Sk8r
11/03/2019, 08:52 PM
several reasons. 1) the skimmer aerates. a really good skimmer aerates more.
2) it keeps crud out of your water. A really good skimmer keeps out more, but...soft corals do like richer water, meaning they do a lot of work themselves, and may need the nutrient.
3) if you have to use a treatment to kill something off in your tank and have a really good skimmer, it helps pull the badness out ASAP. What won't hurt a tank with a really good skimmer can harm a tank without much skimmer power.
How much is enough? For a very small tank with a good maintenance schedule, you're ok without much power. A moderate skimmer can handle a tank up to about 50 gallons.
If you go for 100 gallons, you're going to want to look at better skimmers, the ones that produce a thick froth in their column, almost like the head on beer. That's a lot of aeration and some pulling power; and if you couple it with a treatment of any kind, it will help you.
This is why it's not an 'of course!' kind of answer when somebody asks whether some particular treatment is ok for the tank (and there are a few select ones that can help various infestations) --------the answer is, most properly, 'How good is your skimmer?' Generally if you're careful and keep a clean tank, you can get by with less, but if you have ghosty problems, crud buildups, or a condition in which you do need a treatment of some sort, the answer changes to: you need a good skimmer.
My own theory is, get a skimmer rated for twice the gallonage you have. But the good ones are spendy, and you can't buy everything at once. So try to keep things clean, do your water changes, don't overcrowd your tank, and get by as you can. And when you see your tank getting more complex, this is when you need to look at the good skimmer. The good news is---they don't wear out easily, and somebody else's used skimmer might do well for you. Don't be afraid of a used one, in general. They clean up pretty well.
2) it keeps crud out of your water. A really good skimmer keeps out more, but...soft corals do like richer water, meaning they do a lot of work themselves, and may need the nutrient.
3) if you have to use a treatment to kill something off in your tank and have a really good skimmer, it helps pull the badness out ASAP. What won't hurt a tank with a really good skimmer can harm a tank without much skimmer power.
How much is enough? For a very small tank with a good maintenance schedule, you're ok without much power. A moderate skimmer can handle a tank up to about 50 gallons.
If you go for 100 gallons, you're going to want to look at better skimmers, the ones that produce a thick froth in their column, almost like the head on beer. That's a lot of aeration and some pulling power; and if you couple it with a treatment of any kind, it will help you.
This is why it's not an 'of course!' kind of answer when somebody asks whether some particular treatment is ok for the tank (and there are a few select ones that can help various infestations) --------the answer is, most properly, 'How good is your skimmer?' Generally if you're careful and keep a clean tank, you can get by with less, but if you have ghosty problems, crud buildups, or a condition in which you do need a treatment of some sort, the answer changes to: you need a good skimmer.
My own theory is, get a skimmer rated for twice the gallonage you have. But the good ones are spendy, and you can't buy everything at once. So try to keep things clean, do your water changes, don't overcrowd your tank, and get by as you can. And when you see your tank getting more complex, this is when you need to look at the good skimmer. The good news is---they don't wear out easily, and somebody else's used skimmer might do well for you. Don't be afraid of a used one, in general. They clean up pretty well.