Are Skimmers a necessity?

[nickg]

Even the ocean has its own built in skimmers… Foamy water in marshes and beaches.

 

[taulgrl]

I’ve never had a skimmer on my 2 yr old
75g tank. Macroalgae fuge w a filter sock and bag of carbon is working (so far). Lots of soft and LPS coral but no SPS. 12 fish. I originally avoided a skimmer to save money and “keep it simple.” I expected I’d eventually have to add one but my parameters have been stable and fish/coral are happy so I don’t see the need.

 

[RedReefer]

Depends on the amount you feed, and the water change % and schedule. I have one tank with and one tank without.

 

[Auquanut]

Okay. I'll chip in. The way I see it, there are approximately 3,735,212 different ways to run a reef (give or take). I'm sure there isn't a single piece of equipment that many reefers do well without. It all depends on where you want to be, and how you want to get there.

Where I'm at now, I say I'll never have a reef without a skimmer. That could change as I mature as a reefer. For now, I like the fact that it pulls so much crap stuff out of the water column and noticeably increases my PH. If my nutrients decrease (and they have) I can always increase feeding. The fish and corals really appreciate that.

I will say that I agree with many above. Newer reefers with larger, sumped tanks would probably (and I stress the word probably) do better with a skimmer starting out. As you mature in the hobby, fine tuning the system could very well include going skimmerless. Just a thought.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

Look, There are very valid reasons not to use skimmers and those people that chimed in on the no's have their reasons and they are valid. But those reasons are decisions that experience has taught you. Most of the ppl. on here do not have the experience you do.
This is why the fore-mentioned comment on why this type of post is bad for new reefers. Because it seems most of the Nay-Sayers do not point out to say "No a skimmer isn't necessary but this is what works for me to solve AB and C...
Remember most new hobbyists do not make it to the one year mark and there are even a few well known posters on this forum that have said they wanted to throw in the towel. Too many ppl. listening to too many others advice and trying to throw it in a glass box without a lot of success.
For successful reefers you have a system that you have created that works for you and your relationship with that system. Unless a new reefer understands your whole husbandry method, if they just extract one thing they may completely fail.
If the title of this post was; Do I have to really buy a skimmer? My answer would be completely different, because of of course not, there are other ways. But until you understand what is going on with your tank maybe a skimmer isn't such a bad idea.
All you need for a successful tank is flow, light, something for your bacteria to grow on and semi stable salinity and temperature. Would I recommend for someone new to stick a tankful of water in front of a window with a power head? No. Because I would recommend the easy first, then take from what they learned and do the more involved/complicated/difficult...
And this is just IMO.

 

[nickg]

Look, There are very valid reasons not to use skimmers and those people that chimed in on the no's have their reasons and they are valid. But those reasons are decisions that experience has taught you. Most of the ppl. on here do not have the experience you do.
This is why the fore-mentioned comment on why this type of post is bad for new reefers. Because it seems most of the Nay-Sayers do not point out to say "No a skimmer isn't necessary but this is what works for me to solve AB and C...
Remember most new hobbyists do not make it to the one year mark and there are even a few well known posters on this forum that have said they wanted to throw in the towel. Too many ppl. listening to too many others advice and trying to throw it in a glass box without a lot of success.
For successful reefers you have a system that you have created that works for you and your relationship with that system. Unless a new reefer understands your whole husbandry method, if they just extract one thing they may completely fail.
If the title of this post was; Do I have to really buy a skimmer? My answer would be completely different, because of of course not, there are other ways. But until you understand what is going on with your tank maybe a skimmer isn't such a bad idea.
All you need for a successful tank is flow, light, something for your bacteria to grow on and semi stable salinity and temperature. Would I recommend for someone new to stick a tankful of water in front of a window with a power head? No. Because I would recommend the easy first, then take from what they learned and do the more involved/complicated/difficult...
And this is just IMO.

