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A good protein skimmer

  • Thread starter JMurphy97
  • Start date
I'm getting into reefs and read that a good skimmer is real important so I'm trying to find one. I need one for a 29 gallon but able to go up to maybe at 55 gallon. What you guys suggest?
 
Tunze 9002 DOC skimmer, if you must. It's gotten the best reviews overall out of ones the same size.
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewI...08~utm_content~mdnlsidePrTunzeNano090508.html

I personally think skimmers are over-rated and too highly pushed on newbs. I've been running my 24 gal reef skimmer-less since January with zero problems and next to perfect parameters.
Apparently, skimmers also tend to deplete needed nutrients in the water (like calcium, etc) pretty fast.

Good luck and have fun!
 
you might also look into a Refugium as well .as it will help stabilize your reef tank as well
 
you might also look into a Refugium as well .as it will help stabilize your reef tank as well

That and live rock are my only filtration for my reef.
I'm using chaetomorpha macro algae in the refugium... The stuff works wonders!
 
Tunze 9002 DOC skimmer, if you must. It's gotten the best reviews overall out of ones the same size.
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewI...08~utm_content~mdnlsidePrTunzeNano090508.html

I personally think skimmers are over-rated and too highly pushed on newbs. I've been running my 24 gal reef skimmer-less since January with zero problems and next to perfect parameters.
Apparently, skimmers also tend to deplete needed nutrients in the water (like calcium, etc) pretty fast.

Good luck and have fun!

Depends on your tank. Skimmers are unmatched in terms of their ability to remove wastes from the water column before it becomes part of the metabolic processes of reef. If you want to have any sort of success with things like SPS and/or NPS corals, you WILL need a protein skimmer. If you're only keeping things like mushrooms and Xenia, this becomes less of an issue.

The whole nutrient depletion issue is a myth, IMO. Calcium does not bind to the foam substrate produced by a protein skimmer and any other elemental stripping (being mostly negligible in nature) can be compensated for via feeding/waterchanges/additives.

Overall, I would readily recommend that all newbies invest in a skimmer. They provide a much needed buffer zone against common mistakes like overfeeding, neglecting a water change over a weekend and the like.

HTH's.
 
I should hasten to mention that a skimmer recommendation also hinges upon whether or not you have a sump :)
 
Depends on your tank. Skimmers are unmatched in terms of their ability to remove wastes from the water column before it becomes part of the metabolic processes of reef. If you want to have any sort of success with things like SPS and/or NPS corals, you WILL need a protein skimmer. If you're only keeping things like mushrooms and Xenia, this becomes less of an issue.

The whole nutrient depletion issue is a myth, IMO. Calcium does not bind to the foam substrate produced by a protein skimmer and any other elemental stripping (being mostly negligible in nature) can be compensated for via feeding/waterchanges/additives.

Overall, I would readily recommend that all newbies invest in a skimmer. They provide a much needed buffer zone against common mistakes like overfeeding, neglecting a water change over a weekend and the like.

HTH's.

Very true about the stony corals. I guess I wasn't thinking very far when I wrote that. My bad.

I've heard a lot of mixed opinions on the calcium depletion... someone really needs to conduct a formal test.
 
Very true about the stony corals. I guess I wasn't thinking very far when I wrote that. My bad.

I've heard a lot of mixed opinions on the calcium depletion... someone really needs to conduct a formal test.

I'd say worse case scenario and it does deplete calcium (but I'm almost 100% certain it doesn't), that's easily rectified with the addition of calcium carbonate which can be purchased bulk cheaper than oatmeal :)
 
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