Deltec Skimmers Any Good?

[Forsaken77]

From what I'd read in the past, Deltec was using Jebao in their DC controllable units, but the AC units were "Aqua-Bee" pumps.

That may have changed.

~Bruce

I saw a post from the guy at Battle Corals where he recommended the ac version over the dc version.

The ac version, according to marine depot, used to use modified eheim pumps. Now they build their own pumps. Whether they license AquaBee and slap their name on it, I couldn't say. But MD says they make their own pumps now.

 

[Forsaken77]

They use Jebao pumps now on the scc serie, just to know!

The SC models are the dc models. SCA are the ac models. Marine Depot mainly carries the ac models.

 

[Forsaken77]

Another skimmer to consider is a Vertex Omega 180 it is a very balanced skimmer.

The 180i only goes up to a 180 gallon. That's what I have, so it's too small. The 200i has a ton of bad reviews on BRS.

 

[Forsaken77]

I have the 1455. Got it from Adam at Battlecorals around Black Friday, but only dropped it into my sump a couple of months ago. It's in a 40 gallon sump under a 220 gallon display.

Took a little while to settle in, kept blowing its own lid off, but it runs strong and steady now. Pretty new tank, with a couple dozen coral frags, a couple dozen CUC and no fish so far, but the skimmer still pulls some nasty out of the water.

The manual neck cleaner is a thin, rotating blade with a squeegee on it. You spin it, it wipes gunk off the inside of the neck, and you don't have to pull the cup quite as often. (I find that I want to pull mine about once a week.)

~Bruce

I would be using it in a 40 gallon sump under a 180. Couple questions...

Is the manual neck cleaner worth the extra cost? Because they sell it without it as well. Can it be taken off and does it get it the way of the skimmate?

Also, I'm going back and forth between the 1455 and the 1660. The 1660 is the next size up but has TWICE the amount of air, and probably water as well but it doesn't say.

I've been going between these skimmers...
-Deltec 1455
-Deltec 1660
-Icecap K2-200 (Sicce psk 1000 pump)
-Reef Octopus Elite Cone 200 (Varios DC pump)

I was going to try the E-shopps S220 that uses the psk 1200 pump but the cup doesn't have a drain. What a stupid thing to omit from a skimmer, being I use a Reef Octopus Waste Collector. Great investment btw.

 

[Forsaken77]

Copy/pasted of my review on MD. I've owned the skimmer about 10 months now. Bottom line, I wouldnt change if you paid me so long as availability remains good because getting that impeller was a major pain!

About a week after ending my search for a new skimmer last year, I stumbled across the Deltec SC1350N (predecessor to this model). Compared to other skimmers on the market these days, the Deltec is simple in appearance; there aren't any eye catching curves, flashy fittings, or intricate bubble plates. It is a simple yet elegant, single diameter (six inches) tube of acrylic accented by white components. Assembly and disassembly of the entire unit is an entirely toolless process utilizing a single thumb screw on the back of the unit. Loosening the thumbscrew a few turns provides enough space to remove the entire skimmer body from the motor plate. To remove the skimmer body you also need to remove the volute which simply pulls off the motor block like the majority of skimmers on the market. The pump then simply slides out of the mounting plate. The diffuser is removed by turning it approximately 45° and pulling it off the pump. This provides access to remove the impeller (typical pinwheel design). The skimmer cup is removed from the body with a small twist (roughly 15°) and pops right off with no effort.

Recommended water depth for the skimmer is roughly 6 - 9 7/8"; I have it sitting at 7 3/4" right now with the gate almost completely shut to get an acceptable water level in the skimmer so I'd be surprised if it worked well in 6". I have only spent about five minutes tuning the Deltec while I spent days tuning the Bubble Magus Curve 5 it replaced to get the consistency I was after which I find to be a huge improvement.

After using the skimmer for about nine months now, I absolutely love it but needed to replace to impeller which was proving to be more difficult than originally thought due to availability in the US. After a little more than a month and a half (ordered May 9th and arrived June 24th from a different distributor), the unit was finally back up and running like it should (skimmer still worked with the old impeller but required frequent adjustment).

