Skimmer upgrade recommendations

[Eddie7144]

Hey all, currently have a sro hob 2000xls on a 150 lightly stocked tank. I'm looking to get more fish and want to get a skimmer to place In my sump. What size model skimmer would you guy recomend for a 150 mixed reef tank ? Also are the DC pump skimmers worth it?such as the elite and regal reef octopus line. Or would a regular AC pump skimmer be fine ? All input Is appropriate, I can spend up to $ 800 bucks but if I can get cheaper that would be great as I dont really wanna send so much lol thanks everyone !

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Just like any equipment decision, you can spend as much as you want. I've been using a Reef Octopus classic 200INT for over three years on my 125 gallon tank. Coral Box makes a neat variable speed DC skimmer that one of my reefing buddies tried...he really likes it.

The one piece of advice I'd have is make the skimmer as big as you can. Not only does it help with oxygenation, but the increased capacity allows for things like carbon dosing if you choose to do that in the future.

 

[BantyRooster97]

I'd recommend LifeReef (or any other skimmer that lets you easily replace the pump). Having gone through several skimmers over the years, I finally bought a LifeReef (used) and couldn't be happier. Every other skimmer I've had over the years have had pumps go out (the skimmer body never goes out). All the others had brand specific pumps, and they were very pricey. With the Lifereef I can add whatever pump I want, when it goes out.

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

I'd recommend LifeReef (or any other skimmer that lets you easily replace the pump). Having gone through several skimmers over the years, I finally bought a LifeReef (used) and couldn't be happier. Every other skimmer I've had over the years have had pumps go out (the skimmer body never goes out). All the others had brand specific pumps, and they were very pricey. With the Lifereef I can add whatever pump I want, when it goes out.

That's a pretty cool suggestion!

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Oh, and one last thing. You can get a great skimmer for FAR less than $800

 

[Saveafish]

Oh, and one last thing. You can get a great skimmer for FAR less than $800

Yes look at lifereef.

 

[ReefHog]

Marine Depot has the Tunze 9430 DC skimmer on sale for $563. Super skimmer and great price.

 

[Eddie7144]

Marine Depot has the Tunze 9430 DC skimmer on sale for $563. Super skimmer and great price.

You have used this model ?how is its performance? I'm looking for a few recommendations

 

[reeftivo]

You have used this model ?how is its performance? I'm looking for a few recommendations

i haven't used the 9430 but I have used the 9410 (non DC version) and it was a excellent skimmer. Too loud for me (in living room) so i gave it to a fellow reefer who had a fish room, but the DC versions are waaay quieter.

their air intake is unique (not unlike the lifereefs), they pull damp air but will also auto shut down if overfoaming occurs, then resume when things settle.

*they also offer the foam extractor accessory (no cup w/45 degree head through flex into secondary container). I ran the extractor and it worked very well.

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

I'm very happy with my Reef Octopus. It skims super well, and it was under $300.

 

[Eddie7144]

i haven't used the 9430 but I have used the 9410 (non DC version) and it was a excellent skimmer. Too loud for me (in living room) so i gave it to a fellow reefer who had a fish room, but the DC versions are waaay quieter.

their air intake is unique (not unlike the lifereefs), they pull damp air but will also auto shut down if overfoaming occurs, then resume when things settle.

*they also offer the foam extractor accessory (no cup w/45 degree head through flex into secondary container). I ran the extractor and it worked very well.

The noise would be an issue for me, as my tank is in the living room. I run a sro xl2000 hob slight hum , actually my 2 gyre 250 are the loudest thing in the y tank.

 

[ReefHog]

You have used this model ?how is its performance? I'm looking for a few recommendations

I just ordered it Friday after seeing the deal and have not received it yet. I have the 9410 DC model running for over a year and the 9001 model running for over two years. I absolutely love both of those skimmers. Once you get the height set there is never any adjusting. The perfect type of foam is always there. On the DC models there is one adjustment knob to increase or decrease the motor and air. I very rarely use it unless I want wetter or dryer skimate. There is also a button which shuts the skimmer down for ten minutes to clean the skimmer cup. I did some research and people that have the 9430 swear by them. I will be replacing my SRO 3000 on my 220 gallon with the 9430. The SRO is a beast of a skimmer but can be a little finicky and takes up a lot of space in the sump. Once I have it up and running, I will post a review. Not sure how long the Marine Depot sale will be going on. It's normally over a $700 skimmer.

 

[Hemmdog]

I’m looking at upgrading to a Bubble Magnus curve 7 elite. They are rated very well and I know a few people with first hand experience. For your tank you could even do the curve 9 elite. I’m gonna pull the trigger soon. I wasn’t very happy with my reef octo.

 

[lolgranny]

Reef octopus all day long. It’s done well for ALL of my systems. 40gallon to 400gallon to 700gallon. I’ll never own something else.

 

[A sea K]

I have the Reef Octo Prime 150int, it uses an AC powered pump @420/660 lph air draw. The Elite is the same skimmer with the DC pump, it is quite a bit more powerful than mine and boasts a 900lph air draw rating if I recall. Wishing now that I went with the Elite but I couldnt justify the additional cost at the time.

 

[Oldreefer44]

Started out with Reef Octopus, went to B

 

[Oldreefer44]

Started out with Reef Octopus, went to Bubble King, then to Vertex and now Life Reef. By far, Life Reef is the most easily dialed in and needs the least amount of maintenance of any of them. Wont need the $800 either.

 

[GTi_JJ]

As quite a few others have said, my vote is Life Reef. Had many other skimmers, but my Life Reef is the easiest to adjust and I do not need any special, expensive pump to run it. Whatever is in the appropriate gph you can use. Right now I have 24 inch model w/ mag18 on my heavy stocked 120 sps tank.

Only thing i wish i would've done is purchased the version that has flanges for easier cleaning.