Potatohead
New member
Eshopps PSK100, maybe a touch more money, but actually a pretty darn good skimmer overall. Otherwise an Octopus Classic 110 is hard to beat but maybe a few more bucks still.
Cheap but reliable skimmers?
- Thread starter Stephen Hiatt
- Start date
Stephen Hiatt
New member
I already looked at the Eshopps skimmer. I want to stay with the hob reef octopus because it isn't as tall.
ReefsandGeeks
New member
I know it's already ben mentioned, but I've been using an Eshopps HOB skimmer for years and it's never given me even a hint of a problem. Runs quiet, I can keep an ULN tank and although it may be taller than some other skimmers, I think most of that height is down low, meaning other skimmers will be just as tall from the top of the tank to the top of the skimmer, but the eshopps hangs down lower. I have mine on my 65g tank, and all I can see from the front of the tank is the cup, and a little bit of the cone shaped neck.
tjm9331
New member
The main difference between these 2 skimmers is the body shape, the BH90 is obviously cylindrical and might be a bit more noticeable behind the tank and also might require a bit more space between the tank and the wall. The BH1000 has a more compressed, boxy design which may help it be less noticeable and allow you to get the tank further back towards the wall. they both use the same pump so no difference there and they both have the ability to skim the surface which is a plus for any HOB skimmer.
I'd say pick your poison, rectangle or circle, either one of these skimmers would do a good job for you.
Stephen Hiatt
New member
I'll try out the BH1000. From what I've seen the skimmer has a larger amount of space to hold bubbles, and the cup is very easy to remove.
Stephen Hiatt
New member
How often will I need to empty the cup/perform maintenance on the skimmer?
tjm9331
New member
It really depends on how much it's pulling out and whether your skimming wet or dry. If you're skimming dry you will empty less often. There will be a break in period where 1 of 2 things will happen either you won't get anything in the cup for a few days or you will have to set the cup very high cause the skimmer is going crazy which is what happened to me with my RO bh2000. That lasted about a day or 2 then settled down, it's now pulling a nice tea colored skimmate and I empty every 2 to 3 days.
Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk
Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk
Stephen Hiatt
New member
What is skimming "wet" and "dry"?
tjm9331
New member
this is a fairly good thread explaining the difference...
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2134007
Don't feel like skimmers are essential. I stopped using them in '97 and notably the two oldest coral farmers in the US, Steve Tyree and Tropicorium in Detroit stopped using them in the mid '90s as well. Here's videos of a couple of my systems:
http://youtu.be/_Uf5IyXvajg
http://youtu.be/-eCQSVdqBQA
A series of articles I would suggest to get a better idea of how GAC, TOC and skimmers impact reef aquariums are:
Granular Activated Carbon Pt 1
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2008/1/aafeature1
Granular Activated Carbon Pt 2
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2008/2/aafeature1
Total Organic Carbon Pt 1
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2008/8/aafeature3
Total Organic Carbon Pt 2
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2008/9/aafeature2
Protein Skimmer Performance, Pt 1
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2009/1/aafeature2
Protein Skimmer Performance, Pt 2
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/1/aafeature
Skimmate Analysis
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/2/aafeature
Bacterial Counts in Reef Aquarium Water
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2011/3/aafeature
And I would strongly encourage you to read Forest Rohwer's "Coral Reefs in the Microbial Seas" It's a fairly cheap (ebook is $10), very readable introduction to more recent research on reefs and how nutrients and DOC (Dissolved Organic Carbon) impact corals.
http://youtu.be/_Uf5IyXvajg
http://youtu.be/-eCQSVdqBQA
A series of articles I would suggest to get a better idea of how GAC, TOC and skimmers impact reef aquariums are:
Granular Activated Carbon Pt 1
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2008/1/aafeature1
Granular Activated Carbon Pt 2
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2008/2/aafeature1
Total Organic Carbon Pt 1
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2008/8/aafeature3
Total Organic Carbon Pt 2
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2008/9/aafeature2
Protein Skimmer Performance, Pt 1
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2009/1/aafeature2
Protein Skimmer Performance, Pt 2
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/1/aafeature
Skimmate Analysis
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/2/aafeature
Bacterial Counts in Reef Aquarium Water
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2011/3/aafeature
And I would strongly encourage you to read Forest Rohwer's "Coral Reefs in the Microbial Seas" It's a fairly cheap (ebook is $10), very readable introduction to more recent research on reefs and how nutrients and DOC (Dissolved Organic Carbon) impact corals.
Stephen Hiatt
New member
I would like to use skimmer so I can do less water changes. I don't mind spending the extra money, because it should save me some in the end.
How did you keep the camera so steady?
Tanks look amazing.
