So many HOB skimmers, which one!!! Help :(

[M3rmaids]

… this hobby is addicting. As you know.
I have been cycling a 75g for 3 months. Added 2 fishy friends yesterday. But plan on having it strictly as a reef/coral tank.
I do not have experience with UV’s and didn’t plan to add one, but am unsure now.

ive been researching HOB refugium, HOB protein skimmer.

So many products, and I have no actual advice or good reviews to base it on.

What would you do?
Any input is more than welcome!!!

 

[EricR]

I'm running a 40 gallon with just 2 HOB power filters and only 2 fish (+ corals and lots of inverts) -- no skimmer.

Considered HOB refugium but I'm already struggling more with LOW nutrients than high so...

With only 2 fish in 75 gallon with corals, you might not need skimmer or fuge.
Just a thought,,, wait for experts to chime in.

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

I would recommend skipping the HOB both and get a sump.

 

[M3rmaids]

Just for background…. I’m transferring the live rock and coral from the 13 AIO today. As well as the two tiny clowns in there. So total of 4 fish will be in the 75G going forward.

 

[M3rmaids]

I have a HOB filter, I do not know how to drill or install, only had AIO’s

 

[M3rmaids]

Just googled. Does anyone know of a non drilled sump that isn’t extremely difficult for me to setup?

 

[Mschmidt]

There are overflow boxes that don't require drilling. They work by syphon for the drain. No first hand experience here. But plenty of people do.

 

[TheDragonsReef]

I ran my 75 for 2 years without a sump. Siphon systems suck imo. Look into the reef octopus hang on 2000. That's what i used for my 75

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

Ideally drill your tank, its not very hard to do. Or next best is to get a lifereef or that style of external overflow box and for a sump just us a 10 or 20 gallon tank or whatever fits

then buy whatever skimmer you want, hide your heater etc

 

[snorklr]

one of the joys of a HOB skimmer is it overflowing onto the floor...

 

[M3rmaids]

I ran my 75 for 2 years without a sump. Siphon systems suck imo. Look into the reef octopus hang on 2000. That's what i used for my 75

Is it worth the $$$ it’s like the most expensive one

 

[M3rmaids]

one of the joys of a HOB skimmer is it overflowing onto the floor...

Ohhhhhh my gahd, no

 

[M3rmaids]

Okay so, I’ve been watching YouTube videos on drilling. Maybe when I don’t have it already cycled in the future I will do a drilled sump…. but I’m breaking down the 13 G today to add to the 75 and I just don’t have the help to do it on my own…. Single mom here … OF GIRLS!!!

If you knew you were wanting to run this for at least a year or two before upgrading the tank…. What would you use, Protein skimmer or hob refugium
lol

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

i would avoid all hob for the above reason of skimmer overflowing in the sump is way better than on your floor.
plus you can get a bigger skimmer and that matters
ideally you want the tallest skimmer you can fit on your system

if you want to avoid a sump you could get a good external skimmer and have it drain down to the tank, but it would require the skimmer to be higher than the tank (like if you have a closet or storage area next to it

 

[EricR]

As someone who's only using HOB equipment (for a couple of years now), I'd vote refugium over HOB skimmer.

*I'd do sump below if I had the space,,, but I don't

EDIT -- of course, there are in-tank skimmers which might be safer over HOB if you decide you need a skimmer.

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

Okay so, I’ve been watching YouTube videos on drilling. Maybe when I don’t have it already cycled in the future I will do a drilled sump…. but I’m breaking down the 13 G today to add to the 75 and I just don’t have the help to do it on my own…. Single mom here … OF GIRLS!!!

If you knew you were wanting to run this for at least a year or two before upgrading the tank…. What would you use, Protein skimmer or hob refugium
lol

protein skimmer 100%

 

[M3rmaids]

i would avoid all hob for the above reason of skimmer overflowing in the sump is way better than on your floor.
plus you can get a bigger skimmer and that matters
ideally you want the tallest skimmer you can fit on your system

if you want to avoid a sump you could get a good external skimmer and have it drain down to the tank, but it would require the skimmer to be higher than the tank (like if you have a closet or storage area next to it

I have a entire area underneath it…. Like the same foot print as the 75g takes up

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

what kind of corals do you wanna keep, if just softies and some fish just get a HOB skimmer ,, ,, the good thing is you can put 2 of them on a tank.

i have aqua c remora skimmers (hang on back) they have been on my qt tanks for 15-20 years.

whatever you do make sure you have enough room between the tank and the wall before you fill it up to fit your hob

 

[LeftyReefer]

one of the joys of a HOB skimmer is it overflowing onto the floor...

Maybe some of them....but not all. My HOB skimmer has never overflowed onto the floor. I don't see how it could.
it has an external drain hose built in, if it overflows, it just drains out the drain hose. Unless you just run the drain hose onto the floor, I don't see how it would overflow.

if your skimmer can overflow onto the floor, then it's a poor design, as they certainly don't all do that.

As someone who's only using HOB equipment (for a couple of years now), I'd vote refugium over HOB skimmer.

*I'd do sump below if I had the space,,, but I don't

EDIT -- of course, there are in-tank skimmers which might be safer over HOB if you decide you need a skimmer.

I'm the complete opposite. I'd go HOB skimmer over a HOB refugium if I could only have one.

 

[Spare time]

I have a HOB filter, I do not know how to drill or install, only had AIO’s

The eshopps hob overflows and similar are easy to work with. Just avoid any overflow that requires an air pump