euro reef skimmer upgrade?

[BobCReef]

When i originally bought my Euro Reef skimmer a couple years ago i knew it may have been a bit small for my system. I have since added additional water to the system volume bringing it to about 300 gal. I have a CS8-2 skimmer. Would it be better for me to get another of similar size or replace it with a larger one. I have plenty of room as i have a 70 gal sump and 70 gal fuge in my basement. just thinking would be less expensive to add another small skimmer, plus if something happened to one i'd have at least one running. Not sure though if 2 small = one big

 

[powdertang05]

well sounds like a good idea but normally you will see one with multiple pumps allowing more contact time and much finer bubbles you may want to look into the pacific coast imports recirc skimmers the RPS-3000 ive seen on a 260G seem to work great but i dont know if your wanting overskimming or not or if you have a heavy load

 

[bljohnson]

If you keep the CS8-2 look at the condition of the needle wheel. When I recently upgraded tanks - I took my 8-2 apart for a thorough cleaning and I noticed I had many "needles" missing from the needle wheel. I have tons of those little white snails in my tank that made it down to the sump. I am pretty sure some of these broke my needles b/c I had some snails living *inside* of the skimmer.

 

[BobCReef]

i thought it would be cheaper to buy another smaller unit than to go out for $1000 dollar job

 

[Elite]

How about upgrade the pump. Get the 9000 model or add another 5000 ...

 

[nebraskareef]

Get another skimmer to add to what you've already got. Redundancy will only help you, and you stand to save a lot of money this way.

 

[JFish180]

I asked Anthony Calfo the same question and he said definitely go with two skimmers. It's best to clean them on alternating schedules because it takes a while for good foam production to resume following cleaning.

 

[BobCReef]

Thanks, thats what i will do

 

[Yam]

IMO, I would go with a single big skimmer. If you run two skimmers the more efficient one will shut down the smaller one. You need to constantly adjust both in order to get skimmate.

 

[taku]

I don't understand how that would be the case... the more efficient skimmer will produce more skimmate and the less efficient one would still produce.. but not as much. The skimmers will pull what they can from the water.. Why would you continuously need to adjust both?

 

[clkwrk]

Makes me wonder also . I run two both do good. This is on a 180

 

[clkwrk]

Also I was told by ER that I could easily double the skimmers efficency if I got the new genx pump they have. I could also do the recirc mod with my existing sedra 5000 to get better performace.

 

[BobCReef]

what model skimmers are those clkwrk

 

[clkwrk]

ER 8-2 and ASM G-3

 

[BobCReef]

and which do you like best? the ER or ASM?
ASM is cheaper, right

 

[clkwrk]

ASM is cheaper and both perform equal as they have the same pumps . But the new ER's with NEw pumps will put this old 8-2 down .