Looking for a skimmer for a 20 gallon..

D

d00d

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Aug 18, 2008
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Hey im looking for the best HOB skimmer under ~$200 for a 20 gallon. i cant drill for a sump so in tank skimmers are out of the question. i have LPS and some easy SPS but im looking to get some of the higher end SPS soon. Here are my four choices...

http://www.nuocean.com/skimmers/bmqqexternal.html

http://www.aquacave.com/reef-octopu...back-protein-skimmer-br-by-coralvue-2347.html

http://www.aquacave.com/aquac-nano-remora-protein-skimmerbr-with-maxi-jet-900-pump-1122.html

http://www.aquacave.com/bak-pak-2-reef-ready-brhang-on-protein-skimmerbr-by-cpr-aquatics-1391.html

any suggestions or comments about these skimmers?
 
IMO you would be better off spending your money on other equipment. I don't run a skimmer on my 29G and it does great. Smaller tanks (under 30G) you really don't need a skimmer. They do help a little, but the money you spend on one can definately go to better use, like buying a Reefkeeper controller or a Vortech MP10 or a GFO reactor and years worth of media..

That said, if you want a good skimmer the AquaC Remora (normal one, not the Pro and not the Nano) or CPR BakPak2 are both good choices IMO.
 
yeah i always get an even ratio of people for and against skimmers. would it be necessary on a tank full of SPS?
 
Ace25 said:
IMO you would be better off spending your money on other equipment. I don't run a skimmer on my 29G and it does great. Smaller tanks (under 30G) you really don't need a skimmer. They do help a little, but the money you spend on one can definately go to better use, like buying a Reefkeeper controller or a Vortech MP10 or a GFO reactor and years worth of media..

That said, if you want a good skimmer the AquaC Remora (normal one, not the Pro and not the Nano) or CPR BakPak2 are both good choices IMO.
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Yah I see Aces point .... i mean you can do 50% water change easily weekly.
It all comes down to water chemistry being stable and bad things down...good things staying the same.

Also the poster mentions later that he/she may want to go SPS...That is not for the beginner. I don't recommend trying sps in a 29g. Also financially the amount of money you will spend on equipment you need is a bit high.


You say a tank full of SPS.... this is different from the tank you describe having now. A tank full of SPS does require more strict water quality ....

Just to entertain the question.... yes you "should" have a skimmer ...way better lighting... a chiller most likely cause of the heat caused by the lighting.

The amount of money you would spend on lighting and skimmer is it really worth it on such a small tank? (only you can answer that)

I imagine having to have a 29g sps forest tank...
I would go sump/fuge to house my skimmer and equipment..and have macro algae to eat up nutrients. At the same time I would have to buy some Korilia #4 x2 for the flow. Possibly a chiller cause of the heat from halides I would buy. really expensive route to go...

I would honestly prefer (if i had more money) to buy a big tank and invest in that... vs a 29g sps
 
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soo youre saying that 96W of SLR T5HO over a 12" tank is not SPS worthy? I say youre wrong. the temp stays at 78.8-.2 with the help of fans. The birdsnest and couple of acros i have right now are doing great under this light.
 
d00d said:
soo youre saying that 96W of SLR T5HO over a 12" tank is not SPS worthy? I say youre wrong. the temp stays at 78.8-.2 with the help of fans. The birdsnest and couple of acros i have right now are doing great under this light.
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I didn't say you cant keep some sps species with your current lighting. I do think having the higher end sps that is not sufficient.

I am saying under intense lighting needed for higher up sps it will produce lots of heat. Like using Halides.

96w you can get away with some more hardy sps...but you specifically said the higher end sps corals (and you said a tank full of sps) Those do require more intense lighting and very strict water conditions to remain stable.

So imagine the 29g with lets say a 150w halide...that sucker will boil...that is why I say you may need a chiller to achieve the higher lighting for the upper end sps corals.

Also lets say you double your current lighting type (t5's) to achieve more watts...do you think it will stay cool? if it does great... if not..chiller needed...
 
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Okay you obviously dont know what youre talking about. PAR meters have proven 96W of SLR T5HO have parameters comparable to 150W halides. It is not necesary to have halides for SPS. This is not your grandaddy's PC fixture. keep in mind the type of light i have. this is intense. and i do not have a 29g, i have a 20 gallon long. it is not about total watts of lighting that determines what you can and cannot grow, it is the specific type of light and the LUMENS it puts out. watts is a crude measurement for lighting intensity and should be taken lightly (pun intended). i could have a 40W LED fixture putting out ~200 lumens/watt and i could grow SPS in this tank easily.
 
LOL.. I am getting a kick out of this thread now.. as I sit here looking at my 29G SPS/Anemone tank that gets neglected like no tomorrow, reached 86f the last 3 days in a row, simple as can be tank and the SPS corals (I admit, easier SPS corals like Green Slimer, monti cap, and Poccilopora) that are growing like crazy, even with being stung by the anemone on a regular basis. 6x 24w T5HOs on my tank, 4 actinics, 1 75/25, 1 10k. so 144w of light.

With age and experience comes confidence.. and I am finally to the point I am confident a 29G tank with just a HOB filter, heater, and 2 powerheads with adequate lighting and regular water changes can grow full of SPS corals. Is it an ideal tank for SPS corals? Obsolutely not, but can it be done successfully, you bet it can.

Not trying to disagree with you Toejam to start trouble, I think your advice you give on here is top notch.. just this time I have a different view on it. ;)

d00d... PAR meter what? Please, by all means enlightened one... tell me how a PAR meter tells you anything about if a light is adequate for an aquarium. :D
 
PAR (photosynthetically available radiation) and PUR (photosynthetically available radiation) meters determine how much usable light is reaching the depth of the tank in question. For example a 9w light consisting of CREE LED's are capable of putting out ~4400 lux or 100-150 PAR at 14" deep, which is far beyond the minimum light threshold for most corals. This is comparable to a 70W metal halide at this depth. so no, halides are NOT needed to grow SPS.

:)

i do not know the exact measurements for my light but with the high quality bulbs and single light reflectors direct more than 3X more of the light into the tank than other non SLR fixtures, its a pretty intense fixture. I can bleach palys, acroporas, montiporas, ricordeas, and other various corals at 5" below the water (about 9-10" below the light)
 
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