Skimmer Q&A Thread

well i ordered the octo extreme sx 160 yesterday and it will be on my door step today. thats fast!!!!! cant wait to get this thing fired up and skimming. whats the recomended water depth for this skimmer

thanks
 
mojo~ said:
I wouldnt worry. just give it time. it will start to settle down in about a week. then you will start to get some light colored skimmate you will want to throw this away. If you can raise the skimmer another inch just until things settle in it will help too. Some salts have conditioners in them that cause skimmers to go a little crazy. I have had this happen many times with new setups. you will be fine. Trust me here on this one.
Click to expand...

The skimmer settled down in about 5 days.

I don't have any livestock in the tank yet, just basically cooking 70lbs of dry fiji rock without the lights on and the ATB has been producing dark cruddy ridiculously fowl smelling skimate.
 
mojo just got my octo sx 160 what should the water depth be. right now i have it in 12 inches of water just so the exit pipe is just under water. not sure on the height.
thanks
 
ok i have my skimmer in 7 inches of water now. how long till i start seeing skimate. its been running for 1.5 days now and i only have a small foam head forming. i have the water level at the part where the rubber gasket is on the collection cup.

thanks
 
just give it time. I would run the water level inside the skimmer a little lower. It can take a week or so to break in.

Mojo~
 
I am interested in upgrading my skimmer from a nw200 which worked great on a 75, to something better. I have a 150 sps reef now and a 100g stock tank for a sump in the basement. I am mostly interested in a sro either xp or not, or a more exciting option a new avast peg leg skimmer. Do you have an opinion on these new skimmers? Does the swabbie actually increase performance. I will have a heavy load eventually and would like to have to option to carbon dose if this makes a difference in your recommendation. Thanks.
 
sittnon18s said:
ok i have my skimmer in 7 inches of water now. how long till i start seeing skimate. its been running for 1.5 days now and i only have a small foam head forming. i have the water level at the part where the rubber gasket is on the collection cup.

thanks
Click to expand...

Make very small adjustments to the skimmer and then let it sit. I was getting great skim mate in the first week.
 
I guess I will bump this back to the top. I am slowing raising money to buy a new skimmer and am patiently awaiting advice on skimmer selection. Thanks. I asked on the avast forum and the response I got was that I could do it easily if I didn't go crazy with the fish load. That sounds like its going to be too small.
 
I would consider the sro 3000 int or the 3000sss if you need a small footprint. THe avast skimmer is fine but not really any different than what you already have. it will pull more air depending on the pump u use but the nw u have now will cycle more water. The 3000 might be a tad big if you are lightly stocked but if you are going to heavily stock it , it will be a good fit for you.
 
I keep going back and forth between the sro2000int and the xp-2000, on the outside looking in is the sro2000ext. First, what are the advantages of running an external skimmer aside from heat? How do you feel the xp stands up against the sro? The tank is a 4' 140. thanks again.
 
The SRO 2000 in and xp are both pretty good units. the int would be better for a smaller tank like a 90 gal. as it has a smaller neck than the xp version. The xp full cone has a slightly larger neck and would be better suited for your 140.

As far as internal or external recircs. It is really a matter of preference. I like internals for the simple fact if the cup overflows its going to pour in the sump. For larger systems or systems with small stands the externals become a more appealing option.
 
Seems I fall in the land of Limbo between the 2000 and 3000 line; that's why I was thinking about the higher rated external 2000, the saving could be put to good use, and I also need to keep resale in my considerations. I'm not afraid of overflows, my stand plan incorporates a pan and I would drain the cup to a larger container, I also run a drip top off so I would never replace a large amount of salt water with fresh, nevertheless, it would stink to have to give a good skimmer away because its not an internal. The conscientious seems to be that the sro 3000 int at the same price as the xp 2000 might be a wee bit overrated for my 4' 140?
 
Could you suggest a good skimmer for my broodstock setup that is under $350. I would rather it be way over sized as I am loading the tank with food 3-4 times per day. No space or noise requirements. I just want a skimmer with a decent pump that I can pick replacement parts online at most stores. I would like to avoid resun pumps.

I was leaning towards the PSK-300 but I am open to all suggestions.

thanks
Will
 
mr.maroonsalty said:
Seems I fall in the land of Limbo between the 2000 and 3000 line; that's why I was thinking about the higher rated external 2000, the saving could be put to good use, and I also need to keep resale in my considerations. I'm not afraid of overflows, my stand plan incorporates a pan and I would drain the cup to a larger container, I also run a drip top off so I would never replace a large amount of salt water with fresh, nevertheless, it would stink to have to give a good skimmer away because its not an internal. The conscientious seems to be that the sro 3000 int at the same price as the xp 2000 might be a wee bit overrated for my 4' 140?
Click to expand...

I dont even look at skimmer ratings. They are not even close 90% of the time.
 
hey mojo, thanks for this forum first of all. i have followed a few of your skimmer builds they were impressive. my question is about a reef devil. i have a rio 14hf pump on it and it doesnt skim at all. i have the water level about a third of the way up the clear tube with 6 bio balls in the downdraft. the foam seems to turbulant to build. do you think the pump is to much, not enough. i have a medium stocked 75 gallon mixed reef tank. thanks, robert
 
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