Skimmer or no skimmer???

[jackobox]

I'm about to set up a 5.5 g nano and haven't really decided on the whole skimmer issue. I don't plan on fully engulfing the tank with coral, I'd rather a more open tank with some small stuff here and there and some blue legs and snails...maybe a scooter blennie or some other small fish for action and a cleaner shrimp.

I've seen setups both ways, just not sure of how I want to go...I see what a skimmer pulls out on my 40 and it has me wondering.

Anyway, any feedback on this would be much appreciated.

[cuban _fish]

I think you should go for the skimmer. When something small changes in a small tank it goes bizarre. Found that out the hard way........ But I would go with the skimmer. Just my opinion

[Pomacanthus1]

My12g nano was skimmerless for its first 8 months. During that time, i was constantly battling cyano, even with only 2 ocellaris clowns, frequent water changes, and feeding the tank only twice a week.

I got a Prizm in January, and couldn't be happier. It has made all the difference. Over time, the cyano has disappeared and coral growth has improved. The skimmer has also greatly stabilized ater parameters.

I strongly recommend you use a skimmer.

[jackobox]

OK, well that's two for the skimmer and nobody for skimmerless...does anybody go skimmerless????

I understand that bio-load has a great deal with going skimmerless or not and having two clowns in a 12g would probably have a heck of a load...IMO

If I have to not put a fish in, then that's what I'll do and just have a small cleanup crew and a few small frags.

I'd like to here some success stories going skimmerless...thanks for the feedback, perhaps I will put a skimmer but I still want to hear both sides of the story.


Thanks

[NOLACLS]

Originally posted by Pomacanthus1
My12g nano was skimmerless for its first 8 months. During that time, i was constantly battling cyano, even with only 2 ocellaris clowns, frequent water changes, and feeding the tank only twice a week.

I got a Prizm in January, and couldn't be happier. It has made all the difference. Over time, the cyano has disappeared and coral growth has improved. The skimmer has also greatly stabilized ater parameters.

I strongly recommend you use a skimmer.


How loud is that skimmer?? I to have not decided fully on the skimmer...it would be less crowded, cheaper, and more quiet with out but I to see what mine pulles out on my 110 and I just dont know.

[edying]

I have a skimmerless 2.5G w/ very light bioload (no fish, 1 marg snail, leather, GSP, shrooms, hammer, zoos, xenia). I don't seem to have any major algae issues with regular water changes and corals seem happy.

With such a small tank water changes are very simple. 1 24oz tumbler our, 1 in. Top off is done daily using a NyQuil cup (about 1 cup a day).

-Ed

[zooqi]

It is amazing how skimmer helps get rid of algae. Everytime I have my skimmer off for a week I start seeing algae and when I turn it on it goes away.

[jackobox]

I have algae in my 40g even with the skimmer...lol...wonder if it'll go away without a skimmer, wouldn't that be great??!!

I think I'm going to try the nano without the skimmer to start with, if things get terribly out of hand everything can be put into the 40 and I can straighten things out from there and purchase a skimmer if I have to.

[Agu]

My ten gallon nano has been skimmerless since it was set up in early Nov. So far no problems with algae. Water quality is maintained by weekly 15% water changes, but that's only a gallon, which is pretty easy imo.

Agu