kinda weird....maybe

[Bovetek]

We just moved into a new place. My tank is a 37 gal w/20L fuge/sump.
My bioload is just 3 fish, all clowns. my corals are 1 torsh/spawn, star plyps, and a couple of mushrooms. Anyway Just in case after the move I put every body and all the corals in a 20 gal. Put the lights over it and hung a HOB filter on the back. That lasted about a week to see if the 37 did another cycle. During that week the pump on my skimmer took a digger. Figuring I would get a new pump right away I repopulated the tank. Well after 3 weeks, and still no pump, the tank is doing better than it ever has. My corals seem to be growing, the fish seem happier, and the macros in the fuge are going nuts with growth.
Do I really need the skimmer?? Or is this just going to be a short lived thing?
opinions??

Ben

[dajum]

The algae will take off at somepoint would be my guess. Everything in there looks to me like it can handle water that isn't as clean as it would be if skimmed. But I think nitrates will build, and the algae will grow. Hopefully I'll be wrong. let us know!

Dave

[fishetcinc]

What are your tank parameters? That should give you the best answer to your question. Three weeks is too short of a period to visually determine tank health. Livestock is very adaptable to slow detriments in water quality. The problem is when your water quality reaches a critical point and then everything crashes. For example, nitrates can go as high as 30-35ppm without affecting corals as long as the increase is slow and over time. But as soon as it hits 40ppm, inverts start dying creating even more nitrate and all the sudden you get 70ppm within minutes and everything is dead in your tank soon after.

Always test the water when in doubt ;) Tanks "can be" operated without a skimmer but its always because there is another form of nutrient export in the system equivalent to a skimmer. (ie, fuge, LR, etc). The question is: does your system have an equivalent nutrient export system in place? Your test readings should give you the answer.

K.

[Bovetek]

thanks for the replies. As of right now, everything parameter wise,is where it should be. I also forgot to memtion that I do weekly water changes of about 15%.
I thought the out come would be as you all think. Because of the "it's too good to be true" nagging in the back of my mind, I did order a new pump and it should be here by the end of the week.

thanks again
Ben

[stugray]

I have noticed a similar issue.

I started experimenting with a DIY skimmer. It started working well enough that my old skimmer quit pulling anything out.

I think that I am now overskimming while trying to experiment with the operation of my DIY.

I have seen slower growth & some die off of softies lately as well.

Stu

[Bebo77]

skimmer is not required but it helps...