red sea prism skimmer

ReefGregory · 03/07/2009, 05:41 PM

is it good?

reefscape15 · 03/07/2009, 06:17 PM

Are you planning for your 90 gal? For the $120, i feel the Deluxe Pro is pretty good, and would handle a tank your size

mikeatjac · 03/07/2009, 06:50 PM

One of the best things I did a long time ago was to get rid of mine. Way over rated, needs to be adjust all the time and is prone to leaks.

petedoc · 03/07/2009, 06:55 PM

Worst money I have ever spent in this hobby and that is saying alot!

frenchie · 03/07/2009, 07:04 PM

i would use one over a coralife or seaclone, but shoot for octopus skimmer atleast.

jdiddy8384 · 03/07/2009, 08:08 PM

Like said before. A waste of your money. Save your money and get somthing else. Ive got one collecting dust id give away! LOL The worst skimmer i have ever had, my cousins seaclown did better.

redfishsc · 03/07/2009, 08:58 PM

I do not own one and never will unless it's a freebie.

I have looked around at skimmer options, and have yet to find a thread where more than about 1% of the people posting thought it was a good skimmer.

petedoc · 03/07/2009, 10:38 PM

The octopus HOB are a much better option

Poorcollegereef · 03/08/2009, 12:06 PM

OK, I am going out on a limb here, but I actually use one. And it is better than my Remora!

Its actually not a bad skimmer... just the capability may be over advertised. I run it on 20g... and I did a meshmod and added a "bubbleplate". It does a decent job an the skimmate color and thickness is not far off of my MSX (just not the volume). Even unmodded, the skimmer can do a good job on small tanks.

The major drawback of this skimmer is the reaction chamber and the amount of turbulence. The reaction chamber is tiny and there is also a lot of turbulence It is also sensitive to water level changes.

As for a 90g tank, if the prizm was to be used for that size of a tank, this skimmer is really undersized and really will not handle the bioload at all. I would suggest a Vertex, Octopus, or MSX

saltkreep88 · 03/08/2009, 01:25 PM

Poorcollegereef, how did you add a bubble plate to a prism?

Poorcollegereef · 03/08/2009, 03:53 PM

Essentially, I used the needlepoint plastic mesh found in the walmart sewing section, (I used the large grid pattern with the larger holes). I cut the mesh to fit at a a certain point in the prism body, just above the outflow of the pump. I used bamboo grilling skewers to apply superglue to the inside of the skimmer body and then I squeezed the cut mesh through the neck of the skimmer body without the collection cup and used (non-glued) skewers to position the mesh where I wanted it. Now, the only thing I wish I did a better job of was to have the mesh more perpendicular and even out the bubbles a bit more since the pump direction still shoots most of the bubbles to one side of the first chamber, but overall, the bubbles are rising just a bit more evenly than it used to.

reefscape15 · 03/10/2009, 10:31 AM

Does that really help? I have this skimmer and am going to do a mesh mod on the impeller, which i'm told helps produce better microbubbles, but that bubbleplate might also help out.

Guygettnby · 03/10/2009, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jdiddy8384
Like said before. A waste of your money. Save your money and get somthing else. Ive got one collecting dust id give away! LOL The worst skimmer i have ever had, my cousins seaclown did better.

Just let me know when you wanna give it away and i will pay for shipping!

Guygettnby · 03/10/2009, 11:05 AM

i currently run 2 prizm skimmers on my small tanks and am planing on runing a third. regardless of what other people say or think about this skimmer it is a decently priced skimmer for the money. only problem is they way over rated this skimmer. anything above a 30g tank is not even worth trying it. the biggest tank i use it on is my 24g AP and it does a bang up job!

they can be finicky at times, but once you set it to get some nice dry skimate they usualy are good to go. every once in awhile i will fullwith the setting to get it abit better but i personally like messing with my tanks, so that is no concern of mine there. mine have never leaked or over flowed in the entire time i have owned them. i have had my first prizm for almost 3 years now and it is still going strong with minor cleaning once in awhile.

petedoc · 03/10/2009, 01:42 PM

They work fine on a tank less than 30 gal with small bio-load and constant water level.

drowningdreamer · 03/10/2009, 03:12 PM

Heres what I've done to mine. Still need to try the new needle impeller and possibly upping the pump to a 500.

