You know what's tuff about many of these threads? Trying to put a model # with a brand name. Page after page of recommendations but unless you know the brand name, it's hard to find them to purchase. I am trying to change from a 65 gal tank with a HOB skimmer to a drilled 40 gal breeder with a 20 gal long sump. I plan on various sps/lps corals and a moderate fish load. So for the first time ever, I'm spending days trying to define "todays" wise choices for pumps, sumps, skimmers etc.
It sounds like sump water depth and flow rate can make/break a skimmers performance. So number one thing I need to define (after tank size) is the sump style and water depth? I plan on using a Ehnhien 1250 return pump. Smarter to submerge a skimmer, or keep it outside the sump? Maybe neither? Better to make the sump as big as possible and therefore it becomes a higher priority and dictates the skimmer's placement? No room left for skimmer's footprint on smaller cabinets?
It seemed like a couple years ago everyone was talking about the DAS skimmers. Now...not so much. Is this as much fashion as anything else? After all this time, no one design has nailed performance?
200 hundred pages of people spending time trying to honestly help. I'm trying to grasp it all, define the priorites, choose something of good value and good performance on something close to a nano with a 36x18 footprint defining my sump size. Any couple of clear choices?
