your thoughts on skimmer choice

neelio · 12/06/2006, 10:11 PM

i just got my new 96 gal cube and am going the way of a sump (big mistake not having my current tank drilled). Got a 33 gal sump ready and look to stock SPS and LPS with a mix of 5-8 fish (the usual tangs, clowns, gramma's etc). Here is a list of what i am looking at. what plays into effect are operating noise, ease of use and of course $$

Coralife superskimmer 220- i hear its good bang for the buck
Euro reef cs/rs100 (or would i need the 135?)
Aqua C ev120

chime in on what you think or what you know. conditions permitting- adding more fish is always something of interest.

rykwong · 12/06/2006, 10:26 PM

From my personal experience I wouldn't go with the EV, little too finicky. I haven't used the CSS. I'd stick with the tried and trued euroreefs. The cs100 would be enough, but, like what everyone says here, it's better to go bigger. You can find a used CSS 220 on here for about $100. For $200 you can find the CS6-2+ which is equivalent to the new RS135. I'd say the extra $100 is worth it. If you're going to do it, might as well do it right the first time.

neelio · 12/07/2006, 07:21 PM

holy crap this forum moves fast!

jrmx635 · 12/09/2006, 10:40 PM

buy a downdraft like etss.
I always had etss skimmer and just switched to needlewheel.
They suck,I got a asm g3 and it doesn't pull half the stuff my evo 500 did.

MJT82 · 12/09/2006, 11:05 PM

I like my CSS. No complaints so far! I've had it running for probably 6+ months, with no problems and excellent skimming.

E-A-G-L-E-S · 12/09/2006, 11:15 PM

Bermuda Aquatics 5C....just my 02 cents

oldreefer76 · 12/10/2006, 01:35 PM

Euroreef they are plug and play set them and forget them

viggen · 12/10/2006, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jrmx635
buy a downdraft like etss.
I always had etss skimmer and just switched to needlewheel.
They suck,I got a asm g3 and it doesn't pull half the stuff my evo 500 did.

I do not beleive it's that they suck, it's just rated for a smaller aquarium? I also have a G3 & it is just OK.... needs the gate valve mod & depending on how that works, I might add another needlewheel pump to it.

The G3 is about $80 less then the etss evo500 & I would think the g4+ would of been a much closer comparison which costs $30 more then the evo500.

I would get the ER, just go as big as you can afford, I purchased my RC500 used

all-apologies · 12/10/2006, 05:18 PM

i second the downdraft. ETSS.

cloudancer · 12/10/2006, 06:20 PM

I have 2 euro-reefs and love them.... their biggest problem is they work well enough you can forget about them.

angelopasto · 12/10/2006, 09:17 PM

Go with the Euro Reef.

neelio · 12/10/2006, 10:32 PM

was kinda thinking from the beginning of this thread that the ER would be my best bet- i think thats what i shall go with.

mpoletti · 12/10/2006, 10:59 PM

My euroreef only support what the others have said.

McCrary · 12/11/2006, 02:07 AM

EuroReef makes a good skimmer, but the NW-200 that Octopus makes will give much more bang for the buck. At $210 the Octopus NW-200 has an 8" wide body and 24" of height. Thats as big as an H&S 200 or Deltec AP701 which range in price from $900-$1200.

E-A-G-L-E-S · 12/11/2006, 09:47 AM

but no eheim pump....not to mention with asm's and octopuses, everyone does mods, so how good are they really?

RichConley · 12/11/2006, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by rykwong
From my personal experience I wouldn't go with the EV, little too finicky. I haven't used the CSS. I'd stick with the tried and trued euroreefs. The cs100 would be enough, but, like what everyone says here, it's better to go bigger. You can find a used CSS 220 on here for about $100. For $200 you can find the CS6-2+ which is equivalent to the new RS135. I'd say the extra $100 is worth it. If you're going to do it, might as well do it right the first time.

"For $200 you can find the CS6-2+ which is equivalent to the new RS135. "

No, its not. The RS135 uses a newer designed needlewheel, and is much better built. They have a new name because theyre a different skimmer.

Check out the Reef Octopus NW200. Its about the same as an ER RS180, and costs $189.

Eagles, if I had a Euroreef, I'd mod it too. Us modders are just less likely to waste our money on expensive skimmers, why spend an extra $500 on something you're going to remove anyways?

