Selecting Skimmer for 300 Gallon Build

bidny

bidny

Member
Having trouble finalizing a skimmer choice for my upcoming 300 gallon build (build thread forthcoming!).

These are my criteria:

- In-sump
- Under $800
- European or US made motor block (Askoll preferred, Sicce and others acceptable)
- No Sicce PSK2500 (startup issues)
- Under 30" tall
- Externally mounted pump (not a space saver design)
- 10+" body
- 1800+ LPH air flow
- Quiet

This basically excludes most of the seemingly popular internal Jebao-based DC pump skimmers.

My current options are:

AquaMaxx ConeS CO-5 (10", Italian NEWA motor block, 3000 LPH) ~$750

AquaMaxx Cone 6 (12", 2x Italian Sicce Syncra 5.0/3.0 motor blocks, 2520 LPH) ~$750

Reef Octopus Extreme XS350 (3x Italian Sicce motor blocks, 2400 LPH, 12") ~$800

SWC 300A (Italian Askoll 1500 motor block, 12", ? LPH) ~$600

The CO-5 has an unproven Italian motor block with few reviews. The Cone 6 uses 2 pumps that have some reviews complaining about noise. The XS350 is a bit pricey and has 3 pumps (more to maintain and potential for noise). The 300A has questionable reviews and doesn't seem to be available right now.

And two options that violate my criteria a bit:

AquaMaxx ConeS CO-6 (12", Italian Askoll motor block, ? LPH) ~$950

Super Reef Octopus SRO-5000INT (Bubble Blaster 5000 pump, 10", 2100 LPH) ~$610

The CO-6 looks like a great skimmer, except for the price. The SRO-5000INT has a great price, but it uses the Bubble Blaster pump, which is made in China. However, the pump seems to be based on the Askoll design and gets decent reviews.

Does anyone have opinions on the above? Or does anyone think that I'm missing some obvious contenders?

Thanks!
 
I know the Askoll motor blocks generally are well regarded for performance and quietness but perhaps not the 1500 series which is now discontinued in the maxflo pump line by laguna. I have had to replace 2 of them at about the 3 year mark on each. If you go with askoll make sure you clean and vinegar soak frequently and regularly.
 
bidny said:
Having trouble finalizing a skimmer choice for my upcoming 300 gallon build (build thread forthcoming!).

These are my criteria:

- In-sump
- Under $800
- European or US made motor block (Askoll preferred, Sicce and others acceptable)
- No Sicce PSK2500 (startup issues)
- Under 30" tall
- Externally mounted pump (not a space saver design)
- 10+" body
- 1800+ LPH air flow
- Quiet

This basically excludes most of the seemingly popular internal Jebao-based DC pump skimmers.

My current options are:

AquaMaxx ConeS CO-5 (10", Italian NEWA motor block, 3000 LPH) ~$750

AquaMaxx Cone 6 (12", 2x Italian Sicce Syncra 5.0/3.0 motor blocks, 2520 LPH) ~$750

Reef Octopus Extreme XS350 (3x Italian Sicce motor blocks, 2400 LPH, 12") ~$800

SWC 300A (Italian Askoll 1500 motor block, 12", ? LPH) ~$600

The CO-5 has an unproven Italian motor block with few reviews. The Cone 6 uses 2 pumps that have some reviews complaining about noise. The XS350 is a bit pricey and has 3 pumps (more to maintain and potential for noise). The 300A has questionable reviews and doesn't seem to be available right now.

And two options that violate my criteria a bit:

AquaMaxx ConeS CO-6 (12", Italian Askoll motor block, ? LPH) ~$950

Super Reef Octopus SRO-5000INT (Bubble Blaster 5000 pump, 10", 2100 LPH) ~$610

The CO-6 looks like a great skimmer, except for the price. The SRO-5000INT has a great price, but it uses the Bubble Blaster pump, which is made in China. However, the pump seems to be based on the Askoll design and gets decent reviews.

