Fixing to ditch my skimmer. Anyone's running a Skimmerless system? (1 Viewer)

[Kungfu4u]

At the end of my rope with the NW skimmer I had ran for about 2 years up until earlier today. When it was at peak performance it pulled quite a bit of gunk but the downside to that it overflowed once in a while. In addition, it was on the 2nd pump in less than ten months' time.

Can I just run filter floss, pads, etc. in conjunction with weekly 10%WC? Would that suffice to sustain a moderate bio load consists of mostly sps frags and 2 small tangs? Have another skimmer collecting dust in the garage but that one is an overkill rated for 800g system. Too lazy to get hook up.

 

[d2mini]

Just get a LifeReef skimmer.

If you are lazy, skimmerless is probably not a good way to go.

 

[Diesel]

No skimmer....................... it's like driving your car without wearing your seatbelt!
You can say that you follow the laws on the road and stop on every corner be safe the whole way but there is no guarantee.
Someone one day is going to take you out!

Be safe and go Lifereef.

 

[Jason]

Is Lifereef really that good? I too get tired of skimmer overflowing. Running a Reef Octopus and twice a month this happens.

 

[d2mini]

It's a set and forget skimmer with only one dial to adjust. Go read all the testimonials on his website.

 

[James Lynch]

I just set one up on my 90. It is actually for my 180 so it was a tight fit in that sump. However it does work well.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

 

[jqsquared]

Going skimmerless? Water changes will end you!

 

[Kungfu4u]

I find WC on a weekly regimen to me is a pretty easy job. Just have to turn a couple of valves and I'm set. What about bM Curve series?

Ben.. I like to think I'm James Bond. Living on the edge

 

[James Lynch]

I have a BM curve 5 that will go back on the 90 once it is clean. It works good and very quiet.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

 

[Ostentum]

I am running at 1300g skimmer on a 260g DT and maybe another 120g in system volume

 

[the_reef_master]

ive been running my tank now for about 5 years with no skimmer and do water changes about every 2-3 months and never have a problem.

 

[d2mini]

ive been running my tank now for about 5 years with no skimmer and do water changes about every 2-3 months and never have a problem.

Do you have any pics?

Usually it all depends on what kind of tank you want to keep.
Many coral like softies and some LPS prefer dirtier water.
SPS dominant tanks tend not to do very well.
And if you are running a successful reef tank packed with coral, there is usually some other kind of nutrient export mechanism in place. I've seen some amazing looking skimmerless tanks, but it's never just a box of circulating water.

Personally, i don't see the point in not running a skimmer.
Many people put one on a timer and only run it for a few hours a day, if 24/7 is not your thing.
It's just too easy a piece of equipment to run with very little maintenance required. Emptying a cup of skim mate once a week takes just a minute.

 

[the_reef_master]

ya i dont have any high end corals, or else i would definitely run a skimmer. ill try and take a picture and post it

 

[Kungfu4u]

I concur it's a simple and effective piece of equipment when it works. Mine been throwing me curveballs all over the place and I'm on a second pumps. On top of that I've never encountered a dial if and forget it skimmer. Maybe it's JML?

 

[CBBSteve]

Hi, Kungfu4u.
I never adjust my skimmer, and I do mean never. It's a Deltec AP-600. So set it and forget it skimmers do exist.

good luck,
Steve

 

[Kungfu4u]

Tell that to my reef octopus and 2 PM skimmers. The longest I can get away without dialing them in is 3-4 days max and that is if I'm around.

 

[d2mini]

Old school venturi FTW!
Self cleaning venturi even more win!

 

[steveb]

Having had venturi skimmers back in the day, that clogged, how does it self clean? Cuz that would be pretty cool.

 

[soco365]

I've been running 10g nano reef (softies & LPS only, no SPS yet) for a little over a year now completely skimmerless. Nutrient export is in the forms of chemi-pure elite, mangroves, macro algaes, and weekly 25% water changes. That said, with such a small volume of water and no skimmer, when a snail or two die or if I overfeed even twice in one week, I'll see an algae bloom. So keeping nuisance algae under control/elliminated has been a long-running battle.

 

[reeftopia]

I have a overflow bucket hooked to my external skimmer empty it quite often.