And honestly run a beast of a skimmer because I’m to lazy to do a ton of water changes…. If you change enough water you need no filter….

but you are EXACTLY correct. In fact I took nearly 2 years away, just diving back in. Mine was not due to water conditions. Electrical issues… EXPENSIVE titanium heater malfunction and boiled everything…. Even THOUSANDS of dead bristle worms…. I was disgusted, LOST a lot of beautiful livestock. Broke my spirits. Cleaned everything and just let it sit. Just got everything going. I am now trying to get myself a controller. I had a Reef Keeper years ago. But I’m leaning towards Neptune. Just trying to decide which model And what all I want to run. I need to up.oaf new build pics. Still kept my IM 40 running, but it’s a bedroom tank, with clowns and LR is all.

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

For the systems you create and maintain I can see how you would want to use different options, since your clients may be mostly "hands off". When I mentioned there are other ways to achieve what a skimmer would do, but why would you want to? Yours is/may be one of the reasons.

It’s funny. The reality of your reply is ‘depends’.

For example, I just did a tank today for an infrequent client who has had trouble since Covid paying for the service. I continue to do the tank at no charge, because we’ve had a relationship for 20 years. Their skimmer pump went out about 2 years ago, and at the time, I was going to replace it. But due to infrequency of service, it was a couple of months before the next service. Tank looked fine when I got there, so I decided to replace the pump if the tank ever started to look like it might start going in the wrong direction.

That never happened.

Today while I worked on the tank, because I’m doing it for free, I decided to grab a bunch of frag pieces. Got several acro and monti frags, 8 frogspawn heads, and more blueberry mushrooms and zoas than I know what to do with. And you can’t even tell I collected anything . This particular client does nothing to the tank but feed.

At the same time, I have clients where I just don’t want to take any chances, and I run a skimmer. It’s a function of having trust issues with the clients ability to make good decisions with the tank.

Then I’ve got clients who have tanks that I have a lot of liberty to experiment and try different things with. The best are a few of my clients who leave for FL for the winter and I can just come and go as much as I want. I’m far more inclined to experiment on those systems when I’m there a few times a week.

All that said, if every skimmer on Earth vaporized and disappeared tomorrow, I wouldn’t be sweating it.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Well, definitely not necessary, but they are extremely helpful! I love skimmers for what they do, but refuse to use a HOB skimmer after having one make a horrible mess foaming all over. Thus, I'll only use a skimmer on a tank with a sump.

Using a skimmer allows me to stock and feed my tanks heavier, as I can vodka dose to keep nitrates and phosphates down. It also helps oxygenate the tank, and I notice fewer issues with nuisance algae on tanks with a well-dialed in skimmer.

 

[KrisReef]

honestly im tired of this question lol

Can you please, please explain why the question is wearing us out? I’m suffering so much thread fatigue on this one and I can’t figure it out?

Interesting note: There is a bird skimmer that eats fish, and I can’t figure that out either?

 

[KrisReef]

It’s funny. The reality of your reply is ‘depends’.

For example, I just did a tank today for an infrequent client who has had trouble since Covid paying for the service. I continue to do the tank at no charge, because we’ve had a relationship for 20 years. Their skimmer pump went out about 2 years ago, and at the time, I was going to replace it. But due to infrequency of service, it was a couple of months before the next service. Tank looked fine when I got there, so I decided to replace the pump if the tank ever started to look like it might start going in the wrong direction.

That never happened.

Today while I worked on the tank, because I’m doing it for free, I decided to grab a bunch of frag pieces. Got several acro and monti frags, 8 frogspawn heads, and more blueberry mushrooms and zoas than I know what to do with. And you can’t even tell I collected anything . This particular client does nothing to the tank but feed.

At the same time, I have clients where I just don’t want to take any chances, and I run a skimmer. It’s a function of having trust issues with the clients ability to make good decisions with the tank.

Then I’ve got clients who have tanks that I have a lot of liberty to experiment and try different things with. The best are a few of my clients who leave for FL for the winter and I can just come and go as much as I want. I’m far more inclined to experiment on those systems when I’m there a few times a week.

All that said, if every skimmer on Earth vaporized and disappeared tomorrow, I wouldn’t be sweating it.

I think I would have a nervous break down if things were happening like this on earth.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

It’s funny. The reality of your reply is ‘depends’.

