Protein Skimmer .. To be or not to be ??

GreenSpottedPuffer · #1 12-30-2008, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Myka

What kind of tank are you setting up? Take bioballs and saltwater, and remove the combination from your head!

Bioballs are not suitable for reef tanks. In fact, I personally don't think bioballs have a place in any saltwater tank. Maybe if you are setting up a fish only, but even then bioballs are just a nitrate factory. You should not need ammonia media, and nitrate media is only needed in overstocked fish only tanks. It sounds like you're a freshwater import by the medias you've listed? If so, there is a lot of differences in the filtration of freshwater tanks versus saltwater tanks, and a lot of new knowledge in the last 10 years that's for sure! As far as the skimmer goes, I would say that I would only suggest skimmerless to someone who has successfully kept a saltwater aquarium before, and by that I mean learned how to keep a tank "algae free". A skimmer helps HUGELY in this factor, and unless you can keep your tank algae free with a skimmer you have no hope in heck of doing it without one. You can make yourself a nice little algae mess.

Bioballs are great in proper FO systems. If you ever want many, many large fish and 0 nitrates, one of the best ways to go is bio balls and a denitrator IME. Bio balls have much better surface area than LR in many cases and are easier to keep clean in a FO tank. They allow a nice open display for large predators and enough surface area for large populations of bacteria to keep up with many large fish. A denitrator will then keep nitrates at 0. If I were to ever set up a shark and ray tank, this is the way I would go for sure. All sand with a few pieces of LR for looks but a sump full of bioballs. Bioballs need a decent amount of flow through them though to keep them "clean".

Sorry off topic...

Myka · #2 12-30-2008, 07:48 PM

Ya, that's pretty much what I said..."maybe in a fish only". They only work well with a good denitrator, and by that I don't mean nitrate media in a filter box, I mean a sulfur denitrator with reactor. I think it was Precision Marine that (used to?) put out a good one.

But ya, how about that skimmer?

Sam1969 · #3 12-31-2008, 02:21 AM

Thanks for all the input ... think I will move away from the fluval corner tank and find a different one, that I can fit a sump under the stand ...

Thanks again PPL

Myka · #4 12-31-2008, 04:58 PM

Good idea.

Rbacchiega · #5 12-31-2008, 05:22 PM

That's a great idea...especially with the prices of those fluval units (I'm assuming you're talking about the venezia or whatever ones...) With that price tag you can usually get a nice size tank drilled with a sump LOL

midgetwaiter · #6 12-31-2008, 06:28 PM

I can get you a sump built for that thing. Send me a pm.

Sam1969 · #7 01-02-2009, 03:35 AM

Thanks for all the replies ... and suggestions ...

I decided yesterday to go with a 90 gal with internal overflow and 40 gal sump..
picked it up with a stand for half the price of the fluvol ...
now I need some lights and a protein skimmer so I can get the cycle started ..

anyone got some for sale ???

will post pics later...

Red Deer Reptiles · #8 01-02-2009, 05:25 AM

reef ready tanks with sump. skimmers rule. thats why they make them.check out any good reef tank they have a good skimmer. bio balls. lol you should do some internet resource.good luck.