# new protien skimmer



## mensa (Nov 25, 2015)

hello all!
first id like to thank you all for this forum. and humbly would like to ask a question.
im dealing with my first marine tank. 20g nano (only a few months old)
few fish, several inverts, couple soft coral frags. (just starting)
I have gotten the hang of controlling water parameters mag, calc, alk, phos. by dosing additives and water changes.
so this week I added a protein skimmer. which seems to doing its job pulling skum from the tank,
my question is. Other then fish waste and uneaten food will the skimmer pull any thing else out the water like mag, calc, alk.?
should I expect to have to pay a lot more attention to these parameters then before
thanks to all in advance for any guidance


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## cica (Feb 10, 2013)

Hi and welcome to the forum.
No, the skimmer will not pull out calc, mag, alk. 
You have a 20g tank with no sps, are you sure that you need to use additives? Regular water changes should take care of calc, mag alk.


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## mensa (Nov 25, 2015)

Well this is news to me. Forgive my ignorance but I don't have any idea re corals the shop reccomened a couple non demanding species to get started zoeanthids and the like. If I need not worry so much that's good news
Maybe I'm doing this well enough to upgrade my corals a little...
Thanks so much for the reply


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## Crayon (Apr 13, 2014)

You will find many people on the forum, including TeeMee who keep very small nano tanks, with lots of interesting corals. It is totally possible to keep cool corals in a small tank. Additives are not necessary at this time, and a skimmer will help. Doing water changes regularity is the best way to maintain your levels as a small tank. There are people who do 75% water changes weekly and have great results.


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## mensa (Nov 25, 2015)

It was my understanding that the protein skimmer was gonna cut down the need to do more frequent water changes. 
What I'm trying to accomplish is to keep nitrates under 20 ppm and pull the trigger on 30-40% changes when it tests over
Then over the next couple days I dose for the other parameters to bring them up to 1350 mag, 450 Calc
and around 10 dkh which I've never needed to dose.
Am I on the right track here to establish good corraline growth and fish and corral growth?
Many thank again


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## fesso clown (Nov 15, 2011)

what kind and how many fish do you have?
Are you using RODI?
What Kind of corals? How many 
What kind of salt are you using?

Your best bet is to get into a routine of a 10% waterchange every week. You will replenish all your elemental needs (especially if using Reef Crystals) and keep your N+P down. I doubt your bioload needs any kind of dosing what so ever. No need to add anything to your tank right now other than NSW every week.
Your skimmer will definitely be a benefit.... what kind is it. It only pulls out undissolved organics. 

Also stop taking advise from your LFS. Ask questions here. 

Welcome to the forum.


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## Crayon (Apr 13, 2014)

The best way to get good growth is to keep your parameters steady, so waiting for your nitrates to rise before doing a water change is going to slow down growth. If the corals are struggling to adjust to changing levels, they won't grow as well.
You have a very small tank, so for now, focus on keeping salinity the same, keeping temperature steady, weekly water changes, and everything else should fall into line.
I'm not suggesting don't check your other parameters, please do, just don't be in a hurry to dose for anything because in that size tank, the water change will do most of the work.


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## mensa (Nov 25, 2015)

ok wow heres the set up
3 month old
20g hex (15g water)
a/c 50 hob filter with sponge, carbon/resin bag, bio balls, floss
eshopps 75 hob skimmer
powerhead
heater
2-18" t8's (1 arctinic, 1 50/50 daylight/arctinic)

1 ocelleris clown
1 azure damsel (bastard)
1 domino damsel
1 skunk basslet (the peacekeeper)

1 serpent star
2 ninja star snail
2 trochus snail
2 scarlett reef crab
2 small hermit crab (species unknown)

3 small corals (1 palythoa, 1 zoanthid, 1 unknown

water has been completely inconsistent, at first it was declorinated tap water with instant ocean. then ro/di with instant ocean. now pre mixed salt water from big als with additives to dose to reef levels. thats where im at now

see any issues?

thanks


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## Crayon (Apr 13, 2014)

IMHO, Do the RODI and mix your own salt. That way you control the level of salt as well as brand of salt. You might find there are days you need to adjust for salt concentration as even in a 20g tank, you will get evaporation and your salt levels will rise.
Post a photo of the unknown coral and some one will ID it for you.


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## mensa (Nov 25, 2015)

Ya
After reading the replies I think that's the way to go
But with a quality "reef" salt as opposed to just somthing designed for a f/o or fowlr tank 
Any recommendations? 
Thanks everyone and I wish all clear waters


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## Crayon (Apr 13, 2014)

We used to use the salinity salt by Aqua vitro and found that if we didn't use the new salt water we mixed up within 4 hours it went cloudy white (meaning something was precipitating out). So switched to DD Salt and have found that it left a brown residue in our mixing bucket. So we are in the process again of switching to another salt. Going with the Fauna Marin salt although we haven't started yet, so I have no comment.
Each salt has its pros and cons. Price can be a con, although w a 20 gallon tank, less so. Better quality salt will be more consistent in all its levels.


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

I kept a 1.5 gallon pico until it sprouted a leek and I had some fun stuff. in a 10 now though.


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## mensa (Nov 25, 2015)

ok so I have purchased some hi octane reef salt, this product promises very good parameters 1350 mag, 450 calc. at 1.025 salt
so my question is can I do a major water change matching temp and salinity or will I need to add this stuff slowly over several small changes to prevent shock to the livestock
previous to now I have used a mish-mash of whatever I could get find. starting with de-chlorinated tap water with instant ocean salt then ro/di with the same salt and most recently pre mixed salt water from the big fish store
and trying to dose for parameters with ions and purple up.
I can of coarse test to see what up
so whats my play here? 

thanks to all


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## Crayon (Apr 13, 2014)

Do it per normal water changes. The issue is that corals and fish like consistency. They are very adaptable and if they are used to the levels of the old salt they need some time to adjust. So now that you have a new salt, as you noted the levels are going to be different than the old salt. By changing salts (which is fine) you are now going to change the trace element levels so the fish and coral will need some time to adjust.
Stop the purple up and other additives. Keep it simple. See how the tank does and let them get used to the change of salt.


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## mensa (Nov 25, 2015)

so, what would you say would be a max change 10, 20, 30, 50% until I get the bulk of the water changed to the new salt formula
im asking because unlike the freshwater side water changes are not free
so with small changes you may have to change 200% of the water to get the denitrifying benefits of a 50% one time change
its a small thing I know, but its the most major thing I'm dealing with... thankfully (with special regards to wards island reef) Whose build thread was almost enough to scare me off the hobby forever)
blessings and clear waters to all


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