Which protein skimmer do you have, and do you recommend it?

[Thales]

Wet drys tend to become nitrate factories because the 'fill up' with detritus which then rots.
Most people go with biological filtration - live rock, a sandbed or a remote sandbed - and some kind of mechanical filtration for an extra push. Any mechanical filtration can become a nitrate factory if not cleaned regularly. Canisters are nice because you can use different media and the carbon is run actively instead of passively.
A skimmer is great because it can skim out ickies and add o2 to the water.

Wet dry is fine until it isn't. Wet dry was the cephs meow for a while, but then fell out of favor. Most people rely mostly on some sort of biological filtration.

Do you have a good saltwater reef book? They should go in depth into the differences of filtration methods so you can decide what will work for you.

I run a good skimmer, biological filtration via live rock and a remote sand bed. I have a canister or two if I feel the need to polish the water or run carbon.

 

[Thales]

Kharn, are you still talking to that life reef guy? Stop it, he's trying to sell you his stuff!

 

[Kharn]

yes, I have looked beyond lifereef now, thanks for the heads up tho

 

[Kharn]

Ever spent a decent amount of time making your own diagrams, only to then not be able to upload them... Anyway from what 'Animal Mother' has said about removing the Bio-Balls I can do that with the current setup, I will just tell the shop to take it out.

Now that leaves me with as 'Animal Mother' said a sump, within this sump would be my Protein skimmer(with its pump), Main flow Pump and a Heater (if needed). After noticing people using canister filters aswell it got me interested in some specifically the 'Fluval Fx5', my budget is quite flexible so the setup would be a Refugium with a sump attached, a protein skimmer within the sump and this is where im not sure the Canister leading to the sump or the Main display or ... ? Please view the photos in the 'Octopus Care' thread under 'Filters Vs Tanks'

The Refugium will hold ALL the Vegetation(s) and other creatures.

(P.S. there will be live rock in both the Refugium and Display tank)

 

[octoloco]

If NASA can't figure out how to solve the O-ring problem on their rocket blasters, then I doubt these skimmer designers will be able to. Sorry

 

[Thales]

If NASA can't figure out how to solve the O-ring problem on their rocket blasters, then I doubt these skimmer designers will be able to. Sorry

I don't understand this post.

 

[Thales]

the Canister leading to the sump or the Main display or ... ? Please view the photos in the 'Octopus Care' thread under 'Filters Vs Tanks'

If I am understading correctly, the canister should draw from the tank where it will remove ickies from the water, and then return to the tank. In general, they need to draw and return to the same body of water so disaster doesn't strike if a pump goes out of there is a power outage.

 

[OoNickoC]

Just thought I would throw my change in on skimmers I've had experience with....

Hangon tank: Remora...hands down

In sump: Euro-Reef CS series , BubbleMaster, Deltec

It hasnt been yet so I thought I'ld throw out there the fact that most people dont tune thier first or even second skimmer to its potential as far as air mixture and pump force. Your skimmate should reek, not smell like algae....

 

[mattyice]

I should of kept my ReeFlo Orca 250

for my 125G setup (200G system, going to treat it like a 350G system due to the bioload) im going to be looking at most likely getting a bubblemaster 250, ReeFlo Orca 200, or a Reef Filtration 300S

 

[zrider79]

i just got a mag 7 pump for a aqua c 180, it will be for a 75 gal. Ill give more feed back when in operation.

 

[Decay]

hey everyone, i am about to buy a skimmer, likely for about a 200 gallon setup (700 litres). im looking at two skimmer, one is significantly cheaper than the other, as in less than a third the price, its a down draft design rated at 1300 liters. the other one, which is far more expensive is a pin wheel design, rated at 1500 liters. my question is, is the pinwheel design that much better that its worth paying the extra money, or would the down draft design be just as effective? i plan on also using a large canister filter with a 2200 liter rating to supplement it, as well as a large amount of live rock.

 

[Hayek]

I just bought an Octopus BH-100f from an online retailer, and I think it is one of the most wonderful devices I have ever had the pleasure of purchasing. It is pulling a ton of dark brown gunk from my tank. I am extremely happy with it.

price: $159

The thing is huge! It probably holds 5 gallons of water by itself.

 

[paceslur]

im running an ASM G3 on a 125 with 40 gal sump/refug and it is prob one of the most non-hassle best skimming skimmers i've seen. Skims like a demon too! They are priced pretty reasonable for what you get, but you will still have to spend around 2-300 bucks.

 

[bandit]

hey everyone

i'm trying to get everything ready for my octo tank and i was wondering what is a good skimmer for a 80 gal tank?

 

[robind]

Does anyone have experience with the eshopps 160 skimmer?