Skimmer selection

[danielankeny]

Hi friends! I’m planning my reef tank (long ago had a 10g nano reef for 3 years) and am now hoping for suggestions for brand and size of skimmer.

My current plan:
-60-80g tank with sump and refugium housing fish, soft corals, shallow sand bed, clean up crew
- have 2 AI-16 lights
- have BRS 5stage RODI

will purchase (current thinking)
- ATO system likely TUNZE osmolator
- AI vs vortech powerheads x 2
- likely sicce or other DC return pump
- titanium heater
- maybe a controller
- likely hireef2 hanna test bundle

For the skimmer, I think a want an internal skimmer, and would love it to be quiet but am anguishing over deciding which company and skimmer to go with. I plan to add coral/fish/cuc slowly (like over a year), so it seems likely controllability might be important since bioload will be low for a while. I’ve been close to deciding on a Reef Octopus Regal and a Red Sea. Are there others I should also consider? Budget max would be $500-$600 preferred but might consider up to about $750.

I’d be eternally grateful for opinions on people’s favorite skimmers!

Thank you! Dan

 

[nuxx Verified Sponsor]

I've only used two Reef Octopus skimmers and both were great.

 

[afrokobe]

I have an ultra reef skimmer that I absolutely love. The build quality is amazing and it pulls skim out of water consistently. Very easy to setup and took less than week to break in. I would highly recommend. I had a bubble magus for a few hours and it doesn't even compare to the ultra reef in terms of build quality.

 

[Chris Spaulding]

I have and use a variety of skimmers IMO best bang for the buck are Aquamaxx FC series they just work well are quiet and have small footprints and easy to tune in. I also like the handles on the cups.
I would stay away from the DC series skimmers in Aquamaxx as I have had trouble with the controllers going on the fritz

 

[MarineandReef Jaron]

For an internal skimmer of this size. It will be hard to beat a tunze 9001

Tunze Comline DOC Skimmer 9001

The Tunze Comline DOC Skimmer 9001 is quiet and generates a very large volume of small bubbles for efficient skimmer operation.

www.marineandreef.com

 

[Peace River]

Hi friends! I’m planning my reef tank (long ago had a 10g nano reef for 3 years) and am now hoping for suggestions for brand and size of skimmer.

My current plan:
-60-80g tank with sump and refugium housing fish, soft corals, shallow sand bed, clean up crew
- have 2 AI-16 lights
- have BRS 5stage RODI

will purchase (current thinking)
- ATO system likely TUNZE osmolator
- AI vs vortech powerheads x 2
- likely sicce or other DC return pump
- titanium heater
- maybe a controller
- likely hireef2 hanna test bundle

For the skimmer, I think a want an internal skimmer, and would love it to be quiet but am anguishing over deciding which company and skimmer to go with. I plan to add coral/fish/cuc slowly (like over a year), so it seems likely controllability might be important since bioload will be low for a while. I’ve been close to deciding on a Reef Octopus Regal and a Red Sea. Are there others I should also consider? Budget max would be $500-$600 preferred but might consider up to about $750.

I’d be eternally grateful for opinions on people’s favorite skimmers!

Thank you! Dan

When you mention an internal skimmer, do you mean a skimmer in the display tank or in the sump?

 

[MarineandReef Jaron]

For an internal skimmer of this size. It will be hard to beat a tunze 9001

Tunze Comline DOC Skimmer 9001

The Tunze Comline DOC Skimmer 9001 is quiet and generates a very large volume of small bubbles for efficient skimmer operation.

www.marineandreef.com

Sorry thought you were looking at the 10 gallon for the 60 -80 gallon with an in-sump skimmer I like the Reef octpus INT or Tunze Master DOC. The Tunze MAster DOC are very undervalued IMO. If by internal you mean in the tank then I would go with a larger tunze internal.

 

[danielankeny]

When you mention an internal skimmer, do you mean a skimmer in the display tank or in the sump?

In the sump!

 

[SpyC]

I second the ultra reef skimmers. I was running an aquamax dfc skimmer but it was not producing a nice wall of bubbles or much skimmate. BRS said everything was fine with it. I decided to splurge and picked up the ultra reef uls-180. I swear the lid on this skimmer weighs more than the aquamaxx. I had a 10% off code for premier aquatics which dropped the price to slightly over your budget. The uks-180 is beefy, feels well made, produces skimmate within hours of installation, and has the sicce + pump. If I was settng up another tank I'd buy another one.

 

[danielankeny]

I have an ultra reef skimmer that I absolutely love. The build quality is amazing and it pulls skim out of water consistently. Very easy to setup and took less than week to break in. I would highly recommend. I had a bubble magus for a few hours and it doesn't even compare to the ultra reef in terms of build quality.

They do look sweet! Since it’s not DC, will this make it difficult for it to function while the tank is lightly stocked?

 

[afrokobe]

They do look sweet! Since it’s not DC, will this make it difficult for it to function while the tank is lightly stocked?

I believe they are DC pumps now. Mine came with a jebao DC pump. Makes it super easy to tune

 

[Mjl714]

I would suggest Lifereef. Jeff’s skimmers are fantastic.