Need help on picking skimmer

[Ricky1066]

hello I started my sw tank 6 days ago I have been posting in the new to hobby section but was refered here now.

I guess you can say I got taken in the store. I bought a fluval 405 canister filter on the stores recomendation .Now I am being told here I don't need any filter Just a skimmer. A hob skimmer since my tank is not drilled and I do not see a sump in the near future.
Now please keep In mind I already spent $1400 in the last week on the live sand 73 pounds of rock and a filter I don't need . I saw a few on ebay which are $100 but being told no ?
So can some one please recomend a hob skimmer at a reasonable price ?

I also need a light I have the basic single bulb 4 foot fixture I plan on keeping just a few fish not that many no reefs yet or in the near future just a few fish and cleaners.?

any help is appreciated?

Am I also supposed to turn of my filter when I get the skimmer.?

[clsanchez77]

Already spent $1400 huh, does not stop there

My recomendation is dont skimp on the skimmer. A good cheap skimmer is the CPR HOB skimmers. I used these on my first tank whcih was a 20g. I would recomend them and you can get them for under $200. If you can come up with about $3-400, I highly recomend the AquaC line of HOB skimmers.

Despite the information you have gotten so far, you can also go skimmerless, but requires your tank be setup for it.

Regarding the light, if you are not keeping corals, and since you are struggling with cash, keep your 4' fixture for now. I assume it is a standard flourescent? Use a regular (not VHO) URI 50/50 bulb. Upgrade the lighting later when you know what you want to keep. Besides, if you decide to do mushrooms (but not ricordia) or something else low demanding, the 4' strip will be adequate. I would recomend the mushrooms as a start by the way; great beginner coral.

Regarding the filter. Keep it to assit with water changes and for running carbon. You should run carbon 24/7, although opinions will differ on that here at RC. In my opinion, the carbon is more important than the skimmer.

Good Luck
Chris

[luke33]

If this is your 75g there are a few hot's out there that will work. From least expensive to highest. Octo300f($230 @marinesolutionsinc.com) its a nice skimmer and 75g is going to be max it can handle. Bermuda rogue($250 **********.com) imo the best hot skimmer out there. Use a mag 5 with it so 300bux total. Deltec mce600 (449bux) very nice skimmer. Turbofloater 3000 blue(530bux) no one around has spend that kind of money to test it but its pulling a suposed 35scfh. Those are the only hot skimmers available that can handle that size of tank. HTH That stinks about teh LS and canister filter....well you can run carbon and what not in it so it won't be a total waste.

Lights just leave them til you want some corals, many zoa's, shrooms, xenia softies will be fine. I would definately steer clear from the aqua c remora as that would just be another 300bux to add to your wasted pile of junk.

Luke

[Ricky1066]

Thanks I am not struggling for cash I am just like anyone else Ihate to be told to buy somethng and then find it it was ot needed so I have learned to ask first.

The store guy said buy the fliter every tank needsa filter?
Now I hear take out the sponges and those round things it came with No idea on the names so what the hell do I need it for .

Light I was told i HAD to have double bulbs light for $150 so I figured I would ask first,,

I go to the store I see skimmers they say good for 100gallon tank I think it is ok
as is the following one I would buy this why would it not be good..
http://cgi.ebay.com/Protein-Skimmer-...QQcmdZViewItem

[dzeadow]

because they're crazy if they think that tiny skimmer can handle a 180g tank. Luke's recommendations are good ones. You don't want to do like many have done and skimp on the skimmer just to find out that it's not working for you since it's too small for your application. Stay with the Octo 300F or Rogue if you can afford them (preferably the latter if possible). You'll never look back until you go and add a sump to your system and start using bigger more efficient skimmers.

[Ricky1066]

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewIt...idproduct=ACRM

Oh my God 3 people told me to buy this andnow you say no How am I supposed to know what to get .Here lies my problem .

On the new to hobby I have 3 people saying this is the best for me.

[luke33]

The jebo 180 may be able to handle a 30g tank, but thats about it.

[dzeadow]

I'll attest to the Remora being junk. I had one for a few weeks and it did diddly squat, switched to an Octo and that thing kicked the Remora's butt. And I only had the 100F, the 300F will waste the Remora. My remora's sitting under my stand collecting dust. I'd sell it if I hadn't hacked it all to pieces trying to make it better.

[Shooter7]

Yeah, they suggested to you the AC Pro with the bigger Mag drive pump in the newbie forum, not the MJ1200, as seen here:

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewIt...uct~ACRPB.html


But still, I had the AC Remora with a 1200 on my 26g bowfront before and it really didn't do a whole lot.

[jmadd]

keep checking the used forums you can usually find them for a good price there at least half of what they go for new. I know where you are coming from with all the opions being new myself I am in the same boat. The best thing to do is take someones opion and research it. If you search the forum for "AquaC Remora" you will see if people are having problems with them or not.

[dzeadow]

I still wouldn't waste my money on it. Most people that have success with the Remoras end up having to clean the cup and injector every few days, if not every day.. I guess I'm lazy, but I don't clean my stuff for a week and it still takes the Remora to the shed.

