what would make my tank more interesting?

[messy_da_legend]

what does a skimmer actually do? i hear about them a lot and always get confused! (probarbly my brain lol)

[puffernuke]

skims the surface of the water and removes the "waste" from corals and inverts so your filter doesn't have to.

[Pufferpunk]

http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_mar ... sp?CartId=

http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_mar ... sp?CartId=

[lisalisa]

A skimmer doesn't always skim the surface, mine is an in-sump model. It extrast organics from water.

[RTR]

Clarification - "Canisters and HOBs can quickly become nitrate factories..." because that is their job, it is why we use them. They do not create nitrogen- containing waste by themselves, that is not possible, They house bacteria which take nitrogen-containing waste (imitially ammonia, later nitrite) which is highly toxic and convert it to much less toxic form (nitrate). SW folks want low nitrate also, so use live rock, DSB/plenums, 24/7 refugia, skimmers (aka foam fractionaters) which either take the waste and incorporate it into their own mass (live rock, refugia) or export it from the system (foam fractionators, DSB/plenums). Other than in FW & SW, many of these functions are not available in intermediate waters (BW). But the function of the canister or other biofilter has not and does not change across the full spectrum of fish-supporting waters.

[Phaedrus]

Thanks for the clarification RTR.

Could you maybe comment more on why people generally don't run canisters and HOB filters once they hit SW? Is it because skimmers and live rock and the like are much better at it? or simply do it in a more appropriate manner, (ie, complete removal or incorporation)?

[RTR]

The latter - incorporation for later removal by the hobbyist or direct removal by the device is far preferable and safer (higher water quality) to solution in the tank water.

Planted tanks, veggie filters, plenums are fine FW. Refugia, live rock, skimmers, DSB/Plenums are fine SW. In between you only have plenums or sheet algae filters, less selection and poorly tested across the range available. Both those option would still be classified experimental and therefore should be in a separate and linked tank or other device.