Need help on choosing skimmer & best setup for my tank!!

[Reefin]

Ok so here it goes I'm kinda new to SW world so I'm looking for your opinions and suggestions on what type of protein skimmer I should get how should i install it i don't really want the skimmer in my sump/fuge I would rather do some sort of hang on skimmer or just totally separated from the sump/fuge would be preferred i would rather put it somewhere by my chiller and ATO reservoir if possible and how finally how do I plumb the thing heres some pics so you guys can see what I'm working with thanks everyone!!
Oh ya I'm going to be needing to skim about 85g of water thanks again
This is the middle section of my sump/fuge under my stand it's pretty cramped under there

The last section of my fuge w/intake from RT pump

This is behind the Tanks in my bathroom there's a 5"x5" hole for chiller and Ato lines along with electrical

 

[Reefin]

Any Ideas come on I know there are plenty of DIY's out there I'm not opposed to even making my own protein skimmer just need some input and ideas please

 

[Adam Black]

Try googling your question.

 

[Reefin]

while no body has responded to my thread lol I think I've learned everything about protein skimmers and what they do to the differnt types i'm just stuck with the desiciion of what kind i will get or make for my setup

 

[redsea reefer]

The only thing I can say is, Get one that is rated at double your total water volume...e.g- if your tank is 50g, get one that is made for 100g.

 

[DaveK]

Ok so here it goes I'm kinda new to SW world so I'm looking for your opinions and suggestions on what type of protein skimmer I should get how should i install it i don't really want the skimmer in my sump/fuge I would rather do some sort of hang on skimmer or just totally separated from the sump/fuge would be preferred i would rather put it somewhere by my chiller and ATO reservoir if possible and how finally how do I plumb the thing heres some pics so you guys can see what I'm working with thanks everyone!!
Oh ya I'm going to be needing to skim about 85g of water thanks again
...

On larger tanks, I'm not a big fan of hang on the tank equipment. It's really hard to get something decent in a large enough size. A skimmer outside of the sump can be an excellent choice. If you can have the tank about 18 inches from the wall, you can place the skimmer behind the tank. Usually when you do this, it works out best if you mount the skimmer on a small stand so that the base of the skimmer is above the usual water level in the sump, You do not want back pressure from the sump restricting the flow through the skimmer. You also don't want too high a stand, because the falling water will make some additional noise.

 

[Reefin]

the last pic i posted is behind the wall of my DT and sump/fuge I was thinking of just breaking down my shelving so that its just the one shelve above the chiller i would place the skimmer there any recommendations on brands of skimmers and sizes and What does you think of the down draft type style skimmers or the venturi which is the most effecient and reliable ??

 

[DaveK]

I've owned venturi skimmers and currently use a downdraft skimmer. I don't think it makes that much difference as far as the type goes. Both methods work well. What is more important is to make sure you get a quality product.

When skimmer shopping you'll see a wide range of products at all price levels. Some will be out and out junk, some will be ok, others will be good. You'll also see some good skimmers that I would consider overpriced.

Just to keep things interesting... You'll notice that I'm not recommending a specific brand. This is because there are so many brands out there, and it is just about impossible for anyone to try all of them, or even a significant number of them. This leads to my next point. Most people have only used a few skimmers, even if they have been in the hobby for decades. Most people will recommend the skimmer that they currently own or one that they have had a good experience with. Since they have only had experience with those few skimmers, they can tell you what works for them, but they can't tell you what is the best skimmer. They simply haven't tried them all.

So I will say that I use AETech ETSS 600 skimmer on my 125 gal reef. I feel that it works very well for me, but I have no way of proving that it is any better or worse than any other skimmer, other than the one it replaced.

 

[Reefin]

Oh and one more question in the third pic in my first post i want to put the skimmer on the 2nd shelf on top of chiller the skimmer will then be higher than the sump is that ok and also would it be ok to have the intake and return to to fuge area of my sump its really my only option

 

[DaveK]

Placing your skimmer above the sump is a good idea.

Placing it above a chiller is looking for a disaster. Just about everything in SW leaks or breaks sooner or later. If nothing else, you'll get some salt creep fro a skimmer. This sort of material is exactly what you do not want getting into a chiller. Chillers are very expensive to replace.