Skimmers

[Bob I]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

Bob, get off the wine or use your spell check

Bob so you are saying anyone who has a skimmer on a Small tank is silly? personally I don't care if you like skimmers or not or you run one or not but you can't call people silly because they run one on a small tank.

as for chem-pure it is not cheep actually I was very shocked by its price and you can build a ghetto skimmer for less than a jar of that. so I am not even going to comment on the saving money using chem-pure as I think it is bunk.

Skimmer are equipment, do you need one on a tiny tank... no. do you need one on any tank,... no. but you will be doing very large very frequent water changes. so what does a skimmer do? it allows you to save money by having another method of water cleaning besides pure water changes. does this mean you don't need to do water changes? ... no but it means instead of doing 80% every week on your 10 gal you might do 20% ever second week.

Steve

As I have always said every opinion is valid. IMO, and IME, any skimmer on any tank is a gadget that is not needed. You may argue with that, but it will not change my mind. In my system, I do not use a skimmer, nor do I change water on a regular basis. I do use Chemipure that I bought by the case for less than $5.00 per unit.
You may disagree all you want. but accord me the respect that everyone is entitled to.

[Samw]

I think the opinion that Steve was referring to was your opinion that everyone who uses a skimmer in a small tank is silly. I think the people who use skimmers in small tanks also are entitled to some respect as well.

[Bob I]

Originally Posted by Samw

I think the opinion that Steve was referring to was your opinion that everyone who uses a skimmer in a small tank is silly. I think the people who use skimmers in small tanks also are entitled to some respect as well.

Sam when I look at my original post it states "in my humble opinion a skimmer on a small tank is silly" In my mind that says it is my opinion, and as such it is valid. You may accept it or discard it, but don't insult me. I said that if you want to waste money for a skimmer on a small tank, you are welcome to do that. I think I am still giving those who do that the required respect. I never did say that the person doing so is silly. I suppose the distinction between an action being seen as silly, and a person being silly is difficult to discern.
That is the problem with the printed word. Often intent is unknown. That is why the smilies on the old board will be missed by me.

[Samw]

Originally Posted by Bob I

That is why the smilies on the old board will be missed by me.

Bob, smilies are still there. You can find them in the Standard Editor. To use the Standard Editor, you have to go to the User Control Panel and change your options.

[Bob I]

Thanks Sam, I will have look to see if I can locate them.

[Bob I]

Okay great, I have found them. Now I wonder how many other people have missed them

[KrazyKuch]

to this new system.....I believe it's not neccessary to have a skimmer on any tank but after having one and seeing what it pulls out of the water I would never go without one on any tank!!!

[Ruth]

KK I think that "most" people do run a skimmer on their tanks. I chose not to on my smaller tanks because water changes are a snap. Personally on anything larger than a 30g tank I would run a skimmer because you are right, they do pull a lot of smelly stuff out of the tank. Bob and others have success with not using them and also not doing significant water changes. I think that is great and just show the vast range of experiences in this hobby. I have tried to run a 77g with a crap skimmer that might as well not have been there and canister filters - it was an algea and cyno machine and actually made me quit the hobby for a year it was so frustrating. Others such as Bev and Bob and more have great success keeping reefs using these methods so who is to say it is wrong or silly or whatever.
As far as "silly" goes - we are all silly - imagine trying to keep creatures in glass boxes that really belong in the ocean simply for our own enjoyment - now that is silly!

[Bob I]

Originally Posted by KrazyKuch

to this new system.....I believe it's not neccessary to have a skimmer on any tank but after having one and seeing what it pulls out of the water I would never go without one on any tank!!!

In a sense we are hijacking this thread, but what the H, it increases my post count.

I think you have hit on what a skimmer actually does. Skimmers basically interrupt natural decomposition of proteinaceous materials by removing large protein molecules before the natural dissolution of those molecules into nitrogenous compounds occur. That is all they do. Natural laws of physics state that they cannot increase the oxygen content of the water. (sorry Sam, still can't buy your argument}. They do not remove Phospates, or other contaminants.

That is all I will say on this matter. If anyone can prove that any of this is not true, I would welcome the input, but please make it proof NOT just opinion.

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by Bob I

I do use Chemipure that I bought by the case for less than $5.00 per unit.

How much does 1 unit do volume wise? when I was looking at it here it was something like 79.00 for enuf to do 100 gal for 6 months.

Steve