To Skim or not to skim?

[flyingscampi]

RSR 200 XL with no skimmer as I use the chamber as a refugium swamp that keeps nutrients at healthy levels for my current bioload and LPS corals. I clean the return pump, heaters, and baffle sponge once a month but otherwise leave the sump alone.

The return pump nozzle and a powerhead pointed at the surface provides aeration.

 

[Pod_01]

Skimmer only removes 30% of the organics before they’ve had a chance to break down. Fuge appropriately sized can remove them all.

Skimmer raises pH for those not having high levels of co2 in their house otherwise require a co2 scrubber and if running a calcium reactor have to contend with that being added and there’s no co2 scrubber to remove that. Fuge solves both issues.

Adding elements such as iron isn’t really that difficult or complicated.

You mention the marketing of algae yet same can be said of skimmers which I recall started early 90s. They might have been known about here in the 80s but I don’t recall any LFS then having them. They were still busy switching from DLS to plastic balls.

Fuge takes up less space than a skimmer. Less maintenance. Can be controlled based on pH where set points can turn it off and on just like a heater and further tuned if bottoming out nutrients too effective although I’d rather just feed more or dose those nutrients. We dose everything else.

Box of algae with light is KISS to me vs entire sump system with socks/roller mats plus co2 scrubber plus constant maintenance of all that vs just grabbing some algae and tossing or selling it to the LFS, club or swap. Don’t know of any that have capitalized skimmate.

Talking about marketing. Sumps have become more expensive than some tanks and often the focus of seeking instagram likes. Sumps of old just acrylic boxes until Oceanic built them out of glass. Those were work of arts yet still didn’t cost the price of a small car.

In the 80s knew a couple of LFS employees that deployed a Rubbermaid or Steralite container with a shop light and grew Caulerpa. Wasn’t called a refugium then. Just a makeshift sump. Doesn’t get more KISS than that.

Around the 70s I recall the use of co2 and iron plus other supplements to grow FW plants. I’m sure they were around prior but that’s before my time. Much of the dosing based on the color of the plants. Nothing complicated. Same can be done with algae. It really isn’t that involved but we do like complexity as a means of showing how amazing we are at keeping something complicated. Sometimes KISS all that’s needed.

To each their own. That’s all that matters. I’m back to leaning towards a Fuge. It’s a hobby. Not space exploration for me.

Hmmmm…. I personally don’t see any issues with people experimenting with all of the various devices you mentioned. It is hobby but I do have issue with people killing the animals because of experimenting, the corals did not go in the tank voluntarily.

Also if you feel that grabbing algae, lights (adjusting lights) , adding all types of potions (iron, manganese, PO4/NO4 like a mad scientist) is fun all the power to you as long as your coral are well and puffy. It is your sand box and I have no right to tell you how to do it.

I have been in this hobby for only 5 years (add 1 when I did some reading on what to do). I do like to follow KISS principles and while I tried fuge it just did not work out for me and I have closet full of other reefing tools that do not work. Unfortunately for many you have to try to figure out if it works or not.

But pictures are worth 1000 words:
Nutrition levels:

Some corals in my tank:

As for filtration I use Skimmer and activated carbon (50ml changed every 4 weeks).

I don’t have Fuge, fleece roller, sock, algae scrubbber, GFO, aluminum absorber etc… etc… As mentioned KISS principle.

But I try to have as much as possible the most important filter CORALS (coral mass) and I am happy to learn that skimmer is only 30% effective. That leaves more food for corals and that is my end goal.

Cheers

 

[GARRIGA]

Hmmmm…. I personally don’t see any issues with people experimenting with all of the various devices you mentioned. It is hobby but I do have issue with people killing the animals because of experimenting, the corals did not go in the tank voluntarily.

Also if you feel that grabbing algae, lights (adjusting lights) , adding all types of potions (iron, manganese, PO4/NO4 like a mad scientist) is fun all the power to you as long as your coral are well and puffy. It is your sand box and I have no right to tell you how to do it.

I have been in this hobby for only 5 years (add 1 when I did some reading on what to do). I do like to follow KISS principles and while I tried fuge it just did not work out for me and I have closet full of other reefing tools that do not work. Unfortunately for many you have to try to figure out if it works or not.

But pictures are worth 1000 words:
Nutrition levels:
View attachment 3164472
Some corals in my tank:
View attachment 3164473
View attachment 3164474
View attachment 3164475
View attachment 3164477

As for filtration I use Skimmer and activated carbon (50ml changed every 4 weeks).

I don’t have Fuge, fleece roller, sock, algae scrubbber, GFO, aluminum absorber etc… etc… As mentioned KISS principle.

But I try to have as much as possible the most important filter CORALS (coral mass) and I am happy to learn that skimmer is only 30% effective. That leaves more food for corals and that is my end goal.

Cheers

Have you tried just running a refugium vs skimmer?

Nothing mad scientist about dosing iron. We dose calcium, for example. It really isn't that complicated as I've mentioned several times already. Plus who said anything about killing life with these experiments? The use of algae was documented by Dr Adey who at the time failed to grasp the use of minor and trace although that was already known in the 70s and before by those maintaining FW plants. This isn't new news. Just not apparently mainstream. Plants as a form of filtration predate skimmers. I know. I was actually around when skimmers came in bode.

Know what else isn't mainstream yet still works, if applied correctly? Undergravel filtration. Larger biomass to process nitrification and to some extent denitrification than any well populated display with so called porous rock. Just not very profitable. Power heads crippled it although reverse flow works. Can also be used in a sump in place of where socks go to capture and process detritus as it naturally decomposes as all detritus before it did for billions of years without foam participation.

More than one way to solve for nutrients and none of what I'm suggesting is experimental. It's been around long before man and not just reefers but being men and women we seek the fanciest solutions that get the most likes. Hence all the photos of success as if that justifies any one approach to others vs the fact biology isn't really that complicated.

Before anyone mentions foaming at the shore line. Where exactly do people think the decomposing foam goes?

 

[GARRIGA]

Had found this when I started thinking again about setting up a reef tank. Confirmed and informed me further on my decision to replace skimmers with nature.

Julian mentions a DSB but my approach has been to use coarse to fine gravel to capture and decompose detritus. The algae to then remove those nutrients but did consider carbon dosing until realization of pH being a never ending battle in my air tight house. As we learn then we adjust

 

[DakotahSteel]

Redsea 1000s mixed reef and I’ve stopped skimming… with the way the roller mats operate I can barely keep nutrients in my system. I had it down to just 12 hours a day and even then I’ve stopped. Corals are happier and everything is growing and looking great.