Help picking new skimmer

mehaffydr · Apr 29, 2019

I have a 225 gal Reef tank heavy stocked. I have had a MRC 2R skimmer for years but am ready to get something new.
The MRC is a beast but its a pain to use and maintain.
The external skimmer needs a pump that draws over 250 watts plus a feed pump, is difficult to clean.
I am looking at internal skimmers I have an extra sump so space is not a problem.
I'm looking at the Reef Octopus 250 INT but just thought I'd check and see if anyone has advise or experience with that skimmer or others in the same general price range $650-$750

Crabs McJones · Apr 30, 2019

I agree with your Reef Octopus choice

I really like their skimmers, been using one for a few years now and it's still going strong.
Coralvue's customer service is excellent as well. Never had an issue they wern't able to immediately resolve for me

Kyuss414 · Apr 30, 2019

Here was my Reef Octopus skimmer after less than 2 years...

Ton's of crazing, which Coral Vue told me is normal on all skimmers.. funny my current one has zero after nearly 5 years.

At least it still worked, although was very finicky and required constant adjustment. That was until it over-flowed one day and I find the glued joint holding the venturi to the pump just fell off...

Only help Coral Vue had for me at that point, less than two years into the $500 skimmer, were sales pitches to sell me a new one. That added with the finicky nature of it the entire time it actually was running, I found the perfect fix to the problem...

I needed a quick replacement so I picked up an AquaMaxx for under $300 and figured I'd replace it with something better. Nearly 5 years later and I'm still running it because it works way better than the RO ever did, pulls out more gunk, and have had zero issues with it.