No Skimmer Nano Reefs

[Reefguy13]

I ran a 20 gallon peninsula mix reef with a lot of acros without a skimmer for a couple years. I don't have any pics anymore but a good schedule of water changes and chemi pure and filter floss. Never had any issues except when the ato got stuck on ha! I run a skimmerless 45 gallon now with a fuge and same regiment of water changes and filter floss changes every other day

 

[Eagle_Steve]

That you did!! Sorry! Ha!

For giggles. I setup a 10 gallon tank with a hob, heater and small ph for my niece. She is 7 and loves all things sw.

The tank has xenia, gsp, a small bta and Pandora palys. Lighting is a old bb with leds swapped to a better spectrum.

No skimmer, daily 2 cup water changes by her (none missed so far in 6 months) and weekly filter floss carbon bag changes by her. Nutrients are a hair high at 10-15 no3 and .1 po4. But it’s softies and the nem doesn’t care.

Got me a mini marine biologist in training. She knows every name of everything in the tank and just hearing her explain the tank is awesome. Gammarid amphipod sounds so cute coming from a 7 year old lol.

And behold Brinley’s 10 gallon pulsing xenia garden.

We just added this gsp rock after I removed another rock with only xenia. Bta lives on the backside of a rock lol

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

Evo user here. 3 fish and Nitrates are about a 8 and phosphates are .01. I do water changes monthly at 15%. My only filtration is LR, floss and the occasional carbon.

 

[MONTANTK]

I’ve had 5 or 6 different nano tanks. Most of them have been AIOs which I never ran a skimmer on. I just did weekly water changes and didn’t keep a ton of fish. I had a 35g with a sump and now that I think of it I honestly don’t remember if I had a skimmer or not. I want to say I did since it had a sump but genuinely can’t remember. Regardless, going forward I probably will not run a skimmer on anything under 40 gallons. I’d like to try turning the skimmer chamber into a fuge and see how that does

 

[thewire]

I found an Aquamaxx HOB skimmer relatively cheap (price for dinner). I had it installed last night. Fit nicely.
From L to R
Media Basket on first chamber
Heater, HOB Skimmer on 2nd chamber
temp probe, ATO sensor, ATO hose/bracket, light and return pump on 3rd chamber

 

[MysticSea]

I have a 24 AQUATOP tank that has never had a skimmer. The reason for this was that I keep a lot of Goniopora and other corals that like a bit more nutrient rich water. The other reason is that I dose amino acids regularly so a protein skimmer would just deplete it since its a much smaller tank. If you are looking for a photo you can click the build thread since I just finished it!

 

[Nano sapiens]

Y’all should also show your no skimmer nano tanks!

Let’s see some pics!

 

[stanlalee]

Biocube 14 no skimmer and no need what so ever. It has everything but acropora. Fed daily, dry coral food twice a week. Biweekly 2.5g water changes (total tank water volume about 8 gallons). No coral issues, no algae issues, phophates up to 0.2 if I lack on gfo, 0.04 if I do like I'm suppose to but still makes no difference. Don't text nitrates. Read 0 once never tested it again.

 

[Dbichler]

My old 29 bio cube only ever did monthly water changes never tested or dosed anything

 

[Kellie in CA]

I've never had a skimmer on any of my tanks.

 

[Chessmanmark]

Two no-skimmer nanos, a 14 gallon Biocube and a 20 Long.
3 gallons a week water change on the 20, and 2 gallons a week on the Biocube represent more than a 50% water change a month.
I recently added Chemi Pure Elite and Matrix, with a filter pad on top. It made a noticeable difference, but with mostly soft corals dirty water isn’t really an issue.
The trick with soft corals is having a decent wave maker. Seeing leathers and GSP sway back and forth is beautiful.
I snubbed soft corals for many years, but have a renewed appreciation for them again over the past year.

 

[Chessmanmark]

Two no-skimmer nanos, a 14 gallon Biocube and a 20 Long.
3 gallons a week water change on the 20, and 2 gallons a week on the Biocube represent more than a 50% water change a month.
I recently added Chemi Pure Elite and Matrix, with a filter pad on top. It made a noticeable difference, but with mostly soft corals dirty water isn’t really an issue.
The trick with soft corals is having a decent wave maker. Seeing leathers and GSP sway back and forth is beautiful.
I snubbed soft corals for many years, but have a renewed appreciation for them again over the past year.

Here’s a picture -

 

[flyguy13]

20L no skimmer. AC 70 running carbon and floss, 2-3 gallon water change every weekend.

 

[Terry Le]

My 6 gallons no skimmer just a hang on back and a heater. It actually sitting under my 375 stand. Top off water I am using an extra head from my doser. Two and half gallons water change every weeks

 

[Brit’s Fish]

I have 4 nano reefs and no skimmers on any of them. I’m by no means an expert reef-keeper so I’m not saying you should follow my lead lol. One is a Fluval Evo 13.5 & I gave the Fluval PS2 the ol' college try but it leaked and was crazy hard to dial in... like, I truly had to adjust it every day.
This is my Fluval Evo now:

These are semi-recent pictures of my JBJ 28g NanoCube (ignore the dirty sand line... it’s clean now). I should note that I’m sort of battling some GHA but it’s only on one rock and hasn’t spread?

 

[Dan1788]

All I had on Nuvo 20 was filter floss a return heater and a airstone in the back that used to come on when the light went out for 3hrs.
I had good growth on both LPS and a bit of SPS.

 

[saltybees]

No skimmer. evo 13.5. Diy basket with floss, carbon and purigen. Weekish water changes. Feed the fish once a day and 3ml of phyto in the am/pm

 

[Brit’s Fish]

Here are

I have 4 nano reefs and no skimmers on any of them. I’m by no means an expert reef-keeper so I’m not saying you should follow my lead lol. One is a Fluval Evo 13.5 & I gave the Fluval PS2 the ol' college try but it leaked and was crazy hard to dial in... like, I truly had to adjust it every day.
This is my Fluval Evo now:

These are semi-recent pictures of my JBJ 28g NanoCube (ignore the dirty sand line... it’s clean now).

Here are a few pictures of my Fluval 32.5G Flex aka my lonely Pixy Hawk’s lair. It’s hard to get full tank shots on this tank with the curve

 

[Mike from TN]

No skimmer here either. 1 gallon water change every 3 days, ChemiPure Elite and a lot of carbon.
13.5 Evo