Life reef skimmer versus Bashsea

[jft]

With Christmas coming I need a new skimmer. Both Bashsea and life reef are in the running. What would u buy considering costs to run monthly QUIETNESS GOING IN Bedroom, EASE of maintence and every other factor. Which would u buy and WHY???

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

I have had several life reefs. all were venturi skimmers, big pump and not very quiet for bedroom. They perform very well.

 

[watdachuck]

I’ve been using LifeReef for over 20 years but never had a Bashea so can’t provide a comparison. I do love the performance of my LifeReef though. The volume in this case will depend on the pump being used since that is flexible. I use ,one in combination with a Vectra M2. This one is 28” tall, simple, and easy to maintain.

 

[X-37B]

Whats the size of your system?
If you want a skimmer that you cant hear running and do not have to adjust, only need to clean the cup, then look at Tunze 9410dc and up depending on the size or needs of your system.

 

[jft]

125 gallons plus 40 gallon sump

 

[jassermd]

You may want to look at the Nyos. I recently changed my RedSea out for a Nyos and couldn't be any happier. Extremely quiet, easy to tune, and does a great job.
And when I say quiet, I mean I can't even hear it when I'm working in my sump.

 

[jft]

Thanks but I am trying to get away from needlewheel pumps.

 

[fishybizzness]

I love my lifereef! Never needs adjusting and works flawlessly. Minimal sound unless you take off the cover then you hear a sucking sound of the venturi. Its on my 120. Can't argue with those results!

 

[italquam]

Life reef is the way to go , lasts forever, ultra quiet , I only can hear mine when I take off collection cup lid

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

+1 quiet if u get a good decent external pump.
U can run an internal DC like 12000 or 15000 too. Just turn it down like 2 speeds. Prob real quiet.
Hths
-d

 

[areefer01]

Can't speak for Bashsea but can speak for Life Reef. Best money I've spent on equipment in this hobby to date. My skimmer purchase goes back to 2000 when I originally bought it for my 100 gallon system. It is still running today in 2022 on my 210 gallon display. Only thing that has changed is the pump I am using on it. I switched a few years back to a Neptune Cor.

I'm working on an upgrade now and will carry the skimmer forward yet again. Most reliable piece of equipment I've owned.

 

[Arego]

I can say that a local store by me carries alot of bashea products and the group of skimmers they have there are absolutely crazy looking. Build quality looks outstanding. That's where my experience ends with em.

 

[fishybizzness]

Just the fact that you can use any brand pump sealed the deal for me. It's as close to a set it and forget it as you can get in the hobby. I really don't know how lifereef stays in business with how reliable and long-lasting their products are. You can literally buy one skimmer and never have to change it or upgrade. It never becomes obsolete. It just works, period.

 

[areefer01]

Just the fact that you can use any brand pump sealed the deal for me. It's as close to a set it and forget it as you can get in the hobby. I really don't know how lifereef stays in business with how reliable and long-lasting their products are. You can literally buy one skimmer and never have to change it or upgrade. It never becomes obsolete. It just works, period.

I honestly do not know. I called him before the upgrade asking about buying another. He asked me for my last name, looked at his records, verified the model, looked at what he had now, and said no. Keep what I have since the only changes he made are a couple quality of life ones that don't change skimmer efficiency.

I personally think it pays off doing a bit more leg work on expensive items like skimmers. Regardless of what brand one chooses it isn't something that you should have to replace. Sized properly with an upgrade considered it should last. Go figure. He could have sold me one but instead took the time, reviewed, made sure, and said nope.

Hope everyone is having a great day!

 

[italquam]

Jeff at Lifereef is the only manufacturer who will even tell you to buy his skimmers used, he stands by his products and is just a great guy.

 

[Cory]

My bashsea is awesome. I fill 3 gallons every 2 weeks of dark skimmate. Is it quiet? Not really. But mines in my basement so I dont care. There is no comparison with a beckett skimmer. It performs. But it needs heavy duty pumps. Fortunately those pumps last decades. Never used a lifereef but im sure it works ok. But I wanted horsepower so I got a bashsea.

 

[italquam]

My bashsea is awesome. I fill 3 gallons every 2 weeks of dark skimmate. Is it quiet? Not really. But mines in my basement so I dont care. There is no comparison with a beckett skimmer. It performs. But it needs heavy duty pumps. Fortunately those pumps last decades. Never used a lifereef but im sure it works ok. But I wanted horsepower so I got a bashsea.

Any photos of your Bashea setup , I am curious what it looks like installed .

 

[Yodeling]

Are venturi skimmers “trendy” now? I remember like 10+ years ago, people couldn’t give them away fast enough and replace them with EuroReefs (it was like the only needle wheel back then).

 

[italquam]

Are venturi skimmers “trendy” now? I remember like 10+ years ago, people couldn’t give them away fast enough and replace them with EuroReefs (it was like the only needle wheel back then).

The issue I find with needle wheels is that tlif the pump dies , you have to buy same pump which usually discontinues every few years .

Bashea, Life reef , MRC , you can use any pump you want so the skimmers have no limitations. I always ask why do most online retailers not carry venturi driven skimmers?

 

[Yodeling]

The issue I find with needle wheels is that tlif the pump dies , you have to buy same pump which usually discontinues every few years .

Bashea, Life reef , MRC , you can use any pump you want so the skimmers have no limitations. I always ask why do most online retailers not carry venturi driven skimmers?

Gotcha. That logic makes sense. I think manufacturers probably make more money on the needle wheels for the exact reasons you describe. If you have to buy their pump (or better yet, replace the whole skimmer because they discontinued the pump), it's more money for them.

I would point out that there are some needle wheel manufacturers that (unlike Reef Octo etc) continue to support older models so you can at least replace a broken pump. Bubble King, for example, has never released a model that you couldn't buy a replacement pump for. Mine came with their Askoll pump, which is discontinued, but I could buy their replacement RD3 or RDX pump which are all compatible and perform just as well or better.