Skimmerless?

[Macropora]

While running a skimmerless system is absolutely possible ( I run two myself) I would not recommend it to a beginner. The fine line between success and catastrophe is much smaller without a skimmer and until you have perfected your husbandry skills and developed a good intuitive sense of your reef, I would not take the risk. Skimmers are the easiest way to maintain acceptable water quality and that is why the vast majority of reef keepers at all levels use them.

However, I'm not one to go crazy over big $$$ designer skimmers-- there are plenty of moderately priced and completely adequate options on the market. Skimmers remove all kinds of stuff and surprisingly little of other kinds of stuff and the truth is no-one really knows exactly what they remove, but trace element depletion is negligible at worst, so no worries there.

I agree with Randy's assessment... I've been using various skimmers (counter current, venturi, down draft, etc...) for over 20 years and would use one even on a smaller setup. The benefits of having one outweigh the initial cost if they are high.

 

[palyman]

If its a tank dominated by zoos and palys it would be a better fit,if not put on a skimmer