skimmer and no filtration?

[Beemo]

right now im using a top fin (whisper rip off) hob filter for my 15 gallon tall tank
i change the cartridge every 2 weeks and i do bi-monthly water changes of 20% each time.
nitrates are around 10-20ppm
i keep softees and lps corals, i have three fish 2 false clowns and a black blenny.
i really feel i need to skim this tank but theres no room on the back for both the filter and skimmer
so could i go filterless and just keep a skimmer running?
im so attached to a filter, i keep thinking where will all the fish poop go and other stuff that floats around the tank???

[ambaratur]

Do you have live rock as well?

Also - a skimmer is a filter itself - it will collect the fish poop as a HOB filter does.

[cubber]

I would replace the HOB filter with a good HOB skimmer like an Aqua C Remora. The skimmer should remove the same stuff as the filter and then some!

[rustybucket145]

yup go skimmer. Look at it this way. The 'filter' doesn't really remove the poop. It holds it in place until it rots/decays and boosts your nitrates until once every two weeks you change the filter. A skimmer actively and constantly removes these 'organics' from your water altogether before they have a chance to rot/decay. Plus it removes other things that the HOB could only dream of removing.

[dcombs44]

i agree, just make sure you have some live rock in the tank to provide some biological filtration for your tank.

[rustybucket145]

true that

[Beemo]

whoa hot damn! hehe cool i'll order a skimmer pronto
oh yep i have about 20 lbs live rock :)

[Andrew]

If the skimmer is good than it should pick up most of the mess. I myself also try to run filter floss in my tanks only because it puts up what the skimmer doesn't before returning to the tank. ( or filter sock. )

[McCrary]

The filter sock + skimmer combo is pretty efficient. I run both on my 110 and have a fuge to zap the nutrients the skimmer and sock miss.

[Beemo]

how do i get a filter sock on a skimmer?

[McCrary]

You can put the filter sock on the pipe that flows to your sump.

[Beemo]

oh i dont have a sump, which is why i dont have much room. anything i use is hob