protein skimmer

[macawmagic]

Right now I have a 55 gallon tank but in about 6 months will be looking to upgrade to something more around 100 gallons.

Anyhow I need a protein skimmer and have some questions...

1. Can I just buy one for the bigger tank and use it on the 55?
2. Are there certain company's I should stay away from?
3. Can you give me some knowledge on a skimmer because all I know is I need one and they take bad (protein???) things out of the water?

Also if anyone has one I'm willing to pay fair price for one...just wanted to learn about them a little before going out and finding one.
Thanks

 

[FloridaFishMan]

I have a euroreef cs80 and I love it! I upgraded from a crappy seaclone (stay away from). You can get a good skimmer for 2-$300. Talk to Marcye (sea in the city) she usually can give good deals on skimmer.

Skimmers remove organic molecules from the water. The molecules attach to the air bubbles and accumulate and spill over into the collection cup. This is similar to the foam seen at the beach when the wind and waves are just right.

 

[Fuzzy]

I second the EuroReef.
We've had a CS6-1 on our 90 for about 4 years with no problems.
I just bought a RS250 to go on our new 150. Hopefully it will be here this Friday.......
Question - do you have a sump on your 55? If so, yes you can go with a bigger skimmer.
All you need to do is adjust the flow to fit your tank.
If not, you will need a hang on back skimmer.
For in sump I've had good luck with the PM Bullet 1.
For HOB both the Aqua C Remora and CPR BakPak are good choices.

But in my experience, none of the compare to the EuroReef.
They don't use a lot of power, skim like crazy and are very quiet.

Nick

 

[cschweitzer]

Good answers. ER's are very good quality skimmers and are right up there with the best, but like the best, they are very expensive. ASM skimmers are a very close skimmer for much lower price tag, using mainly common materials that are a little less time consuming and resource consuming suring the construction. Not as nice, but still works well for lower cost. Make sure you have the right equipment to run the skimmer. If you don't have a sump, don't buy an in-sump protein skimmer.

 

[flfirefighter13]

I agree witht he Euroreef and ASM idea. I have both and they are very good. Next one I buy will be a ASM for sure, I dont see the added cost as being worth it in the build difference. Both seem solid, keep your eye open on the for sale forum both brands are common.
If you dont have a sump I have a CPR bakpak with a preskimmer I can sell you. I had it on a 75 that was lightly stocked and it worked well. Worse case when you get a bigger tank you can use it as backup or for a nano or something. Ive got another one that I use on my nanos, I dont run it all the time but drop it in for a day or two as needed, mainly when I feel like slacking a bit on h20 change PM if your interested.

 

[markandkristen]

ouro here as well