To Skim or Not to Skim, that is the question

[rajfish]

Hey all,

My seahorses are doing fine.

I have a good crop of coral:
(1) Pulsing Xenia
(2) Green Mushroom Coral
(3) Pink/Purple Mushroom Coral
(4) Brown Mushroom Coral
(5) Pink/Blue Mushroom Coral
(6) Button Polyp Zoos
(7) Button Polyp Green/Blue

I have heard softies like these need "dirty" water. I have gotten nothing but mixed answers online. What is the best way to get them to grow like weeds?

I have a 29g with a Prizm Skimmer that I let run. I have heard too much skimming slows their growth. I have T5 w/ Actinics and flow from the Skimmer and a HOB filter.

Any additives I could use? Could I target feed mysis? How about "reef chilli" or something similar that I have heard somewhere about?

Rajfish

 

[flyingarmy]

My softies all do very well at water around .05-.15PPM Nitrates. They seem to love the dirtier water column. I also grow my own phyto and feed the tank every 2 days. Some people have different opinions but this seems to work quite well for me and my corals. Good luck!

 

[linda lee]

With the bioload you have in a 29, I sure wouldn't stop skimming. Although if you dose phyto, you should turn off your skimmer for a couple hours.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

With your bioload, and that POS skimmer, dont worry about overskimming. Personally, I wouldnt ever run any marine tank without a skimmer, and a decent one at that.

 

[skriz]

jmaneyapanda;93642 wrote: With your bioload, and that POS skimmer, dont worry about overskimming. Personally, I wouldnt ever run any marine tank without a skimmer, and a decent one at that.

LOL! Exactly, overskimming is not going to be an issue with your equipment and bioload.

 

[twd4]

jmaneyapanda;93642 wrote: With your bioload, and that POS skimmer, dont worry about overskimming. Personally, I wouldnt ever run any marine tank without a skimmer, and a decent one at that.

Agreed. Please remember that protein skimmers do more then just remove organic wastes. They also provide oxygenation and increase gas exchange which helps reef tanks in many ways such as ph balance...

 

[cameron]

twd4;93681 wrote: Agreed. Please remember that protein skimmers do more then just remove organic wastes. They also provide oxygenation and increase gas exchange which helps reef tanks in many ways such as ph balance...

The amount of dissolved oxygen in a water column created by a skimmer is minimal. Air bubbles in the water column do not create a lot of gas exchange. The main source of dissolved oxygen in a tank is determined by the water surface area of the tank. Creating ripples on the surface is far more effective than blasting air into a water column. One of the main reasons why flow is very important in an aquarium is directly related to this concept.

There are some exceptions to this "rule" but for the most part it is accurate.

 

[cdub]

with just mushrooms, xenia, and button polyps i would not waste my money on feeding them. i believe they will get everything they need from the t5's.

 

[cameron]

Oh and you should run a skimmer on a reef tank. Not that you HAVE too, but it lessens the chance of a crash in a system. If the ammonia cycle creates too much due to excess nutrients you could really be in for it.

 

[cameron]

cdub;93717 wrote: with just mushrooms, xenia, and button polyps i would not waste my money on feeding them. i believe they will get everything they need from the t5's.

Agreed. Nutrients (namely protiens) in the water column can help speed up the growth and reproduction by giving a coral extra energy but for the most part it isn't required and often creates more problems than it solves.