Lets talk new skimmers bc i need one.

[tycoakley]

Whats up everyone. So i think its about that time for me to take the plunge and get myself a new skimmer. I currently have a 95 gallon tank with a trigger system sump refugium. The first section is where i keep my current Bubble Magus NAC 7 skimmer. I got this skimmer when i started the tank in sept 2011. It was used for a year before that. The skimmer is a pain in the butt to clean and most of the time once i get it back together the pump doesnt like to start up. The biggest problem i have been having lately is that the skimmer is not pulling out as much crap as it used to. The air hose has been getting clogged up with calcium carbonate causing the skimmer to have little to no bubbles. In the last month the skimmer has also started to freak out and overflow in my sump causing all the skimmate to go back into my tank. (when this happens i do a big water change). So with that said i have room for a 11'' footprint skimmer. Any recommendations? I have been eying the Reef Octopus skimmers and would like to try to have a skimmer pump that is external from the cone housing for easier pump cleaning. Any thoughts on these or any other skimmer?

Thanks Ty

 

[jmaiello04]

Ty -

I have a Super Reef Octupus 2000 on my 150 gal. It does a great job, but I had to build a rack to put it on. The water level in my sump is 8.5" and the skimmer cup will overflow if sits in more than 6.5" of water. It is very easy to adjust the level of the water inside the chamber, assuming the water is at 6.5" or below. I have had this skimmer for over a year, and it is pretty quiet, especially when the doors on my stand are closed.

I recently started a new 120 gal tank and installed a Vertex Omega 150. Compared to the Reef Octopus, it makes NO noise. I am not saying that the RO is loud, but this thing is absolutely SILENT. The build quality is exceptional - all heavy plastic and the best built skimmer I have ever come across. This skimmer better suits my sump water level as it prefers 8-9.5" inches of water. It is slightly more finicky to adjust the water level inside the skimmer- the RO wins in that regard. Once it was dialed in, I have not had to touch it.

One more point to not for both skimmers... they prefer a constant water level, and therefore I would recommend an ATO unit to keep the level in the sump constant. If water level fluctuates, a skimmer like an ASM G# would be a good choice.

~Jared

 

[belgian_waffleman]

One of the disadvantages of an external skimmer is that when it acts up, you have a stinky mess on the floor instead on flowing back into the tanks.

I love my ASM G3 skimmer, with some mods.

Waffleman

 

[tycoakley]

Thanks for the replies. Jared, The water level stays the same in my first two sections and only drops in the last if i dont fill my top of bucket up. (which rarely ever happens) so water level is always the same in the skimmer section. My water level is 10''. Maybe the water line is too high or low for the bubble magus nac 7 but it seems to have worked for the last year. I dont think im gonna be able to fit a external pump skimmer in the area i have. I would have to go with a space saver skimmer. I cant take the sump out of my stand due to the door design or i would just go with a bigger sump and skimmer for sure.

Waffle man i wasnt speaking of an external skimmer out of the sump, Just a pump thats outside of the skimmer body but still in the sump.

Anyone use any space saving skimmers? The reef octopus nwb150 6'' says it has a 12'' footprint so i may be SOL on that one bc of the rim around my trigger system sump. The sump measures 12'' but end to end but with the rim it may not work. Maybe i should just give that guy a shot and if it doesnt fit i can send it back. At only $224 it may be a better price range for me. The vertex omego 150 isnt too far from that and is a 11''x11'' footprint. That will def fit inside the first section on my sump. that skimmer is $379 from BRS. A bit more than i want to spend especially if i end up upgrading in the next year or so which i plan to do to a system over 200 gallons. But im sure that Skimmer holds its resale value. I will youtube some videos. Thanks Jared

 

[AmherstReef]

SWC 160, small foot print , great skimmer

 

[jmaiello04]

Both of the skimmers fit inside an area in my sumps that measures 12" x 15.5". The octopus has a longer footprint but it is not as wide as the Omega.

~Jared

 

[cardiffgiant]

I believe that the nac7 uses the sicce 2500 pump. My ATB uses this pump and Iv'e found it to be a huge pain in the butt. It rarely restarts, it's performance seems to be impacted by even the slightest calcium buildup, and it doesn't come apart easily for maintenance. Oh, and one other awesome thing? Mine seems to let out some stray voltage when it's got a little calcium buildup. What a great pump!

I tried the red devil impeller and that hasn't helped at all. I'm replacing it with the sicce 1000 and hoping that will be better.

Other than the sucky sicce, I've found the ATB to be a great and easy to maintain skimmer. Very simple design and everything comes apart easily for cleaning. I'd considered octopus (I've had 2 of those and was happy with them), and the cad lights skimmers. Regarding Octopus, there are numerous complaints about the bubble blaster pumps that a lot of their models use. I'd do a little research to make sure that you are avoiding any known headaches.

 

[wildman926]

I will be making the move from SRO 2000 Int's to AquaMaxx EM 100 & 200 due to sump space issues. These skimmers use the same pump that the Vertex Omega line will be using, as well as others. These Aquamaxx skimmers have a large collection cup, that twists on/off, that has a drip tube for external connection. The pump is under the body, input and output are 180* out of phase. Here is the specs for them

Em 100-
"¢Volume Rating: 120 Gallons
"¢Footprint: 8.6" x 6.3"
"¢Height: 21.7"
"¢Chamber diameter: 4.7"
"¢Outlet size: 1" Quick-Precise adjustment valve
"¢A steady water level of about 8" is recommended for optimal operation
"¢Pump (included): Modified Sicce 1.5
"¢Pump power consumption: 16 watts
"¢Air Intake: 95 GPH (360 LPH)
"¢Efficient, durable and reliable
"¢Simple to set up and operate
"¢Cell-cast acrylic construction
"¢SCH80 fittings
"¢Quick-Precise adjustment valve allows fast precision tuning of the skimmer water level to control wet/dry foam production
"¢ShockMaxx rubber feet isolate noise and reduce vibration.
"¢Italian-Made Sicce needle-wheel pump produces optimum bubble size for high-efficiency protein skimming.
"¢Buffer chamber maximizes contact time allowing skimmate to move smoothly into the collection cup.

EM200

"¢Volume Rating: 240 Gallons
"¢Footprint: 6.7" x 9.8"
"¢Height: 22.8"
"¢Chamber diameter: 6"
"¢Outlet size: 1" Quick-Precise adjustment valve
"¢Pump (included): Modified Sicce 2.0
"¢Pump power consumption: 22 watts
"¢Air Intake: 190 GPH (720 LPH)
"¢Efficient, durable and reliable
"¢Simple to set up and operate
"¢Cell-cast acrylic construction
"¢SCH80 fittings
"¢Quick-Precise adjustment valve allows fast precision tuning of the skimmer water level to control wet/dry foam production
"¢ShockMaxx rubber feet isolate noise and reduce vibration.
"¢Italian-Made Sicce needle-wheel pump produces optimum bubble size for high-efficiency protein skimming.
"¢Buffer chamber maximizes contact time allowing skimmate to move smoothly into the collection cup.

I have the EM100 on the way, and am waiting for the EM200 to be available in stock.