Skimmer suggestions please

[Firemanreefkeeper]

Ive owned both the reef octo and the ehopps and I'd pick the reef octo. It had the small stuff that made it better. Silicon feet, higher air intake, bigger cup. Most important thing for me is it's fully able to be taken apart for cleaning. The eshopps one has a couple of parts that are together and they can't be properly clean because they don't separate.

 

[Land Shark]

Whichever skimmer you decide on, take a look at including an avast Marine davey Jones skimmate locker coupled with thier digital auto shut off switch. Buying one is the best purchase I’ve ever made related to the hobby and you may think the same after you have one.

1 The locker chamber holds a lot of skimmate so you can go much longer without the cup overflowing. I’m talking weeks here. Think about business trips and vacations and not having to ask you tank sitter to clean out the skimmate cup.

2 the digital shut off switch turns off your skimmer when the locker is full of skimmate. Never an overflow - ever. If you have a controller, you even get an email message alerting you that you need to empty your locker. The skimmer starts back up automatically after you empty the locker.

3 emptying the skimmate locker is easy, simple and fast.

4 the price is reasonable and you can get it in three sizes. I have the medium, which holds a several liters and is still easy to handle.

Need I say more? I should sell these things but I don’t. I’m just a happy customer.

 

[DSC reef]

Thanks for these suggestions everyone, keep them coming. Got some homework to do

 

[jsker]

The elite with a DC pump sounds nice and a little oversized is what I'm looking for too. Deltec has my attention from battlecorals thread.
@jda thank you for the suggestion, I'll check out lifereef.

The nice thing with a DC pump is they can be turn down or up when needed

 

[ReeferMaddness843]

Nyos 160 would be a good fit. I’ve got one on my 80 shallow. Wanted to get a skimmer that would grow with my tank. It’s been a great tool for the tank. Set it and walk away. Breaks in quick. Multiple adjustments for water and air flow. Churning hurricane of bubbles in the chamber. Love mine.
Pic is within hours of install.

 

[Tft12]

I really like the Tunze 94__ series. Very quiet and very easy to setup and maintain. Of all the skimmers I’ve used, this has been my favorite.

 

[Bpb]

Paraphrased from a similar thread recently.

First of all. There is no such thing as a “best” skimmer. Anyone who says that, you can just translate it.

“Best” : what I presently use.

That is what anyone always means when they say that. So bear in mind. People will most often only recommend what they currently use, and furthermore, I’d wager a large number of people who make that recommendation haven’t actually used any other skimmers besides the one they’re recommending. Not pointing any fingers. Just an observation. Just to get that out of the way. Onto my own experience

I have used:
Eshopps ps150 I think? Older model
Bubble Magus Curve 5
Bubble Magus Curve 7
Lifereef VS2

I settled on the Lifereef for a couple reasons.

1. Build quality. They’re hand made. By one person. One at a time. Exceptional attention to detail. Super thick acrylic. Will last decades if you don’t damage it.

2. Standard plumbing parts. You can pick up anything you need to modify it from the hardware store. Why would you modify it? They can be run externally, internally, you may change sumps, rearrange your sump, ect. I run my skimmer pump in a completely different chamber of the sump.

3. Ease of maintenance. It’s a high flow skimmer. They don’t collect as much detritus because the flow is more turbulent through them, the body doesn’t need as frequent of cleaning as a needlewheel skimmer may. You don’t have to remove and disassemble the entire skimmer to clean the pump.

4. No proprietary pump. You can use whatever pump you want with it. No special attachment plate or fittings needed. If you want a bigger or smaller pump, pick whatever you want. No more having replacement pumps shipped from overseas on a budget skimmer, no more “sorry that model is discontinued, no we can’t give you a replacement impeller”

5. No need to buy a new skimmer if you upgrade tanks **** gotta Star this because if you have the SVS models that have flanged tips with thumb screws, you can simply purchase a body extension and make the existing skimmer taller to upgrade its skimming capacity. Or even diy in an additional Venturi.

My only gripe with mine is I have the standard VS model where the tip is glued on. So I can’t remove it to easily clean the body or upgrade the skimmer if i felt so inclined. But I got it used for $100 so not complaining. The price point on a new 24” Lifereef will be well within your budget range, and you could use that extra money for a nicer pump, or an auto neck cleaner. A 32” model might fit under that stand I’m not positive.

