Best skimmer?

wakeupneo · 04/11/2013, 12:49 PM

So I have a 145 DT, with 40 gallon fuge... 185 gallons of water.

My clearance is 25" high with about a 10" X 10" footprint.

I would like to keep the water level about 10"-11" high.

What good in-sump units would you recommend? I'm pretty open on price, just want a good unit that wont crap out on me in 3 months.

A unit in which I wont have to keep up with the water level would be nice as well.

Thanks for your feedback gang!

GSMguy · 04/11/2013, 01:31 PM

If you don't want to worry about water level you will need a recirculating skimmer. I think a budget would be helpful as these things vary greatly in price.

karsseboom · 04/11/2013, 02:25 PM

Bk supermarine

wakeupneo · 04/11/2013, 03:29 PM

Id be looking to spend about $300 and the skimmer

GSMguy · 04/11/2013, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by karsseboom

Bk supermarine

Why not a Deluxe?

Quote:

wakeupneo Id be looking to spend about $300 and the skimmer

And that's why I asked "what's the best skimmer" and "What's the best $300 skimmer are very different questions.

I'm not to familar with skimmers in this price range but the SRO 1000 is only $319. That's a good skimmer for the price but it would be a stretch on that size tank.

I think others will chime in with options.

James77 · 04/11/2013, 07:12 PM

SRO 1000 or SRO 2000 are your best bet, if you can squeeze a few more bucks into the budget. Memorial day is only about a month away, and most every place will have 10% off.

Very quiet, great performing skimmers....better than most high end ones I have used, including a bubble king. 3 year warranty is hard to beat as well

stancfii · 04/11/2013, 08:36 PM

Find a used Reef Dynamics INS-180 or Vertex IN-180 body and put a BB2000 on it. How hard would it be for you to stabilize your water level? An unstable level could cause the skimmer to overflow, unless you get a recirculating skimmer for more money. Then I might look into avast marine.

wakeupneo · 04/12/2013, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James77

SRO 1000 or SRO 2000 are your best bet, if you can squeeze a few more bucks into the budget. Memorial day is only about a month away, and most every place will have 10% off.

Very quiet, great performing skimmers....better than most high end ones I have used, including a bubble king. 3 year warranty is hard to beat as well

Do all the reef octopuses require you to attach plumbing to them?

Is there a way around this?

James77 · 04/12/2013, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wakeupneo

Do all the reef octopuses require you to attach plumbing to them?

Is there a way around this?

How do you mean? Are you talking about the drain pipe?

wakeupneo · 04/12/2013, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James77

How do you mean? Are you talking about the drain pipe?

Not sure. I guess Im confused about the verticle pumbing with the red valve on top. What's that all about? Don't you have to attach outflow plumbing to that? Due to the logistics of my tank, Im not sure that would be possible.

karsseboom · 04/12/2013, 02:12 PM

That would be the exit pipe. The pump you see attached to the skimmer body is what sucks in air/water. Then the water exits out the pipe. The red valve is to control the flow out exit pipe. By adjusting the red valve you control the water level inside the skimmer. There is no extra plumbing, drop the skimmer in a sump and your good to go.

James77 · 04/12/2013, 03:01 PM

You don't have to attach plumbing to it, though I did just to quiet the falling water.
They do have sump saver versions where the pump is inside the body of the skimmer. What footprint can you use?

wakeupneo · 04/13/2013, 11:05 AM

My footprint is about 11 X 13

wakeupneo · 04/26/2013, 09:05 PM

So I purchased the reef octopus recirculating skimmer.

It's in-sump now but I noticed that the I can't get the water level in the skimmer any higher than the water in the sump? Is something wrong? Does it need to be broken in? Im a bit confused?

Thanks!

John

sirreal63 · 04/26/2013, 09:14 PM

What are you using for a feed pump?

wakeupneo · 04/27/2013, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirreal63

What are you using for a feed pump?

Feed Pump?

I simply put the unit together and put it in my sump. The pump is connected to the unit and is submerged in the sump.

sirreal63 · 04/27/2013, 09:54 AM

If it is a recirculating skimmer, it needs a pump to feed water into the body. Which model did you buy?

mkballer · 04/27/2013, 11:11 AM

You should increase the price range considering your systems total capacity.

sirreal63 · 04/27/2013, 11:26 AM

Look up exactly 4 posts from yours and you will see he already bought a skimmer. :-)

Quote:

Originally Posted by mkballer

You should increase the price range considering your systems total capacity.

wakeupneo · 04/27/2013, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mkballer

You should increase the price range considering your systems total capacity.

