to skim or not to skim

[Mike-fish]

i run one on the 175g and 34g but nothing on the 29g.

[untamed]

I think my skimmer holds 30 gallons of water... 'nuff said!

[Snaz]

Originally Posted by Mike-fish

i run one on the 175g and 34g but nothing on the 29g.

You are in a unique position to compare skimmerless and skimmer. Can you describe briefly if any the water differences, inhabitant health etc. of each?

[Lance]

I like my fish fat. I feed them well. I can't imagine what my tank would look like without skimming.

[Snaz]

Originally Posted by Lance

I like my fish fat. I feed them well. I can't imagine what my tank would look like without skimming.

I overfeed too but a healthy fluctuating population of mini brittle stars and a handful of hermits ensure uneaten food does not stay around too long.

[Lance]

Originally Posted by Snaz

I overfeed too but a healthy fluctuating population of mini brittle stars and a handful of hermits ensure uneaten food does not stay around too long.

Maybe so, with smaller fishes. I have my doubts keeping large fish and SPS without skimming.

[Aquattro]

I know that in my 180 SPS with a fair amount of fish, I remove about 3 cups of thick sludge every 3 days. There is no way I could manage that load without a big skimmer.

[emerald crab]

I skim, run bio pellets, dose vodka, run an algae scrubber and I still don't compete with the ocean.

[Mike-fish]

Originally Posted by Snaz

You are in a unique position to compare skimmerless and skimmer. Can you describe briefly if any the water differences, inhabitant health etc. of each?

all in great health
the stocking of the 175g :
400LB of live rock
1 large powder blue tang
1 large foxface
1 clown
1 cleaner wrasse
2 chromis
1 copperband
5-6" clam
care for tank 175g:
water change approx once a month 30g
filter floss weekly
fuge cheeto roll daily
feed nori and mysis daily

stocking for 29g:
2 clowns
sps - goniopora
lps - bubble coral
assort zoas
3" clam
care for 29g
feed mysis daily
coral frenzy weekly
very rare water change

stocking for 34g (don't chew my head off bought as is stocked now on thurs)
1 regal tang SM ( will rehome soon came with tank)
1 mandrin
1 clown
1 6 line wrasse
lots of mushrooms
gsp
wsp
bsp
asssort zoas

care for 34g
no regime set yet just got on thrusday moved from calgary.
little tiny mini cycle but not worried.
will be same as 175g except fuge

current test results (hope this works never tried before)https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx...EdXaLlPF-r8Nuc

keep in mind the 34 was just moved about 48H ago. use the bottom tabs on the work sheet to navigate from tank to tank.

[straightrazorguy]

I just wanted to revive this thread, rather than starting a new one. My 6 moth old RLSS 6I skimmer died, so I am skimmerless, not by choice, but by circumstance. I just wanted to know if there are any succesful SPS tanks out there that run skimmerless.

I run a mixed coral 3 ft cube (150 gallon in the DT), with a 30 gallon sump. The tank is plumbed in line with a 55 gal refugium that is full of cheato and rock. I probably have a toal of 80 lbs or more of rock between the DT and the fuge. The tank is predominantly SPS, but with a few LPS and some zoas and mushrooms.

As far as my bioload, I have the following tank inhabitants:

- 3 inch yelow tang,
- 3 inch copperband butterfly,
- 3 inch harlequin tusk,
- 3.5 inch tamarin wrasse,
- 3 inch reticulated anthia,
- a pair of mated Percs (2 and 3 inches)
- a 2 inch cleaner wrasse
- a pair of skunk shrimp (2.5 iches)
- a lonely peppermint shrimp (about an inch).

Should I try to run it skimmerless or scramble to replace the skimmer?