Protein Skimmer Question

[AABatteries]

Would a 29 gal tank HAVE to have a protein skimmer, I hope not because taking that I away from the stuff included with a tank I found, might lower the cost(which would help me out A LOT). :19:

[labnjab]

I would recomend having one, It would help you in the long run. I'm using one on our 29

[Fishguy2727]

From my research and experience protein skimmers are one of the most important pieces of equipment in a reef, third only to lights and pumps (flow). Their ability to help maintain high water quality (especially in smaller tanks) is invaluable. That being said, a light bioload and religious maintenance can help a lot. But I would still suggest one on that size tank (reef or fish). I only have a Seaclone 100 (since Coralife's Super Skimmer upt ot 65 gallons doesn't fit with my glass canoply) on my 29 reef and although it is definitely not the best skimmer out there, it is better than nothing. So if you can only afford skimmer X, get it, it's better than nothing. My only suggestion as to which one to pick is to stay away from any that use an airstone, the airstones clog very quickly and need to be replaced WAY too often.

[AABatteries]

Okay, I'll see how much cheaper it would be not to get one, but I don't know if the guy would want to keep it.

[oldhead]

Depends on what you want to keep and how many. What kinda skimmer is it? We could tell you whether or not it's worth bothering with all together.

[cocoa_pleco]

generally you for sure need one on tanks 33g+ but its a good idea

[AABatteries]

Ok, I'll have answer for the type soon, it was $200 so ii should be at least something decent.

[labnjab]

You'll also see how much you need it when you see the gunk it pulls out of what looks like clear water. It is nasty...lol

[AABatteries]

The guy doesn't know the brand. :sconfused:

[oldhead]

Interesting. Well can't say whether you should pick it up or not. It's always a plus to have a skimmer but I'd hate to see you pay an extra $200 for say a Prizm Pro or something. Have you seen it in person? Perhaps you can find it on the web and check it out? Good luck.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

The marine hobby is no place to go cutting corners. If you don't want the skimmer because of the extra cost, then you are getting into the wrong hobby. The marine hobby is not cheap and you can't cut corners and get away with it. Down the road it will come back to bite you, trust me, I've tried in the past. If you are going to do a marine tank then do it right from the very beginning. Even if it takes you a little longer to save up to get the rock and livestock, spend the extra to get the skimmer with the tank.

[oldhead]

The marine hobby is no place to go cutting corners. If you don't want the skimmer because of the extra cost, then you are getting into the wrong hobby. The marine hobby is not cheap and you can't cut corners and get away with it. Down the road it will come back to bite you, trust me, I've tried in the past. If you are going to do a marine tank then do it right from the very beginning. Even if it takes you a little longer to save up to get the rock and livestock, spend the extra to get the skimmer with the tank.


I think the main concern here is whether the skimmer itself is worth the money at this point. I don't think he should get the skimmer just because he should have one even if it's grabage that he could have purchased for cheaper new. This would be the case if it were a Prizm or something to that effect. Without knowing the brand of the skimmer or having any pictures it's hard to say though. I agree cutting corners is no way to go but wasting money is surely not the path either. Just give the skimmer a good look when you go to pick everything up. If you think that it's worth the money then take it home. If not save your money and buy one that'll do more for you.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

While I agree to a certain extent, we don't yet know the price difference between the tank with the skimmer and the price without it. All he has stated is that it was a $200 skimmer. That doesn't mean the buy wants $200 for it, it could simply be that it was $200 brand new. Until the kind of skimmer is known and how much it costs, it is not possible to advise properly. The fact of the matter is though, if that skimmer isn't worth the money then another one needs to be considered, and that is what I'm talking about with cutting corners. Far too many people want to get into this hobby that are not willing to put out the money for the proper equipment. You don't skip on a filter just because it's more money than you want to spend; likewise you shouldn't skip on a protein skimmer just because it's more money than you want to spend. Like Fishguy said, as bad as the Seaclone is, it is better than nothing at all. Even a cheap skimmer is better than no skimmer, it will at least remove some of the junk. That being said, even the Seaclone can be modified to be a pretty good skimmer.

[oldhead]

I must have misunderstood, I was under the impression that the cost of the skimmer was $200 from the seller. But I see your point here and I guess we'll just have to leave this one up to the op as we're pretty limited on specs and details.

[AABatteries]

I can try to get a picture of the skimmer, I'll see if the current photos have it, if not I'll see if the guy can get one.