Yeah I actually bought the one rated for 180 gallons but I couldn't make it fit.

So, now I have this one. Im not sure if it's broken, or it's an issue of assembly but I get gt the water line to get higher.

04/11/2013, 12:49 PM	#1
wakeupneo Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 112	Best skimmer? So I have a 145 DT, with 40 gallon fuge... 185 gallons of water. My clearance is 25" high with about a 10" X 10" footprint. I would like to keep the water level about 10"-11" high. What good in-sump units would you recommend? I'm pretty open on price, just want a good unit that wont crap out on me in 3 months. A unit in which I wont have to keep up with the water level would be nice as well. Thanks for your feedback gang!

04/11/2013, 01:31 PM	#2
GSMguy Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northern New Mexico Posts: 17,420	If you don't want to worry about water level you will need a recirculating skimmer. I think a budget would be helpful as these things vary greatly in price. __________________ Nick. Conehead. Shallow Reef club. Current Tank Info: 48"x27"x14" Envision Acrylic rimless, 6x39w ATi Sunpower, Custom ATB Deluxe Skimmer, 4x tunze nano stream,ATB flowstar 1500, ACJR, Tunze osmolator.

04/11/2013, 07:12 PM	#6
James77 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 8,158	SRO 1000 or SRO 2000 are your best bet, if you can squeeze a few more bucks into the budget. Memorial day is only about a month away, and most every place will have 10% off. Very quiet, great performing skimmers....better than most high end ones I have used, including a bubble king. 3 year warranty is hard to beat as well __________________ Jim Current Tank Info: 120g Mixed Reef and 75g Freshwater

04/12/2013, 03:01 PM	#12
James77 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 8,158	You don't have to attach plumbing to it, though I did just to quiet the falling water. They do have sump saver versions where the pump is inside the body of the skimmer. What footprint can you use? __________________ Jim Current Tank Info: 120g Mixed Reef and 75g Freshwater

04/26/2013, 09:14 PM	#15
sirreal63 Go Spurs Go!!! Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Meadowlakes Texas Posts: 13,357	What are you using for a feed pump? __________________ Jack No One has ever been seriously injured by using the search function. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms should be a convenience store, not a government agency. Current Tank Info: Reefing the Pentagon.

04/11/2013, 02:25 PM	#3
karsseboom Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 2,183	Bk supermarine

04/11/2013, 03:29 PM	#4
wakeupneo Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 112	Id be looking to spend about $300 and the skimmer

04/11/2013, 08:36 PM	#7
stancfii Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Birmingham, AL Posts: 583	Find a used Reef Dynamics INS-180 or Vertex IN-180 body and put a BB2000 on it. How hard would it be for you to stabilize your water level? An unstable level could cause the skimmer to overflow, unless you get a recirculating skimmer for more money. Then I might look into avast marine.

04/12/2013, 02:12 PM	#11
karsseboom Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 2,183	That would be the exit pipe. The pump you see attached to the skimmer body is what sucks in air/water. Then the water exits out the pipe. The red valve is to control the flow out exit pipe. By adjusting the red valve you control the water level inside the skimmer. There is no extra plumbing, drop the skimmer in a sump and your good to go.

04/13/2013, 11:05 AM	#13
wakeupneo Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 112	My footprint is about 11 X 13

04/26/2013, 09:05 PM	#14
wakeupneo Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 112	So I purchased the reef octopus recirculating skimmer. It's in-sump now but I noticed that the I can't get the water level in the skimmer any higher than the water in the sump? Is something wrong? Does it need to be broken in? Im a bit confused? Thanks! John

04/27/2013, 09:54 AM	#17
sirreal63 Go Spurs Go!!! Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Meadowlakes Texas Posts: 13,357	If it is a recirculating skimmer, it needs a pump to feed water into the body. Which model did you buy? __________________ Jack No One has ever been seriously injured by using the search function. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms should be a convenience store, not a government agency. Current Tank Info: Reefing the Pentagon.

04/27/2013, 11:11 AM	#18
mkballer Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Michigan Posts: 14	You should increase the price range considering your systems total capacity.