Likes
Ease of maintenance (super simple to assemble and disassemble).
Easy to tune
Simple, sleek appearance
Consistent performance

Dislikes
Availability (hopefully a thing of the past now that Marine Depot is on board)
Cost
Noisiest piece of equipment in the setup (skimmer off 34db and on 44db)
Slight pain cleaning the cup (narrow gap between the neck and outside wall of cup makes it difficult to get bigger fingers down there to clean)

PS. Just switched my Jebao PP8 over to Vortech MP40s and they're much louder than the skimmer now.

I actually read your review on MD before you posted it here because it's the only review for any Deltec skimmer on their site.

They claim that they pressurized the pumps and somehow only unprocessed water goes through the unit instead of taking in water that already passed through. How is that even possible? Lol. We have smart skimmers now?

 

[Maritimer]

I would be using it in a 40 gallon sump under a 180. Couple questions...

Is the manual neck cleaner worth the extra cost? Because they sell it without it as well. Can it be taken off and does it get it the way of the skimmate?

Also, I'm going back and forth between the 1455 and the 1660. The 1660 is the next size up but has TWICE the amount of air, and probably water as well but it doesn't say.

I've been going between these skimmers...
-Deltec 1455
-Deltec 1660
-Icecap K2-200 (Sicce psk 1000 pump)
-Reef Octopus Elite Cone 200 (Varios DC pump)

I was going to try the E-shopps S220 that uses the psk 1200 pump but the cup doesn't have a drain. What a stupid thing to omit from a skimmer, being I use a Reef Octopus Waste Collector. Great investment btw.

The price on the manual neck cleaner from Adam was such that I passed on it, but it shouldn't get in the way of skimmate - it's a pretty thin blade. It can be taken off, but I don't know whether, if you get a neck cleaner, you also get the "regular" lid or not. As far as I'm aware, it's an integral part of the lid, and you'd need a second cap to run without it.

When I bought mine, I would have been willing to pop for the 1660, and told Adam that I tend to stock heavily in my tanks. He was pretty adamant about recommending the 1440 for my 220 gallon display with 40-B sump, so I'm sure that would be a decent choice for you as well. I've seen several folks comment that Deltec's tank-size ratings are more accurate than most other manufacturers'.

~Bruce

 

[Coronus]

Deltec is one of the originals in terms of truly performing skimmers along with H&S. I have been thinking about getting one myself just because of their track record. And now they have a line more affordable. Typically Deltecs are super expensive. But thats becuse they originated the NOG photos seen in the early 2000's . I would def. get one and with the head cleaner.
Expert piece of equipment at a great price.

 

[GoVols]

I have always loved the Deltec MC500.
Old school but a wonderful skimmer.
Adam (Battlecorals) can still get that model in real fast with free shipping.

 

[joseserrano]

If you are going to spend deltec money, go with a BK, or a decent skimmer with a sicce pump, maybe even the tunze.

 

[madweazl]

If you are going to spend deltec money, go with a BK, or a decent skimmer with a sicce pump, maybe even the tunze.

Deltec money is half Bubble King money. Decent skimmer? Do tell.

 

[GoVols]

If you are going to spend deltec money, go with a BK, or a decent skimmer with a sicce pump, maybe even the tunze.

I run a Bubble King and love it but that's a lot of $$$$$$$$$.

 

[HolisticBear]

There was a thread, that I'm unable to find now, where someone had a tank in their office with an custom open stand and a deltec skimmer. He loved it, but it made too much noise for him and replaced it with a NYOS. I wish I could find the thread, but there are many ways to define good (same with value and noise).

I ordered a NYOS and the first one that arrived was broken and showed bad QC from factory, so that is disconcerting. I'm hoping the 2nd turns out to be one of the ones that people love.

 

[joseserrano]

Deltec money is half Bubble King money. Decent skimmer? Do tell.

I believe aquarium specialty has a some reef octopus skimmers on sale right now with the bubble blaster pumps, real work horses. Others are eshopps skimmers, aquamaxx, or like the tunze in sump line. I am basing these on the pump really.

