What's your absolute favorite skimmer?

[TexasTodd]

Aqua C Urchin Pro, maybe not the first built but very close. My original is 15 years old and still working.
https://proteinskimmer.com/products/urchin-pro

My vote too for a small one, and it's brother the Remora Pro. I had a Remora Pro I upgraded with extensions and a mag7. It cleaned so much out of a 90g with 40g sump all my algae in refugium died.

For larger best value Reef Octopus. Fav was 5000 int. I have a 5000SSS now due to sump space and it's good, but I think the int version was better and a little more consistent.

I like the newer skimmers that use lower power pumps. I've had limestone driven in about 1990, AquaC, LifeReef, Deltec can't remember model but it was HUGE like 20" diameter by 60", it had SIX Ehiem 1262's on it, purchased it from a rich college kid that kept buying new stuff. I think he paid about $10k for it and I think I got it less than a year old for $1200. Would like to try a Bubble King at some point.

 

[SlvrZ]

Had a RO HOB then a SRO 3000INT then a Reeflife followed by a Lifereef up until recently a Nyos 160. The 160 has pulled the most out of all of them. Its pulled more in one week than the lifereef would leave behind. Loving it! Not to mention it also doesn't heat my water up like the pump I had on the lifereef.

 

[boozeman27]

LifeReef!

 

[legionofdoon]

I wish I had room for the extension on my lifereef 24.

 

[legionofdoon]

This is an update of what the lifereef pulls in less than 24 hours, it's on a lightly stocked 40 breeder with a 40 breeder sump. First one is this morning and the second one is from yesterday evening.

 

[redfishbluefish]

My absolute favorite skimmer, (as far as skimmate removal), were the MRC skimmers I had (and still have)....both becketted skimmers....and run off of a MAG 24. Pulled out dark skimmate....the best. The primary reason I switched to a "newer" cone model is because of noise and energy savings. The skimmer was next to the tank and sounded like a jet engine. I also was on an energy savings kick and wanted something that was drawing less than the 280W the MAG was drawing. If I had a remote sump...say in the Basement....I'd still be using the MRC and would have a newer DC pump drawing less energy.

I switched to an SWC (not my favorite), and it does a nice job when the pump is running. I think I've gone through 5 or 6 pumps....Atmanns are the worst pump in the world. If there was a replacement pump, say a Sicce, I'd love this skimmer.

Now, what to do with two MRC skimmers....a telephone table or lamp?

 

[legionofdoon]

dang 280 watts!

 

[Pat B]

Lifereef

 

[siggy]

nasty, stank sludge

;Hilarious;Hilarious;Hilarious;Hilarious

Now, what to do with two MRC skimmers....a telephone table or lamp?

Gotta go with the lamp

 

[siggy]

Lifereef

Hi there Neighbor

 

[mochaclownlover]

So far I have been quite satisfied with the Eshopps X-120, pulls out a lot of gunk and never had a problem with tuning; pretty much plug & play.

 

[jda]

Put me down for LifeReef as well.

I do have some Sedra driven EuroReef and ASM skimmers that skim better than nearly any skimmer today, but they do take 20 more watts to run.

 

[Cory]

The best I've had was a DIY wood air stone skimmer I made. 6feet tall and the foam was black when it came out. Not being sarcastic it had blackish skimmate.

For now I like my ro 200 int. But I've only tried my ro 200 int, a sca 302, and two DIY skimmers.

 

[bblumberg]

Switched from Tunze to Lifereef to Aquamaxx reently. Tunze 9010 was underpowered for the 75g tank it was in so replaced with Lifereef SVS-24. This ran ok for some years, but took up too much space in the sump and needed a much bigger pump than the Mag 9.5 it came with. Replaced recently with an Aquamaxx FC-120 which is more compact and works just as well. Also 16 watts compared with the 105 watts being used by the Sicce Syncra 5.0 that was driving the Lifereef.

 

[Ento-Reefer]

I love Tunze. I have a 9410 and just got a 9430. They are set and forget.

 

[Silver14SS]

I've had Reef Octopus, Tunze, Lifereef, Icecap, Deltec, and probably others I'm forgetting over the past 10 years.

Deltec is the only one to get my repeat business, it's the quietest and best performing for me.

 

[evilchef70]

I have them all. But my baby and the one I have on my 300 gal is the aquamax cone s. I do 2 heavy feedings a day along with 2 sheets of nori. I get solid mud out it. Love it and keeps my nitrates below 10. That’s with a bunch of large tangs and a bamboo shark. I also like reef octo have them on 2 tanks. Third would be my bubble magus. If you want a hang on back, reef octo is the best there is.

 

[docwells]

This post made me think of all the skimmers I have owned.
Air stone skimmer, CPR BakPAk, Lifereef, Deltec, Geo, and Bubble King. I think that was all of them. Think my current Bubble King is best of the bunch

 

[anit77]

I think it really depends on your setup and space. If you have the room an MTC or Lifereef can't be beat. I have a custom 4' MTC MTX with a neck cleaner, I clean it every 6 weeks or so. The inside of the cup is caked with nasty baby poo.The cup only takes me about 10 minutes to take off, clean and put back on. Then it's back up and running. After cleaning it only takes a couple days till the thing is back to opaque brown. A deep cleaning once a quarter or so takes about a half hour. Also with a Mazzei injector it's much quieter than you'd think.

I'm surprised Rev is getting by with a 3000. Before the MTX I was running a 5000SSS and had half the water volume. Now I'm at about 325 gallons total system and love the MTX. Very well put together, the thing is built like a tank and costs half or less of a Bubble King.

 

[legionofdoon]

I'm very happy with my lifereef 24, it pulls ton of crap out of my 60 twv, so much that my chaeto isn't growing as well as I'd like to