Protein skimmer for a 90 gallon?

[Bugger]

Reef octopus elite 150
Im bias I own one

 

[Scott.h]

That's a tough metric to gauge though. We can't definitively measure how well a skimmer works. We can form opinions about acrylic quality, quality of construction, materials, energy efficiency of pumps and so on. But do those things equate to more organic matter pulled over a set period of time vs a less expensive option? Who can say? I suppose there are anecdotes some individuals have of "i switched from X skimmer to Y skimmer and suddenly my skimmate production massively increased" but those are hard to hang your hat on. Appropriate sizing and tuning can effect that just as much as quality of materials.

I'm a fan of removing the garbage with no track record from the radar, and finding the best bang for buck. Largest rating/size at the most affordable cost. With my family budget that's what has to happen. I currently use a bubble magus curve 7 on my 90 gallon. Bought it for $100 brand new from a local who was getting out of the hobby. Pump quality is probably not as nice as a top tier skimmer, but it was a price I couldn't pass up. If money and space were no option, it would likely be a toss up between a Lifereef or a dual Venturi MTC

When you dump and clean your skimmate cup the same time once a week, and have had 3 different skimmers on the same tank you get a pretty good idea on what they pull, volume, and color. Notice I didn't say "I have skimmer x and you should buy one" to justify my purchase, which is what most do.

 

[Bpb]

You would be in a unique position to actually assess quality difference then. Most people aren't able to A/B skimmers in such a controlled manner, or at least not willing to. I think honestly the point that can be driven home is that by and large MOST people are happy with what they're using and like to recommend it. Whatever it may be

 

[donnievaz]

I think honestly the point that can be driven home is that by and large MOST people are happy with what they're using and like to recommend it. Whatever it may be

No doubt, it's the same in every hobby/obsession on the planet.

 

[Scott.h]

You would be in a unique position to actually assess quality difference then. Most people aren't able to A/B skimmers in such a controlled manner, or at least not willing to. I think honestly the point that can be driven home is that by and large MOST people are happy with what they're using and like to recommend it. Whatever it may be

I actually didn't recommend mine, rather one I choose not to try to afford. For me, money does matter.

 

[RDA]

I have a Reef Octopus, and love it. It's also the only skimmer I have ever run, so I don't have a lot to compare it to. I was really impressed with the way it performed. I'm upgrading tanks, which means I'll be upgrading skimmers too. I'm thinking about trying to sell my Reef Octopus to put towards something new. I might have to give a Deltec a whirl and see how I like it.

 

[sonubhai]

love reef octopus, running the 110sss on a 40 gal cube and it pulls out all kinds of krud

 

[Liquid360]

You would be in a unique position to actually assess quality difference then. Most people aren't able to A/B skimmers in such a controlled manner, or at least not willing to. I think honestly the point that can be driven home is that by and large MOST people are happy with what they're using and like to recommend it. Whatever it may be

Couldn't agree more. My new skimmer arrives today actually, an NYOS 160. I'm already recommending it and it could very well suck for all I know... but, much like fish, I'm attracted to pretty/shiny/new objects and the NYOS skimmers attracted me.
And so here's my honest to God, totally realistic recommendation...
I recommend the NYOS skimmers. I have zero knowledge beyond they seem to be well liked and they are beautiful pieces of hardware. Do they work? No idea.

 

[andrew james]

I have a Nyos 160 that replaced my SRO 2000. they both pull skimmate but the Nyos is far easier to adjust to optimal settings and it's silent.

 

[FishGuyBri]

have one. Awesome value for the money. Pulls garbage just fine. Is it as good as one 2-3x as much? Can't say. I've have a Red Sea, 2 reef octopus', and a euro reef. The reef octopus is the best of mine. If money truly wasn't an option I'd probably try a deltec.

I have a reef octopus INT-150 on my 90 and love it. Took. A long time to break in but once it did, it runs great!!

 

[Scott.h]

I have a reef octopus INT-150 on my 90 and love it. Took. A long time to break in but once it did, it runs great!!

if there is a next time set up a ten gallon tank, a bottle on vinegar, and 9 inches of water. Let it run like that for an hour or two. I didn't experience any lag in mine, or bubbling over.

 

[Water Dog]

Just a thought. There are 20+ year old Lifereef skimmers still in service today. Not many other skimmers have that kind of track record. And no, I don't currently have one... but I do have one coming this week!

 

[Liquid360]

Hooked up my new NYOS 160 yesterday. To demonstrate just how useless my old Reef Octopus 150 was... check what the NYOS pulled its first night that the 150 missed [emoji47]

 

[luke33]

As you can see there are tons of different opinions and tons of different skimmers that would work well for a 90g. I would first ask you what you are looking for in price, footprint, DC or AC?

 

[Kfox93]

Well I finally received my new skimmer! Reef Octopus 152.

 

[Dieing for a Drink]

I am putting together a 90 with a 30 gallon sump..How did the 152 work for you?does this have any upgadablity..I am looking for a skimmer that is external and internal i am thinking about The Bashsea Twistedskimmer...What size..My price limit is 500.Anyhelp Today if you had 500 and wantted a skimmer which would you get for a 120 total water .My tank will be a mixxed reef id say Mid bio load;100lb Live rock

 

[Blue Spot Octopus]

You have a 90 gallon DT do not add the sump volume, A simplicityDC 240 would work great, save the money and spend it on something else. The best skimmer for a 90 gallon tank is a Bubble King 160, if you can buy one used do that.

 

[ReefGeezer]

I ran my 90 forever on an old Reef Octopus NWS-150 External. It was great... too great. It was too effective... and noisy... and took up a lot of space. I replaced it with a Bubble Magnus Curve 7 internal. It works wok but is fussy. If I were to do it again, I'd probably buy a Reef Octo Internal... Probably a SSS110, Essence 130, or Classic 150, depending on your bioload and space.