Lifereef Custom Skimmer

[JJT]

Dang! That's a beast of a skimmer. I think I could fit my kid in that reactor chamber...

Did you need to adjust your sump water level to accomodate the excess water when this is powered off? I feel like this alone would be enough to flood my sump.

Give me a call. We'll figure out your draindown volumn and what if any the protein skimmer would add. You may not need as tall nor this large diameter for your system and if you are using a needle-wheel you will be extremely surprised at what it is not removing and all it is destroying. Oh, and I'm not a new member, I've belonged to this group for years but rarely look or read, except in this case my customer said he was posting his Lifereef skimmer here.

 

[PhilMStudy]

I’ve used Lifereef as well for years (left hobby and came back)…

couldn’t recommend them enough

 

[FishTruck]

I think with the 8” body and 55” of height that two Venturi’s are absolutely necessary.

I am curious. I'm running a seven footer (standard 6 inch diameter though) with just one venturi and I have to actually turn the pump power down - else I have to run the waterline so low in the skimmer that it dirties up the main cylinder (not just the neck) - making it a pain to clean.

I do like your modification of having two air drains, even with my my one venturi it sometimes blows the lid off the top. I think I may copy your design there!

 

[legionofdoon]

Breaking in Bad

That's what mine looked like on a 40 breeder with about 70 total gallons when I first switched over from a needle wheel cone skimmer, now it's more of a tea than a stout but it always keeps a stable foam. It also knocked a dent in my chaeto growth. The skimmer body has more coraline than the rest of my tank but I don't think it matters, I just clean the neck every few months.

 

[Ultraman]

Yeah, the needle wheel didn’t create as much skimmate and had a thicker crud in the neck. I think the tea colored skimmate is preferable to the latter.

 

[legionofdoon]

This is what it pulled since 10 pm last night.

 

[legionofdoon]

Not as dark as yours but it's definitely foul

 

[Ultraman]

This is what it pulled since 10 pm last night.

That’s definitely lighter than what I pull on my VS3-30” on my 375 gallon tank since October. That skimmer is a standard Venturi with a Mag 1800, it pulls dark green to brown liquid. Probably pull out about half that much in one day. But, every tank is so different. What pump are you running?

 

[sergifed91]

i still have mine. just sitting in the sump at the moment turned off. since i can't get my nitrates and phosphates to above 0. Im dosing those right now. i hate having this problem.

 

[oldmonk]

Had freight and import charges been reasonable, i would have had Life-reef Sump and Skimmer for my new build.

 

[legionofdoon]

That’s definitely lighter than what I pull on my VS3-30” on my 375 gallon tank since October. That skimmer is a standard Venturi with a Mag 1800, it pulls dark green to brown liquid. Probably pull out about half that much in one day. But, every tank is so different. What pump are you running?

DCP 8000 was running a mag but the DCP works better. It only on about 70 gallons so I'm happy with the color.

 

[Ultraman]

DCP 8000 was running a mag but the DCP works better. It only on about 70 gallons so I'm happy with the color.

Yep, it’s what works for each tank. You probably drift downwards on your salinity a bit, but that’s not a biggie if you replace it.

 

[legionofdoon]

Yep, it’s what works for each tank. You probably drift downwards on your salinity a bit, but that’s not a biggie if you replace it.

Yeah I add add a gallon of salt water about every two weeks.

 

[Ultraman]

I’m super impressed with the performance of this skimmer. It’s steady, pulls a couple quarts of green brown stinky skimmate each day. Just another solid Lifereef skimmer on a big daddy scale. Set and forget.