HappyGeorge
Fish Herder
Well I'm expecting to be shouted at but here goes.
Lots of people including my LFS (trusted for 2 years, buyers of cichlids bred by me and everything to gain from selling me a skimmer) seem to think that a protein skimmer is not necessary.
I keep reading conflicting info most of it surrounding taking nutrients out of water causing CUC problems and the rest giving a number of alternatives.
The tank is an Orca MT50 with the 3 chambers at the back current plan is to use live rubble in last chamber with the pump, heater in 2nd and a block of the very porous black sponge cut in 2 with a layer of filter floss trapped between for removing anything nasty.
Using common sense I cant see how if I were to drop the water level in 1 and 2 below the weir into 3 and inlet level and then carry out a complete clean of chamber 1 and 2, i'e remove water and all sediment from them why they are isolated on a bi-weekly basis, would this not guarantee removal of nasty stuff and also eliminate the nitrate trap issue?
I know the main man in the LFS uses this method in his nano, as they do with the 2 nano's in the shop so it must work. Surely he would rather sell me a skimmer than a £2 bag of floss?
I am dubious because when I started keeping cichlids I read conflicting info and decided that based on common sense what I wanted to do was fine, and it was. I am in the same situation again.
If I am way wide of the mark could someone tell me what skimmer I can fit that doesn't involve stuff sticking out the top, building a sump or redesigning the lid.
Many Thanks Guys
Lots of people including my LFS (trusted for 2 years, buyers of cichlids bred by me and everything to gain from selling me a skimmer) seem to think that a protein skimmer is not necessary.
I keep reading conflicting info most of it surrounding taking nutrients out of water causing CUC problems and the rest giving a number of alternatives.
The tank is an Orca MT50 with the 3 chambers at the back current plan is to use live rubble in last chamber with the pump, heater in 2nd and a block of the very porous black sponge cut in 2 with a layer of filter floss trapped between for removing anything nasty.
Using common sense I cant see how if I were to drop the water level in 1 and 2 below the weir into 3 and inlet level and then carry out a complete clean of chamber 1 and 2, i'e remove water and all sediment from them why they are isolated on a bi-weekly basis, would this not guarantee removal of nasty stuff and also eliminate the nitrate trap issue?
I know the main man in the LFS uses this method in his nano, as they do with the 2 nano's in the shop so it must work. Surely he would rather sell me a skimmer than a £2 bag of floss?
I am dubious because when I started keeping cichlids I read conflicting info and decided that based on common sense what I wanted to do was fine, and it was. I am in the same situation again.
If I am way wide of the mark could someone tell me what skimmer I can fit that doesn't involve stuff sticking out the top, building a sump or redesigning the lid.
Many Thanks Guys