Filter or Skimmer or both?

[ddfc04]

I currently have a penguin filter on my 55 gal. The tank is going to be a reef tank. It has been running for 2 months now, has about 20 snails and a few hermits along with two soft corals. The filter uses mesh and carbon. Should I remove it or is it fine? I know that carbon can sometimes remove good and bad elements. Is it bad for coral? Also, I am planning on getting a skimmer in the next couple months. Should I use the filter and skimmer or just the skimmer when that time comes? I am having an algae bloom right now so i figure that my cycle is almost through and i will be adding a couple perculas in a few weeks. Thank you.

[Reefland]

You could continue to run the filter with carbon but clean the mesh and replace the carbon very frequently. Most people chose not to mess with a power filter such as that on a reef setup. You should definitely invest in a skimmer though.