Do I really need a protein skimmer for a 10 gal aquarium?

kyleflahardy · Dec 12, 2016

I am looking to buy a 10 gallon saltwater tank for Christmas. It will have filters, heater, pumps, live rock, a couple fish, a coral or two, and a deep sand bed. Water changes will be done every week. Because it is so small do I really need to spend all the extra money and buy a protein skimmer or do you think I can get away without one?

twilliard · Dec 12, 2016

No need for one in a 10G
water changes will take place of that.

kyleflahardy · Dec 12, 2016

twilliard said:
No need for one in a 10G
water changes will take place of that.

Thank you, you'll make my little brothers Christmas very happy.

twilliard · Dec 12, 2016

kyleflahardy said:
Thank you, you'll make my little brothers Christmas very happy.

Aquaria is a wonderful joy this time of year

Happy holidays!

Tushhog47 · Dec 12, 2016

You will be fine without one as long as you have plenty of live rock and do your water changes. The protein skimmers that are made for small tanks are hard to dial in and usually have to go into your display tank which makes a lot of mocrobubbles in your tank. I tried one on a 20 gallon tank and ended up taking it off.

JaimeAdams · Dec 12, 2016

I had a 5 gallon that did not have a skimmer that was filled with coral, but no fish and it was a great little tank. Since then anytime I have tried doing a tank without a skimmer it has not ended well for me. I imagine that if you stay ontop of frequent water changes and keep the bio load low you could pull it off.

adamk · Dec 12, 2016

water changes are good enough, no slacking though. Dont say ahhhhh ill do it tomorrow blah blah....i do all my tank maintenance every monday no matter what. If for some reason i know im not going to have time monday then i make time on saturday or sunday. In a tank that small things go bad really fast, so take it slow and enjoy

glb · Dec 13, 2016

I have a coralife airstone skimmer on my 12g. It skims like crazy. Another benefit is it helps aerate the tank water. My ph has gone up since I started using it. But do you need one on a tank that small? Not really. I just think skimmers are cool.