skimmer.

[Nickoz1]

is it manitory to have a skimmer... i have a 30 gallon tank... with hang on filters...(2), heater, (trying to install powerheads) , and aboutt.... 20 lbs live rock or so..

anyways my water has beeen good.... everything reading o, other then nitrates reading about 20. i have one mushroom that i got off a rock.... seems to be doing reall good since it looked like slime when i got it. anyways... any input?

evenually i want to get skimmer when i gather some money... but in meantime am i ok to add some clowns and 1-2 more corals?

my light is a 48 HO light...with no moon lights. just white and actinic light.

thanks guys.

 

[Nickoz1]

ohhh... PH is running 8.2... ;)

 

[little_fish]

You dont need a skimmer on small tank, just doing regular water chances is fine on a small tank. But you need to get powerheads in your tank ASAP, having good flow is one of the most important things to keeping a healthy tank.

Also the filter are a freshwater technology and dont translate very well to saltwater.

Lastly, that is a great pH

 

[Smitty]

+1 lil fish

 

[Nickoz1]

About my filter not being the best, what other options do i have ? Any good manufatures? Not sure whAts good,

 

[Bifferwine]

I wouldn't worry too much about your filter. Like Hannah said, keep up with water changes. Water changes will keep your water clean.

Be sure to get a powerhead or two before you add any fish. The need the water movement to survive and won't last in a still tank.

 

[bobby]

I agree you don't need a skimmer on a 30 gal, but it would help. If you don't run a skimmer you need to do regular weekly water changes of about 10 to 20%.

If you're going to remove the filters then you should wait untill you get your power heads. Hang on back filter can be great for salt water tanks. Pull the filter pad and fill it with cheato, or the occasional carbo bags, and you now have a little fuge.

How old is your tank, what and how many fish are in it right now? It looks as if you cycle is over, so I'd say adding two clowns would be fine. That is if your isn't over crowded or has a fish that'd kill the clowns in it.

As far as skimmers go there are some smaller cheap skimmers that work good. The CSS (coralife super skimmer) 65 would be great for your tank at a low cost. The prisim skimmer can also work great with a few mods. If you feel you really want a skimmer then just look around at skimmer find one you like or a great deal on a used one and ask us if it's good bad or ok.

 

[Nickoz1]

for filters... i got one that is the carbon/ filter.. kinda like the frreshwater ones. saltwate rplace gave me... other filter, is sponge, carbon... and bioballs on top.

deffently putting a powerhead on SOON! skimmer i knew i didnt need, but it would help for water changes n clean water . thats whats i got told.

as for fish, i got 2 demsels.. just the blue ones... i wanted mto start with something hardy since im new to saltwater n i wouldnt want something expensive to die due to lack of knowledge. everything is reading good, so this week i was thinkin of 2 clown fish... some smalls one for my kids... (he keeps telling me NEMO DAD!).. other then that my heat is running at 79-80 steady. and for what i have in the tank, i do waterchange every week... about 10-20% every week or so...


OHH whens the best time to do water change also, .... when nitrates are above 40? and ammonia is nitrates are above ????.... i usally do it when nitrates above 40... and when i have lil ammonia and nitrate.


thanks guys.. you guys are helpfull.

 

[little_fish]

You should be done weekly or biweekly waterchanges no matter what your parameters are, but if your nitrates are above 10 ppm I would increase the waterchanges frequency and volume. Nitrates are toxic to inverts so you need them to be as close to zero as possible.

 

[Bifferwine]

+1 Hannah. You shouldn't wait for your water to get bad before you change it. Doing water changes helps to prevent bad water.