Hang on skimmer reviews: prism pro deluxe VS aquac remora pro VS deltec MCE600
- Thread starter Snarkys
- Start date
wds21921
New member
Thanks for the case by case points snarkys. You make a couple of good points I'll have to consider for later. Well put too.
To the question of over-skimming. It's been hashed and re-argued for many years about the ideas of this possibly happening but I've yet to see any proof of it, EVER.
Most of what is collected by the skimmers is proteins and waste along with perhaps some lighter weight minerals and calcium byproducts (mostly unused).
If you notice with a good quality skimmer, as it catches up to the bioload (and most will eventually), the odor and color diminishes. What you are then normally left with is lighter colored water and fewer waste or byproducts and proteins. It can't then overcollect because the heavier proteins and waste are depleted.
In the early 80's and even late 70's when some of the skimmers began to show up in America from Europe, the first reaction was "It's going to remove good components too".
These statements came from some (then reputable) fish enthusiasts.
Fact of the matter is, when it comes to filtration, the skimmer is by far one of the better targeting regimines for cleaning unwanted material from our tanks than almost anything.
I've not seen much if anything except for Refugiums, that is better equiped at removing the material that collects and becomes detrimental to our aquatic friends.
Water changes often help to replenish lost or deminshed trace elements but it really doesn't target very well, the actual waste in the water since it's completely a non-selective process.
The proof of this is how many people used skimmers that are completley over-sized for there tanks? Sometimes as high as 2-4x's over the recommended flow too.
To answer your question simply, no, I don't beleive it's possible and never has been. WHen there isn't enough to collect, it simply stops collecting.
To the question of over-skimming. It's been hashed and re-argued for many years about the ideas of this possibly happening but I've yet to see any proof of it, EVER.
Most of what is collected by the skimmers is proteins and waste along with perhaps some lighter weight minerals and calcium byproducts (mostly unused).
If you notice with a good quality skimmer, as it catches up to the bioload (and most will eventually), the odor and color diminishes. What you are then normally left with is lighter colored water and fewer waste or byproducts and proteins. It can't then overcollect because the heavier proteins and waste are depleted.
In the early 80's and even late 70's when some of the skimmers began to show up in America from Europe, the first reaction was "It's going to remove good components too".
These statements came from some (then reputable) fish enthusiasts.
Fact of the matter is, when it comes to filtration, the skimmer is by far one of the better targeting regimines for cleaning unwanted material from our tanks than almost anything.
I've not seen much if anything except for Refugiums, that is better equiped at removing the material that collects and becomes detrimental to our aquatic friends.
Water changes often help to replenish lost or deminshed trace elements but it really doesn't target very well, the actual waste in the water since it's completely a non-selective process.
The proof of this is how many people used skimmers that are completley over-sized for there tanks? Sometimes as high as 2-4x's over the recommended flow too.
To answer your question simply, no, I don't beleive it's possible and never has been. WHen there isn't enough to collect, it simply stops collecting.
Snarkys
.Registered Member
there is one more difference between the two units that i have now noticed. the foam that the two created are entirely different .
The foam that i get from the deltec is really thick and dry, so thick that if i turn the unit off the neck of the skimmer stays completely full of the foam. the cup is normally also "full" of this dry foam and it takes quite some time for it to turn back into a liquid and settle out at the bottom. as a reference , you could prolly take a scoop of the foam out in your hand and turn it upside down and it wouldn't drip . maybe i'll try this and take some picks : )
"my experience" with the remora was it always had a wetter foam and if i were to turn the unit off most the bubbles would pop and the neck would be next to empty. that the only time i ever noticed a dry foam in remoras next is when it was producing next to nothing for me and the small amounts would eventually build up a little bit. now i had bad luck with this skimmer so i am highly curious if the people who like the skimmer have similar results with the type of foam or not.
*EDIT*
it should be noted that many people like the wetter style of skimming so that in itself can't immediately considered as a negative, i just wanted to point out some of my observations.
The foam that i get from the deltec is really thick and dry, so thick that if i turn the unit off the neck of the skimmer stays completely full of the foam. the cup is normally also "full" of this dry foam and it takes quite some time for it to turn back into a liquid and settle out at the bottom. as a reference , you could prolly take a scoop of the foam out in your hand and turn it upside down and it wouldn't drip . maybe i'll try this and take some picks : )
"my experience" with the remora was it always had a wetter foam and if i were to turn the unit off most the bubbles would pop and the neck would be next to empty. that the only time i ever noticed a dry foam in remoras next is when it was producing next to nothing for me and the small amounts would eventually build up a little bit. now i had bad luck with this skimmer so i am highly curious if the people who like the skimmer have similar results with the type of foam or not.
*EDIT*
it should be noted that many people like the wetter style of skimming so that in itself can't immediately considered as a negative, i just wanted to point out some of my observations.
I've got a 125 gallon FOWLR with medium bioload and light-medium feeding, operating for 2 years... Been running the Deltec MCE600 for 6 months, and I think this skimmer is worth every penny. If you don't want to pay that much for a skimmer, it's understandable. I felt crazy ordering it myself.