The old prizm pump was rated for 300gph according to redsea. So I figured I'd pop on a mag 350 and see what it would do.

Had to make my own venturi intake. I plumb one like how the original inlet tube was. This is my ver 2.

VER 2

VER 1

drowningdreamer · 03/10/2009, 03:16 PM

Oh yeah VER 2 is on a 37gal tank with very low bio-load (few corals, inverts) so it really isn't skimming anything.

VER 1 was on a 75gal which had a fish bio, invert, and coral bioload. So It skimmed more but not much either.

petedoc · 03/10/2009, 06:07 PM

I feel like mailing you my old Prizm so you can continue to mod these worthless units. Someday with enough work you may have it skimming adequately for a 100 gal tank with a school of Chromies. Maybe you could attach an octopus body as a reaction chamber and plumb in a couple of Sicce meshwheel pumps. You might have a great skimmer eventually!

reefscape15 · 03/10/2009, 07:42 PM

I don't have the Deluxe Pro, only the smaller Deluxe one running stock on a 54gal. With mesh impeller mod and bubble trap do you think it would be adequate for my tank?

Poorcollegereef · 03/10/2009, 08:23 PM

The "bubble plate" helps some I think. At least the stream leaving the pump is not blasting the air/water directly into the side of the dividing plate.

As for meshing and bubble plating, I think a 54g is to big for the smaller model prizm

In any case, this pic is of 5 days of skimming. The MSX cup is on a 65g/20L sump with 5 smaller fish, the Prizm cup is the 20L with 2 mollies (for algae control) and 3 damsels.

Im guessing that the prizm has about 6-7oz in ti the MSX has about 38ish ounces.

reefscape15 · 03/12/2009, 02:26 PM

Bummer man! I have about $200 ready to dump on some frags and i'd really rather not buy a new skimmer! I know i'm gonna need one, but i'm still gonna try the mods and see what it works like i guess. I've never had parameters out of wack with that skimmer on the tank and it's been about 4 months. I really want to thank Poorcollegereef for the insight on the bubble plate! Also, is there any way you could post a pic of that plate in your skimmer, just so i have a better idea of how you positioned it? Thanks man!

reefscape15 · 03/12/2009, 02:29 PM

WOW i can't believe i didn't notice till just now, but what year MR2 do you have? I LOVE the 91-95 model! They're so sick!!!! Also what's done to it? I had a friend in college and we swapped out his turbo, cams, crank, all pullys, ported and polished head, low comp pistons. Probably a lot more done to it but i can't remember everything. He had it dyno'd at 360ish hp and like 320 torque. Man that thing was so bad!!!!

Poorcollegereef · 03/14/2009, 08:49 PM

Ok pictures of the improvised bubbleplate

topview (sorry for any blurriness, hard to focus the camera on the plate)

\

The trick was to cut the curve in the bubbleplate to match the curve in the skimmer body (right side)

Sideview

If it is hard to see, the bubbleplate is essentially the brownline just above the first baffle coming from the pump area. I kinda wish I placed the plate higher and angled it slightly upwards towards the outside (right side in photo)

Here is the tank that it is running on... newly set up (rearranged) I replaced the old t-5 that were on it with a 175w MH so I could convert it to a frag tank for some of my sps, and not just xenia and softies.

And here is a "not so good" shot of the skimmer in action right after I cleaned it out. It was just now beginning to produce again. The waterline is just below the o-ring.

