happyface888
New member
Any suggestions on good hang on skimmers, Im currently using CPR bak pak and it seems the skimate isnt thick so any suggestions? Thanks
Hang on Skimmers
- Thread starter happyface888
- Start date
reefnetworth
Premium Member
AquaC Remora. much better than a CPR. i once owned a CPR, now i have Remora. thay are much better in many ways. 
JDM
JDM
drummereef
Team RC
I use a Remora on my 40g and am happy.
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
Nah, most all HOB's suck. Get a sump.
dirtyclownfish
New member
A sump is a worthwhile investment and I definately something that I would consider when I get a new skimmer. I you go with the sump. I would get either a Euroreef or if you are wanting to save money, get a Coralife Superskimmer. You might want to modify certain parts of it though and they are great sump skimmers.
pjf
Premium Member
Here is the HOB Bermuda Aquatics "Rogue Wave" skimmer that luke33 is referring to: http://www.bermudaaquatics.com/rogue.htm
As for the Remora, even its manufacturer advertises that it only collects half a cup of skim in two weeks. Scroll to the bottom of this webpage: http://www.proteinskimmer.com/products/Remora.htm
As for the Remora, even its manufacturer advertises that it only collects half a cup of skim in two weeks. Scroll to the bottom of this webpage: http://www.proteinskimmer.com/products/Remora.htm
pjf
Premium Member
There are 3 problems with HOB skimmers:
(1) They are marketed with undersized pumps. When a seller of HOB skimmers offers pump choices, woe to those that do not choose the strongest pump.
(2) Evaporation will weaken the skimmer. When the water level drops, the pump has to work harder and has less pressure to generate foam.
(3) HOB skimmers are usually "starter" skimmers. Since most aquarists that stick with the hobby eventually acquire sumps, HOB skimmers occupy the lower end of the market.
There are cultural differences between Remora haters and lovers.
-Remora haters tend to be aquarists that started out with an HOB and later acquired sumps and undercabinet skimmers. They don't mind throwing away old equipment and buying new equipment that work "out of the box."
-Remora lovers do not mind modifying their HOB skimmers to keep it going as they upgrade their systems. You can find Remoras with Mag 7 pumps to satisfy this market (http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc...t_Code=AQUAC-REMORAP-M7XT&Category_Code=AquaC).
(1) They are marketed with undersized pumps. When a seller of HOB skimmers offers pump choices, woe to those that do not choose the strongest pump.
(2) Evaporation will weaken the skimmer. When the water level drops, the pump has to work harder and has less pressure to generate foam.
(3) HOB skimmers are usually "starter" skimmers. Since most aquarists that stick with the hobby eventually acquire sumps, HOB skimmers occupy the lower end of the market.
There are cultural differences between Remora haters and lovers.
-Remora haters tend to be aquarists that started out with an HOB and later acquired sumps and undercabinet skimmers. They don't mind throwing away old equipment and buying new equipment that work "out of the box."
-Remora lovers do not mind modifying their HOB skimmers to keep it going as they upgrade their systems. You can find Remoras with Mag 7 pumps to satisfy this market (http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc...t_Code=AQUAC-REMORAP-M7XT&Category_Code=AquaC).
Oh please, remoras are simply bad skimmers, work on them every weekend, I would rather have a car that simply worked well for 300000 miles. For the cost of a remora you could get a decent hob, such as a turboflotor or a bermuda rogue wave. If you want a cheaper HOB get a D&D marine typhoon or an odyssea ps75. Any of these will out perform a remora.
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
Okay, I can make a better skimmer than a remora with $10 in scrap acrylic and a maxi-jet pump. My problem with the remora is the method... its the injection method. This method relies on the pump's pressure generation. Now, with larger AquaC skimmers, you get larger pumps which are more capable in this area. Small pumps, like MJ1200s and Mag3s, etc... just dont have great pressure performance. Its an uphill battle with this method. I doubt that a Remora gets more than 100lph with this method... its just weak.
Now, consider that a regular MJ1200, when used as a needlewheel, can pull down 150-200lph of air... what do you think makes sense?
IMO, for a small skimmer, you NEED a needlewheel.
But 100ish lph of air... thats just not worth much IMO. Compare rating capacities of skimmers with their air throughput... you get a ratio that is in the 3-4 lpm of air per gallon range. With this ratio, the remora with its 100lph of air is at best good for a 25-33g tank.
Now, consider that a regular MJ1200, when used as a needlewheel, can pull down 150-200lph of air... what do you think makes sense?
IMO, for a small skimmer, you NEED a needlewheel.
But 100ish lph of air... thats just not worth much IMO. Compare rating capacities of skimmers with their air throughput... you get a ratio that is in the 3-4 lpm of air per gallon range. With this ratio, the remora with its 100lph of air is at best good for a 25-33g tank.
as the water level drops and the skimmer pump gets closer to the water line it works BETTER. the farther submerged the pump is the harder it is for the pump to pull down air into the skimmer deeming them less efficient. this is why almost every sump skimmer has a maximum level it should be placed in and wont draw much air if submerged too much. the closer to the surface the better. anytime a pump is drawing more air it is drawing less water. simply raise the water level in the skimmer to where it was before the water level dropped and the skimmer will be more efficient. not exclusive to HOT operation since sump levels (being a fraction the size of the tanks they are attached to) usually drop much faster then the waterline on tanks without sumps.
for the same reason coralifes dont overflow due to evaporation like people acuse it of. evaporation makes it pull more air LOWERING the water level within the skimmer. also puts less backpressure (though there shouldn't be any to begin with if working/set up properly) on the output tube in the bubble diffuser further reducing the chance of overflowing.
tacocat
Premium Member
Re: Hang on Skimmers
Lifereef makes a pretty good skimmer which can be run in-sump or HOB with an adaptor.
http://www.lifereef.com/venturi.html
IME, HOB skimmers are a crappy solution for an even worse situation.
Lifereef makes a pretty good skimmer which can be run in-sump or HOB with an adaptor.
http://www.lifereef.com/venturi.html
IME, HOB skimmers are a crappy solution for an even worse situation.
KEstep
Premium Member
AMEN!!!!! I HATE REMORAS. Not because I am the lazy throw away person (that was a lame reason too). I hate them because THEY DO NOT PERFORM for crap. One of our LFS sells them on EVERY aquarium. They tell them they are the best on the market. I always get called in because their tanks look like crap and nothing is living. Then they feel like I am trying to get more money out of them because I make them change their skimmers. I even offer to sell them a replacement skimmer at cost to help them save money and help make their tank look better. I have a 92 gallon tank that a local store put a regular remora on not even the pro version, the tank even has a sump!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (this is how aweful our stores can be). It doesnt even pull out half a cup in two weeks. They are worthless. maybe if you had a nano tank but nothing more. I heard someone mention the Tunze skimmer. I think that would be the way to go if you do not want a sump. Remoras simply are not worth the money. I have worked on hundreds of aquariums and I will never ever endorse a remora unless you are putting a pro version on a tiny tank. Sorry for venting but I am sick of these skimmers.
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
I think what I would do for a HOB skimmer, if I had to, is to put a recirc/external skimmer behind, next to, etc on a shelf so its water level will be just above that of the tanks. This way, you can have a feed pump from in the tank (perhaps in a surface skimming box) feed the skimmer, and have it dump back into the tank.
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