Protein skimmers

[Mikeyjuice]

Hi guys,
I am looking to buy a new skimmer for a brand new setup approx 60g or 250L, so far I deciding between 3 skimmers.
1. reef octopus classic 110
2. bubble magus curve 5
3 microbe lift k2-120
Any feedback on each of a of these skimmers will be helpful, I want to buy the right one!!!!
Cheers

 

[Crabs McJones]

I have the Reef Octopus Classic 110, and it's never given me an issue. The only thing that I will say is the bracket that holds the air inlet cup needs to have holes drilled into it otherwise saltwater sits there and then forms salt deposits that are very hard to remove. Other than that it works great!

 

[K. Steven]

The Curve 5 works best in 5-6" of water. It disassembles quickly and easily, making my quarterly maintenance all the more doable. I have the previous Curve 5 model, so I'm not sure about the new add-ons with the new model. This is a straightforward skimmer with no bells and whistles that works very well. My previous skimmer had adjustable water outflow, controllable DC pump, and adjustable air intake, which made tinkering with three variables a bit of a pain. I like that the Curve 5 is simple with only adjustable water outflow and doesn't need to be constantly tuned.

 

[Whipples]

There is an Ice Cap K2-120 in the classifieds here on R2R that would fit the bill nicely while also saving space. I have one on my system and much prefer it's tuning valve to the standard twist-pipe design as it allows for finer adjustments and takes up less space. The fans in my Kessil lights are louder than the skimmer

 

[Mikeyjuice]

There is an Ice Cap K2-120 in the classifieds here on R2R that would fit the bill nicely while also saving space. I have one on my system and much prefer it's tuning valve to the standard twist-pipe design as it allows for finer adjustments and takes up less space. The fans in my Kessil lights are louder than the skimmer

So to microbe lift seems like the equivalent option in Australia, given the pump is exactly the same, and the design is also similar. This is good to know. The quiet factor is nice too.

 

[madweazl]

Of the ones you mention, I've only used the Bubble Magus C5. I find it to be extremely tedious to tune as 1/4" of water level variance can change its operation from perfect, to overflowing (or not working at all). When everything is just right (unfortunately that changes often with this skimmer), it works great. A previous member mentioned running it at a very shallow depth; this is far outside the recommended range and just furthers my thoughts on the wildly varying output of this skimmer. It is cheap and it looks decent, but that is about all it's worth.