Reef Octopus classic 90 Should I get it?

thoeffe · Nov 18, 2018

Reef Octopus classic 90 HOB skimmer. Should I get it? I have a 55 gallon reef with no sump. I am a very indecisive person especially when it comes to an (?important piece of equipment?) and I don't want to waste my money and have to buy something else. I'm new to the hobby which makes choosing worse. Half of me wants to just go skimmerless because I really like the idea of exporting nutrients through macroalgae and water changes, but I also don't want to be battling hair algae and other nuisance algae in a few months down the road. I really just like the idea of biological filteration in general because I am not much of a gadget person, which is also why I don't have a sump because I don't want to deal with an oveflow drilling the tank or anything and come home to a flood of water all over. I like what I would call "simple and appropriate technology". I could never see myself buying an apex and all the fancy expensive gadgets that reefers tend to get, not that its bad or that they aren't nice but its not my thing. That being said is a skimmer what you guys would call appropriate technology or is it a gadget that is just going to be another piece of equipment that I have to fiddle with and maintain which I will get annoyed with in a few months and say screw it and wont use it. Thoughts?

davocean · Nov 18, 2018

If you are sumpless, HO is pretty much your only option, and reef octo has been making decent skimmers, so yeah I'd probably pick that up.

ReeferReefer · Nov 19, 2018

In my opinion, Reef Octopus makes some of the best large HOB skimmers on the market. I got a BH-2000 HOB skimmer by them 3 years ago (used for who knows how long before that) and it has worked great. Like any skimmer they need to cleaned regularly.

I recommend Reef Octopus HOB skimmers and the Classic 90 is a good choice.

Homebrewer · Nov 20, 2018

ReeferReefer said:
In my opinion, Reef Octopus makes some of the best large HOB skimmers on the market. I got a BH-2000 HOB skimmer by them 3 years ago (used for who knows how long before that) and it has worked great. Like any skimmer they need to cleaned regularly.

I recommend Reef Octopus HOB skimmers and the Classic 90 is a good choice.

+1 on the BH-2000

I've run a sump-less reef for over a decade, and I am currently using the BH-2000... I consider it my primary mode of nutrient export. I had the older version of this exact same skimmer (can't remember if it went by the exact same model number), and it ran pretty much non-stop for 9+ years before I replaced it with the BH-2000 this year. It probably would have lasted longer had I taken better care of it (i.e., broke it down and cleaned it more often than every 3 years, lol). FWIW, the new version has a smaller, but WAY more efficient motor, and is about 50% quieter than the old one as well.

I can't compare it to any other skimmer because I don't have any experience with any other one but the BH-2000 and its older brother... but I can tell you it is a well-built machine.

ReeferReefer · Nov 20, 2018

Homebrewer said:
+1 on the BH-2000

I've run a sump-less reef for over a decade, and I am currently using the BH-2000... I consider it my primary mode of nutrient export. I had the older version of this exact same skimmer (can't remember if it went by the exact same model number), and it ran pretty much non-stop for 9+ years before I replaced it with the BH-2000 this year. It probably would have lasted longer had I taken better care of it (i.e., broke it down and cleaned it more often than every 3 years, lol). FWIW, the new version has a smaller, but WAY more efficient motor, and is about 50% quieter than the old one as well.

I can't compare it to any other skimmer because I don't have any experience with any other one but the BH-2000 and its older brother... but I can tell you it is a well-built machine.

I have the older motor on it and it is still running great. I am not sure how the square body affects skimming compared to a cylindrical body but I have nothing but good things to say about the BH-2000.