It depends on your bioload. I didn't run a skimmer on my 18 and had good color and growth on my SPS with weekly water changes with a small pair of clowns. Once I added a few more fish and started to get excess nutrients I tried the IM nano skimmer but it was touchy. You would need a ATO to even have a chance at it working. It pulled okay skimmate once locked in. I later upgraded to a deltec hob and that thing rocked. Water level didn't effect performance at all. It did raise my temp 1 degree though due to the mj1200.
But really on a nano a skimmer is just one more thing to pull out and clean. Siphon the bed one week, and the back chambers the next during your water changes and youll be good to go.
IME the ATO was the best purchase (next to a quality light) that I made. The smallest evap throws a tiny tank like that off. After rock and sand your probably talking about 12gals or so, things change rapidly! Cant wait to see more pic and great tank! I always wanted a IM, so sleek.
I got the JBJ ATO but was too big and now I'm looking for a nano version of ATO. I might just stick with water changes until I find a protein skimmer that I can fit in compartments.
For bio load I'm just going have a pair of clownfish and hermits crabs with a few snails not sure which yet. I do t want too many inhabitants maybe if I can catch my sexy shrimp I'll transfer him.
For corals I'm doing sps and arcos I'm wait for RAP to come so I can get bunch of sps. I also have few I want from Ellis Aquatics he seems to have some nice sps I also want to go to CoC I heard so much about it.
I want this tank to be a rearing tank for a blue tang since my big reef inhabitant don't like to play nice with a small blue tang. Until it get to 3 inches. Not sure if this is a good idea. Or keep it in the sump but the. I won't he able to enjoy it's growth.
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