Refugium Users, To skim or not to skim...

[Reefguide]

Just Curious... Feel free to comment on why or why not...

 

[Anonymous]

To skim what? The whole system or just the refugium or what?

I recommend running refugia on any saltwater system, and I also recommend skimming the system as well. I don't skim refugiums directly however.

 

[liquid]

The more ways you can remove the nutrients the better! I'd say skim, refugium, ATS, etc.

Shane

 

[Reefguide]

Tom O'Toole ,

I meant who's using a skimmer in conjunction with a refugium... Not skim a fuge

 

[Garry thomas]

Skim

 

[Cazreef]

Nope. I hanen't skimmed my tank is a few years.

The skimmer was removed before I ever had the sump / fuge.
Lots of life to keep me Mandy plump and happy.

 

[Anonymous]

I skim. I have plently of pods in the main tank even though I skim, the fuge has to go through a pump to the tank, and I have a mandarin.

So I don't think skimming removes too much, but the skimmer is right before the refugium on my system, so the water has to go from the fuge, to the main tank, through another tank, before it gets to the skimmer.

Maybe there would be more stuff in the main tank if I didn't skim, but I am happy with the way things are.

I also feed phyto, so maybe that compensates for someof the skimmed out stuff.

 

[Anonymous]

I disagree with the "the more ways you can remove then nutrients, the better" philosophy. Clearly, it depends on what you keep. Certain corals DEFINITELY do better with more nutrients in the water. Remember, these are animals, they have to eat and take in nutrients. Nutrients are not a "bad" thing that should be removed completely - this is as old school of thought that has for the most part gone by the wayside. Corals have polyps for a reason, the reason is food collection. What is the quickest way to remove this food?
A skimmer... 8O
Having said that - I use a skimmer - :lol: I just don't use the most powerfull skimmer available for a given system. I undersize it, or tune it down a bit. That way I strike a balance...

Regards
Jim

 

[Cazreef]

I'm not saying that people should not skim their tank. I skimmed for years. Pump broke and I never replaced it.

Not skimming works for me with my setup. To each their own. As long as the critters in the tank are ok. Thats what counts.

 

[Anonymous]

I think you misunderstood my post... Read it again. I'm saying skimmers are not always a good thing..

 

[Anonymous]

I think you misunderstood my post... Read it again. I'm saying skimmers are not always a good thing..

If you want to feed heavily and provide maximum growth of corals, then the more ways to remove the remaining nutrients the better. I use a skimmer, ATS, DSB, and refugium to balance the input and output. I also export large amounts of coral. If I quit using one of these export methods, I would have to reduce feeding and growth in my system.
Of course if you don't feed your tank much you can get by without a skimmer.

 

[Russ1]

You export large amounts of coral?

 

[Anonymous]

I have a modest skimmer (urchin on a 75 gallon Oceanic) and 2 refugiums (one mangrove field in my sump and a 60 gallon with seagrass and macro algaes). I feed fairly heavy and have a decent bio load but with the 2 fuges and the 2 DSBs hair algae has not been an issue nor have nitrates. I do small water changes once a month or so - only about 10-15% of total system volume of 160 gallons.

What the previous poster said that some corals do better in lightly skimmed systems is right on - stripping all the nutrients and dissolved organics from the water may be why we have less success with some corals from turbid environments.

 

[monkeyboy]

You export large amounts of coral?

Although not directed to me, I export macroalgae, skimmate, and copious amounts of xenia. Personally, I think that the xenia sucks up more crap than my skimmer and the macro combined, but we'll have to wait for Dr. Ron to test some xenia slurry.

 

[Micky]

Everybody has very good points here about THEIR systems... To me its not whats right or wrong, it all comes back to balance.. Whats good and what works in your system. I like this because this is how we all advance in our hobby.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm in the undersized-skimmer camp. I use a crappy little berlin airlift (the smaller of the two airlift models) airstone-driven skimmer in my 29g tank + 15g resevoir + 2.5g refugium system.