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Skimmer OR Refugium?
- Thread starter Absinthe
- Start date
Subliminal
NJRC Member
Fuge.
I'd do exactly what I use now: CPR Aquafuge Full of Chaeto with nitrates always at 0. Waterchanges are easy on a small tank.
Plus, the amount of pods that this thing produces are great too, and they just drain into the tank. My magfloat is now like a little pod dining room, too. ;-)
I'd do exactly what I use now: CPR Aquafuge Full of Chaeto with nitrates always at 0. Waterchanges are easy on a small tank.
Plus, the amount of pods that this thing produces are great too, and they just drain into the tank. My magfloat is now like a little pod dining room, too. ;-)
I'd definitely go with the skimmer if the tank is going to have Acros or other hard corals that like the water very clean. While water changes are easy to do the nutrients and DOCs build up much quicker without the skimmer doing it's thing.
If it's going to be a soft coral tank then maybe I'd do the fuge. It really all depends on what the tank is going to be for.
With or without the skimmer you'll still be doing water changes so I'd rather have lower DOC levels in the tank. I'd rather remove the source of the nutrients before they break down then after with the fuge.
The skimmer helps the tank have more air exchange which I think is important. By not having the fuge you DO LOOSE out on some of the fauna but you can do pod piles in the tank and make up for much of that. Pod piles work quite well.
They both are nice to have but given the choice (without knowing what's going to be in the tank) I personally would go for the skimmer. BTW, is this just hypothetical or can you not have both at the same time for some reason?
Carlo
If it's going to be a soft coral tank then maybe I'd do the fuge. It really all depends on what the tank is going to be for.
With or without the skimmer you'll still be doing water changes so I'd rather have lower DOC levels in the tank. I'd rather remove the source of the nutrients before they break down then after with the fuge.
The skimmer helps the tank have more air exchange which I think is important. By not having the fuge you DO LOOSE out on some of the fauna but you can do pod piles in the tank and make up for much of that. Pod piles work quite well.
They both are nice to have but given the choice (without knowing what's going to be in the tank) I personally would go for the skimmer. BTW, is this just hypothetical or can you not have both at the same time for some reason?
Carlo
Subliminal
NJRC Member
If the tank was larger, I'd say your best bet is both, but with a 30 gallon, I think a skimmer is unnecessary.
Of course, take that with a grain of salt, as my tank is a new learning experience every day.
Oh, and as far as the CPR unit, I do really like it. The pump in the tank hasn't really been an issue for me, since it's way up near the top, and it allows for the 'drain back to the tank pod transfer' scenario.
That being said, it's a crappy RIO pump, so....
I got the whole setup, with chaeto, for $45 from Manhattanreefs.
Of course, take that with a grain of salt, as my tank is a new learning experience every day.
Oh, and as far as the CPR unit, I do really like it. The pump in the tank hasn't really been an issue for me, since it's way up near the top, and it allows for the 'drain back to the tank pod transfer' scenario.
That being said, it's a crappy RIO pump, so....
I got the whole setup, with chaeto, for $45 from Manhattanreefs.
As Carlo has pointed out it all depends on what you want to keep inside. If you plan to keep any fish that you will be feeding regularly, skimmer is a better choice even if you change water once or twice a day (just that should be reason enough ;D ). With corals only, and no additions of phytoplankton, coral foods, and accelerators and other biomatter, you might go without the skimmer.
The point that I am trying to make is that the amount of nutrients that are introduced to the tank through the feeding AND photosynthesis byproduct (zooxanthellaes and plants) might not be removed from the tank as efficiently by water changes and fuge alone, and that balance might not be maintained as easily.
Of course, we are here talking about efficient an quality skimmers and not bad ones like Seaclone and other cheap @#!$%#
The point that I am trying to make is that the amount of nutrients that are introduced to the tank through the feeding AND photosynthesis byproduct (zooxanthellaes and plants) might not be removed from the tank as efficiently by water changes and fuge alone, and that balance might not be maintained as easily.
Of course, we are here talking about efficient an quality skimmers and not bad ones like Seaclone and other cheap @#!$%#
Subliminal
NJRC Member
Christopher Marks of Nano-Reef.Com said:
This is the very end of one of the articles over there, and what made me try the no skimmer method.
I have a skimmer in the closet from my old 55g, though, and if it ever becomes necessary to use it (who knows what the future holds) it's there. But, so far so good.
I'm not sure I'd agree with the less going wrong part. Any piece of equipment you choose to use does have some negative. The skimmer could overflow and drain the tank. However if setup correctly this shouldn't happen!
I myself would prefer to remove as much DOCs & detritus as possible from the water column so that I can add more nutritious foods back in the fish/corals can use. Water changes only help so much in this regard. Because it's like a seesaw. Levels rise then back down again, then rise, then lower, etc... With the skimmer the nutrient levels are kept more even and the tank can adjust to those levels easier then when they are bouncing around due to the need for more water changes. The skimmer will also help with O2 levels.
But like I said before the "argument" is relative unless one knows exactly what you are trying to do with the tank.
Carlo
I myself would prefer to remove as much DOCs & detritus as possible from the water column so that I can add more nutritious foods back in the fish/corals can use. Water changes only help so much in this regard. Because it's like a seesaw. Levels rise then back down again, then rise, then lower, etc... With the skimmer the nutrient levels are kept more even and the tank can adjust to those levels easier then when they are bouncing around due to the need for more water changes. The skimmer will also help with O2 levels.
But like I said before the "argument" is relative unless one knows exactly what you are trying to do with the tank.
Carlo
