Is lifereef really the best skimmer?

[User1]

My understanding is that the Mazzei really doesn’t make a difference until you get up to the 30” or taller skimmers. The performance difference when installed on the 24 incher seems to be negligible. As far as the dirty neck goes, again, these skimmers are not like finicky needle wheel skimmers and will still perform well when dirty. Cleaning the neck when you empty your cup would suffice IMO.

I will second this. I do not clean mine regularly and it still works like a champ. I sort of know how long it takes the cup to fill up. As long as it is within the range I know everything is working well.

 

[t5Nitro]

Are you using the LM3 for auto water changes?

I love how the Spectrapure can draw water from my basement through 30ft of 1/4 tubing. Couldn't be happier. My ATO reservoir is a 44g brute bin. LOL. Enough for like 3 weeks of evaporation.

Yeah, I have the AWC and water exchange module I'm going to get calibrated tonight. I have the holes in the floor and 1/4" tubing running to the basement. I just haven't calibrated the LM3 yet. The ATO I'm doing something similar to you. I've only ever set the ATO using the quick start up by holding the down arrow 3 seconds after powering on and it seems to work great.

 

[Bpb]

I bought mine second hand. Anyone care to upload some screen shots? Or know where I can get a copy?

 

[DS204]

Yeah, I have the AWC and water exchange module I'm going to get calibrated tonight. I have the holes in the floor and 1/4" tubing running to the basement. I just haven't calibrated the LM3 yet. The ATO I'm doing something similar to you. I've only ever set the ATO using the quick start up by holding the down arrow 3 seconds after powering on and it seems to work great.

I think I calibrated mine the same way. I set the power to level 7 I believe and that seems to work fine. I'm really, really happy with the SpectraPure ATO. Sorry to hijack the LifeReef thread with SpectraPure material!

 

[DS204]

I bought mine second hand. Anyone care to upload some screen shots? Or know where I can get a copy?

If you're talking about the LifeReef owners handbook then I can share it with you. Just PM me and I'll happily send it over!

 

[Water Dog]

I bought mine second hand. Anyone care to upload some screen shots? Or know where I can get a copy?

I have it saved as a Word file but the site won’t let me attach it.

 

[DS204]

I sent him a PDF copy!

 

[Silent]

I wish I never would have sold my 48" lifereef with the

mazzei intake and japan iwaki pump 7years ago for $300. Thought I would enjoy the energy savings and smaller footprint of a newer skimmer but I miss peoples reaction when they saw it on 120g system lol.​

 

[JMM744]

Here is my recently upgraded lifereef. I feed real heavy and the corals are not big enough yet to substantially effect nutrients so this is my answer. Skimming slightly wet and have a skimmate locker attached. On average I fill it every other day. High nitrates so along with vinegar dosing I am skimming heavy. Having trouble getting my refugium to take off since I stopped using Chaeto. Trying some red stuff but it’s slow to go.

 

[JJT]

@ChrisQ0904:

There's a lot of mythology around skimming.

I like a skimmer that's easy to clean. Since that's the main thing you do with it (clean it) that ought to be important.

The skimming part is basic to me....like a car being able to go down the road. They all do that.

The question is do you need/want a Ford or a Ferrari when you do it? Both have their dedicated fans. And yet some people walk.

If the Lifereef is appealing to you, you should get it. I can't think of any reasons not to, even though I don't run one.

That said, "best" is a silly term IMO....."best" how? You should answer that question yourself since others might answer differently.

Are there any features that are important to you? Price? Height? Footprint? Specific features? Most gimmicks? Etc.

In response to your points above. The only reason there is all this mythology about protein skimmers is because the manufacturers make you think it is some mysterious process and design and other snake oil talk when protein skimming is very simple: Keep the bubbles in the "tube" for as long as you can. Bubbles are bubbles, except in the case of needle-wheel bubbles and a true venturi skimmer bubbles, to be addressed below.

Lifereef skimmers require only the cup to be cleaned, the main body stays clean enough that the skimmer performance is not compromised. It wasn't until the "invention" of the needle-wheel skimmers that all this cleaning started. Needle-wheels require cleaning due to the solids not being put in the cup and instead deposited on the skimmer interior. This does not happen with a true venturi skimmer. The main thing you do should not be cleaning skimmers....

Skimming is pretty basic, pump in bubbles into a tube. Then it becomes a matter of keeping those bubbles in the skimmer for as long as possible, something needle-wheel skimmers cannot do. Notice all needle-wheels put the bubble plate (which actually decreases performance) right smack dab in the middle of the skimmer so bubbles rise as fast as possible through the neck.

