Skimmer or Marine Pure?

[Salt Addiction]

So before you simply say "Skimmer" please read the entire thing lol. About Two weeks ago my 5 year old got under the tank and cause the skimmer I had to pretty much destroy itself, I have since installed cabinet locks but for the last 3 weeks I have been without a skimmer on my 125. That said I have enough Marine Pure bio filtration for roughly 1000+ gallons when calculated out. So given Skimmers remove bio waste would it be better to install one for $300, Or drop in 3 more 8x8x4 Marine Pure blocks? My levels so far are 0s across the board given I run the excessive bio filtration along with a giant lump of chaeto in my sump. Was thinking I could install reactors or additional equipment with the space id save using blocks. I've always been of the school that skimmers are essential but these 3 weeks my tank has been operating fine without so I am re-evaluating it before dropping the 300 on it.

Edit: I should also add the water level in my Clear Pro sump has always been problematic. Its roughly 9" high and any lower I run into issues with my return pump. The Reef Octo recommends a max of 8" water depth.

 

[Lizbeli]

If your levels are zero than there is no benefit of using a skimmer besides aeration imo. I use a skimmer, one marine pure block, and cheato. But the skimmer is only ran at night and its pulling dryer than most people. Im worried about pulling too much nutrients from the water. However, if you are wanting to feed more and create a heavy in-out system maybe the skimmer will benefit you. Its all a balancing act!

Honestly, if you don’t have excessive algae, livestock is doing good, and you already have 0 nitrate/po4 readings, I wouldn’t waste your money on a skimmer.

 

[andrewey]

I haven't seen any concete evidence or controlled experiments that demonstrate marine pure or similar media effectively remove nitrates from the water in a meaningful capacity. Therefore, I'd be more interested in the question, "do I even need a skimmer". If the primary goal of having a skimmer is nutrient export, then you could continue to run your experiment, but assuming you continue to have acceptable levels of nutrients, the answer for your tank is no. However, keep in mind the loss of a skimmer means less aeration of the water, which both benefits oxygenation as well as pH. There are ways to mitigate this loss or enhance aeration without a skimmer- just keep these functions in mind.

 

[joseserrano]

Skimmer

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Skimmer. The fish and food waste is eventually going to catch up. The skimmer with your regular water changes and nutrient export is what will keep the tank clean.