# Can I run only a skimmer and live rock?



## jockkustow (Oct 23, 2006)

I have a 55 gallon fish /invert tank with lots of live rock and live sand. I currently run a cannister filter and a skimmer. Do I really need the cannister. My rock is well established as well as the sand. I want to eliminate the cannister because I have a bad habit of letting the cannister go to long without cleaning, and feel I am just circulating my water through crap. I have heard the sand and rock are enough with a skimmer. anybody actually try this?


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## jockkustow (Oct 23, 2006)

*a little bit about my tank*

55 gallon
1 blue hippo tang
1 yellow tang
1 tomato clown
1 serpent star
1 brittle star
1 chocolate chip star
2 peppermint shrimp
assorted blue/red hermits, and snails.


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## caferacermike (Oct 3, 2006)

Too difficult to tell without knowing more about your skimmer. Most are junk copies of really nice skimmers. In theory yes.


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## jockkustow (Oct 23, 2006)

*triing to run with only a skimmer, sand and rock*

I think the skimmer is a clone of a cpr backpack. It hangs on the back and seems to be foaming a bit more since taking out the cannister. I think it has like a rio 800 pump on it .


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## caferacermike (Oct 3, 2006)

Your parameters might stay the same or get a little better but your water will not be sparkly clear with such a small skimmer.


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## dustin323 (Oct 10, 2006)

I would have to agree with caferacermike. The skimmer is kind of small & the real CPR Bak-Pak isn't all that great. You can also run a refugium to help out with filtration. In my tank all I have is a skimmer, refugium, & live rock. Levels are perfect. Canisters aren't the best for saltwater, especially a reef. You need to wash the media in old tank water once a month to maintain it properly. I wouldn't take off the canister all at once. Instead slowly remove the media. So it causes no spikes in your parameters/


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## Gump (Oct 26, 2006)

The backpacks suck so bad. I've never bought one but i have been given a few and traded rocks for another one and even with a few on a tank they still couldnt do the job of one berlin that i had after them.


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## luckie8 (Apr 6, 2007)

dustin323 said:


> Canisters aren't the best for saltwater, especially a reef. You need to wash the media in old tank water once a month to maintain it properly.


Sorry for being a noob.
I was going for a 40gal FOWLR with Fluval 305 canister.
Should I skip this canister filter and just go with a good skimmer like C Remore?
I can't run a refugium since I have very limited space in my apartment.
BTW I have 45lb of LR coming with 60lb Aragamax sand


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## youtubefind (Apr 1, 2007)

do you mean aquaC remora?


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## luckie8 (Apr 6, 2007)

youtubefind said:


> do you mean aquaC remora?


Yes, thats what I mean.
So can I run with just the skimmer without the canister filter or do I need a filter anyway?


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## Andre (Feb 19, 2007)

sell your canister and skimmer and buy a real good skimmer and you will be fine.


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## luckie8 (Apr 6, 2007)

Andre said:


> sell your canister and skimmer and buy a real good skimmer and you will be fine.


I thought a C Remoras are pretty good skimmers?
Which one do you recommend?


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## luckie8 (Apr 6, 2007)

Just want to get it straight.
I can run a 45lb LR as biofilter in a 40gal FOWLR tank with a good skimmer and powerheads without a canister filter?
Do you guys recommend to get a canister filter anyway to help out in filtering the water? If you do, Fluval or Eheim?


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## Andre (Feb 19, 2007)

BERLIN


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## luckie8 (Apr 6, 2007)

Andre said:


> BERLIN


Classic, Hang On or Turbo XL


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## Andre (Feb 19, 2007)

I use a turbo and am extremely happy with it. But i think my turbo could still have been used as a hang on. I am kinda curious though what other people think of the skimmer you have. I have really not heard anything about it.


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## usmc121581 (Jul 31, 2006)

I use a corallife 220 super skimmer. I like it, but the only reason I use it is because I didnt have the room under my tank for the asm, and others.


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## Andre (Feb 19, 2007)

i used a coral life and liked it alot it is not really as productive as the berlin but it really did do a descent job.


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## usmc121581 (Jul 31, 2006)

Andre said:


> i used a coral life and liked it alot it is not really as productive as the berlin but it really did do a descent job.


Which model, I here that the 220 is the best in that line. Mine produces about a gal/week of skinmate.


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## caferacermike (Oct 3, 2006)

The 220 is the best of the CSS line.

If you have the cash buy the Deltec MCE300 HOT skimmer. It really is the best of the HOT type skimmers. What $300 for a skimmer? Are you nuts? Well keep in mind that you could easily pay $200 or more for the CSS skimmer and they work OK, but INVEST the $300 for a Deltec and know that it kicks arse on a daily basis. Most beginner quality skimmers start around $300 anyways. Sure you are not paying for the skimmer's materials as the manufacture of it is quite cheap, it's all that testing and engineering you pay for. The Deltec is a completely different beast. A lot of time and research went into the production of the unit. Like everything in life it will only be a matter of time until the Chinese plagarizers copy it and offer a similar unit that only looks like the original but does not perform near as well for a fraction of the cost of the original.

The thing I hate about skimmers is that if you put 100 of them in a room only 5 will be worth their purchase price and 95of them will be clones that hardly work at all.


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## Andre (Feb 19, 2007)

i think it was the one you have, i am not positive but the pictures are identical.


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## jake_25 (Sep 25, 2007)

i have a belin classic are they any good


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