 

[GoVols]

I believe aquarium specialty has a some reef octopus skimmers on sale right now with the bubble blaster pumps, real work horses. Others are eshopps skimmers, aquamaxx, or like the tunze in sump line. I am basing these on the pump really.

For the money Aquamaxx makes some great skimmers and very well built.

 

[swk]

I love my Deltec. I've never had to touch it since I set it up except to clean the cup.

 

[Forsaken77]

For the money Aquamaxx makes some great skimmers and very well built.

I couldn't disagree more. I have the Cone-S Q2 running on my 93 gallon and it has been one problem after another. It's a short term skimmer. The acrylic is as thin as paper, the seams tend to leak on a bunch of their products (including my Q2), the power cord starts to crack apart where it exits the body, they ship them with everything but the pump secure so it acts like a sledge hammer inside the body during shipping. The pieces on the silencer and venturi are extremely fragile (both broke). My venturi piece rolled off the bathroom counter onto a RUG that's 4 feet down during cleaning and the part the air hose connects to snapped off. Now I'm dealing with the impeller drilling into the pump for some reason and it's only on one side of the pump, not a uniform circle.

The plastic parts deteriorate in saltwater after a while as well. That venturi piece would've probably snapped as soon as I reconnected the air hose. I also got mine when it first came out. So I have some time with it and probably got one with all the defects. Hopefully they addressed these issues.

Their best quality is their after sale support. If you contact AquaMaxx directly, not Marine Depot, they will do everything possible to right the situation... even after warranty.

I'm not going into exact numbers, but the markup on those skimmers is roughly 150-200%. Why do you think MD can run a sale that's basically half off, spend about $80 to ship it to you for free, and still make money? Because they are made very poorly and their replacement parts are priced way above what they should be. They're the typical product that makes tons of money on replacement parts because they're not made to last. Look at the price of a replacement pump. Because they're "modified Sicce pumps," they cost almost as much as a new skimmer.

 

[Joeganja]

I wanna disagree with @Forsaken77 statement. Maybe you've had bad luck but I have 3 aquamaxx skimmers. One hob-1, a hfm, and a Q2. The hob-1 has been kicking but for a whole year and no problems. I even wrote a review on it. HFM is on my new tank and seems to be doing quite well, and the Q2 is absolutely amazing. Don't have any complaints except for one and that's when I feed the foaming stops for about 30 minutes. But again that happens throughout a lot of skimmers. But I think the build quality is actually more thought out compared to other skimmer brands like eshopps and reef octopus. Making the bottom completely removable for cleaning, the bubble diffuser conical shaped to help break down bubbles even more. Maybe you've had bad luck but I know plenty of people that love their skimmers and have gained their support just have I. Aquamaxx has great customer service and I'm sure with your experience on talking to them they've helped you out. Now marine depot is like their main distributor and since they are in Southern California like marine depot the shipping may not be as expensive as much as getting for example a reef octopus skimmer or any coral vue skimmer from Louisiana. With that being said deltec has a great reputation and I've always thought of them being as more commercial skimmers like my reef creations. So I believe they are great skimmers and I've only heard good things about them.

 

[Forsaken77]

I wanna disagree with @Forsaken77 statement. Maybe you've had bad luck but I have 3 aquamaxx skimmers. One hob-1, a hfm, and a Q2. The hob-1 has been kicking but for a whole year and no problems. I even wrote a review on it. HFM is on my new tank and seems to be doing quite well, and the Q2 is absolutely amazing. Don't have any complaints except for one and that's when I feed the foaming stops for about 30 minutes. But again that happens throughout a lot of skimmers. But I think the build quality is actually more thought out compared to other skimmer brands like eshopps and reef octopus. Making the bottom completely removable for cleaning, the bubble diffuser conical shaped to help break down bubbles even more. Maybe you've had bad luck but I know plenty of people that love their skimmers and have gained their support just have I. Aquamaxx has great customer service and I'm sure with your experience on talking to them they've helped you out. Now marine depot is like their main distributor and since they are in Southern California like marine depot the shipping may not be as expensive as much as getting for example a reef octopus skimmer or any coral vue skimmer from Louisiana. With that being said deltec has a great reputation and I've always thought of them being as more commercial skimmers like my reef creations. So I believe they are great skimmers and I've only heard good things about them.

