What is more important? Protein Skimmer or Lights?

[Andy16]

What is your guys opinion? I was looking at lights a lot but then i started to consider a protein skimmer. Its either 250 watt MH with a mag ballast or a protein skimmer. I can only afford one of the two. I will get the other one some time later(who knows how long that means) I have a Penguin 170 for filtration, but i know its not much. Its mostly just for the water movement. I also have an AC mini packed with phosphate remover.

[frosty]

Need more details, tank size, live stock, lbs of rock, what you want to put in the tank, water parameters, etc.

[gbolton]

Andy,

I remember speaking about you with your lights before. If I remember correctly you have a tank around 30 gallons correct me if I am wrong. The thing is with the metal halides you will be able to keep higher light corals but remember at the same time you are going to create a great place for algae to thrive. Without a skimmer you may have a hard time marinating water quality at a level that will keep the algae from becoming unsightly. I would recommend for the skimmer first and just going with some mushrooms or some of the lower light leathers at this point. That way when you add the lights later you will be ready for the higher light corals.

This is just my recommendation as water quality is the most important aspect to successfully keeping corals. With the best light you can still kill them with nitrates and the likes.

[Andy16]

whoopsies. It is 20 gallons. Live stock isnt the main thing. I just want a few fish. Maybe around 3. It is going to be a reef tank once it gets 100% matured. IDK the pounds of rock. I dont see how important that is as the rock is a filtration source on its own. Right now there isnt a lot of it but thatt is going to change too. The water parameters are good.... I just have an algae problem and i am switching from using tap water to RO/DI water to hopefully solve the problem. Lighting seems more important to me right now. I can hold off on the fish since they are secondary to the corals.

EDIT for gboltons post: I have had varied opinions on this subject. I posted the same thing over at nano-reef. It was said there I could tacke the algae problem with water changes. The algae isnt really that bad. I traced the problem back the using tap water which was easy to figure out, i just never thought about it.

[gbolton]

You are right in that th live rock is a filtration device but it wil still leaved disolved organics. If you are consistent with water changes astock very lightly you should be ok.

This being a smaller tank I am not that well versed.

[frosty]

There is no real answer, but if it was mine I would get the Halides and do weekly water changes to keep up on quality.

[plantman1028]

for the price of the mh,you could get a skimmer + some pc lighting.I have an amiracle hob with skimmer(150)plus a CSL moonlite(130w=2moonlites)(160)both are on a 30 gal aga with several sps and softies.I even made a refugium in the filter with a 13wpc and a small acrylic specimen container.Just tryin to help a fellow reefer get the most bang for his buck.

[slipknottin]

buy a skimmer first. At least with a fish only tank youd still see some benefit.

When you want to start a reef tank, then get the lighting.

You sure you dont want a 400 watt MH with a 20K radium ($60) :p

[Andy16]

for the price of the mh,you could get a skimmer + some pc lighting.I have an amiracle hob with skimmer(150)plus a CSL moonlite(130w=2moonlites)(160)both are on a 30 gal aga with several sps and softies.I even made a refugium in the filter with a 13wpc and a small acrylic specimen container.Just tryin to help a fellow reefer get the most bang for his buck.

Not if its a magnetic ballast. Then i can get 250 watts cheaper then that. Yea, I know its a magnetic ballast, but i need some kind of light and its better then nothing.