Ford or Ferrari? When it comes to skimmers you DO NOT get what you pay for. Can you tell the difference between a $2.00 bubble and a $5000.00 bubble? What you do pay for is a lot of advertising, fancy box art, costly pumps which are proprietary for each needle-wheel skimmer. So your expensive skimmer is going to work the same as your cheap skimmer.

A skimmer is a "tube full of bubbles", period. It is the main body where the bubbles rise, and in the case of a true venturi the bubbles take a more random route to the neck which increases performance. Anything done before the bubbles get to the "tube" and anything after has absolutely no function in making the skimmer more efficient.

But, here is the main reason true venturi skimmers excel over any and all needle-wheels:
Bubble diameter: needle-wheels produce a fine consistent bubble size, tiny. A true venturi produces bubbles of different diameters. This is why the following is true:
1. Needle-wheel skimmers cannot introduce too much turbulence, if any. The bubbles are so tiny that they cannot compete against any turbulence which could carry them out with skimmer exit water thus not doing their job and fouling your sump with bubbles.
2. Needle-wheel skimmers cannot make tall skimmers because when you put air into a pump you lose head pressure. Lifereef makes skimmers up to 7 feet.
3. Remember the cleaning needed with needle-wheels? This goes right to the bubble size.... When bubbles pop they create a small explosion. The NW skimmers bubbles are so tiny that they have zero effect in cleaning solids off the interior. However, in a true venturi with bubble sizes that can range from tiny to pea-size you have some nice "explosions" in keeping the solids blasted off the interior.
4. When tiny bubbles get up into the neck they are all equal in buoyancy so the bubbles that enter the bottom take a longer time to get to the top and the solids and proteins fall back into the water. But in a true venturi where you have those larger bubbles which float all the way to the top, up through the lower layers and as they do this they strip off the proteins and solids and carry them to the top of the skimmer and put them into the cup much faster than a NW skimmer.

The needle-wheel idea is in my opinion and many others, a step backwards in performance but it did increase the sales of nitrate reducing products. Venturi skimmers were proven to reduce nitrates, and when NW skimmers came out nitrate levels went back up. NW skimmers are only good for a few years at best or at least until they discontinue the specialized pump. A true venturi skimmer can use any water pump in the world, it isn't any specialized proprietary pump.

 

[JJT]

Here is my recently upgraded lifereef. I feed real heavy and the corals are not big enough yet to substantially effect nutrients so this is my answer. Skimming slightly wet and have a skimmate locker attached. On average I fill it every other day. High nitrates so along with vinegar dosing I am skimming heavy. Having trouble getting my refugium to take off since I stopped using Chaeto. Trying some red stuff but it’s slow to go.

Lifereef protein skimmers are the only skimmer that can have an extension attached to make it taller. You will never find a needle-wheel skimmer over 36" tall, if even close to that.

 

[JJT]

Lifereef skimmers have a loyal following because it is a proven design that has been unchanged for decades. You can use any pump (you're not tied to a proprietary pump) you want, AC or DC, as long as it provides enough flow for your particular skimmer size. Your skimmer will not become obsolete if your pump goes out. Their is only a single gate valve adjustment, so dialing in the skimmer is quite straightforward, as opposed to the many finicky pinwheel skimmers out there.

Whether it's the best will always be up for debate as many people are very brand loyal. But Lifereef skimmer owners IMO enjoy the consistency of performance and the set and forget nature along with top notch customer service from Jeff of Lifereef.

True! If you want a skimmer that will outlast you in the hobby, Lifereef is it. Any water pump can be used vs a specialized and proprietary pump used on needle-wheels. When the pump fails (and sooner than a real water pump) you have two choices: 1. Pay a lot of $$ for that special pump, or 2. buy a new skimmer because most often the pump has been discontinued in lieu of another special pump.

 

[JJT]

this is why

See how clean the body is? This is due to the scouring action of large bubbles popping the scum off the sides along with the turbulence, which you will rarely find in a NW skimmer and why NW skimmers require lots of cleaning and maintenance. A Lifereef skimmer body can remain in your sump for years without needing any cleaning.

 

[Silent]

You getting commission?

 

[DS204]

In response to your points above. The only reason there is all this mythology about protein skimmers is because the manufacturers make you think it is some mysterious process and design and other snake oil talk when protein skimming is very simple: Keep the bubbles in the "tube" for as long as you can. Bubbles are bubbles, except in the case of needle-wheel bubbles and a true venturi skimmer bubbles, to be addressed below.

