please read

[loren]

do I need to have a skimmer for a 7 galon tank if I have corals ?
I went a head and bought today a tank that had evrything in it.
LR, coral inverts and a clown fish, plus a CPR back pack skimmer.
I am having a hard time with the skimmer making so much noise.give up the skimmer for a realy good filter

would that be ok ?

[Deuce24]

not all reef tanks need skimmers, good filtration might be sufficient. If your water quality stays good, it doesn't matter what you do or don't have. At least that's what the corals must think.

[loren]

thank you for the reply.
which one is the best for my 7 galon, Ehaim Cascade Fluval or Reana ?

[wanareef]

Ehaim Cascade Fluval or Reana was not aware that these co's made skimmers? More like canister filters.

[yardboy]

A "really good filter" will not do the same thing as a skimmer. filters remove particulate and some organics if it has carbon in it. A skimmer removes mostly protein before it has a chance to break down into simpler organic compounds, which will definitely lower your water quality. To maintain good water quality, it does matter what you do or don't have, what you do or don't do.

With that size tank if you don't want the skimmer, be prepared to do frequent water changes, and if you have a filter system, do frequent cleaning of the filter media, since anything trapped there and left for any length of time will break down and lower your water quality.

[Rick O]

If you don't have fish the water will stay cleaner. If you do have a fish then syphon out the detritus and do more frequent water changes. The good thing about a 7 gal is you can do water changes in just a couple minutes.

[SPANKYSREEF]

I have a 29 gallon reef with 45 #'s of live rock---No skimmer----small filter to circulate water, powerhead, and the natural filtration from the rock----no problems.