Internal vs External Skimmer (in Skimmer Body)

[REEF_TO_KEEP]

Could you please let me know if this is true that the skimmer equipped with external pump outside the body of the skimmer will outperform the skimmer installed inside the skimmer body. Both installed inside the sump, I am not referring to external skimmer where it is installed outside the sump.

For example, RO classic 150INT vs RO Class 150SSS. Does 150INT perform better?

Thanks

 

[bushdoc]

You might be right, skimmer with an internal pump is designed to save space.
I have Royal Eclusiv Mini Bubble King 200 with internal DC pump , servicing 160 gal system and it is a bit of overkill , but it fits well in my sump, so for me it is more than enough.

 

[NickGrab]

The benefits will be more room for bubbles and easier access to the pump, I've had an RLSS 8" skimmer with an internal pump and an 8" SRO 3000 with an external and both were great (except for the crappy, shortlived dc waveline pump on the RLSS). If you've got the room I'd go external.

 

[jda]

More contact time means more organics bound to bubbles. Taking up room in the body with the pump limits this. It might not be a big deal and you can certainly buy a larger space saving skimmer to compensate. All of this said, I cannot think of a single space saving skimmer that I think of as a best-of-breed type of skimmer... all of them are venturi, external needle wheels, downdrafts or becketts.

 

[REEF_TO_KEEP]

thank you very much for your suggestions, I will go for the external skimmer.

 

[JJT]

Could you please let me know if this is true that the skimmer equipped with external pump outside the body of the skimmer will outperform the skimmer installed inside the skimmer body. Both installed inside the sump, I am not referring to external skimmer where it is installed outside the sump.

For example, RO classic 150INT vs RO Class 150SSS. Does 150INT perform better?

Thanks

Any NW skimmer with an internal pump is less efficient as the bubble plate is put closer to the neck, less contact time, bubbles get out faster. The lower the bubble plate the better. All you should look at in ANY Needle-wheel skimmer is the greatest distance from the top of the bubble plate to the bottom of the neck, though some don't really have a defined body and neck due to the taper. And tapered body's are worse since the bubbles are directed out of the skimmer even faster and collect more sludge inside the body. As each bubble with its proteins and solids hits the tapered sides it deposits some of that sludge on the sides. Look for a skimmer with straight vertical sides all the way up, flat top to make some bubbles bounce back into the column for greater contact time, and with a bubble plate as low as possible.