skimmer?

portgirl123

i might be getting a marine tank river reef 94. comes with a few fish. i have been told i need to by a skimmer, the person i might be buying of says it doesnt need one. he says if it did it would have a skimmer built in. i can buy a skimmer seperate that is no prob, but just wondering do i need one. i know if i go to a pet shop and ask i know they will say i do as they sell them
thanks for advise in advance

F-Stop

I'm not familiar with the River Reef 94, I see on some sites they recommend the Kent nano skimmer with it. With a marine set up a skimmer is a real help - it's also another thing you have to maintain. As a novice myself I wouldn't go marine without a skimmer - it basically is a type of filter that uses air to create foam to lift protein, phosphates, etc., out of the water column. There are people who go skimmerless but they are usually well experienced with marine fish keeping.

If you haven't already bought the tank I would consider something like the betta tanks that include a sump. I wish I had gone that way myself, it will make life much easier and the initial cost will pay for itself. Also try and get something that is 150-200litres to begin with (if you can, of course money and space are always an issue). Smaller tanks are much less forgiving when something goes wrong.

Aside from all that, good luck with your new tank. It is one of the most rewarding things you can do - setting up a marine tank. Do be patient, it's difficult but as they say, only bad things happen fast in a reef tank.