DarkFin

ok, If i buy ( i have a 35g) 45-55 pounds of live rock with one-two inches of live sand, would i need a protein skimmer? Im only getting one fish and a couple of corals and inverts. the biological filtration would be reaaly high, and i would also have a regular filter on there

DarkFin

----Sort of in a hurry, im bidding on it online... please answer.

nemo addict

personally i would

sgould

For a reef setup, which is what you're talking about, I would recommend a skimmer, yes.

ATP

I third this. Skimmer are necessary and vital in reef aquariums. I would put a skimmer in any tank that's 10 gallons and over (reef)

DarkFin

~ I looked over all over the web and found several sites that said : you can still have a reef/planted aquarium without a protein skimmer if; you do regular water changes (every 2-3 days), and adiquite amount of live rock, and at least 3 inches of live sand. You would also need a regular carbon filter to catch somemore beneficial bacteria. I believe it seems right, because you would be takeing out more things out in your aquarium more often, and you would have lots of beneficial bacteria.

ATP

Live sand doesn't give you filtration first of all. Unless you want a DSB (deep sand bed) which is over 4 inches. Sand will promote algae because it holds nitrates under them.

Doing water changes will work, but I don't think you would want to do it every few days (I bet you'll get pretty lazy mixing 5 gallons of saltwater every few days). Water changes will all so change your water chemistry so too often will stress out corals.

Honestly, just go with the skimmer. It'll be much easier.

sgould

+1

tkurys

Yes, definately a skimmer. I was going to go without one and found one I liked while browsing a store. Put in into operation and couldn't believe what stuff came out. Also, not sure what type of filter you are using but if you're using a cannister type, a skimmer is a must to knock down those nitrate levels! So, the short answer is, if you are happy with your setup and you want to spend some dollars to make your tank a nice place to live, go with a skimmer.