Poorcollegereef · 03/14/2009, 09:01 PM

oh, and reefscape, you could get by with a prizm and frequent water changes (for as long as your bioload is not to heavy). I would recommend upgrading to a higher capacity skimmer eventually. I don't know if you have a sump, but there are some skimmers like Vertex and the NW Octos that are out there for under/around $150 that will do a really good job for your tank volume. If you have to keep it a hang-on, look for the secci powered octopus hang-on or a deltec MCE600, although the deltec cost a lot of money $500... ouch (but it is worth it)

celano · 03/14/2009, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ReefGregory
is it good?

no

03/07/2009, 05:41 PM	#1
ReefGregory United States Navy Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: New Lenox, Illinois Posts: 180	red sea prism skimmer is it good? __________________ -Greg- Current Tank Info: Shutting Down the 90 Reef, Going to the Navy so no time. 30 gallon FOWLR now for the wife and kiddies!

03/07/2009, 06:17 PM	#2
reefscape15 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Elmira Heights, NY Posts: 2,812	Are you planning for your 90 gal? For the $120, i feel the Deluxe Pro is pretty good, and would handle a tank your size __________________ A new beginning........... JIM Current Tank Info: 5g standard softie/zoa tank, just starting a 20H

03/07/2009, 06:50 PM	#3
mikeatjac Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Jacksonville, Florida Posts: 2,433	One of the best things I did a long time ago was to get rid of mine. Way over rated, needs to be adjust all the time and is prone to leaks. __________________ Red Sea Reefer 525 - BK 160- G5 Blue - GHL

03/07/2009, 06:55 PM	#4
petedoc Premium Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Lewiston Idaho Posts: 1,131	Worst money I have ever spent in this hobby and that is saying alot! __________________ Charter member of the Trial and Error Club, when that doesn't work ask the stupid question here on RC to get an intelligent answer. Current Tank Info: 270Reef w/Chrysurus Angel,Vlamingi Tang, Atlantic Blue Tang, Dispar Anthias, Sargassum Trigger

03/07/2009, 07:04 PM	#5
frenchie Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,730	i would use one over a coralife or seaclone, but shoot for octopus skimmer atleast. __________________ Darrick slash member 24 gallon nano cube, LED lights, zoanthids, shrooms Current Tank Info: 93 gallon cube, ecotech LED, swc 160 cone skimmer, lots of softies

03/07/2009, 08:08 PM	#6
jdiddy8384 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 138	Like said before. A waste of your money. Save your money and get somthing else. Ive got one collecting dust id give away! LOL The worst skimmer i have ever had, my cousins seaclown did better.

03/07/2009, 08:58 PM	#7
redfishsc Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Wake Forest, NC Posts: 3,696	I do not own one and never will unless it's a freebie. I have looked around at skimmer options, and have yet to find a thread where more than about 1% of the people posting thought it was a good skimmer. __________________ "The measure of a life is not its duration but its donation." Corrie Ten Boom “The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins” -- Søren Kierkegaard Current Tank Info: ghetto grad school reef.....11g rimless tank, 36X9X9, lit by Cree and Rebels scobbled together. Stocked mostly with free stuff I got from panhandling my fellow reefers.

03/07/2009, 10:38 PM	#8
petedoc Premium Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Lewiston Idaho Posts: 1,131	The octopus HOB are a much better option __________________ Charter member of the Trial and Error Club, when that doesn't work ask the stupid question here on RC to get an intelligent answer. Current Tank Info: 270Reef w/Chrysurus Angel,Vlamingi Tang, Atlantic Blue Tang, Dispar Anthias, Sargassum Trigger

03/08/2009, 12:06 PM	#9
Poorcollegereef Future Doc Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: DC Posts: 961	OK, I am going out on a limb here, but I actually use one. And it is better than my Remora! Its actually not a bad skimmer... just the capability may be over advertised. I run it on 20g... and I did a meshmod and added a "bubbleplate". It does a decent job an the skimmate color and thickness is not far off of my MSX (just not the volume). Even unmodded, the skimmer can do a good job on small tanks. The major drawback of this skimmer is the reaction chamber and the amount of turbulence. The reaction chamber is tiny and there is also a lot of turbulence It is also sensitive to water level changes. As for a 90g tank, if the prizm was to be used for that size of a tank, this skimmer is really undersized and really will not handle the bioload at all. I would suggest a Vertex, Octopus, or MSX

03/08/2009, 01:25 PM	#10
saltkreep88 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Southern NJ Posts: 127	Poorcollegereef, how did you add a bubble plate to a prism?

