ok here is the deal, i am researching protein skimmers, i have read about many sites, how their product is better,"our needlewheel" "our recircultlating""our askoll pump""our protein skimmers are guarenteed to put even hydrogen out of the water", blah,blah,blah.. i am looking at spending about $500-$700 for a new skimmer.. it will be going on a heavily populated perfecto 120, with a 60 gallon sump, a 90 gallon refugium and a 90 gallon frag tank.. i would prefer an in-sump skimmer... With all of that being said, of course every manufacturer will say they are the best... I am looking for personal experiences, and maybe some pictures of both your tank and skimmer in action. explain to me why one skimmer is better or worst than another, based on you experience... i only have experience with euro-reef skimmers personally, they are great for what they are..but looking for something new... i want to buy all new equipment, unless the used product is exactly what i want, not just some used stuff peiced together to make an almost what i want system.. thank you for your help, rick
protein skimmer experiences
- Thread starter reeflord
- Start date
NyReefNoob
skimmer freak
personally cant say for a 120g tank but ive had er's 4 or 5 diff models, 3 asm's, bermuda bpc 3, etss sump buddy 40 and 60 and reef devil, swc 160 and a few others, currently have the vertex in180 and love it, built solid, runs solid and not expensive, people will chime in with higher price skimmers, but personally those higher price skimmers arent producing 2-3 times the gunk for the money, id go with the larger vertex
I really liked my EuroReef CS6 and CS8 skimmers. (the older models) They worked great and were built extremely well. Both were in sump skimmers. I am currently running an MRC-3R with a riser extension and it is awesome.
oldreefer76
New member
I will have to second the Vertex line the IN-250 would work great for your situation
addicted2reefin
New member
msx skimmers are great, and they dont have the shotty pump vertex does. i would go atb 1050, or i-tech, as they have a nice small footprint.
oldreefer76
New member
The vertex pump issue was a bad set of impellers and that has been dealt with and the new run flawlessly
oldreefer76
New member
Good choice
I-tech200, ATB 840, Vertex 170. Premium is having a 10% discoun sale on skimmers during thankgiving weekned. I think the MSX 300A would be overkill. Look at the 250A. I would personally stay awya from a sicce pump unless it has a volute that prevents the prop from starting up in the wrong the direction. If you want to save some cash and spend some money elsewhere go for the Vertex IN 180 for only $280. Best skimmer for the price I feel. I think I would go with the Vertex 170 cone personally. They are selling for $590 with the 10% off. Right in the middle of your budget. Red dragon pump is great and is dead silent.
Chris27
New member
Honestly there are a ton of skimmers out there that work well, look cool, and have the newest bells and whistles. When it comes down to what skimmer is better then the next is really the pump. The water - air draw is what is most important. So having said that, look for something that uses a good pump, Red Dragon, Octo Bubble Blaster, Askol, Eheim, and custom sicce's are all great pumps. Red Dragon is probably the highest rated of the bunch though, they run very cool, draw little current, draw a ton of air, and are made with materials that calcium just can't seem to stick to.
I personally use an Octopus with a Bubble Blaster pump and the performance is amazing. The Octo Super Reef line is really working well for the folks lucky enough to have them now - it was tough because I heard they lost a container full of them on their way to the states from China. Here are some videos of mine in action.
For a total volume around 300 gallons, you could take a look at the Vertex Cones, BK's, Octo SR5000, or the ATB's. All of these seem to have the happiest users.
Good luck and happy buying, nothing like the big ol' smile on one's face when they get to pull a new skimmer out of a box!
I personally use an Octopus with a Bubble Blaster pump and the performance is amazing. The Octo Super Reef line is really working well for the folks lucky enough to have them now - it was tough because I heard they lost a container full of them on their way to the states from China. Here are some videos of mine in action.
For a total volume around 300 gallons, you could take a look at the Vertex Cones, BK's, Octo SR5000, or the ATB's. All of these seem to have the happiest users.
Good luck and happy buying, nothing like the big ol' smile on one's face when they get to pull a new skimmer out of a box!
Chris27
New member
Same goes for guns I hear - buy the best you can...
I would say that a BK Mini 200 on a 14 Gal Biocube would be overkill - but in your case with an SPS dominated tank with a volume around 300 gallons, it would be hard to get too big a skimmer - especially one that costs around 700 bones.
I would say that a BK Mini 200 on a 14 Gal Biocube would be overkill - but in your case with an SPS dominated tank with a volume around 300 gallons, it would be hard to get too big a skimmer - especially one that costs around 700 bones.
NyReefNoob
skimmer freak
people will say they are better. smoother transition in bubbles, the last 6" of my in 180 is smooth transition, the octo's are a great skimmer for the money as well, one thing i have notice that makes the biggest difference is matching a skimmer to your system, i had tried 6 skimmers on my old 60g sps dom tank, and a er 80 worked best on it, it was a perfect match for system, and you can't guage how good a skimmer is unless it has been ran atleast a few months
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