(I sold my ER5-2 a while back)

The NW200 will destroy each one of those 3 skimmers you listed, and is cheaper than all of them.

viggen · 12/11/2006, 11:53 AM

yea... made in china to....

dam wal-mart society

12/06/2006, 10:11 PM	#1
neelio Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: calgary Posts: 69	your thoughts on skimmer choice i just got my new 96 gal cube and am going the way of a sump (big mistake not having my current tank drilled). Got a 33 gal sump ready and look to stock SPS and LPS with a mix of 5-8 fish (the usual tangs, clowns, gramma's etc). Here is a list of what i am looking at. what plays into effect are operating noise, ease of use and of course $$ Coralife superskimmer 220- i hear its good bang for the buck Euro reef cs/rs100 (or would i need the 135?) Aqua C ev120 chime in on what you think or what you know. conditions permitting- adding more fish is always something of interest.

12/09/2006, 10:40 PM	#4
jrmx635 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: rhode island Posts: 366	skimmer buy a downdraft like etss. I always had etss skimmer and just switched to needlewheel. They suck,I got a asm g3 and it doesn't pull half the stuff my evo 500 did.

12/09/2006, 11:05 PM	#5
MJT82 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Brandon, MS Posts: 410	I like my CSS. No complaints so far! I've had it running for probably 6+ months, with no problems and excellent skimming. __________________ Reefing since 2002 100g with 20g sump/fuge - Softies/LPS - 4x54w T5's 30g with 10g sump - Softies/LPS - 4x39w T5's Current Tank Info: 100 gallon soft coral reef with 30 gallon sump

12/09/2006, 11:15 PM	#6
E-A-G-L-E-S Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Lehigh Valley, PA Posts: 7,038	Bermuda Aquatics 5C....just my 02 cents __________________ Smug Egotistical Contemptuous It's difficult to get a man to understand something that his salary requires him not to.

12/10/2006, 01:35 PM	#7
oldreefer76 Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Fairview Park Ohio Posts: 2,452	Euroreef they are plug and play set them and forget them __________________ 15G and working on getting better Current Tank Info: 15G and building

12/06/2006, 10:26 PM	#2
rykwong Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Irvine Posts: 1,029	From my personal experience I wouldn't go with the EV, little too finicky. I haven't used the CSS. I'd stick with the tried and trued euroreefs. The cs100 would be enough, but, like what everyone says here, it's better to go bigger. You can find a used CSS 220 on here for about $100. For $200 you can find the CS6-2+ which is equivalent to the new RS135. I'd say the extra $100 is worth it. If you're going to do it, might as well do it right the first time.

12/07/2006, 07:21 PM	#3
neelio Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: calgary Posts: 69	holy crap this forum moves fast!

12/10/2006, 05:18 PM	#9
all-apologies Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: The left coast CA Posts: 294	i second the downdraft. ETSS.

12/10/2006, 06:20 PM	#10
cloudancer Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Durham, NC Posts: 264	I have 2 euro-reefs and love them.... their biggest problem is they work well enough you can forget about them.

12/10/2006, 09:17 PM	#11
angelopasto Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Montreal Posts: 193	Go with the Euro Reef.

12/10/2006, 10:32 PM	#12
neelio Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: calgary Posts: 69	was kinda thinking from the beginning of this thread that the ER would be my best bet- i think thats what i shall go with.

12/10/2006, 10:59 PM	#13
mpoletti You'll never walk alone Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Sacramento, Ca Posts: 18,245	My euroreef only support what the others have said. __________________ -Mark a.) I believe... The curse is a reality b.) Fish poop is your friend c.) Why chase numbers? #CoralsLiketoDisco #ReefSerenity

12/11/2006, 02:07 AM	#14
McCrary Can't Stop Time Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,079	EuroReef makes a good skimmer, but the NW-200 that Octopus makes will give much more bang for the buck. At $210 the Octopus NW-200 has an 8" wide body and 24" of height. Thats as big as an H&S 200 or Deltec AP701 which range in price from $900-$1200. __________________ Matt Patience is the best remedy for every trouble. Titus Maccius Plautus (254 BC - 184 BC), Rudens

12/11/2006, 09:47 AM	#15
E-A-G-L-E-S Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Lehigh Valley, PA Posts: 7,038	but no eheim pump....not to mention with asm's and octopuses, everyone does mods, so how good are they really? __________________ Smug Egotistical Contemptuous It's difficult to get a man to understand something that his salary requires him not to.

12/11/2006, 11:53 AM	#17
viggen Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Dayton, Ohio Posts: 2,213	yea... made in china to.... dam wal-mart society __________________ A tub of fish