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little x
10/29/2006, 02:47 PM
do i need a air pump or a skimmer for my 10 gallon??
Freed
10/29/2006, 02:48 PM
Skimmer will aerate the water and clean it as well.
little x
10/29/2006, 02:53 PM
but do i need it?
schiejr
10/29/2006, 02:57 PM
Depends on your set up. Some more info on filtration, inhabitants, etc. would help folks give you advice.
jdieck
10/29/2006, 03:01 PM
For a tank that size you may not need an skimmer if you keep up with water changes 15 to 25% per week. You need a powerhead that agitates the surface and a good canister filter with surface overflow.
little x
10/29/2006, 03:06 PM
i have a heater and i have a fliter. and i bought a skimmer today and it a bit too big for my tank
pmeninger
10/29/2006, 08:08 PM
Go and get a bigger tank. Go the the local fish store and take advantage of a basic 20-30 gal tank for 25-50 bucks. You will want a bigger tank once you start the hobby. By the way, the protien skimmer is the greatest thing invented for this hobby.
Shagsbeard
10/29/2006, 08:34 PM
A ten gallon salt water tank is really difficult to maintain. Anything that gets out of balance will really get out of balance. You've got to be experienced and patient, and even then it's a "learning experience" most of the time.

If I really wanted a 10 gallon for some display purpose, I'd have a 30 gallon sump for support and filtration.

I'd second the motion to get a larger tank... 45 gallons is about as small as a new hobbiest should attempt.
lessthanlights
10/29/2006, 11:42 PM
My first tank was 7 gallons and was rock solid for 3 years until the glass cracked. It's not hard you just need to keep on top of things. It ran without a skimmer just one Aqauclear 500 with carbon for one week once a month and a power-head. I don't think I would go skimmerless again unless it was for an experiment or specific purpose. Some of the most amazing reefs I have ever seen were 2.5 gallons. Check out nano-reef.com for specifics on nanos.
650-IS350
10/30/2006, 12:23 AM
check out melvs site... very informative..

http://www.melevsreef.com/links.html
jpitts101
10/30/2006, 12:30 AM
you dont have to have a skimmer, it all depends on what you are keeping in the tank, and what you plan on doing with it in the future. i know a guy that has a 100g, and has had it for about 15 years that still dont run a skimmer and swears that you dont need them, its all on you. it is a good investment, especially for newbies but its not a have to have!