 

[chum]

dude, lifereef for sure. no smell and no tinkering ! plug and play all day.

 

[DSC reef]

The nice thing with a DC pump is they can be turn down or up when needed

This is a big plus.

 

[DSC reef]

Lifereef sounds solid as well, I like being able to use other pumps if one burns out.

 

[DSC reef]

Anyone have any experience with deltec skimmers?

 

[jda]

Deltec skimmers are some of the best needle wheels. I never had one perform as well as a Becket, Downdraft or Venturi (LifeReef, anyway), though. Bubble King is better than Deltec, IMO. If you are looking BK or Deltec, see if parts are easier to get now... it used to be a real problem to get parts in the US and I was able to buy a Deltec for pennies since they guy could never get an impeller (I had to wait like 4 months on it)... they could be better now.

Any of these above will crush your standard RO, eShoppes, BM, etc. Bubble plates and cones are a marketing joke. There are a few exceptions to this where the manufacturer happened to just "get it right" ...like older Sedra Powered ASM and ER skimmers are better than most of these. The Sicce PSK powered RO line was really good, but they switched pumps and the newer models did not skim as well. I will never sell my Sicce PSK powered RO skimmers... they are REALLY good - I have told myself to buy any used ones that come up, but I never see them.

I do not usually suggest Beckett or Downdraft skimmers since they require some tuning and a power-hungry pump and are not for the faint of heart, but they really can perform a lot better... and they should for the extra work and cost. Usually large-tank people can still like these, but they are long past worrying about the difference in a 60 and 110w pump.

If you can fit it in the tank, get a LifeReef. I do not always use them in my tanks since the one that I have is 36" tall, but I always use them when I have a basement sump where height is no issue. They do make a 24" model, which I do not have, but I should probably buy one. I will never sell this skimmer.

 

[DSC reef]

Part availability is a big thing, I dont want to need a part and go through hoops to get it. I never liked bubble plates as they got clogged rather quickly and needed frequent cleaning. It sounds like lifereef can handle a good bioload as well. Since you can use any pump with a life reef would you recommend a pump @jda? Trying to limit heat so mag drives are out.

 

[jda]

I have used Mags & Iwaki with mine (it is bigger)... also Laguna and Fluval. I also used a large Rio a long time ago, but it was more of a heater than a Mag is. I live in Colorado, so heat is a blessing to me where I spend 66-75% of my tank costs on heaters. You can use a DC pump with them as long as they can handle the flow at a few feet of head/backpressure.

 

[Michael Naegeli]

Ehh... Reef Octopus! Have in my 750 and it’s fantastic. I have only veered off of RO a couple times through the years and Always go back to the best. You literally cannot go wrong. Barely ever need to adjust, it is always a sure thing... may be a little out of ur price range but you will never have to buy another for a very very long time. I’ve had just great luck w several of their different models. Got the latest greatest now but the old classic will treat u just as good

 

[DSC reef]

What size/model are you using @Michael Naegeli?

 

[DSC reef]

I have used Mags & Iwaki with mine (it is bigger)... also Laguna and Fluval. I also used a large Rio a long time ago, but it was more of a heater than a Mag is. I live in Colorado, so heat is a blessing to me where I spend 66-75% of my tank costs on heaters. You can use a DC pump with them as long as they can handle the flow at a few feet of head/backpressure.

I've still got an old iwaki but that wont work for this setup, lol.

 

[CNDReef]

I’m putting a jebao dcp10000 on my lifereef svs3 24. It’s dc and it’s plenty strong , might even have to dial it back a little lol

 

[DSC reef]

If we go life reef I think we would definitely go with a DC pump.

 

[siggy]

I can only offer my recent foray into skimmers, After owning a skimz dc I would never consider anything other than dc. Its just too easy to increase or decrease the flow. I now have a RO Regal, not as sexy as the elite but it has the Octo DC drive and pump, with the float switch input, the body is heavy and the out flow valve is big and chunky and easy to deal with in the sump. I think its worth a look. GL