For those who don't run a skimmer....

[1sttimer]

What is your maintenance schedule and your water change procedures?
Do you use ro/di water and so on. Just want to see what works ans what doesnt work. What filter media do you have?

[dallen2233]

I do a 20% change every other week on my 55 gallon tank. I do use RO/DI my TDS in the tap water is 173.

[Ytsejam02]

Same here. I do mine 1x per month. Are you running a canister filter or a sump without the skimmer?

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[Timfish]

Weekly:
5% - 10% water change. (I use tap water, RO and RO/DI, haven't noticed any difference between them.)
Wipe algae off glass.
Test pH and Alk.

Monthly or as needed:
Test Calcium, Nitrate, Magnesium, PO4
Most common supplements are CaribSea's Aragamight and Buffer+ (I use an autofeeder to drop small amounts nightly.). I also use other brands of calcium, bicarbonate and magnesium.

As needed:
Siphon algae off sand, rinse any sand removed in tapwater and return to tank.
Siphon/remove algae from rocks often using a toothbrush or small bottle brush to help remove it. May use H2O2 with a syringe and big needle to get into to tight spaces to kill algae.
GFO and/or GAC in small DIY canister filters that hold 1/2 to 2 cups.

Here's a link to a thread I have on my first skimmerless system (http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2601390&highlight=skimmerless)

And here's some video's of some of my other systems

110 gallon system with just a sump originally started in 1992
http://youtu.be/KhcRz50cV0s

500 gallon system w/ lighted and cryptic refugiums/sumps, RO/DI & Calcium Reactor
http://youtu.be/_Uf5IyXvajg

240 Gallon System maintained with tap water, no external filtration/sump/refugium
http://youtu.be/-eCQSVdqBQA

Green Slimer Timeline
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyM6Y39iQ8M

20 - 25 year old brittle stars
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHI7PfRIgzA

[2smokes]

I plan water change maybe 2-3 times a year ,mostly to take out the detritus out.I use algae sccrubber and no skimer .I did 20 percent water changes a month also .RODI water is a must,you cant safely keep a reef aquarium without RODI water.

[Jon0807]

I tried to run my 36g bowfront skimmerless and it was fine for a while till I ran into a huge algae problem. Green hair turned into dino algae that covered everything! It was floating in the water as well as created a film on top. I have an AquaClear 70 but that wasn't really helping much. I was doing 20% changes a week. I ended up adding a skimming attachment to the AC70 AND I got an Aqua Life 115. That along with weekly 50% water changes, my algae problems cleared up in a couple of months. I still have to empty out the skimmer cup daily cause it's filled with brown crud. Without it, I don't know how my tank would look.

If I had to do it all over again, I think I would go with a sump and a skimmer. Everyone's situation is different, and I know people have successfully run a tank for years without. But for me being such a newbie when it comes to reef tanks, a skimmer gives me some newb wiggle room. Oh and yes, RODI is a must.

[Mad_Reefer]

I count on macro algae for nutrient export. My sump is basically all refugium.

I try to do a water change once a month. They turn out to be about 14% just because it is an easy tote full to mix.

I have 5 small fish, a shrimp, RBTA, and corals in a 40 breeder with 29 gallon tank for sump/fuge. I hope I didn't over stock, time will tell. Right now it is easy and looking good.

[1sttimer]

All I have is 2 ac 50 on my 33 gallon. I filled them up with a sponge,bio media,purigen,poly filter, and hypersonic.
It's only been running for 2 months but so far it looks great.
I use a 5 gallon bucket for my water changes which I add prime,salt and some poly filter 2-3 days before I change the water.
Top off is ro/Di. I might install an ro/di later on.

[1sttimer]

Thinking of adding another ac 50 to fill up with macro algae.
What do you guys think.

[ali1]

Skimmerless on 29g cube. Biweekly 5g water changes

[1sttimer]

Skimmerless on 29g cube. Biweekly 5g water changes

What filters and media do you use? Ro/di or tap?

[ali1]

I use ro/di because our tap water sucks.

Heater in 1st chamber
Chaeto in 2nd chamber
Return pump in 3rd chamber

With tanks under 29g, your best filtration is a simple weekly 5g water change. Replenishes your trace elements, keeps nitrates and phosphates at Zero, and keeps overall system simple

[vikinglord13]

~10% w/c every three weeks. chamber 1 has lr rubble. chamber two is a chaeto refugium. I have a low bioload.

I didn't stay on top of my calcium/alkalinity/magnesium for a long time, so lower pH has lead to phosphate leeching into my water so I'm battling GHA currently.

[rjjr1963]

No skimmer, HOB filter used a poly filter pad and 10% water changes x2/month. I think the filter pad did a lot of good for my system.