03/08/2009, 03:53 PM	#11
Poorcollegereef Future Doc Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: DC Posts: 961	Essentially, I used the needlepoint plastic mesh found in the walmart sewing section, (I used the large grid pattern with the larger holes). I cut the mesh to fit at a a certain point in the prism body, just above the outflow of the pump. I used bamboo grilling skewers to apply superglue to the inside of the skimmer body and then I squeezed the cut mesh through the neck of the skimmer body without the collection cup and used (non-glued) skewers to position the mesh where I wanted it. Now, the only thing I wish I did a better job of was to have the mesh more perpendicular and even out the bubbles a bit more since the pump direction still shoots most of the bubbles to one side of the first chamber, but overall, the bubbles are rising just a bit more evenly than it used to.

03/10/2009, 10:31 AM	#12
reefscape15 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Elmira Heights, NY Posts: 2,812	Does that really help? I have this skimmer and am going to do a mesh mod on the impeller, which i'm told helps produce better microbubbles, but that bubbleplate might also help out. __________________ A new beginning........... JIM Current Tank Info: 5g standard softie/zoa tank, just starting a 20H

03/10/2009, 11:05 AM	#14
Guygettnby Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: FL Posts: 3,050	i currently run 2 prizm skimmers on my small tanks and am planing on runing a third. regardless of what other people say or think about this skimmer it is a decently priced skimmer for the money. only problem is they way over rated this skimmer. anything above a 30g tank is not even worth trying it. the biggest tank i use it on is my 24g AP and it does a bang up job! they can be finicky at times, but once you set it to get some nice dry skimate they usualy are good to go. every once in awhile i will fullwith the setting to get it abit better but i personally like messing with my tanks, so that is no concern of mine there. mine have never leaked or over flowed in the entire time i have owned them. i have had my first prizm for almost 3 years now and it is still going strong with minor cleaning once in awhile.

03/10/2009, 01:42 PM	#15
petedoc Premium Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Lewiston Idaho Posts: 1,131	They work fine on a tank less than 30 gal with small bio-load and constant water level. __________________ Charter member of the Trial and Error Club, when that doesn't work ask the stupid question here on RC to get an intelligent answer. Current Tank Info: 270Reef w/Chrysurus Angel,Vlamingi Tang, Atlantic Blue Tang, Dispar Anthias, Sargassum Trigger

03/10/2009, 03:12 PM	#16
drowningdreamer Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Earth 2009 Posts: 130	Heres what I've done to mine. Still need to try the new needle impeller and possibly upping the pump to a 500. The old prizm pump was rated for 300gph according to redsea. So I figured I'd pop on a mag 350 and see what it would do. Had to make my own venturi intake. I plumb one like how the original inlet tube was. This is my ver 2. VER 2 VER 1

03/10/2009, 03:16 PM	#17
drowningdreamer Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Earth 2009 Posts: 130	Oh yeah VER 2 is on a 37gal tank with very low bio-load (few corals, inverts) so it really isn't skimming anything. VER 1 was on a 75gal which had a fish bio, invert, and coral bioload. So It skimmed more but not much either.

