do i need a protien skimmer?

[jordan59]

hi everyone

i was wondering if i would need a protien skimmer in my 18' by 10' by 12' 10G nano reef. i havent as yet fully set it up i have the tank a T8 single globe of which i willl be upgrading soon and a 25 watt heater.
i hope to have 2 clownfish and a few corals and maybe a bubble tip anemone( very open to comments) would i need a protien skimmer.
or what could i keep in the tank without one.

thanks

 

[davenia7]

You don't NEED a PS, though I'm liking mine now.

However, 2 fully grown clowns get a bit crowded in a 10 gal. Also, a BTA (or any anemone for that matter) isn't generally recommended for either a new tank or a small tank. A new tank isn't stable enough, and a small tank has issues with, if the BTA dies (which it most likely will) it will kill EVERYTHING in the tank and quickly.
Also, that light would NEVER serve for a BTA. And a 25 W heater might not be big enough for a 10 gal. depending on how cold your house is kept. I always had a 50W on my 10 gal. and I keep my house at 71-73 degrees.

 

[TimSchmidt]

I agree with Davenia. Anemones are not very well suited to new tanks. Nanos present the problem that if the anemone ever moves it will more than likely kill everything it touches. If you do choose to get an anemone read up on where it likes to be and get a much better light. Waiting 6 months to a year increases your chances of successfully housing an anemone.

For the heaters you could just get one more 25w heater. If one fails then it shouldn't be able to cook your fish or freeze your fish if it stops working.

 

[jordan59]

hi thanks for the reply s

i have now got a 15 gallon and i'm not to sure i want an anemone anymore.
so would i need one in my 15G tank with 2 clowns and a goby? and a few corals (mushies and other low light corals).

 

[tmd77]

get a small jardeni... looks like an anemone (better looking in my opinion), some clowns will actually host in them, and they dont move!