Protein Skimmer

for the setup that I have, 29 gal oceanic biocube with wetdry system. I have live rock and live sand. is it nessecary to have a protein skimmer for this unit. I have had a lot of different answers and I'm just not sure what to do. sorry for the repetative questions this is my first marine tank.

[KaLiB]

If you have the space and budget, I would recommend getting a Protein Skimmer.
It is a useful piece of equipment and some benefits are:
- Oxygenate the water(bubbling and water movement in the reaction chamber)
- Nutrient Export(helps in reducing nitrates by removing dissolved organics before they even breakdown into ammonia)

And probably some disadvantages:
- High cost(especially the good skimmers,looking at 3-digit figures easily)
- Can be bulky(some skimmers require an internally mounted pump, both equipment take up alot of space,some skimmers require to be placed internally as well)

A skimmer, would play a part in the overall filtration system in the tank. It is different from the biological filtration as it removes wastes(dissolved organics) before they become ammonia whereas biological filters removes wastes when they breakdown into ammonia(by further breaking it down into nitrites then nitrates). If there's no dentrification taking place, nitrates could accumulate in the tank. So, a skimmer would help in lowering the amount of nitrates that form.

Like what you've heard, its not necessary to get a protein skimmer. I've seen successful setups before that don't use a skimmer but most hobbyists would recommend/use one. I've shared with you what i know regarding this issue, so hopefully, you would be able to make an informed decision.

You may want to consider the Redsea hang-on Prizm skimmer for your 29gallon if you do not have the luxury of space. Read reviews on the internet about it, appears to be quite good apart from some noise that it produces.

For the marine hobby, just like in this case, you may get differing views on certain issues. So the best way would be to find out as much as you can, get to know the big picture, then you would be able to make an informed decision.