Best Skimmer For My Application

dja1980

dja1980

Active member
Hello all. I’m in the process of trying to work a sump / skimmer in my current setup. I’m planning on using a 2.5g tank as a sump since this is the only solution I can find that would fit under my 24g Nano Cube stand. The 2.5g tank measures 12W x 6L x 8H. From the research I’ve done so far, it seems to be the general consensus that the Nano Remora is the best skimmer for the money.

The 2.5g sump will be on a shelf under my cabinet stand so the height of the skimmer shouldn’t be a problem since it should be able to hang lower than the shelf given I have the depth in the cabinet to accommodate the 12.25” sump depth + 2.75” skimmer depth. I’ll measure tonight to make sure my cabinet depth is at least 15” deep.

My question is that even if this will fit, is this really my best option? Immersion is definitely something I need to consider since my sump will probably only hold about 6” - 7” of water. I’m not too concerned with cost, but rather, I’d like to find the absolute best skimmer given my situation.

Some skimmers I’ve been looking at:

http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_protein_skimmers_aquac_nano_remora.asp?CartId=
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_protein_skimmers_cpr_bak-pak_sr_dx.asp?CartId=
http://www.nanotuners.com/product_info.php?cPath=51&products_id=358
http://www.nanotuners.com/product_info.php?cPath=51&products_id=320
http://www.nanotuners.com/product_info.php?cPath=51&products_id=282

Thanks in advance for you help with this
 
The best skimmer of all those listed is the tunze but it won't work in your application, actually none of them will work with out extending the tubing coming off the pump to the skimmer
 
Why wouldn't any of them work? Doesn't the pump just need to be submerged for the hang-on type. It appears from the Remora picture that the pump is pretty far below the lip that hangs on the edge of the sump, so I would imagine that the pump would be pretty close to the bottom of the sump. And, the Tunze states that it only needs to be immersed 7", and I think the footprint would fit in the sump.
 
Tunze dimensions.

It needs to be submerged about 7.5"


TunzeNanoDOCDimensions.jpg
 
the tunze gets loud at 7" immersion IMO. you get the best results with the tunze when it's immersed up to the printed water line on their skimmer. very quiet, set it and forget it.
 
The Tunze needs to be at the water line for sure, I own one and swear by it, pictures are decieving also, which is why I said the tubing from the pump to the skimmer may need to be lengthend to work
 
Ah, ok... Now that I look at the picture again for the Tunze, I see the bracket to hang it from the side of the sump. So since the height of the sump is 8", I should be able to achieve a water level of around 7.5" if i create an overflow wall within the sump to keep the sump chamber at a constant level. This way, I can keep the water level on the other side of the wall at a lower level to create a safety zone from overflowing the sump due to power outages, etc...

So you guys seem to be mostly commenting on the Tunze. Do you guys think I would be better off with the Tunze as compared to the Remora given my situation? Are there any other models that I don't have listed that would make for good candidates?
 
Inside Cabinet Dimensions: 9.5W x 13.5D x 25.5H

So, I don't think that a hang-on type will work due to lack of depth in the cabinet. I suppose I could cut out the back of the cabinet to have the skimmer stick out the back, but I really don't want to do that.

So, I guess I'm back to looking at in-sump skimmers if I can find one that will work with a water depth of only around 7.5" and will actually fit within the sump. Are there any other suggestions? What about the Sapphire? Has anyone had success with this skimmer or know what the immersion requirement is? The Biocube version has the pump installed in the side, so this would help to allow the actual skimmer to sit on the bottom of the sump.
 
I commented on the Tunze because it's what I have and know. I couldn't comment on any of the others.

I re-measured for you. From the bottom of the skimmer to the water line it is 7.75". There is a little bit of leeway however it is definitely most effective at this mark. I do like the skimmer, it has worked very well for me - again I can't comment on the others.

Hope that helps.
 
Thanks... I really would like to try to find a way to make the Tunze work, but I'm not sure that this is possible with the 2.5g. I think the only way I could get it to work without it being noisy is by finding a way to get it to rest on the bottom of the sump. Could the pump be placed outside of the skimmer. Oldreefer, is this what you were referring to by lengthening the tubing from the pump to the skimmer? Is this doable? If not, I still need to find someone that knows the immersion requirement for the Sapphire, or find another suggestion all together.
 
CPR has made a new SR3 that will fit into the sump space under your tank. I am getting one for my BC29, but they say it can be used in a sump also. It's 8.5" x 3" footprint is nice and the feed pump is located at the sump floor so less chance of running dry. All other CPR products I have run worked well, so hopefully this one will do the same. Take a look at it on their website, www.cprusa.com.
 
Sapphire Aquatics must have seen one of my threads since they sent me a PM today regarding the immersion requirement for the Sapphire BC29 skimmer. It sounds like this is my best option so far as long as I can verify that it performs well. This is what they sent me:

Hi there. Our BC29 skimmer will work just fine in your sump with that water level. The skimmer has an internal baffle that maintains the water level inside the skimmer, so it's not dependent on the water level outside the skimmer. If you're interested in looking at instructions or diagrams, please shoot me an e-mail at **** @ sapphireaquatics.com and I'll forward them to you. Thank you for your interest!

I also found on www.sapphireaquatics.com that they make a Hang-On Refugium that includes one of their skimmers. This would be perfect if they made it in a size that would fit under the Nano Cube 24g Cabinet Stand. I e-mailed them back with this suggestion.

kind reefer â€"œ Thank you for the information on the CPR SR3. I didn’t know that they were coming out with a new model. I will contact them to find out what the immersion requirement is.
 
Last edited:
It looks like the CPR SR3 will be a candidate too. I think it's going to come down to which one I can verify performs better. I know CPR has a good reputation, but I will probably wait until can find some solid reviews before I make my decision. Here's the reply I got from CPR in regards to the immersion requirement:

Hello,

Our New SR3 will have the pump placed at the bottom of the skimmer to feed water through it. The sump water level only needs to be 3.25" high to cover the submersible pump. If you have close to 7", your sump will have plenty of room for evaporation before risking running the pump dry. The footprint of this skimmer will be 8.5"L x 3"D with the pump in place.

This skimmer will be available at the beginning of May. Ask your local retailer for availability or contact us again for online options carrying the SR3.

Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,
Kristofer Sheaf
CPR Aquatic, Inc.
 
I am also looking at the TUNZE for my bio-cube, for those who own it, does the collection cup stick out past the front of the base? The reason I ask is because I would like to mount it inside the chamber where the "filter" is.
 
Actually, now that I’ve been on the CPR Aquatic website, it looks like the SR2(SM) model will work too. It has a footprint of 10.5” x 3”. The only problem is that since it would have to run almost the entire length of the sump, this might mess up chamber placement. I will do some research on this model, but has anyone here heard any feedback on this?
 
I am also looking at the TUNZE for my bio-cube, for those who own it, does the collection cup stick out past the front of the base? The reason I ask is because I would like to mount it inside the chamber where the "filter" is
Click to expand...

Yes it does extend past the front and sides also
 
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