You can't deny the effectiveness of something like this when you have to empty it every day and the stuff coming out literally can make you gag if you accidentally get a whiff while you empty it out. The stuff is thick and nasty, and if you consider the total amount of waste you take out from the tank between water changes, I would swear it's more than I put in by feeding. And yes, my tank does look clearer since I got this thing. I added some live rock to my tank as well, but over a couple of water changes, my nitrates went from 50ppm + to 15-20ppm.
Before this I had a Berlin classic, which did nothing despite modding with the venturi and trying a couple of different things (including a pressure rated, high gph pump).
Also have an AquaC Urchin in sump at this time. I get nothing from this skimmer. I have followed all of the suggestions from Mr. Calfo and others on this board, and I can not get this thing to skim anything. Ever. Zippo. Added a stronger pump, it's in a separate compartment that has constant level and is fed directly from overflow boxes...tech support from AquaC has not been able to help me out. I am stumped.
Yeah, I'm a little sore that I dropped $475 on a skimmer...but not even half as sore as I am from paying about that much for two skimmers that won't do anything despite months of tinkering and modding.
If you don't want to pay for Deltec, nobody can argue with that. But I'm happy I did.
You can't deny the effectiveness of something like this when you have to empty it every day and the stuff coming out literally can make you gag if you accidentally get a whiff while you empty it out. The stuff is thick and nasty, and if you consider the total amount of waste you take out from the tank between water changes, I would swear it's more than I put in by feeding. And yes, my tank does look clearer since I got this thing. I added some live rock to my tank as well, but over a couple of water changes, my nitrates went from 50ppm + to 15-20ppm.
Before this I had a Berlin classic, which did nothing despite modding with the venturi and trying a couple of different things (including a pressure rated, high gph pump).
Also have an AquaC Urchin in sump at this time. I get nothing from this skimmer. I have followed all of the suggestions from Mr. Calfo and others on this board, and I can not get this thing to skim anything. Ever. Zippo. Added a stronger pump, it's in a separate compartment that has constant level and is fed directly from overflow boxes...tech support from AquaC has not been able to help me out. I am stumped.
Yeah, I'm a little sore that I dropped $475 on a skimmer...but not even half as sore as I am from paying about that much for two skimmers that won't do anything despite months of tinkering and modding.
If you don't want to pay for Deltec, nobody can argue with that. But I'm happy I did.
dirtyreefer
New member
Well I've owned a Prizm (not the Pro), Remora Pro (w/Mag5), CSS 220g and I just purchased the MCE600.
The Prizm wasn't even worth the money, it basically worked like a HOB wet/dry filter which just blew a bunch of big bubbles which is useless for a skimmer.
The Remora Pro was a step up, but it still didn't produce the microbubbles that you would expect from a skimmer. It is well built, and I always gave it so many chances to perform and often blamed my nurient problems on other issues or equipment. I cleaned the spray injector often but never got a nice consistent dark skimmate (only achieved green tea consistency). After 2 years of defending it, I finally ditched it when the CSS 220 needlewheel skimmer came out.
The CSS is built very well, and I found it to be the best performer up to that point hands down. I got some good quality dark skimmate out of that, but I've always hated the pump dangling in the water column (like the Remora Pro). I also found it quite noisy, it sounded like a trickling fountain running in my living room.
Finally I got the MCE600 this week. It is very well build, and you can almost disassemble the entire skimmer to fit your hands inside to give it a good thorough cleaning. The pump not dangling inside the pump is awesome as people who own HOB skimmers usually don't have the largest of tanks already, so real estate is at a premium. The noise is virtually unnoticeable, which is also an awesome feature. Finally, the quality of skimmate is second to none when it comes to HOB skimmers. Nice thick black nog. I always thought that maybe my tank didn't have enough nutrients to produce some nice thick stuff, but I now realize it's all due to the skimmer itself!
So in review, the key points that I look for in a quality HOB skimmer are:
1. Aestetics - Deltec and Prizm (e.g. No pump dangling in the tank, unobtrusive)
2. Ease of cleaning - Deltec hands down (could not get inside any of the other 3 skimmers)
3. Noise - Deltec hands down.
4. Skimmate Quality - So far, the Deltec has been the best. The CSS is a distant second.
The Prizm wasn't even worth the money, it basically worked like a HOB wet/dry filter which just blew a bunch of big bubbles which is useless for a skimmer.
The Remora Pro was a step up, but it still didn't produce the microbubbles that you would expect from a skimmer. It is well built, and I always gave it so many chances to perform and often blamed my nurient problems on other issues or equipment. I cleaned the spray injector often but never got a nice consistent dark skimmate (only achieved green tea consistency). After 2 years of defending it, I finally ditched it when the CSS 220 needlewheel skimmer came out.
The CSS is built very well, and I found it to be the best performer up to that point hands down. I got some good quality dark skimmate out of that, but I've always hated the pump dangling in the water column (like the Remora Pro). I also found it quite noisy, it sounded like a trickling fountain running in my living room.
