Trying to select a skimmer....Need Suggestions

Speedway_06 · 10/12/2007, 09:09 AM

I have been searching for a quality skimmer on a budget and have narrowed it down to a couple of choices but I need some help deciding. The display tank is 90 gallons and I will have a 30 gallon sump. The skimmers I am looking at are the Coralife Superskimmer and the Berlin Turbo Classic. Are either of these going to be good choices and if so which one is better? The skimmer will be in sump. Thanks in advance

sherm71tank · 10/12/2007, 09:22 AM

The CSS is a better choice.

jsr · 10/12/2007, 09:25 AM

I went with an Octopus NW200 for my 135G and its working great. Also note that I am only doing FOWLR, no reef.

Speedway_06 · 10/12/2007, 09:31 AM

I will be setting this up to be a mixed reef, but I don't have all the cash in the world so I need a quality skimmer for a decent price. I don't want to skimp on it though if that makes any sense.

Speedway_06 · 10/12/2007, 09:41 AM

If I went with the CSS would the 125 be sufficient or should I just go for the 220? Are there any other skimmers I should be looking at that are comparable in price but just as good or better?

steri · 10/12/2007, 10:05 AM

1st, I think the CSS's are good skimmers. They do need a little tweaking the first couple of weeks, but overall, they are great skimmers.

2nd, between the 125 and 220. For your system, I would get the 220. The 125 is for systems up to 125 gallons. a 90 gallon tank +30 gallon sump would be just barely pushing it's limits. plus, as a general rule of thumb, you want your skimmer to be better then the bare minimum for the tank, in case your bioload ever gets a bit heavy, or you ever have that desire to impulse buy a fish in your tank when your tank is already pretty fully stocked....you know all the stuff us reefers do every now and again

Get the bigger one. That's my opinion. You'll be happy with it. CSS's are a good quality product!

jsr · 10/12/2007, 10:07 AM

IMO, always buy a larger skimmer then you currently need. That way, you dont have to buy another one should your stocking level change. My Octopus was about $200 shipped. I have been running it for a little over a month and it works great. I dont have any first hand experiance with the CSS so I dont know how they perform. I see alot of people on the boards that have the Octopus, modded and not, that love them. I dont want to push in you in any direction but you may want to look at the Octopus as a compairison before you buy any skimmer. Go to octopusskimmer.com to see the modles.

loosecannon · 10/12/2007, 11:12 AM

Boothe of them stink. jsr is right, go with octopus or asm, at list.

USC-fan · 10/12/2007, 11:24 AM

go with Octopus if you can spend $200 AND das if you can afford $300.

The das will be more "plug & play" and also have better performance.

10/12/2007, 09:09 AM	#1
Speedway_06 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Kent, WA Posts: 65	Trying to select a skimmer....Need Suggestions I have been searching for a quality skimmer on a budget and have narrowed it down to a couple of choices but I need some help deciding. The display tank is 90 gallons and I will have a 30 gallon sump. The skimmers I am looking at are the Coralife Superskimmer and the Berlin Turbo Classic. Are either of these going to be good choices and if so which one is better? The skimmer will be in sump. Thanks in advance

10/12/2007, 09:25 AM	#3
jsr Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Cedar Park, TX Posts: 409	I went with an Octopus NW200 for my 135G and its working great. Also note that I am only doing FOWLR, no reef. __________________ Just my grain of salt... Current Tank Info: 135G Oceanic Mixed, 4 x 140W VHO, Octopus NW200, 3 x Koralia 4's, 30G Sump, 140# Live Rock, 120# Live Sand, ATO

10/12/2007, 10:05 AM	#6
steri Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Aurora, IL. Posts: 2,361	1st, I think the CSS's are good skimmers. They do need a little tweaking the first couple of weeks, but overall, they are great skimmers. 2nd, between the 125 and 220. For your system, I would get the 220. The 125 is for systems up to 125 gallons. a 90 gallon tank +30 gallon sump would be just barely pushing it's limits. plus, as a general rule of thumb, you want your skimmer to be better then the bare minimum for the tank, in case your bioload ever gets a bit heavy, or you ever have that desire to impulse buy a fish in your tank when your tank is already pretty fully stocked....you know all the stuff us reefers do every now and again Get the bigger one. That's my opinion. You'll be happy with it. CSS's are a good quality product! __________________ 220g: French Angel, Emperor Angel, Passer Anger, Blue Tang, Yellow Tang, Snowflake Moray Eel, Lunar Wrasse Current Tank Info: 220 with T5HO lighting. ETSS skimmer.

10/12/2007, 10:07 AM	#7
jsr Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Cedar Park, TX Posts: 409	IMO, always buy a larger skimmer then you currently need. That way, you dont have to buy another one should your stocking level change. My Octopus was about $200 shipped. I have been running it for a little over a month and it works great. I dont have any first hand experiance with the CSS so I dont know how they perform. I see alot of people on the boards that have the Octopus, modded and not, that love them. I dont want to push in you in any direction but you may want to look at the Octopus as a compairison before you buy any skimmer. Go to octopusskimmer.com to see the modles. __________________ Just my grain of salt... Current Tank Info: 135G Oceanic Mixed, 4 x 140W VHO, Octopus NW200, 3 x Koralia 4's, 30G Sump, 140# Live Rock, 120# Live Sand, ATO

10/12/2007, 11:12 AM	#8
loosecannon Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: port kent Posts: 1,292	Boothe of them stink. jsr is right, go with octopus or asm, at list. __________________ I like getting WET! Current Tank Info: 44gal. 40 gal. 75 gal. 30gal. and working on a 75gal. rigt

10/12/2007, 09:22 AM	#2
sherm71tank Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 3,670	The CSS is a better choice.

10/12/2007, 09:31 AM	#4
Speedway_06 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Kent, WA Posts: 65	I will be setting this up to be a mixed reef, but I don't have all the cash in the world so I need a quality skimmer for a decent price. I don't want to skimp on it though if that makes any sense.

10/12/2007, 09:41 AM	#5
Speedway_06 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Kent, WA Posts: 65	If I went with the CSS would the 125 be sufficient or should I just go for the 220? Are there any other skimmers I should be looking at that are comparable in price but just as good or better?

10/12/2007, 11:24 AM	#9
USC-fan Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 3,626	go with Octopus if you can spend $200 AND das if you can afford $300. The das will be more "plug & play" and also have better performance.