03/10/2009, 06:07 PM	#18
petedoc Premium Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Lewiston Idaho Posts: 1,131	I feel like mailing you my old Prizm so you can continue to mod these worthless units. Someday with enough work you may have it skimming adequately for a 100 gal tank with a school of Chromies. Maybe you could attach an octopus body as a reaction chamber and plumb in a couple of Sicce meshwheel pumps. You might have a great skimmer eventually! __________________ Charter member of the Trial and Error Club, when that doesn't work ask the stupid question here on RC to get an intelligent answer. Current Tank Info: 270Reef w/Chrysurus Angel,Vlamingi Tang, Atlantic Blue Tang, Dispar Anthias, Sargassum Trigger

03/10/2009, 07:42 PM	#19
reefscape15 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Elmira Heights, NY Posts: 2,812	I don't have the Deluxe Pro, only the smaller Deluxe one running stock on a 54gal. With mesh impeller mod and bubble trap do you think it would be adequate for my tank? __________________ A new beginning........... JIM Current Tank Info: 5g standard softie/zoa tank, just starting a 20H

03/10/2009, 08:23 PM	#20
Poorcollegereef Future Doc Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: DC Posts: 961	The "bubble plate" helps some I think. At least the stream leaving the pump is not blasting the air/water directly into the side of the dividing plate. As for meshing and bubble plating, I think a 54g is to big for the smaller model prizm In any case, this pic is of 5 days of skimming. The MSX cup is on a 65g/20L sump with 5 smaller fish, the Prizm cup is the 20L with 2 mollies (for algae control) and 3 damsels. Im guessing that the prizm has about 6-7oz in ti the MSX has about 38ish ounces.

03/12/2009, 02:26 PM	#21
reefscape15 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Elmira Heights, NY Posts: 2,812	Bummer man! I have about $200 ready to dump on some frags and i'd really rather not buy a new skimmer! I know i'm gonna need one, but i'm still gonna try the mods and see what it works like i guess. I've never had parameters out of wack with that skimmer on the tank and it's been about 4 months. I really want to thank Poorcollegereef for the insight on the bubble plate! Also, is there any way you could post a pic of that plate in your skimmer, just so i have a better idea of how you positioned it? Thanks man! __________________ A new beginning........... JIM Current Tank Info: 5g standard softie/zoa tank, just starting a 20H

03/12/2009, 02:29 PM	#22
reefscape15 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Elmira Heights, NY Posts: 2,812	WOW i can't believe i didn't notice till just now, but what year MR2 do you have? I LOVE the 91-95 model! They're so sick!!!! Also what's done to it? I had a friend in college and we swapped out his turbo, cams, crank, all pullys, ported and polished head, low comp pistons. Probably a lot more done to it but i can't remember everything. He had it dyno'd at 360ish hp and like 320 torque. Man that thing was so bad!!!! __________________ A new beginning........... JIM Current Tank Info: 5g standard softie/zoa tank, just starting a 20H

03/14/2009, 08:49 PM	#23
Poorcollegereef Future Doc Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: DC Posts: 961	Ok pictures of the improvised bubbleplate topview (sorry for any blurriness, hard to focus the camera on the plate) \ The trick was to cut the curve in the bubbleplate to match the curve in the skimmer body (right side) Sideview If it is hard to see, the bubbleplate is essentially the brownline just above the first baffle coming from the pump area. I kinda wish I placed the plate higher and angled it slightly upwards towards the outside (right side in photo) Here is the tank that it is running on... newly set up (rearranged) I replaced the old t-5 that were on it with a 175w MH so I could convert it to a frag tank for some of my sps, and not just xenia and softies. And here is a "not so good" shot of the skimmer in action right after I cleaned it out. It was just now beginning to produce again. The waterline is just below the o-ring.

03/14/2009, 09:01 PM	#24
Poorcollegereef Future Doc Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: DC Posts: 961	oh, and reefscape, you could get by with a prizm and frequent water changes (for as long as your bioload is not to heavy). I would recommend upgrading to a higher capacity skimmer eventually. I don't know if you have a sump, but there are some skimmers like Vertex and the NW Octos that are out there for under/around $150 that will do a really good job for your tank volume. If you have to keep it a hang-on, look for the secci powered octopus hang-on or a deltec MCE600, although the deltec cost a lot of money $500... ouch (but it is worth it)