Allow me to answer your question indirectly. Most skimmers have a recommended tank size associated with them. If your venturi skimmer is sized for your tank then I wouldn't worry about it too much.
Needle-wheel skimmers seem to be all the rage these days, but I suspect it's the balance of performance, power consumption, and cost. That doesn't mean that it is superior in either category to your venturi.
If you really want an answer, read through some of the "which skimmer should I buy" threads, especially the one started by Mojo, and more than likely somebody will ask about your Lifereef model.