So i have a 10gl tank up and running. The tank is a AquaOne style 380, with a trickle top filter. I currently have the filter running 24/7, the light on about 6 hours a day and the heater runs at about 26-27 degrees c. In the tank is a clown fish, yellow fin damsel and fire shrimp along with 2 soft corals.
I checked my levels yesterday and the nitrate level is very very high. I hav done a 20% water change and am yet to see the level go down and i will perform another water change tomorrow. Speaking to the guy in my local aquarium store, he said i need a skimmer.

so i ask, do i need a skimmer, a nano skimmer? Where would this fit onto my aquarium? how do they work?

thanks

no.

I think you will find macro algae like chaeto will help tremendously.

my .02

__________________
fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

so the skimmer wont reduce the nitrate levels?

If i was to buy one, how would it work along side the trickle filter?

Please remember my personal ideas on aquarium keeping.

what I do is allow the aerobic bacteria to create nitrates and then use plant life to turn nitrates into fish food and carbon dioxide into oxygen.

With sufficient macro algaes nitrates will be unmeasureable. Plus pH will be high (low co2), phosphates unmeasurable as well, pods will thrive in the macros, and the tank operation will be stablized as the macros consume any increase in ammonia.

By contrast the skimmer works by removing organics before any of that happens. So in theory will reduce nitrates as well. But IMHO not to unmeasureable levels unless algae are also in the system. Plus the skimmer like all mechanical things requires adjustments and is subject to failures as well. and the skimmer removes good things like pod (eggs) and other coral food as well.

Sure you can use a skimmer along with a trickle filter. but most don't and just use the skimmer alone with the algae on the rocks to help with nitrates.


my .02

__________________
fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

thanks for your reply, i am very new to this sort of thing

So if i was not to buy a skimmer, would water changes alone be sufficient for reducing nitrate? I have a little algae on my rocks and i have recently had an outbreak of diatoms also. I have just cleaned my trickle filter (using tank water dont worry).

I guess im just confused as the guy at the shop said i shouldnt really be running my tank with out a skimmer.

the guy at the shop is giving you the standard good advice that I received back in 2003 when I started my 55g.

water changes will limit but not "correct" things that are changing in a tank.

Consider the case where something (nitrates) are increasing at some daily rate, water changes are done at a specific fraction of the tank with some value of that thing at some specific interval. Where does the tank wind up when the amount of that thing is the same just before the water changes?

answer:

before water change=amount in replacement water+ (change between)/(fraction of change)


for instance say nitrates are building up a 1 ppm/day and you do a 10% water change each week. (build up between changes is 7ppm) with water that has 20ppm nitrates.

before water changes=20ppm+(7ppm(1/10))=20ppm+70ppm=90ppm

so with a 10% water change with 20ppm water the nitrates drop down to 83ppm then rise up to 90ppm before the next change.

The thing will rise until the build up between changes is removed by the water changes.


(70 or 90ppm nitrates are very reasonable values in water change type tanks).

By contrast plant life like macro algaes will maintain nitrates at unmeasureble levels regardless of what water changes are being done. Which is why my old 55g had 0 nitrates and phosphates for 7 years of operation with no water changes.


My advice is to simply try some chaetomorphia algae and let it expand and condition the tank. You should be able to get some from locals who are tossing it out each month.

then see what happens.


If nothing else you can always add the skimmer later.

But don't be surprised if the tank thrives with just the chaeto.


Or you could replace the bio balls or wet dry media with the chaeto and add a light. That way it wouldn't be in the display area.

my .02

__________________
fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

how quickly does this grow? So it basically eats the waste in the tank and the nitrates, so am i right in thinking this reduces the nitrite levels too?

Under proper conditions it can grow extremely fast. like doubling or tripling in a week.

It does not eat the wastes (like fish poop) directly but does work with aerobic bacteria to convert the end products into fish food (plant growth).

During the critical cycle period plant life will consume ammonia directly which they actually prefer over nitrates. Then as bacteria build up and consume the ammonia, the plant life gets their nitrogen from the resulting nitrates. Obviously this helps limit nitrItes as well. Sometimes you get a surprising initial nitrate bump with drops back down after a few weeks, as the aerobic bacteria build up.

my .02

__________________
fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

The skimmer that would work best would be of the hang on back style which do some good at removing waste. Im running a team rio nano that im getting decent results out of along with the macro algie in a reactor which is on a 24 hour light cycle. Macro algie does a great job of lowering your nitrates but im finding that the skimmer is also a good additon to help out in case of accidental over feedings.

Please do not run a skimmer on this small of a tank, it is a waste of money and is not necessary. beaslbob had very good suggestions but just keep in mind that introducing macroalgae should only be introduced once the tank is stable and you are experienced enough to know what is actually going on with your water chemistry.

Since you are a beginner, do what beginners do and ask questions, but play it simple. There is no need for a skimmer yet, you do not need to dose your tank, just do water changes and observe the health of your corals. If something doesn't look right, test the water and ask someone more experienced and learn.

ok so i'll get some of that algea you said, but i tested my levels today, and i have high levels of everything

High calcium, high nitrate and nitrite , my pH is ok and my kH is verging on high

What do i do? Im really unsure what to do apart from water changes.

Please help

First add the macro algae.

secondly and most importantly:



wait for it







nothing

Let thing settle down for awhile to see where they will eventually be. NitrItes especially will drop to 0 in a few days if you do not add food. By contrast (and in my first marine tank) I had nitrItes peg the kig for over 6 weeks when I fed the fish. After a week of no added food nitrItes dropped to 0 in 2 days.


my .02

__________________
fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

And where should i put this algae? Just in the tank somewhere, amongst the sand so it sticks in and grows up?

sounds good to me.

I just put mine in among the rocks so it was semi anchored.

It also depends on the algae and how much circulation you have.

caulerpa profilera will attach to rocks for instance.

just do whatever you can so the macro thrives

my .02

__________________
fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

You could place the algie in a hang on back filter if you want to keep your tank from looking like a sump. The only disadvantage to this is you will need a light over the filter to keep the algie alive.