need facts

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frog.pauley

New member
I am finally starting my build next week!YAY! so much planning. (will start a thread when the time comes). I need skimmer advice from the big dawgs. My tank will hold 750 vol, and total sytem will be 850-1000. I want some one to say "Ihave a sytem this big and XXXX skimmer works great on mine. Stocking will be heavy, and the reef will be mixed, but not alot of SPS. I have gotten alot of opinion but noone has said this works for my GIGANTIC system. all the will be appreciated.
 
While Lifereef makes incredibly well-built products, they do not have anything that will handle that size tank. I think you are going to look at a very large needlewheel skimmer with 3-4 pumps or a very large beckett skimmer.

For comparison, I have a 1000 gallons of water and use a Geo 18" diameter by 60" tall skimmer with forced air via an Alita air pump, Orca needlewheel pump and Iwaki 40 RLT feedpump. I ALSO use a quad beckett skimmer by Marine Technical Concepts that is 8.5" diameter by 60" tall and between both of these skimmers I am doing OK, but could still use more judging by the algaes and nutrients.

I really think you need to think about a large H&S, Deltec, ATB cone, or large beckett by Precision Marine or Marine Technical Concepts. Don't skimp on the skimmer.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14127100#post14127100 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Nanook
While Lifereef makes incredibly well-built products, they do not have anything that will handle that size tank. I think you are going to look at a very large needlewheel skimmer with 3-4 pumps or a very large beckett skimmer.

For comparison, I have a 1000 gallons of water and use a Geo 18" diameter by 60" tall skimmer with forced air via an Alita air pump, Orca needlewheel pump and Iwaki 40 RLT feedpump. I ALSO use a quad beckett skimmer by Marine Technical Concepts that is 8.5" diameter by 60" tall and between both of these skimmers I am doing OK, but could still use more judging by the algaes and nutrients.

I really think you need to think about a large H&S, Deltec, ATB cone, or large beckett by Precision Marine or Marine Technical Concepts. Don't skimp on the skimmer.
Click to expand...

Lifereef does nave units rated for a system larger than that. I have a skimmer from them rated for 1000 gallons on my 300. It is 6 feet tall.
 
I'll have about the same water volume and decided to go with a Custom H&S A-400. IMO, you can't go wrong with H&S :D
 
AM 99% sold on life reef as of now. I got an e-mail back in a couple hours on sunday! Bubbleking is ubsurd! Overprised! Insane! If I were going to spend that much, I would invest the time and money into building my own. I am sure they are excellent skimmers, but no way they are cost effective.
 
lol if you could even come close to building one as good as a BK then maybe you should. It is priced for what it does. You asked for what people have used or use and im telling you. Those are the ones to go with if you really want skimmers that are gonna keep your reef clean
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14128987#post14128987 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RBU1
Lifereef does nave units rated for a system larger than that. I have a skimmer from them rated for 1000 gallons on my 300. It is 6 feet tall.
Click to expand...

It is a six foot tall skimmer with a "six inch body". That is not enough area for a skimmer to remove enough. While his products are top of the line and I am a big fan, don't get me wrong, the skimmer will not handle 1000g of water.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14128987#post14128987 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RBU1
Lifereef does nave units rated for a system larger than that. I have a skimmer from them rated for 1000 gallons on my 300. It is 6 feet tall.
Click to expand...

Also, and I don't mean to pick on you or belittle your choice in equipment, but you are using a skimmer that is rated for 1000g on a 300g system. So, while it is a great product, you do not know if it can handle over 3x what you are currently running it on.

Most skimmer manufacturers have to guesstimate at what the skimmer will successfully handle, however, these calculations are often over-rated.
 
I am currently talking to jeff about the 72 handling my system. I was not implying i can build one as well as bubbleking, i am just saying imo, as everyone has one, and mine matters as much as theres, it is way over priced. Opinions from smaller tanks was not what i was looking for. Someone has to have an equal system that feels the same.
 
My friend John aka Fade here on Reef Central has about the water volume you are going to have and uses and H&S A250. I will refer him to this thread for his input for you.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14134604#post14134604 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by frog.pauley
Opinions from smaller tanks was not what i was looking for. Someone has to have an equal system that feels the same.
Click to expand...



:lol: ouch. Their advice bases on what work best for them, most of the folks in here have use more than one type or brand of skimmer. ATB, Deltec, H&S or even BK are not just a brand name. They are well know for good performance.

BTW, small display tank doesn't mean they are lack of experience :D. My display tank is 480g, 250g sump, 190 prop tank #1, 100g prop tank #2, 300g RDSB/refugium, 110g cryptic zone. So how many gallon do i have for my total system?

Another word of advice, you don't want to cut too close on the protein skimmer. As NANOOK mentioned above, most of the mfg over rated their product. H&S in Germany estimate my custom skimmer can handle 5000-7000g but i use it on something less than 2k. Just my .2c....
 
It seems every skimmer thread has alot of...heated debate.lol. I am not trying to knock any brand, especially deltech, h&s, or atb...not even BK. The MFG is why i started the thread....user input not mfg rating. BTH the 72 from life reef is rated at 1500+, but will be talking to jeff tomorrow on actual output.
lol " Jarhead". That explains alot!lol J/K! I recentley finished 8 years...but not a jar head...close, but not quite.lol
thanx everyone
 
JAR Head
I just saw the pic of your skimmer on the H&S club thread...Holy #$%^! I would ask how to aquire one of those, but i think the tag would scare me out of the hobby! lol
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14135445#post14135445 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by frog.pauley
It seems every skimmer thread has alot of...heated debate.lol. I am not trying to knock any brand, especially deltech, h&s, or atb...not even BK. The MFG is why i started the thread....user input not mfg rating. BTH the 72 from life reef is rated at 1500+, but will be talking to jeff tomorrow on actual output.
lol " Jarhead". That explains alot!lol J/K! I recentley finished 8 years...but not a jar head...close, but not quite.lol
thanx everyone
Click to expand...

So you were a squid :lol: j/k. Walk away after 8yrs? I did the same back in 2001 after i finished my first 4yrs but that only last 45 days :D.

Back to the protein skimmer... Make sure you do more research on which protein skimmer you want to go with. Becket injected protein skimmer require a power hog pump to make it work right, require more fine tuning vs NW, less energy consumption, less noise, less fine tuning....
 
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