Skimmer options for my upcoming Red Sea Reefer 350

[allendehl]

Hi there guys,

I am super excited about my first tank coming. Too bad I put the order today with BRS and is passed the cut off for Read Sea so it ships next friday...in 7 days!! :hmm2: Cant wait!!

Ok, in the meantime I'm spending time reading and learning and picking the rest of my equipment.

I am now in the skimmer selection. I am new to the hobby to I don't know about brands or different types to be able to select by myself. Would yo mind helping me our here with possible options? I'd like to stick to BRS since I have a credit there I'd like to use. Below are the brands of skimmers they carry:

Vertex
Skimz
Reef Octopus
Somatic
Tunze
Innovative Marine

As far as what I plan in having, I'd start with rocks and fish, once I get the hang of the hobby I'll get into more complex stuff as corals etc. I still don't have the whole picture because of being a total newbie. I am looking for something that gives me a bit of room to grow w/o adding too much to the budget.

Any help is greatly appreciated!!

 

[allendehl]

Oh...if it helps I am planing in getting the Sicce Syncra 3.0 return pump.

 

[slyseekr]

Congrats on the tank purchase, and welcome to the burn-a-hole-in-your-wallet stage i.e. gathering equipment stage!

So, based on your tank size, the Tunze and Innovative Marine options are out as they largely make skimmers for smaller /nano systems.

My main choice would be a Reef Octopus, they're generally highly regarded in the industry. I would have gotten the 5" space saver if it actually fit in my sump (ended up with a Bubble Magus Curve 5). The Vertex line is also worth considering.

Beyond that, typical recommendations would be to go with a skimmer that's rated for 1 or more sizes up for your display tank (allows for a heavier bioload / future growth, and/or maintains water quality more effectively), and, one that fits in the space you intend to place it.

 

[allendehl]

Thank you slyseekr! My pocket still burns after the Reefer 350...!!

 

[JUNBUG361]

Simplicity skimmers

 

[Jon0807]

I currently have a Vertex Omega 150. It's my first real big skimmer so I don't really have anything to compare it to. But I will say that it has been a pain to not only break in, but to tune. The instructions say that it should break in in about 24 hours, but mine took about 2 weeks. And I'm now trying to fine tune it. Also, the footprint is a bit larger than some of the others I have seen due to the pump being outside of the skimmer. But this feature is actually something I like because it allows more water to come into contact with the bubbles inside the skimmer.

And another point. Both BRS and Vertex customer service is top notch. My first skimmer came damaged and BRS was quick to swap it out. The second one developed a ton of micro cracks in the skimmer cup. BRS got into contact with Vertex and Vertex sent me a replacement skimmer cup right away.

So although I ran into a few problems with this skimmer and being frustrated with the break in period, it's slowly starting tune. And the build quality is excellent! It looks and feels insanely durable.

 

[Reefer40b]

Eshopps 4th Gen S120 or S200 if you plan to stock heavy
or
Reef octo 152s

These are what I would use...

 

[allendehl]

Thank you very much!