to skim or not to skim

[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?

[WarDog]

I have no answer...however, are you willing to risk the health and investment of your SPS's to find out? Something to think about. Good luck and keep us posted.

[kien]

If i recall correctly, the consensus was: Yes, you can run a successful skimmerless SPS tank, so long as you remove/export nutrients yourself. This can be achieved by one or all of the following techniques:

1. Perform a 50% water change once a day.
2. reduce (or stop) feeding your fish.
3. Remove some (mostly all) of your fish.

The equation for success is simple: S = NO > NI

where:

S = Success
NO = Nutrients Out
NI = Nutrients In

[The Guy]

Originally Posted by kien

If i recall correctly, the consensus was: Yes, you can run a successful skimmerless SPS tank, so long as you remove/export nutrients yourself. This can be achieved by one or all of the following techniques:

1. Perform a 50% water change once a day.
2. reduce (or stop) feeding your fish.
3. Remove some (mostly all) of your fish.

The equation for success is simple: S = NO > NI

where:

S = Success
NO = Nutrients Out
NI = Nutrients In

My opinion on your techniques, which BTW I agree with!

1. Too much work, you want to enjoy not be a slave.
2. reduce= maybe (stop feeding) not in my tank!
3. why bother reefing you might as well shut down!

Your equation to me = get yourself a good skimmer and enjoy the hobby or stop reefing and collect stamps instead.

[straightrazorguy]

I broke down and ordered a new controller for my skimmer pump, so it looks like I'll be skimmerless for just a week or so. But, while panicking about it I did some research, and there seems to be a lot of controversy out there. There are people who run successful reef tanks (including SPS dominated ones) without a skimmer, and swear by it. Most seem to do it once the tank is mature and packed with corals.

I also found this article which made me rethink the whole skimmer story:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/2/aafeature