That's why I said I bought the Q2 when it first came out, so they probably had to work the kinks out. For example, when they first released, the bubble plates would fly off constantly because they're only held on with a snug fit. It would've been better if that screw on top of the bubble plate actually screwed into the top of the pump to hold it on. And those bubble plates (diffuser) are to reduce turbulence to help the bubbles go straight up. They don't make the bubbles smaller. Well thought out, just not executed well at first.

But the shipping, I wasn't talking about AquaMaxx shipping to MD. I was talking about them shipping it to the customer for free after a big sale. Last Black Friday sale I impulsively bought a Q3 for my 180. When I spoke to MD on the phone to return it, the guy told me that it cost them $120 to ship it from CA to NY because the warehouse over boxed it. But I returned it because when I opened it, the pump was loosely dangling in the body and the body was all jacked up from the pump smashing against it all the way across the country. The rep told me they were working with AquaMaxx to package the skimmers better. But to sell the skimmer half off and spend that much to ship it to me tells you how much they're marked up. And that markup I mentioned earlier wasn't for what MD pays, it was what a retailer pays FROM MD for the skimmer (I have a friend that has a wholesale account with MD). So if a regular retailer pays that little, imagine what MD pays. If something costs that little, it's because of cheap build quality and materials. The design may be good, but the build quality is terrible compared to a similarly priced Vertex skimmer.

Like I said, hopefully they addressed most of the issues by customer feedback. That's probably why they helped me out so much, because I got the Q2 months after it came out with most of the shortcomings. But that's usually what happens when you buy a new product right away. I would avoid their skimmers based on my own experience and what I've seen, as well as feedback from other retailers about leaky seams.

But I would buy one of their reactors, just not another skimmer. It's a crap shoot. I know their hang-on skimmers are some of the best performing ones for smaller tanks.

 

[Joeganja]

That's why I said I bought the Q2 when it first came out, so they probably had to work the kinks out. For example, when they first released, the bubble plates would fly off constantly because they're only held on with a snug fit. It would've been better if that screw on top of the bubble plate actually screwed into the top of the pump to hold it on. And those bubble plates (diffuser) are to reduce turbulence to help the bubbles go straight up. They don't make the bubbles smaller. Well thought out, just not executed well at first.

But the shipping, I wasn't talking about AquaMaxx shipping to MD. I was talking about them shipping it to the customer for free after a big sale. Last Black Friday sale I impulsively bought a Q3 for my 180. When I spoke to MD on the phone to return it, the guy told me that it cost them $120 to ship it from CA to NY because the warehouse over boxed it. But I returned it because when I opened it, the pump was loosely dangling in the body and the body was all jacked up from the pump smashing against it all the way across the country. The rep told me they were working with AquaMaxx to package the skimmers better. But to sell the skimmer half off and spend that much to ship it to me tells you how much they're marked up. And that markup I mentioned earlier wasn't for what MD pays, it was what a retailer pays FROM MD for the skimmer (I have a friend that has a wholesale account with MD). So if a regular retailer pays that little, imagine what MD pays. If something costs that little, it's because of cheap build quality and materials. The design may be good, but the build quality is terrible compared to a similarly priced Vertex skimmer.

Like I said, hopefully they addressed most of the issues by customer feedback. That's probably why they helped me out so much, because I got the Q2 months after it came out with most of the shortcomings. But that's usually what happens when you buy a new product right away. I would avoid their skimmers based on my own experience and what I've seen, as well as feedback from other retailers about leaky seams.

But I would buy one of their reactors, just not another skimmer. It's a crap shoot. I know their hang-on skimmers are some of the best performing ones for smaller tanks.

Possibly. Aquamaxx does listen to their customers and always fix even the smallest things. That's why they win my business.

 

[Lesley]

Was pulling crud after 30 mins
This is approx 72hrs
Brilliant skimmer
May be little more expensive but longevity speaks volumes