is a protein skimmer necessary?

[Eonixar]

I've got a 20 gallon saltwater setup going on, with a whisper filter and 2 power heads for water movement. I'm running pretty lean on fish - just a clown fish and 2 dominos. But I've got a lot of other stuff in there, like a bunch of rock, 2 shrimp, 2 hermit crabs, one devils hand leather coral, some mushroom corals, some polyps, one emerald crab, and about half a dozen snails. I'm wondering if I should also be running a protein skimmer.

[Lyriqx]

I've got a protein skimmer in my 20g setup, it's currently out of commission, but trust me, when it's running, you'd be amazed at the amount of gunk it pulls out of the water - it's like a whole new level of filtration, even in a well-maintained tank like yours.

[finnley9]

The skimmer debate. Not a necessity in a 20g, but it won't do any harm either. What you really can't do without is a regular water change routine - 10-15% every week, that's the key to keeping your water chemistry in check.

[havenmix]

No, I'd say 10% is sufficient for weekly water changes. A refugium would definitely be a nice addition, though.

[fleeton]

A small HOB refugium would be a better investment in my opinion, it's something I'd consider over a protein skimmer for your tank.