For example, I just did a tank today for an infrequent client who has had trouble since Covid paying for the service. I continue to do the tank at no charge, because we’ve had a relationship for 20 years. Their skimmer pump went out about 2 years ago, and at the time, I was going to replace it. But due to infrequency of service, it was a couple of months before the next service. Tank looked fine when I got there, so I decided to replace the pump if the tank ever started to look like it might start going in the wrong direction.

That never happened.

Today while I worked on the tank, because I’m doing it for free, I decided to grab a bunch of frag pieces. Got several acro and monti frags, 8 frogspawn heads, and more blueberry mushrooms and zoas than I know what to do with. And you can’t even tell I collected anything . This particular client does nothing to the tank but feed.

At the same time, I have clients where I just don’t want to take any chances, and I run a skimmer. It’s a function of having trust issues with the clients ability to make good decisions with the tank.

Then I’ve got clients who have tanks that I have a lot of liberty to experiment and try different things with. The best are a few of my clients who leave for FL for the winter and I can just come and go as much as I want. I’m far more inclined to experiment on those systems when I’m there a few times a week.

All that said, if every skimmer on Earth vaporized and disappeared tomorrow, I wouldn’t be sweating it.

Thanks! and BTW I used to work at Aquariums by Design back in the day. I don't know if you remember them. But similar to you, custom tanks, custom clients. I don't miss getting on the "L" with a bucket and a siphon...

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

Thanks! and BTW I used to work at Aquariums by Design back in the day. I don't know if you remember them. But similar to you, custom tanks, custom clients. I don't miss getting on the "L" with a bucket and a siphon...

Did they turn into something else? I feel like I’ve never heard of them…and I knew most of the companies out there.

But yeah, I know that feeling. Or pushing a 40 gal bucket on wheels down the street for 3 blocks in the Loop because there wasn’t closer parking.

I’m exclusively in the burbs these days.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

Did they turn into something else? I feel like I’ve never heard of them…and I knew most of the companies out there.

But yeah, I know that feeling. Or pushing a 40 gal bucket on wheels down the street for 3 blocks in the Loop because there wasn’t closer parking.

I’m exclusively in the burbs these days.

This was 89-early 90's. Ahead of their time, all custom built acrylics, tanks, stands, filtration. On Franklin and Chicago Ave. It was mostly just fish back then, Bioballs and Ozone...

 

[M Stein]

I prefer to let my high coral to fish ratio do the work of a skimmer.
The corals do a great job of consuming nutrients.

 

[MarsReefer]

My tank is 4 months in and I can’t for the life of me keep nutrients above 0. A skimmer would just make my problem worse.

I Actually built a skimmer myself that attaches to my durso overflow. The air mixing from the overflow causes it to foam up and skim. Definitely not as efficient as a commercial skimmer but it only cost me $20 and I can have it dump right into the filter if I don’t need it to skim.

 

[sghera64]

Yes - Long-term stability and gas exchange.

I can run the tank a long time without it, but then things start to change for the worse. With a skimmer things remain stable longer.

 

[KQuillan]

I have five fish and a mixed reef in a 40g. Started with no skimmer, then ran one for a while, it pulled all the nutrients out, I ended up shutting it off. Tank parameters are better without running it.

 

[HBtank]

I consider them to be an essential component of a reef system.

 

[frank-lloyd-reefer]

For me currently, yes. My much smaller LPS tanks in the past eventually ran mostly skimmerless, but in my current SPS tank, as my amount of fish went up it’s been a necessity. I know simply because there were a a few instances where it couldn’t run for around a week each time and the algae quickly began to take over. I have a fuge, a UV sterilizer, do water changes every week and feed lightly. If I cut back on the amount of time my lights are on that would probably help. But I don’t want to .

 

[MiniCoco]

I voted yes because having a skimmer available to pull excess detritus and other wastes from your tank is simply the easiest way to go. Just because you have a skimmer plumbed and ready to go does not mean one has to have it online at all times as well. A skimmer is simply an efficient tool that can be dialed in to a tank that as it matures and you implement changes to the same, one can adjust the performance. It is also an invaluable tool when it comes to surface agitation and aeration (gas exchange).