[luke33]

I used the pro with a mag 3, 5 and 7.....they all sucked. The newbie's give bad advice for skimmers alot of times especially when it comes to remora's. There's pry 5-10 users around that swear by them and a few hundred that will tell you there pure garbage. There quality control on building them is the issue. 95% are crapola and 5% are decent at best.

[Shooter7]

The best thing to do is take someones opinion and research it.

Hallelujah

[Ricky1066]

Ok thanks alot how about this can someone send me alink to one that is what i need ? or better yet one they use.Again I see the names I go on the sites tolook and they have them with 3 or 4 different motors on them I am looking for the advice of the experts on here rather then buy something I don't need again.

Thank you

[Bunkerbean]

To bad you needed a hang on. I just put a NW-150 modded up for sale. These guys on here have lots of knowledge. It is all a growing process.

[dzeadow]

Here's the two that luke mentioned above.

http://www.marinesolutionsinc.com/ca...duct_info.html

http://www.**********.com/Bermuda-Aq...ave-p-889.html

[luke33]

300f on an empty tank two days



Rogue on my 125g medium stocked with an in sump skimmer going at same time. Average day was this filled around two times.







The only downfall of the rogue is the pump hangs in teh tank. The octo 300f or deltecmce600 do not have pump's in the tank. I do think the rogue is a better performer than both though with a mag 5.

[porthios]

'Oh my God 3 people told me to buy this andnow you say no How am I supposed to know what to get .Here lies my problem .'

1. research, then buy.

no one's always followed that rule but no one'll argue with it either

take your time, figure out which animals you want to keep. research their needs and build an environment that'll support them.

anthony calfo's 'coral propagation'
eric borneman's 'aquarium corals : selection, husbandry, and natural history'
sprung and delbeek's 'the reef aquarium: science, art, and technology, vol 3'

are all good places to start. you'll get conflicting information and strategies no matter where you go. hear as many of them as you can, then decide which make sense to you and give it a shot.

hope you stick with it. it's challenging but a whole lot of fun..

[luke33]

I think books are great when it comes to corals, fish and creatures but not for equipment. I think it will let you know that a skimmer is important but won't give you good advice when picking a skimmer or light fixture, retrokit...etc.

[porthios]

i didn't mean to suggest that. although they will (very clearly) describe how the different types work which is confusing for the new reefer as well..

[Ricky1066]

oK I went home and removed my canister took out the sponge and the round white things (look like canneloni) left the carbon emptied it out and put it back for the movement for now.

I will go tomorow and look for a protein skimmer But I think first I have to get some powerheads Any one have a reocmendation on them how many? can they cross each other or should they allface the same way.

Iwill look on line or the only local store I kow in NY is
http://www.aquariumadventure.com/

which I am not happy with already they charged mr 410 pd for rock told me I needed a ffilter so i would rather have advice from you guys before I look.

If anyoe has any ny stores they know of let me kno

Thanks

[jonbry123]

You really need to research everything on the advice you get being new to the hobby. I've been in the hobby for more than 25 years and I still don't know it all. Skimmers are a whole other realm. Most IMO are junk. I have had more than 5 different brands and they just don't work like their supposed too. I have been using Bermuda Aquatics brands and have found for a mid priced skimmer to be exceptional. A few posts above stated the same. They have a HOB version rated to 150gallons. I also have one and the skim it pulls is excellent. If your interested in this brand and model I would recommend going to Something Fishy's website they are currently selling this model and it includes the pump. I haven't seen any other online retailer offering the pump w/skimmer, it is called the Rogue HOB. Their website is toofishy.com. As others have said DO NOT go cheap on the skimmer. I would also agree with other posts continue to use the Fluval to hold your media of choice. Good luck.

Scott

[carb850]

If you don't have a sump and have no intention of getting one, I would get a Tunze in tank skimmer. Maybe the Tunze DOC 9010. The only catch is they need a constant water height to work right, so you will also need to get an Automatic Top Off (ATO). But getting an ATO is a good idea anyhow.



I started off here on RC this time last year. It was fortunate in that I did not have much extra cash as the time, so I just read, and read. I didn't buy the first thing for 6 month. At that time I purchased some uncured live rock and started the curing process. I changed my mind on the size of the display a few times since then but luckly I hadn't purchased anything that I couldn't use on the larger tank. I'm just now putting together my main display. Since I been collecting stuff for about 5 months now I have saved a great deal of money.

BTW, I don't think $4.10 for live rock locally is a bad price, IF it is nice stuff. I think they are charging 2X that much in my area. So I purchased all of mine online so far.

[Ricky1066]

Ok I researched heard all your advice i bought the bermuda from the site mentioned above with the pump.

Now I think I need powerheads any suggestions?

I also took everything out of my canister except the carbon should I put anything else in there ?

[carb850]

I didn't catch what you were looking to keep. Powerheads suggestions would be based upon corals, what type if any. You don't need 50X turnover if you just want a FOWLR setup.