nano skimmer, is it worth it?

[OOtzie]

I've been running a 14gal biocube for around 2 years now, I've always wanted a skimmer but always felt the smaller system didn't need one because my w/c regime is followed and never missed, also the overflow does an exceeltn job catching any floating debris.

Recently I noticed (and came to the conclusion) that zoas do not last in my system, they grow and they shrivel up, so god damn annoying, although I do have some with me for a long time which are nice they'll evenually die too and aren't the nice ones I bought to grow (fruit loops,tubbs blue,etc).

Strangely enough my ric's and sps are the only things growing nicely as documented in my tank thread. With that thought in mind I'm going to purchase more sps to further verify that I can care for them and keep them, so I'm going to need a skimmer.

I seen this guy recently, Aqua Euro USA Nano Tank Skimmer 2, I cannot find much about it. Do I even need a skimmer for sps in a 14gal, I change the water twice a month?

 

[akma]

I would pass on the skimmer. Doesn't do enough to warrant having one if you keep up with water changes.
I had a tunze 9002 on a solana and never really di anything for me I think.

 

[Custom05Taco]

I have a 14 BC with the skimmer and UV light. The UV light defiantly works better but the skimmer does work I do get brown water with some sludge.
I do weekly water changes but it does work some what.

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Coralreefer1]

I have the 14 Biocube as well, and have had great success for the 2 years I have had it. I think the skimmer made for it is a waste of money. If anything, I would add a powerhead and change the lighting. I replaced the cover and power compact lighting with a LED pendant. I have maintained 3 Tridacna Clams, Acropora, Porites, leathers, Xenia and many different kinds of zoanthids and Palythoas with very little die off. The only zoanthids I have had trouble with are Clementines, Darth Maul's and Alien Eyes. My Tubs have grown from 5 polyps to 70 now in a short period of time. Many other have also been spreading rather quickly.

Frequent water changes( water parameter issues), water flow improvement, lighting adjustment and replacing the bioballs for live rock rubble will provide great success for you.

 

[basiab]

If you don't have a heavy load of fish then you don't need one. As far as some corals not growing well, that is more likely due to the chemical warfare going on that we can't see. The losers are the ones that die off. Mixing different types is just not going to work in the long run in a small tank. But if you do lots of water changes they can last long enough to be worth having the mix.

 

[OOtzie]

I did replace the stock lighting with 15 leds about a year ago and the color is amazing. I had 7 polyps of tubbs blue cover a rock in 3 months but they slowly died off while everything grew aswell as many different kinds zoas/platies.

 

[CHEMCHEF]

Zoo's die in some tanks. Just that simple. Probably has nothing to do with husbandry.
It's a crap shoot

 

[OOtzie]

Zoo's die in some tanks. Just that simple. Probably has nothing to do with husbandry.
It's a crap shoot

only the ones I got for free / cheap grow :tired:

 

[Imbarrie]

You are growing SPS and killing zoos.
The SPS needs better water to thrive, therefore you would not need a skimmer.
If the SPS died and soft coral thrived I would consider it.

I would lean toward some kind of chemical warfare. Do you run carbon?

 

[OOtzie]

You are growing SPS and killing zoos.
The SPS needs better water to thrive, therefore you would not need a skimmer.
If the SPS died and soft coral thrived I would consider it.

I would lean toward some kind of chemical warfare. Do you run carbon?

I run chemipure elite and Purigen, I've also suspected something stinging unless its the pocillipora nothing else has stingers

 

[Imbarrie]

Everything releases chemicals so stingers are not really required to cause harm.
Allelopathy could be happening but the carbon should absorb that.
What about lighting? Are you light acclimating the zoos when you place them in the tank?

 

[OOtzie]

The ones I bought were under leds when I bought them 6+months ago, but no I didn't. I beleive the leds I run are weak but I cannot personally test that judgement. I do have the zoas higher up but I also think its not just lighting because I had a nuisance star out break, which is were the tubbs colony went ,I treated with a harliquin shrimp. Everything has been recovering but shrinking til they melted off still.