Skimmer - Absolutely Necessary?

Bigfoot49uk · Apr 29, 2016

I've got a Reefer 170 and am using a Reef Octopus 110SSS skimmer. The skimmer works fine, however there's only about a quarter of an inch of skimmate a week. The water is crystal clear, I alternate between a 100 and 225 micron sock.

My question is, what are your thoughts on whether continued use of the skimmer is warranted when the desired result can be achieved without it or is there something I've not taken into account?

Humblefish · Apr 29, 2016

If your tank is new, it won't skim out much. However, as your tank ages and bioload increases you should see more usefulness out of your skimmer. Until then, I would just put the skimmer pump on a timer to only run 8 hrs per day.

goliwala · Apr 29, 2016

I really think that an skimmer is absolutely necessary unless you want to deal with frequent water changes and a lot of different issues. Not only you have to have an skimmer, you gotta get a good skimmer. Cheap skimmers will just make your life miserable until you give up and buy a good one.

Cory · Apr 30, 2016

A skimmer is not absolutely necessary.

I dont use one.

But you will need some form of export. Food in must equal something out. I use an ats only, thats my export instead of stinky skimmer water. But skimmers are good to have.

elishapep · May 1, 2016

Can you get away with not using a skimmer .. You could..But will you achieve the best possible water quality with out one probably not .. A lot really depends on your BIo-load and what you want to keep..

spspirate · May 1, 2016

I used to be a super die hard skimmer fan, still am.....but I have come to the conclusion that one is not necessary for the person who loves coral more than fish. Who doesn't keep large fish and a lot of fish. Doesn't mind doing water changes once a week or two and practices other techniques of nutrient export. Im keeping a small 20 gallon reef tank with no skimmer and have SPS and LPS thriving. One fish (six line wrasse). This tank is just a holding tank for my corals until the new room and set up is ready. New set up will also be skimmer less but will have a thriving refugium.

4FordFamily · May 1, 2016

If you stock like I do (grossly overstock) then they're absolutely critical.

If not, the extra 02 saturation can't hurt.

revhtree · May 2, 2016

No and yes depending on what type of hobbyists you are, what corals you want to keep, and what time you're willing to spend on tank maintenance. That being said I currently have a skimmer and a lot of algae!

rayn · May 2, 2016

If you choose to use some sort of carbon dosing they are a must. Otherwise you may get by with a alternative export type.

Kungpaoshizi · May 2, 2016

Having a skimmer > not having a skimmer.

Bunkinator · May 2, 2016

Not necessary , a good one will make your nutrient export job and your life much easier , i use a big powerful skimmer along with several other nutrient tools, including macro algae in a refugium , activated carbon in a reactor , GFO in a reactor , filter socks and floss , and do weekly 10% water changes . You hear comments about water being " too clean " I don't think so .... If I ever get there I'll back off a little , lol

JedClampett · May 2, 2016

After seeing the gunk that gets pulled out with my skimmer, I would never go skimmerless

awinc · May 2, 2016

This is a good topic that has received a lot of round table discussions through the years. But the consensus is unanimous in that a protein skimmer does a lot more than just take out organic waste, it goes along way in stabilization of the reef tank itself. O2 saturation helps maintain good consistent aerobic bacterial growth, whereas some strains only live 18 hours, so consistency is king here. A "good" protein skimmer (that runs 24/7) will really make a healthier reef, than a tank without one. Skimmers make life easier and act like a life insurance policy for the animals that can't do anything except depend on us not to screw "their environment"up. Yes there are algae scrubbers and refugium-only tanks that people swear by, but I have seen in my many years with helping people with their reef problems, hundreds of stunning reefs crashing because of this type of dependency without a skimmer.

TheEngineer · May 2, 2016

I'm curious about the oxygenation aspect of the conversation. With an overflow and proper surface agitation, has anyone shown there to be a deficiency in oxygen content without a skimmer?

I also wonder how much the skimmer affects O2 levels when it is pulling air from inside an equipment cabinet.

Eric Straus · May 2, 2016

What kind of load should you expect out of a brand new 175 tank cycling with 200lbs of live rock? I also just bought a new Reef Octopus skimmer capable of handling 600g system that seems to very finicky. I am always adjusting it because it's either overflowing the cup or loosing skimming and water line is all the way down and just churning at the bottom. Any suggestions?

And yes I have a auto top off that keeps water level at 8" constant.

Thanks!

awinc · May 2, 2016

As to icecool2 's thought, I remember bout 16 years and a few hundred beers ago, 4 of us were looking at the "new" downdraft skimmers and we tested one on a 135 gallon loaded reef with a good O2 hand held with the skimmer running. In one hour after we unplugged the skimmer pump we logged a 25% reduction in O2!! I dont remember the exact reading but the reduction sure is embedded.
We were talking about the same thing with the cabinet only open in the back and there were a few of us that chimed in about heat from pumps etc added in the convection of air movement up out the back. Who said its not fun to over analogize things anyway, right?

joshkirkland83 · May 2, 2016

I notice a HUGE difference in ORP levels when my skimmer is turned off. I run vertex on both my tanks.

You DO NOT have to have a skimmer, but you DO HAVE to export nutrients somehow as previously stated. A skimmer does oxygenate the water also. Its just easier to have one. Theres more positives than negatives.

peterj66 · May 3, 2016

I don't know if anyone has already pointed out that a skimmer in addition to exporting nutrients also helps to keep a stable pH value. Without a skimmer you get a bigger drop in pH during the night when photosynthesis stops.

Nibejeebies · May 3, 2016

That's the first I've heard that Peter what's the science behind that?

peterj66 · May 3, 2016

The background is simply that the gasexchange taking place in the skimmer adjust the carbon dioxide contents of the water to equilibrium with the surrounding air. If you put a carbon dioxide cleaner on the skimmer air intake, thus reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the bubbles, it will air out more carbon dioxide from the water. If you don't have proper gas exchange the carbon dioxide level will increase during the night and thus causing the pH to drop. Check out this thread for more info: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/an-easy-way-to-increase-your-tanks-ph-with-a-co2-scrubber.57609/
This has been tried and verified on the swedish reef forum where I normally hang out. You can of course counter the pH drop with a refugium lit on a reverse schedule, but in most cases it is not as effective as when used together with a skimmer.