Finally I got the MCE600 this week. It is very well build, and you can almost disassemble the entire skimmer to fit your hands inside to give it a good thorough cleaning. The pump not dangling inside the pump is awesome as people who own HOB skimmers usually don't have the largest of tanks already, so real estate is at a premium. The noise is virtually unnoticeable, which is also an awesome feature. Finally, the quality of skimmate is second to none when it comes to HOB skimmers. Nice thick black nog. I always thought that maybe my tank didn't have enough nutrients to produce some nice thick stuff, but I now realize it's all due to the skimmer itself!
So in review, the key points that I look for in a quality HOB skimmer are:
1. Aestetics - Deltec and Prizm (e.g. No pump dangling in the tank, unobtrusive)
2. Ease of cleaning - Deltec hands down (could not get inside any of the other 3 skimmers)
3. Noise - Deltec hands down.
4. Skimmate Quality - So far, the Deltec has been the best. The CSS is a distant second.
Alaskan Reefer
New member
Probably more fair to compare the Deltec to 2 Remoras running at the same time or 4 Prizm Pros. I've been happy with my Remora Pro / Mag 5 setup, but would likely be happier with the Deltec -- although maybe not twice as happy as the cost difference might suggest...
layer3guru
New member
Well I have had a Aqua C and Aqua C Pro, TurboFloater and none of them come close to the Coralife 220 I have. This thing skims like you would not believe. I had actually saved up to get the deltec MCE hangon but glad I did not. I didn't because I actually got to see this one in action at a friends house. After 15 minutes it was pulling like you would not believe. I actually felt bad because I felt I had been a bad care taker even with all the on time water changes I even had tremendous growth with the other skimmers but it was obvious they were not keeping up.
You can see it in action here
http://www.digitalrage.org/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=22&page=2
You can see it in action here
http://www.digitalrage.org/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=22&page=2
Snarkys
.Registered Member
hmmm , two huge mag fives/huge black boxes in my tank making an obscene amount off noise or 4 prizm pros flooding my floor : )
you do have a valid point and i would tend to agree with you if i had ever got the prizm pro or remora to work well. there is no question that i pull out 3-4 times what i the remora produced in a week with the deltek . what i do pull out has to have like 10 times as much gunk in it so i think id need quite a few remoras to equal one deltek. I think anyone who has owned both units and has seen how they both function first hand would agree. If you have only owned one of the above it is kinda hard to really make the comparision , it would really just be guessing.
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I've always thought that the Remoras were good skimmers. Used to have a GREAT rep(so-so it seems now). I recommended one to my Dad for his 46g. I have a 37g with a Bakpak and I was envious....until I saw it running. Personally, I think the stuff it pulls out is highly disappointing. If cleaned and taken care of, I think the Bakpak pulls out better skimmate than my dads Remora. I couldn't believe how bad the skimmate was. My Bakpak pulls fouler smelling, dark skimmate. I also get a lot of thick sludge in my neck that I have to clean out. After seeing his running, I'm glad I didn't "upgrade" to a Remora. Unless someone finally brings out a great hang-on at a reasonable price(sorry deltec), I'll probably get the Deltec eventually. I figure that skimmer would last me for a while, no matter what tank size I might upgrade to in the future.
Snarkys
.Registered Member
http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc...=PROD&Product_Code=CU-USA08100&Category_Code=
lol this is an interesting unit.
lol this is an interesting unit.
DeltecRules
New member
I would ask in the deltec forum, doug can help you. Also do a search for it on reefcentral. Those units are impressive.
DeltecRules
New member
Re: Hang on skimmer reviews: prism pro deluxe VS aquac remora pro VS deltec MCE600
Hey snarky I installed ozone on my deltec mce600 hangon. Check it out.
Sander 25mg ozone unit
Installed a plastic T to the air valve
Hey snarky I installed ozone on my deltec mce600 hangon. Check it out.
Sander 25mg ozone unit
Installed a plastic T to the air valve
Alaskan Reefer
New member
Snarkys I'm glad you're happy with it -- anything you read here says Deltec is the goods. I was just making the point on cost. Doing so helped me rationalize my new Euroreef CS-180 for the new 125. 
artdoesart
New member
Yeah me too. My Remora works great and i get about a halfcup to 3/4cup daily, i agree its a bit noisy but what skimmer is not... Anyhow sorry to hear you had bad luck perhaps your tank is too big. i am using my remora on a 60g tank...
Deltecrules,
What kind tee are you using post ozonizer? You can't use normal plastics, but need to use something that is ozone compatible. That tee is going to get destroyed by ozone, there won't be much left of it depending on how much ozone you are pushing.
I'd swap that out with a larger tee made of ozone compatible materials and slip your ozone compatible airline (tygon, silicone) ***INSIDE*** the larger tee, not over the barbs.
Jim
What kind tee are you using post ozonizer? You can't use normal plastics, but need to use something that is ozone compatible. That tee is going to get destroyed by ozone, there won't be much left of it depending on how much ozone you are pushing.
I'd swap that out with a larger tee made of ozone compatible materials and slip your ozone compatible airline (tygon, silicone) ***INSIDE*** the larger tee, not over the barbs.
Jim
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