Lifereef skimmers require only the cup to be cleaned, the main body stays clean enough that the skimmer performance is not compromised. It wasn't until the "invention" of the needle-wheel skimmers that all this cleaning started. Needle-wheels require cleaning due to the solids not being put in the cup and instead deposited on the skimmer interior. This does not happen with a true venturi skimmer. The main thing you do should not be cleaning skimmers....

Skimming is pretty basic, pump in bubbles into a tube. Then it becomes a matter of keeping those bubbles in the skimmer for as long as possible, something needle-wheel skimmers cannot do. Notice all needle-wheels put the bubble plate (which actually decreases performance) right smack dab in the middle of the skimmer so bubbles rise as fast as possible through the neck.

Ford or Ferrari? When it comes to skimmers you DO NOT get what you pay for. Can you tell the difference between a $2.00 bubble and a $5000.00 bubble? What you do pay for is a lot of advertising, fancy box art, costly pumps which are proprietary for each needle-wheel skimmer. So your expensive skimmer is going to work the same as your cheap skimmer.

A skimmer is a "tube full of bubbles", period. It is the main body where the bubbles rise, and in the case of a true venturi the bubbles take a more random route to the neck which increases performance. Anything done before the bubbles get to the "tube" and anything after has absolutely no function in making the skimmer more efficient.

But, here is the main reason true venturi skimmers excel over any and all needle-wheels:
Bubble diameter: needle-wheels produce a fine consistent bubble size, tiny. A true venturi produces bubbles of different diameters. This is why the following is true:
1. Needle-wheel skimmers cannot introduce too much turbulence, if any. The bubbles are so tiny that they cannot compete against any turbulence which could carry them out with skimmer exit water thus not doing their job and fouling your sump with bubbles.
2. Needle-wheel skimmers cannot make tall skimmers because when you put air into a pump you lose head pressure. Lifereef makes skimmers up to 7 feet.
3. Remember the cleaning needed with needle-wheels? This goes right to the bubble size.... When bubbles pop they create a small explosion. The NW skimmers bubbles are so tiny that they have zero effect in cleaning solids off the interior. However, in a true venturi with bubble sizes that can range from tiny to pea-size you have some nice "explosions" in keeping the solids blasted off the interior.
4. When tiny bubbles get up into the neck they are all equal in buoyancy so the bubbles that enter the bottom take a longer time to get to the top and the solids and proteins fall back into the water. But in a true venturi where you have those larger bubbles which float all the way to the top, up through the lower layers and as they do this they strip off the proteins and solids and carry them to the top of the skimmer and put them into the cup much faster than a NW skimmer.

The needle-wheel idea is in my opinion and many others, a step backwards in performance but it did increase the sales of nitrate reducing products. Venturi skimmers were proven to reduce nitrates, and when NW skimmers came out nitrate levels went back up. NW skimmers are only good for a few years at best or at least until they discontinue the specialized pump. A true venturi skimmer can use any water pump in the world, it isn't any specialized proprietary pump.

Does a dirty neck in the LifeReef skimmer affect performance? Is there any reason to have or not to have a neck cleaner? Admittedly I can't seem to get my LR skimmer dialed in as nicely as I originally had hoped. It typically skims wet or doesn't skim much at all. My bioload is pretty light, so perhaps that's my trouble. I am using a 900gph rated pump recommended by the manufacturer. I am very happy with my skimmer, I just wish that it skimmed like everyone else's in the pictures that are being shared. Many pictures show a thick, brown sludge in their collection cup. My skimmate typically looks yellow-ish and opaque.

Open to any advice.

 

[RobertP]

I seriously doubt a neck cleaner would make a difference. Yes, I clean the neck on mine when I clean the cup but I have not noticed any difference on performance with or without a clean neck.

IMO, just because it is not making skimmate does not mean it is not working. I prefer my skimmate dark green and once it is producing that then I leave it. Some weeks it will fill 3/4 of the cup and then other weeks it barely has 1/4 of the cup or even none. My point is that I do NOT touch the skimmer settings. My bioload is pretty light right now and I have a large 80 gal refugium tank so I would not expect my skimmer to work all the time.

 

[Silent]

Clean neck does not matter. If you dont clean the neck often the organics will just build up in the neck. Remove it when you cleand the cup.

 

[RobertP]

;Yuck

 

[Water Dog]

Wow... now that’s a stink finger! ;Nailbiting

 

[t5Nitro]

Anybody have recommendations on steps to take to reduce skimmer from overflowing? My lifereef is an awesome skimmer but today I have the gate valve wide open and it's still overflowing with clear saltwater. I haven't added anything to the tank to make the skimmer go nuts.