Do I absolutely NEED a skimmer for a saltwater tank?

[holly_puff]

Just curious. I don't have a saltwater tank, but I might want one down the road. Do I really NEED a skimmer or can you have a saltwater tank without one? And what SG do you need to start using one?

[Blaine]

According to those with more experience than I,...a skimmer is only usable at or above 1.018 sg.

From what I have read,...they are not absolutely necessary for smaller tanks(nanos)....but are definitely needed for larger ones (30 gal+)

From my own experience they make a huge difference in keeping stable clean water. I only have a 33 gal but the amount of black goo my skimmer gets out of the water is amazing. I can't imagine not using one.

My skimmer is in tank because I don't have a sump. I picked up a Tunze DOC Nano Skimmer...it is small, whisper quiet and very effective.

I highly recommend you use one...it will make your maintenance much easier.

[RTR]

To keep a SW tank you need a water-tight box and marine water, period. The Romans did it, and although great engineers, they were not known for science. They had plenty of wealthy folk who mad many slaves. If you are wealthy, slaves or out in the first world, but with a watertight box and lost of money and labor you can keep a SW tank.

If that is not your profile, a SW tank ca be economically quite well kept with the use of live rock, plus a skimmer, plus a macroalgae refugium. You can do all but the last in a single transparent box, but for aesthetics, most folk like to use sumps for the lower aesthetics of the utilities such as LR sumps, with or without plenums or deep sand beds, and for housing their skimmers.

Personal choice items. I m lazy and hate to waste either my time or my money. I would not have a SW tank without sump(s) for LR, skimmer, and a plenum plus a marcoalgae refugium behind the display and overflowing into it.

Personal choice. Use technology and judiciously spent investment money up-front, or use labor and much higher operating money for the life of the tank.

HTH

[Pufferpunk]

IMO, once you see & smell the horrible crap a skimmer removes from your water, you'll wonder how anything lived in there without it.