Does anyone have opinions on the above? Or does anyone think that I'm missing some obvious contenders?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I recommend the RLSS R10i they actually have it on sale in Salty Supply for $550.

http://www.saltysupply.com/filters-...ernal-protein-skimmer-w-waveline-dc12000.html

I have the R6i and it is the best skimmer I have owned. Another would be the 30 inch Lifereef SVS-30 in sump for $524 with your pump of choice (1,100 gph minimum). The issue with pinwheel or needlewheel skimmers is that eventually the pumps fail and it is a pain to find a replacement since most people have issues after about 2 years and after the warranty is expired.
 
I have used the RO 5000int for the past year and love it. No issues with BB pump. It's quiet..starts up with no issues ect. Well built...it's a tank.
 
chowder said:
I know the Askoll motor blocks generally are well regarded for performance and quietness but perhaps not the 1500 series which is now discontinued in the maxflo pump line by laguna. I have had to replace 2 of them at about the 3 year mark on each. If you go with askoll make sure you clean and vinegar soak frequently and regularly.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice! Good to know.
 
rhinonm said:
I have used the RO 5000int for the past year and love it. No issues with BB pump. It's quiet..starts up with no issues ect. Well built...it's a tank.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I hear a lot of good things, and I have owned Reef Octopus skimmers in the past with very few issues (besides the Sicce PSK2500 restart issue, which was resolved with a different pinwheel).

The price point does make it attractive. I just wish RO would continue to make skimmers with Italian pumps, but obviously, the Chinese pumps are less expensive.
 
chowder said:
I know the Askoll motor blocks generally are well regarded for performance and quietness but perhaps not the 1500 series which is now discontinued in the maxflo pump line by laguna. I have had to replace 2 of them at about the 3 year mark on each. If you go with askoll make sure you clean and vinegar soak frequently and regularly.
Click to expand...

The 1500 was a great pump too. The 1500 blocks will last indefinitely when properly maintained. The biggest issue with them is the bearing at the back of the magnet cavity. When calcium builds up inside the bearing orifice or on the end of the impeller shaft, it creates additional load on the impeller which overloads the blocks. There is a bit of friction in there that generates a bit of heat which accelerates calcification in the bearing orifice and on the end of the shaft. The Askoll blocks do have a protection circuit which will kick in if the impeller gets jammed but in the case of additional friction from calcification, it creates constant load which overheats the block leading to premature failure.

The key to longevity with the Askoll based blocks is to disassemble the pump every few months. Remove the impeller and the bearing and soak everything in vinegar. many people overlook the bearing removal/cleaning and the end result is premature failure. Once soaked in vinegar, use a scotchbrite pad to clean the end of the impeller shaft and a toothpick if needed to clean the inside of the bearing orifice. Then reinsert the bearing into the motor block followed by the impeller. If you do that as a matter of practice, the Askoll blocks should last indefinitely and the 1500 is no exception.

I had a pair of the Red Dragon 1500 blocks on another skimmer that I ran for 4 years and they never skipped a beat. That said, this is one reason why Royal Exclusiv added the Anti Lime Bypass (AKB) tube to the blocks. It sends some water from the volute to the magnet cavity to cool that area down. That helps to reduce calcification but the maintenance including the cleaning of the bearing is critical to the longevity of those blocks. Believe it or not, there are customers who have been running those Red Dragon 1500's for nearly 10 years without issue but again, there are things that RE does to the Askoll blocks to improve their performance and reliability. They don't just take an off the shelf Laguna/Askoll block and call it a day like some of the other Askoll based pumps. That said, even without the AKB, the Askoll 1500's should last a long time if proper attention is paid to the pump as noted above.
 
Pablos RSM 450 said:
I recommend the RLSS R10i they actually have it on sale in Salty Supply for $550.

http://www.saltysupply.com/filters-...ernal-protein-skimmer-w-waveline-dc12000.html

I have the R6i and it is the best skimmer I have owned. Another would be the 30 inch Lifereef SVS-30 in sump for $524 with your pump of choice (1,100 gph minimum). The issue with pinwheel or needlewheel skimmers is that eventually the pumps fail and it is a pain to find a replacement since most people have issues after about 2 years and after the warranty is expired.
Click to expand...

