 5, temp 76, SG 1.026.  Any additional info that you need?

Honestly, like others I too think that skimmers are pretty mandatory.  The only people I know that are getting good results (healthy fish & corals) without the use of a skimmer are doing massive (50 to 75%) water changes weekly.  With a smaller system like yours, that is certainly an option.

I'm not a bio-cube guy as I have a bigger setup with a dedicated sump-room in the basement.  All I could pass on would be an investment in a skimmer is money always well spent.  Get the biggest and best you can as there is no such thing as over-skimming.

Top 3 places to spend your money in Saltwater Reef Systems.
1) Skimmer (biggest, badest, meanest skimmer you can get)
2) Lights (highest quality & amount you can get - ditch this for fish-only)
3) Live-Rock (good quality, cured and as much as you can get)

After that you're just making a good system better... without that, you're likely in for a hard time.

That's just my opinion, and just like bellybuttons, everyone has one and no two are identical.

[saltynewb]

I only use my skimmer (Cheap red sea prizm) to keep the surface film off.   I have a 40G (no sump), Lightly stocked, and have had no problems arise, only performing water changes every 2 or 3 weeks.

[kennyman]

Skimmers really help cut down on waterchanges which saves money in salt.

If you had a tank full of macros, turtle grass and mangroves doc's aren't such a big concern. Thats a backwater or near shore lagoon and it is meant to be rather dirty. Some corals grow there but not a lot and only certain kinds of fish live full time in such a zone. Nobody keeps tanks like that around here though. Most of us keep a mixed reef full of samples from all the different zones of reef comunity and we need to keep pristine water. If you lived by the ocean changing half you water every couple of days might be an option but here the cost of salt and having to mix it would make large frequent water changes costly. So skimmers are used to remove proteins from the water to lessen the dependency on water changes.

here is a shot of the proteins my skimmer yanked over the past couple of days. I clean out the collector twice a week. I'd hate to be changing 50 gallons of water 2x a week to export that much green gunk.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[az]

xenon had a tunze nano on his bio-cube and it looked really nice and clean, if you can find his thread that would be helpful.

[Julie]

I was once advised a skimmer is not required for anything under 55.
Ive been running skimmerless for 75% of the time without issue; I never do large water changes at once.
I still have the same corals from the 20 gallon I started in my current 55.
Just don't overstock, and don't overfeed.

[Fishhead89]

I vote skimmer.

I just recently set up a 25 gallon without a skimmer, (live rock may not have been cured yet) Let it run for 3 weeks, checked the water, and everything was waaaay out of whack.

Did a 100% water change, ran a skimmer for 2 weeks... stable. I'd recommend the TUNZE rated for up to 55gallons... running one on my 75, and it works like a charm!

Definately keep an eye on your bioload - and the volume of food you put into your tank. A skimmer will just help even out any mistakes.

[Adam]

I run a skimmer on my 75 gallon and I don't run one on my 20 gallon.  The only difference that I can see so far is that I don't have protein buildup on the surface in the 75 gallon (also have an overflow).  My leathers do better in my skimmerless tank, as do my zoanthids.  SPS do well in both.  I do a bucket water change every week or two in my 20 gallon.  I do 2 buckets in my 75 gallon so far.