Skimmer or sock?

[Dr4gula.f32]

I have a 30 gallon, 36x18x12 frag tank that I use as a lagoon reef. I have a Bashsea SS cube sump which holds about 20 gallons. The sump has a sock holder, but I also have a Tunze Comline 9001 skimmer in the sump. The fish bio load is 1 bi color blenny, a pair of clowns that are 1 inch each, a 6 line wrasse, pistol shrimp with blue spottted watchman goby, and a purple firefish.

The sock is kind of annoying to replace every few days....And this skimmer needs dumping ever other day too. I get a wet, green colored skimmate from it.

Would it be worthwhile to get something like a red sea 300 skimmer and ditch the sock and comline?

I would eventually like to get some time of larger fish, But I am trying to hold off on a tank upgrade for at least a year.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have a 30 gallon, 36x18x12 frag tank that I use as a lagoon reef. I have a Bashsea SS cube sump which holds about 20 gallons. The sump has a sock holder, but I also have a Tunze Comline 9001 skimmer in the sump. The fish bio load is 1 bi color blenny, a pair of clowns that are 1 inch each, a 6 line wrasse, pistol shrimp with blue spottted watchman goby, and a purple firefish.

The sock is kind of annoying to replace every few days....And this skimmer needs dumping ever other day too. I get a wet, green colored skimmate from it.

Would it be worthwhile to get something like a red sea 300 skimmer and ditch the sock and comline?

I would eventually like to get some time of larger fish, But I am trying to hold off on a tank upgrade for at least a year.

I run both but if had to be one, I’d take skimmer and ice cap k2-50 ideal for your tank

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I have a 30 gallon, 36x18x12 frag tank that I use as a lagoon reef. I have a Bashsea SS cube sump which holds about 20 gallons. The sump has a sock holder, but I also have a Tunze Comline 9001 skimmer in the sump. The fish bio load is 1 bi color blenny, a pair of clowns that are 1 inch each, a 6 line wrasse, pistol shrimp with blue spottted watchman goby, and a purple firefish.

The sock is kind of annoying to replace every few days....And this skimmer needs dumping ever other day too. I get a wet, green colored skimmate from it.

Would it be worthwhile to get something like a red sea 300 skimmer and ditch the sock and comline?

I would eventually like to get some time of larger fish, But I am trying to hold off on a tank upgrade for at least a year.

What kind of n03 numbers are you getting running both of those now? How heavy and what do you feed now, what n03 and p04 are you trying to run at? Does this system have sand? So its a nutrient control question it will likely change as you change filtration method. Will this change put you in the direction you want to go with this frag system? What type of change will happen increased/decreased nutrient levels, and how fast will they change, and will that even effect the system or animals in it.
These are some questions I've thought about when thinking about ditching the dirty PITA filter socks, by far the worst part of reefing for me!! I hate 4"!!!!!

With the skimmer, if you had a larger one it wouldn't need emptied so much or maybe make it skim a little dryer skim

 

[exnisstech]

I run both on my 180 gallon nitrates stay around 10 but I have chaeto in the fuge also. On my reefer 170 about 40 gallons, I run sock only but again I have chaeto in the fuge. Only two fish and I feed pretty heavily twice a day with frozen food. I actually dose a small amount of sodium nitrate daily to keep nitrates 5-10. I mite be able to pull the chaeto and stop dosing but I like to have a place for pods.

 

[Mystersynyster]

I run both, change sock every other day, skimmer almost always empty. No3 around 10 as well, Po3 .04 and I am a very heavy feeder with four small fish in a 75g mixed reef. Guess I like the skimmer as a back up if the sock gets clogged

 

[Dr4gula.f32]

I dont really have a nutrient goal. I'm just wondering if this skimmer is adquate for how much water I have, and to see if there is a better method.

I dont have any expensive corals. Just some frags. It's also not being used as a frag tank. It's being used as a display. I like being able to look down into the tank. I have a tall freshwater tank and I absolutely hate it.

I do have a 2 softballs worth of chaeto in the refugium on a reverse light cycle.

 

[Mystersynyster]

I would think it would be fine for a 30g, I would still run a sock though, if anything just to keep bigger particles from going in skimmer and clogging needles

 

[Mystersynyster]

I have always seen a sock and skimmer as a filtering pair, one for bigger particles the other for the small that passes through sock

 

[Waters]

I agree....I would run both. Both are easy methods for nutrient removal.

 

[cdnco2004]

I have a 30 gallon, 36x18x12 frag tank that I use as a lagoon reef. I have a Bashsea SS cube sump which holds about 20 gallons. The sump has a sock holder, but I also have a Tunze Comline 9001 skimmer in the sump. The fish bio load is 1 bi color blenny, a pair of clowns that are 1 inch each, a 6 line wrasse, pistol shrimp with blue spottted watchman goby, and a purple firefish.

The sock is kind of annoying to replace every few days....And this skimmer needs dumping ever other day too. I get a wet, green colored skimmate from it.

Would it be worthwhile to get something like a red sea 300 skimmer and ditch the sock and comline?

I would eventually like to get some time of larger fish, But I am trying to hold off on a tank upgrade for at least a year.

What comline do you have? Tunez skimmers are awesome units. The 9004 and 9012 have "holiday collection cups" which basicly gives you a drain port so you could hook it up to an external collection container and go a lot longer before you empty that container. I use a 9004 on a 50 gallon AIO. Its my only filtration (besides biofiltration from LS and LR) on that tank and it is decently stocked. I dump my cup every few days. I don't have the holiday collection cup on that tank. I don't have a sock or other mechanical filtration on the tank. All my rest have either socks and skimmer or roller mat and skimmer. The socks and fleece is a great way to remove junk before it starts to break down. Making your skimmer have to work less hard.

 

[Dr4gula.f32]

I have a Comline 9001. I think that's their smallest one. It just seems so small for a total capacity of about 50 gallons.

 

[Nanogeek815]

Personally, I run both. They tend to filter different particle sizes, and the skimmer also helps remove CO2.

If I chose 1, it would really depend on the goal you are trying to achieve, but I would likely use the skimmer.