Do I actually need a skimmer?

[Cunning_plan]

I currently have a red sea reefer 250, this has a 55g display and a 10g sump. In the sump I have a tiny refugium and the bigger area is taken up by my skimmer (a red sea rsk 300). I'm doing a weekly water change of 5-10% and my nitrates are typically close enough to 0 that I occasionally have to dose to increase them. The tank has a mix of soft and LPS corals, 2 clowns, 2 cardinals, a lawnmower goby and an engineer goby.

What I was wondering is if I could simply do away with the skimmer, take out the divider in the sump and just run a bigger refugium with more cheato?

I'm tempted to do this for a couple of reasons, firstly, my skimmer is loud. I had a long thread with red sea about this, whilst they sent me some new bearings it hasn't helped much. Secondly, it would be nice to make the sump a bit more spacious as it's currently very tight. Lastly, I'd like to have a bigger area to grow pods and to use for QT. Apologies, if this is a stupid question, I'm still quite new to the game!

 

[Reef.]

A skimmer also helps with gas release, would you miss the benefit of that?

Many tanks run without a skimmer, you just export the nutrients a different way as you have said a bigger refugium is one way.

 

[45ZoaGarden]

The larger fuge will remove even more nitrates. Causing you to run into dinos. The skimmer will take out bad protein and chemicals that the fuge won’t remove. I’d keep the skimmer. You could probably do away with the fuge imo.

I currently have a red sea reefer 250, this has a 55g display and a 10g sump. In the sump I have a tiny refugium and the bigger area is taken up by my skimmer (a red sea rsk 300). I'm doing a weekly water change of 5-10% and my nitrates are typically close enough to 0 that I occasionally have to dose to increase them. The tank has a mix of soft and LPS corals, 2 clowns, 2 cardinals, a lawnmower goby and an engineer goby.

What I was wondering is if I could simply do away with the skimmer, take out the divider in the sump and just run a bigger refugium with more cheato?

I'm tempted to do this for a couple of reasons, firstly, my skimmer is loud. I had a long thread with red sea about this, whilst they sent me some new bearings it hasn't helped much. Secondly, it would be nice to make the sump a bit more spacious as it's currently very tight. Lastly, I'd like to have a bigger area to grow pods and to use for QT. Apologies, if this is a stupid question, I'm still quite new to the game!

 

[reef_ninja]

The reasons for wanting to take the skimmer out seem legit to me. The noise alone for me would be enough to either take the skimmer out or replace it with something quieter. However, I have a feeling you're going to get mixed responses. Personally, half my tanks in the past have been quite successful and skimmerless....but they were all 20 - 30 gallon reef tanks with a big proportion dedicated to a refugium. I think its entirely possible for you to go skimmerless, you'll just have to watch your nutrient intake (which it looks like you're doing well).

 

[45ZoaGarden]

Using the sump as a qt completely ruins the point of the qt. The purpose of the qt is to keep water with possibly sick fish as far away from your display tank as possible. The fuge as a qt would be putting the sick fish in the same system.

The larger fuge will remove even more nitrates. Causing you to run into dinos. The skimmer will take out bad protein and chemicals that the fuge won’t remove. I’d keep the skimmer. You could probably do away with the fuge imo.

 

[ThePurple12]

There are plenty of successful skimmerless tanks. I have one myself. I'd say go for it.

 

[Reef.]

Using the sump as a qt completely ruins the point of the qt. The purpose of the qt is to keep water with possibly sick fish as far away from your display tank as possible. The fuge as a qt would be putting the sick fish in the same system.

I missed that, good point. The sump can be used to separate fish that are not getting on but not for a QT.

OP don’t fall into the trap of stopping doing something because the tank is running good, might be because of exactly what you are doing why it’s running well, sounds like it’s a new tank, it might be running well now but that can change very fast, 250 is on the big size for a tank, if you drop the skimmer and get an issue later, it cuts down your options, some media you can’t use without a skimmer, bigger water changes may be needed to sort out an issue.

You do have the option of not running it 24/7, see how you go for a few months with it on less.

I would look to make it less noisy first, run it less often then if you still want it gone, you are doing it for the right reasons.

 

[Cunning_plan]

Using the sump as a qt completely ruins the point of the qt. The purpose of the qt is to keep water with possibly sick fish as far away from your display tank as possible. The fuge as a qt would be putting the sick fish in the same system.

Fair point, thankyou.

 

[Variant]

For what it is worth... I tore down my tank during a move and everything is sitting in a rubbermaid big with just a tunze for circulation and my lights on top.

No skimmer or filtration. Just some rock that started dry about 8 months ago. My clam looks happy no big algae bloom on the bin or the rocks.

I feed pellets to my 2 clowns, wrasse and tang 2-4 times a day. My fish, clam and zoas are happy. This is really challenging my perspective on how important equipment driven filtration is...

But as always with change try to go slow and observe.

 

[Tahoe61]

A tank that never had a skimmer.

Since you have a skimmer already, I would turn it off for or put it on a timer, give it a couple weeks and than decide.

 

[45ZoaGarden]

And to be honest, I would rather have the skimmer and not need it than need it and not have it. I like heavily stocked tanks and feed a ton. I rely on a skimmer and cheato reactor to help me out.

 

[Nburg's Reef]

Skimmer is not necessary but does help keep things from getting too dirty and provides a lot of gas exchange (O2 and CO2). I really only run it to keep my pH up. I have a good, but undersized by most (rated by the MFR for this size tank, lol) and have it skim dark and dry. I have a CO2 scrubber inline to keep pH up. If it weren't for the high CO2 in my condo, I probably would only use one if I had a problem with nitrates.

 

[Reef.]

You could only have it on when you are in bed, so you don’t hear it.

 

[Super Fly]

I currently have a red sea reefer 250, this has a 55g display and a 10g sump. In the sump I have a tiny refugium and the bigger area is taken up by my skimmer (a red sea rsk 300). I'm doing a weekly water change of 5-10% and my nitrates are typically close enough to 0 that I occasionally have to dose to increase them. The tank has a mix of soft and LPS corals, 2 clowns, 2 cardinals, a lawnmower goby and an engineer goby.

What I was wondering is if I could simply do away with the skimmer, take out the divider in the sump and just run a bigger refugium with more cheato?

I'm tempted to do this for a couple of reasons, firstly, my skimmer is loud. I had a long thread with red sea about this, whilst they sent me some new bearings it hasn't helped much. Secondly, it would be nice to make the sump a bit more spacious as it's currently very tight. Lastly, I'd like to have a bigger area to grow pods and to use for QT. Apologies, if this is a stupid question, I'm still quite new to the game!

Yes, absolutely possible esp with a small bio load like yours. I ran my previous 60G skimmer less with live rock, DSB and refugium. Besides, can always add a GFO reactor to help reduce PO4 should it become too difficult to control w/o a skimmer... Also no such thing as stupid question in this hobby.

 

[slojim]

the nice thing about a crowded sump is that you can't buy anything else to fill it!

With your system, if you keep your skimmer (maybe on a timer), you may be able to reduce your water changes to the same volume every 2 weeks, and reduce nitrate dosing. Seems like you are working hard to export nutrients while a device sits around exporting nutrients so you have to come back and dose nutrients. Just another avenue for you to consider.

 

[reef_ninja]

... Also no such thing as stupid question in this hobby.

Agreed! Im a little rusty getting back in, so this post was good for someone like me too.