What is a protein skimmer?
- Thread starter bambooshark
- Start date
- Tagged users None
EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
Just another girl who likes fish
What kind of filtration do you already have? As others have said, skimmers help with gas exchange (oxygenation) as well as removing organics. If you have a HOB filter that's providing surface agitation you will probably be fine without a skimmer for gas exchange, but depending on your bioload and the needs of your specific coral, it's possible a skimmer would help.
OP
OP
bambooshark
Community Member
I am not adding one
I am not exactly sure what my filter is though
EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
Just another girl who likes fish
You don't NEED any specific pieces of equipment, they just make it easier to achieve the water quality (including temp) you want to have.
Last edited:
EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
Just another girl who likes fish
Google and the search feature here are your friends...
EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
Just another girl who likes fish
Sounds like you have a fair bit of learning ahead of you. Refer to the suggestions in post #2...
vlangel
Seahorse whisperer
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2014
- Messages
- 5,794
- Reaction score
- 6,055
- Location
- Pittsburgh, PA
- What state or country do you live in
- Pennsylvania
Mostly LPS, frogspawn, hammer, trumpets, Duncan's and acans. I have 2 SPS, a birdsnests and a lepto. Pretty much everything else are softies.
dedragon
5000 Club Member
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2019
- Messages
- 6,109
- Reaction score
- 4,535
- What state or country do you live in
- New York
100% not a necessary piece of equipment regardless of amount of coral. Maybe if you cant get the nutrients down through water changes, carbon dosing, gfo, or refugium, etc. The only necessary time might be if you are running a tank with a sealed lid but then you are using it mainly for O2 exchange
OP
OP
bambooshark
Community Member
Thanks put I’ve pretty much put all the ones you have.
OP
OP
bambooshark
Community Member
I added
2 gogorians
A Zoanthid
A hammer
A green star
Frogspawn
2 birdsnest
A lepto
A cabbage leather
A duncan
A Candy cane
A trumpet
from those corals do you think I need a protein skimmer?
2 gogorians
A Zoanthid
A hammer
A green star
Frogspawn
2 birdsnest
A lepto
A cabbage leather
A duncan
A Candy cane
A trumpet
from those corals do you think I need a protein skimmer?
OP
OP
bambooshark
Community Member
There are still on ship
EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
Just another girl who likes fish
You're still missing the point.
GatorGreg
Well-Known Member
I have a skimmer on my 22g with a 10g sump. I love it and wouldn’t run my tank without it because I heavy feed my fish and corals and everything loves how heavy it’s fed. With what I see my skimmer take out and what that stuff smells like. I absolutely can’t take any argument against skimmers seriously on anything 10g and above. Some AIO and smaller sump less tanks the skimmers don’t fit and the small nano ones are booty and essentially a gimmick
I also do a 5g water change once a week. After every feeding I also crank up my MP10 on nutrient transport mode and run it for about 2 hours
nitrates stay solidly consistent at 10 and phosphates stay at around .10 recently.
I also do a 5g water change once a week. After every feeding I also crank up my MP10 on nutrient transport mode and run it for about 2 hours
nitrates stay solidly consistent at 10 and phosphates stay at around .10 recently.
Last edited:
GatorGreg
Well-Known Member
Nice tank!This is my tank without a protein skimmer. I have green star, hammer, frogspawn, candy cane, palys, leathers, gorgs, BTA, bird's-nest and even a lepto. My tank does have macroalgae for nutrient uptake. The macros take up dissolved organics the same as a skimmer and I like the looks of them.
