Skimmer Poll, opinions, and fun.

[Chef Reef]

Id like some opinions on what the "better" skimmers are out there. If you would please post what you are using, if you would rather be using something else, if you had to do mods to it, and what size tank it is on.

There is a poll attached to pick what brand you think has the best skimmer for the price. If a brand is not listed please choose "other" and post what skimmer it is you like. When you pick one in the poll please post out of that brand what you think is the best model.

What do you think is better? External or Internal?


For fun lets say your picking a skimmer for a 210gallon, heavy stocked, with a mixed reef and heavy feedings. With it comes a large sump with plenty of room for whatever skimmer you would like. *The catch* Keep the price affordable. Don't go and pick a $5000 skimmer .


Thanks for posting!

 

[gasman059]

DD !

 

[bawla47]

theres no h&s or deltec. how dare you! haha

 

[daywn]

got a reeflo 250 and very happy with it.

 

[ReefWreak]

Yea best in my mind is Deltec. It's just not best bang for buck.....

 

[Bernie21]

I own an aqua C remora for my tiny little overstocked tank... but I cannot say I will use that for my 92 sooooo... make of it what you will.

 

[NanoKat]

CPR Bak Pak here...on its own before and now built in to my Eco System hang on refugium.

 

[gasman059]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11752958#post11752958 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by daywn
got a reeflo 250 and very happy with it.

If I ever built another big tank I will most likely use one . I've seen them in action is looks like a very very good skimmer.

But in the meantime DD ETSS rules.

 

[Ding2daDong]

I use a DAS ex-1. It is a deltec knockoff and works just as well for less then half the price.

-Matthew

 

[Lifes A Beach]

no skimmer!

 

[reefarchitect]

ASM G2X, Its a G2 with a G3 pump. It handles my heavily stocked 180 very well.

 

[Chef Reef]

opps completely forgot to add Deltec and H&S :x

what do you all suppose would be the best for a 210 heavy stocked & fed? which model?

 

[bawla47]

reefarchitect.

i did the same thing to my g2, used a sedra 5000, meshmodded it, and recirulating and it really kicked butt. i see about the same amt of skimmate as my new h&s.

i still need to sell it too, but i cant even find the pump anymore, gotta look real hard.

 

[ReefWreak]

lol. Chef Reef, don't say "what would be the best" because the answer will be in the $1000-$2000 range for a non-commercial skimmer.

The Reeflos, but they are in the >$500 range.

What's your budget?

Bawla, how did the recirc mod come out? Easy enough to do? Feel pretty comfortable doing them?

 

[Chef Reef]

well id like to find one used it will be for my 75 but will want one that i can put on my 210 when i get it in about a year. it would probablly be a used one so im trying to find one for 150-300 range.

 

[jeffbrig]

Very happy with my euro-reef RC500. Recirculating design, fed directly from the overflow, and it has Eheim needlewheels - good stuff.

 

[ReefWreak]

I don't know of any skimmer in that price range that could really handle a 210... Maybe one of the recirc DAS skimmers or octopus extremes or something...

If you're a fan of DIY, you could find a skimmer like the one I have (euro-reef 8-2) for like $250-$300 and do a recirculating mod on it, then when you save up another $100-$150, stick another pump on it in recirculation mode, and you'd have a CRANKING skimmer. 8" diameter, 20 or $24" tube, yah...

 

[daywn]

if your looking to build one,i have a old skimmer with a 8" body that stands about 48" tall.the body is three pieces.the bottom section is about 24",the middle is about 18" and the top is about 10". i'll let it go for a reasonable price. doesn't have any pumps with it.it's drilled for three recirc. pumps on it.i had three sedra 9000's on it.i sold the pumps off it when i got the reeflo that uses a lot less power.send me your address and i'll send you a pic of it.

 

[Chef Reef]

im still learning about skimmers so heres another dumb question... whats the difference between a recirculating skimmer and a non recirculating skimmer?
also what is a needlewheel? whats the difference in design?

Jeff- did you buy the skimmer like that or did you mod it? can you point me to a link with the same thing or something similar? price? is that what is on your 250?

daywn- pm sent

 

[jeffbrig]

A recirculating design has a water feed separate from the needlewheel pump. The pump draws water from the skimmer, mixes in air/bubbles, and injects it back into the chamber. A non-recirculating design uses the same pump to also feed water into the skimmer. The pump is working against head pressure due to the skimmer's height, which reduces its flow rate, and the amount of bubbles it creates.


Here is a needlewheel pump (not the Eheim)

It's called a needlewheel because this impeller assembly is what spins and the 'needles' chop up fine bubbles.

Here's a shot of my skimmer before it left the ER shop. It's bigger than it looks - 12" diameter body, and 30" tall. When this picture was taken, it was configured with Gen-X pumps. I later upgraded to the Eheim models.

These aren't cheap, though. I just checked at Marine Depot and one of these will set you back about $1900 today.