I saw that sale, and it did catch my eye. That's a great price. Unfortunately, the R10-i goes against at least two of my criteria: Chinese pump and internally mounted pump.

If it was the R10-u/e, I would likely make the leap, as I have heard good things about RLSS. However, I'm having trouble tracking down an R10-u in stock anywhere, let alone on sale.

I'm still keeping it on my list, though, as I continue to hear that RLSS skimmers are quite good.
 
Breadman03 said:
Lifereef SVS 3-30 and a Vectra L1. Note that Lifereef will customize your skimmer if you'd like and will trim down the height a bit if you have clearance issues.

http://www.lifereef.com/venturi.html

http://ecotechmarine.com/products/vectra/vectra-l1
Click to expand...

A lot of people have great things to say about Lifereef, but paired with a Vectra L1, this would put me over the $1k mark (~$525 + $450). I'd also be concerned with reducing the height, as I'm under the impression these skimmers rely on height to be as great as they are.
 
bidny said:
A lot of people have great things to say about Lifereef, but paired with a Vectra L1, this would put me over the $1k mark (~$525 + $450). I'd also be concerned with reducing the height, as I'm under the impression these skimmers rely on height to be as great as they are.
Click to expand...

You can always contact him and see if he can do an acceptable price for the pair.
 
Breadman03 said:
You can always contact him and see if he can do an acceptable price for the pair.
Click to expand...



I may be doing that. It does make me feel better that I can use any correctly spec'd pump to power these skimmers, since it's usually the pump that has the issue on a skimmer. I might even be able to use an existing pump of mine until I decide to upgrade to the Vectra.
 
The new Deltec DC skimmers in the SC range are relatively inexpensive. Also super easy to clean (bayonet-twist cup removal, no tools for disassembly - makes maintenance a breeze) and very compact. They run deltec-modified and quality-controlled jebao DC pumps to keep prices lower.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
bidny said:
I saw that sale, and it did catch my eye. That's a great price. Unfortunately, the R10-i goes against at least two of my criteria: Chinese pump and internally mounted pump.

If it was the R10-u/e, I would likely make the leap, as I have heard good things about RLSS. However, I'm having trouble tracking down an R10-u in stock anywhere, let alone on sale.

I'm still keeping it on my list, though, as I continue to hear that RLSS skimmers are quite good.
Click to expand...

I know it goes against your criteria but it is by far the best skimmer I have owned. The U/E models are good also if you can find them.
 
bidny said:
A lot of people have great things to say about Lifereef, but paired with a Vectra L1, this would put me over the $1k mark (~$525 + $450). I'd also be concerned with reducing the height, as I'm under the impression these skimmers rely on height to be as great as they are.
Click to expand...

I am actually running a $80 Jecod DCT 6000 in my 24 inch Lifereef. You can contact Jeff and he can custom make you a skimmer to your specs. He has by far the best customer service I have dealt with. All you have to do is call him.
303-978-0940 or 303-719-0950.
 
BubbleMyTip said:
The new Deltec DC skimmers in the SC range are relatively inexpensive. Also super easy to clean (bayonet-twist cup removal, no tools for disassembly - makes maintenance a breeze) and very compact. They run deltec-modified and quality-controlled jebao DC pumps to keep prices lower.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Who distributes Deltec in the US? I can't seem to find pricing.
 
Pablos RSM 450 said:
I am actually running a $80 Jecod DCT 6000 in my 24 inch Lifereef. You can contact Jeff and he can custom make you a skimmer to your specs. He has by far the best customer service I have dealt with. All you have to do is call him.
303-978-0940 or 303-719-0950.
Click to expand...

Will do.
 
I would consider the best used skimmer that meets your specs and price range. You should easily be able to find something suitable. Bubble King, Vertex Alpha or ATB.
 
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