I don?t skim.

[noskimmer]

I don’t skim.

All, I must apologise in advance, as this may entice a little controversy. But I don’t skim (hence my username). I did when I started (don’t get me wrong), and I was just amazed at the amount of skimmate that was produced everyday. I had \ still have a skimmer (I forget the brand) but it was a no compromise purchase so it was\is very good.

I don’t use it.

It happened accidentally really. I had bought a new house and sold mine, but had a 3 month temporary stay at my brother’s place. Tank moves suck. I’ve done my fair share. Anyway, I didn’t skim for this period, was just really slack, but something began to happen… all my corals began to change, I noticed at night that there was a lot more than just water in the water column, there were things…. Ok they were Copepods. But it was more than that. For the first time I was watching plankton blooms. Corals began to extend their polyps like nothing else! Look at the first thread I posted.

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=105044

I accept that I may receive a bit of criticism over this, and I am not saying that people, especially new people should try it, you just don’t risk your stock. My first tank had an under gravel filter and that was over 16 years ago.

I added a bit to this thread, this may explain some of the success that I am having.

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91273&page=3

I run high flow, thanks to Tunze (they are really amazing), and don’t have algae problems, apart from the algae I specifically nurture in my sump via reverse photo period. I run a local DSB as well as a remote, this is to become 2 remote DSB’s, one with low flow and one with high, no mechanical filtration apart from water moving through sand, and the occasional (very occasional) water change to keep the trace elements up. See thread:

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=105248

I also have 24hour photo period spanned across the display and sump in a rotating fashion and there is a difference in MH’s based on brand. The main display has an Arcadia Pendant which consists of 2x250 watt 10k and an actinic and a fluorescent, which switch on in a staggered manner to mimic, say, those really long days that you get in Tahiti…. The day never ends! And my sumps run MH’s

I have two Mandarin gobies, sorry two very FAT Mandarin gobies in the same tank (broke the rule, I always do that), but I just hate seeing them in the LFS looking like skeletons.

Anyways, I know I will probably receive some flack.. but hey.

p.s. I’m going to buy a microscope, one of those which you can fit a SLR to so I can take photo’s of the life in the water column, which I am sure will be vibrant. I wonder if that is what made all the skimmate…..

 

[Reefscape]

A nice little write up and explanation...

I am certainly not going to critise you..The way your system is setup, works for you..Your happy with it, and the inhabitants are happy...So, Why Not?

Any tank setup is down to personal preference..and people do have to realise that. Its been said so many times before..."what works for one system, may not work for another " and i will always stand by that statement because i believe it is very very true.

A point that people also need to realise, who are new and just starting in the hobby, is that we recomend equipment like the protien skimmer to them as it will help them to get up and running with far more success that starting up a new reef un-aided by good equipment. Then, once that person gains more experience and grows in confidence, then it is down to them, then, to make the decision to remove a skimmer. If they have the knowledge and confidence in their own setup, then remove it...You can always put it back if you do not like the results...

Briefly, i would be gob-smacked if there is anybody here who will come on the thread and critise you for not using a skimmer. They may show forward their side of the argument "for using one", but we have to appreciate, we have our opinions on how a tank should be managed..

Niko

 

[ragc]

I ran very successfully without a skimmer for a long time. Even now, my skimmer is a home-modified Skilter 250, which most laugh at as it's not supposed to be any good (it works well enough for my 10 gallon nano). I tend to leave the tank be for multi-month periods and it's crawling with 'bad' things like copopods and bristleworms (which do a great job cleaning). My corals are as happy and randy as can be! Li'l B is as fat as he wants to be (yellowtailed damsel).

Each tank develops it's own ecology and the difference seems to me that some like you and I allow that to happen while others fuss and adjust too much and prevent it from happening sooner.

Congratulations on your success.

 

[fsn77]

I've thought about going skimmerless, as it seems there are more people than most of us realize going that route and doing so successfully. Our friend had the pump crap out on his skimmer almost 2 months ago, has yet to replace it, and his SPS tank is growing quite well -- maybe even better than it was before the skimmer stopped working.

 

[noskimmer]

Thanks, it's really good to hear that there are other people trying some different techniques and not going the norm.

Interesting about the ecology comment, so true! So much to understand and learn.

Must get microscope, must get microscope.....

 

[fish addict]

I don't use my skimmer any more either. I don't have a reef, so I guess it isn't as important for me. My skimmer did remove a lot of junk, but honestly as I have learned more over the last couple of years I can keep my tank clean without a skimmer. I added a refugium on an opposite light schedule to my display tank and have noticed a world of difference. I have Chaeto in both tanks, and that along with the huge increase in Pods has really made a difference.

I am also much more consistent with water changes than I used to be and I don't over feed like I used to.

RagC: it's good to see you back, seems like it's been a while. I definetly used to mess with my system all the time and it never seemed to establish. Aside from feeding, water changes, and testing I don't mess with my tank at all now. The ecology of our systems is amazing!

 

[Subliminal]

I just bought a skimmer, but haven't put it on yet. Been running over a month w/ no skimmer so far.

However, I've been having to change a lot of water lately to keep my nitrates down. I'm hoping that a skimmer helps with that.

 

[noskimmer]

Skimmer will certainly keep the nitrates down, and is probably best as it seems that your tank is newly established. Unless your fortunate enough to start out like I did I think it would be bad not to skim.

Remember, there is a lot more in the water column than meets the eye, not all bad.

I would always suggest bedding in a DSB and promoting remote algae growth for nitrate removal, and keep the water changes to a minimum, just to replace trace elements.

 

[ragc]

RagC: it's good to see you back, seems like it's been a while. I definetly used to mess with my system all the time and it never seemed to establish. Aside from feeding, water changes, and testing I don't mess with my tank at all now. The ecology of our systems is amazing!

It's good to be back! I truly have not messed much with my tank, except for periodic partial water changes, water topping, and cutting the caulerpa when it overgrows it's corner. This has been caused as much by lack of time as by the growth of confidence that the system will balance itself if left alone. My skimmer cup gets cleaned very periodically, when I notice it has not been skimming for a week or so. The airstone in the skimmer, which is supposed to last one month has been changed twice in a year (and it still skims!). Imagine my surprise when, after a year, macroalgae starts sprouting from my rock! And best of all... around a year, all green hair algae vanished on it's own, never to re-appear, after I had spent so much energy trying everything I could find to get rid of it! That's why I say that the tank develops it's own ecology.

 

[Germanman]

very interesting i still swear by them due to my bio background but its wonderful to see another approach that also uses the naturel way that i have soon to try out myself. ive seen similar set ups succeed as well...shows u nothing is ever for sure!
i believe the key to keeping sea pens, crinoids and other "imposable" things is to better integrate biology back into the hobby and im glad to have read this thread!