Skimmer vs diy algae reactor

[MrObscura]

I know similar questions have been asked countless times, but I'm interested in hearing opinions based on my specific circumstances.

I have a nuvo 10 mixed reef, with everything from zoas, to acans, to acros. I currently run chemipure blue and filter floss and do a 20-30% water change weekly. I am not having any major nutrient/algea issues but feel a high import, high export approach, is well, a good approach, so I've been going back and forth on which to add.

I asked Both BRS and WWC for their thoughts and both suggested the algae reactor over the skimmer, but I'd like to hear your thoughts as well.

 

[ca1ore]

Is your tank high input? In what form? Skimmer and algae do different things - even if the end result may converge. Skimmer removes organices; algae removes the reduced end products. If I could do only one, I’d probably go with an algae reactor too.

 

[MrObscura]

I feed the fish once a day(clown pair), dose benereef 3x a week and reef roids once. No3/po4 are borderline undetectable, though I do have a bit of cyano that's probably causing it to test a little lower than it actually is. I've since upped the flow and hopefully that'll clear up the cyano.

It's a young tank at 6 months old and I figured it wouldn't hurt to add one or the other, just as redundancy and to keep algae out of the display. But both would likely be over kill. So, I've been contemplating between the two. Is removing dissolved organics more beneficial right now or is removing inorganics? Also besides helping with a young tank now I'm trying to figure out which would benefit a mature tank, that probably wouldn't NEED either, more in the future.

 

[skim]

I assume its a 10 gal tank and if this true what you are doing is most sense able, but if want yes algae filter/reactor would be the better option for you.

 

[MrObscura]

Yea, it's a 10 gallon.

 

[westmichigan]

Not that either would be a bad move but being a small tank like that and the fact you are changing that much water and could even easily up that if needed. I would just leave it. I highly doubt you will have issues with nutrients. And if they go up just change more water or more often. Just my opinion though.

 

[westmichigan]

Not that either would be a bad move but being a small tank like that and the fact you are changing that much water and could even easily up that if needed. I would just leave it. I highly doubt you will have issues with nutrients. And if they go up just change more water or more often. Just my opinion though.

Corals like a little food hanging around. I was worried about nutrients ended up changing the water too much and had cyano and now I am dealing with Dino's. From what I gather Dino's like low nutrients because nothing except your corals will compete with it. They use light to grow and multiple quick.

 

[MrObscura]

I feed my corals regularly so I'm not too worried about low nutrient levels in that regard.

 

[ZaneTer]

My personal choice is skimmer.

I have had issues using chaeto that it stripped the water column of nutrients completely and my corals suffered. Don’t get me wrong algae is incredible at doing its job.

I just like to always have a little surplus of nutrients and my skimmer provides that for me.

 

[Ratherbeflyen]

I ran a 40 gallon mixed reef tank with no filtration but filter floss, water changes about twice a year and an algae scrubber for 2 1/2 years before I went to a bigger tank. I will never have a tank without an algae filter of some kind, that would include a setup like yours.

 

[MrObscura]

Man, all valid points and this is why I keep flop flopping.

Everytime I'm just about decided I veer the other direction. Lol

Skimmer wise I'd probably go reef glass since it's small and effective. I like the idea of a skimmer pulling things out before the decay, just giving you a little more piece of mind and leeway. And any excess no3/po4 that is in the tank will easily be removed by my weekly water change. This gets me leaning towards skimmer.

But it won't particularly help keep no3/po4 down itself and therefor wont keep nuisance algae out of the display.

I aguess the real question is which is more beneficial for a tank, removing dissolved organics before they decayed or removing the no3/po4 afterwards? And which is more likely to remove beneficial elements from the tank?

 

[MrObscura]

Well, I was just watching a bunch of youtube vids and checking out tanks, comparing equipment, etc, and I came across a vid that may have sold me on going the macro route.

Its a guys 600g sps dominate mixed tank that runs no filtration other than a lot of macro, weekly water changes and feeding benereef. Which is pretty much what I do.

 

[MrObscura]

One thing I am concerned with, is chaetomorpha not growing/dying for some reason.

And now I'm back tok considering a skimmer. Lol

 

[JDtimk]

I run my little 13 gal with no skimmer or algae scrubber. I am taking the balance input/output route, not that it's the best way or anything, just that is my little project with this tank. I am doing a 5 gal water change about once a month. The main nutrient export beside the water change for me is the livestock (zoas, shrooms, lps, a rock flower nem) and the macro algae in the display.

I use a nice red dragon's breath macro in the display that does dual duty as nutrient export and adds to the aesthetics of the tank. The nutrient import is pretty low as well as I only have one small fish in the tank that I feed once a day and feed the nem once a week. It's a nice to have such a low maintenance tank in contrast to my "second job" of running my SPS 120 gal reef lol.

 

[westmichigan]

I feed my corals regularly so I'm not too worried about low nutrient levels in that regard.

I feed my tank often as well. It is allot bigger but I would have never guessed not having nutrients would be an issue. This all started after I got a skimmer.

 

[saintsreturn]

With that size tank, i would go neither. I ran a 29 without anything but a biowheel HOB that i took the wheel and insert out of and just ran filter floss. I had no issues until i started pushing the limits of its inhabitants. Once that happened i added a skimmer and it ran great for a while. Personally, especially with smaller tanks, i just run WC and feed in a controlled manner.

 

[saintsreturn]

Plus its less to look at and take care of.

 

[MrObscura]

I'm back to considering the reef Glass. It's tiny and will just add that little extra but of filtration.

The main reason i started considering adding one or the other was just to keep algae out of the display as much as possible.

 

[skim]

Chaetomorpha not doing well, pull the ChemiPure. If you think Algae pull Nutrients well, Carbon will pull massive amounts more. Pull the Carbon for a week or two and see how your Chaeto will do. Just rinse and put back in container, do not let it dry out.

 

[MrObscura]

Umm... Im not sure if I want to stop using chemi blue. It seems to do well for me, water's always crystal clear, nutrients are low, and being a mixed reef it keeps might help keep chemical warfare at bay.

Maybe a skimmer is a better combo with running chemipure?