skimmer upgrade

down and outman · 05-10-2007, 08:29 AM

I have a coralife superskimmer 65 which is too small for my new 90. Have to clean the cup every other day. It did a great job in my 55. I've been checking out various skimmers (many are out of my budget like the aqua-c, which I would love to have). I have plenty of room in my sump so size is not too much of an issue. Since I'm familiar with the SS and have heard others say they are happy with it's bigger brothers, the 125 and the 200. I looked at the Octopus and was not overly impressed by their design as opposed to the coralife.

I will say it works a lot better in a sump than as a HOB and is easier to control. In my old 55 that bad boy would clear a tank in no time if I messed up my tank during a water change. Short of that I'm also considering building one. found a lot of websites on DIY skimmers and I believe I could build one.

Any and all comments are welcome.
Thanks!

blue_eyes53813 · 05-10-2007, 10:23 AM

I like my life reef skimmer.. Im not sure what your price range is. But Jeff at life reef is great... Lifereef Filter Systems

lcstorc · 05-10-2007, 05:31 PM

I love my ASM. Check them out. They are great skimmers at a reasonable price.

DrHank · 05-10-2007, 06:09 PM

I think that you'd like either the ASM or new Octopus. One thing that was missing and appears to have been corrected is a drain has been added (at least to the NW125 and higher) to allow you to drain to a seperate container. I'm not sure if the ASM has one or not. That's the only thing I miss on my NW110. I've also got a Coralife 65 and to be honest, I like the Octopus better. My friends that have ASM G3s do love them though so I'm sure that would be a good choice too.

DaveK · 05-10-2007, 06:13 PM

Here is the thing about skimmers. There are a lot of low priced junk ones on the market. I don't consider a coralife superskimmer 65 to be in that class, but it's a smaller skimmer.

One thing you are going to find out in reek keeping is that you should always buy top quality. It's much less expensive in the long run. The Aqua-C skimmer you like is an example of this. So are the Livereef skimmers.

They will last you many years, and seldom, if ever give you a problem.

I would select one rated for a tank about double your current tank size. Manufacturers tend to be "optimistic".

Here is the bottom line. SW livestock is very expensive. It only takes a few losses to pay for the top quality equipment you should have ad in the first place.

As for building a skimmer, yes it can be done. However, a good design is critical. Also, the differences between a "fair" skimmer and an excellent one are often very subtle. If you go this route, you will save some money, but it's not going to be that much. This is because to get it exactly right, you'll likley rebuild sections of it a few times. Many people have gone through 4 or 5 rebuilds to get their DIY skimmer going just right.

On the up side, once you get everything just right, you can have a excellent skimmer, with the exact features you want.

05-10-2007, 08:29 AM	#1 (permalink)
down and outman Fire Coral Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: LaGrange GA Posts: 68 View Gallery Karma Komment	skimmer upgrade I have a coralife superskimmer 65 which is too small for my new 90. Have to clean the cup every other day. It did a great job in my 55. I've been checking out various skimmers (many are out of my budget like the aqua-c, which I would love to have). I have plenty of room in my sump so size is not too much of an issue. Since I'm familiar with the SS and have heard others say they are happy with it's bigger brothers, the 125 and the 200. I looked at the Octopus and was not overly impressed by their design as opposed to the coralife. I will say it works a lot better in a sump than as a HOB and is easier to control. In my old 55 that bad boy would clear a tank in no time if I messed up my tank during a water change. Short of that I'm also considering building one. found a lot of websites on DIY skimmers and I believe I could build one. Any and all comments are welcome. Thanks! __________________ "There you go lad, keep as cool as you can. Face piles of trials with smiles." Moody Blues 90 Gal AGA RR, 50 lbs caribean liverock, a bunch of agrocrete rock, 90# Caribsea Sugar Sand Nova Extreme HO T-5 Phosban reactor 2 Koralia 4's, Mag Drive 7

05-10-2007, 10:23 AM	#2 (permalink)
blue_eyes53813 Hey!Its not my fault Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Lancaster, Wisconsin Posts: 6,634 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: skimmer upgrade I like my life reef skimmer.. Im not sure what your price range is. But Jeff at life reef is great... Lifereef Filter Systems __________________ 265 Gallon Reef built into basement wall. Lighting = 6x250 watts MH, 2x96 watt PC ,and 2x140 watt VHO for a total watt of 1,972 watts . New addition on 4-14-07 of 100 gallon sump and 100 gallon refugium. I think I have lost my mind. Gotta love this hobby Vicki Life is like a pathway of untrodden snow. Be careful how you step in it for every mark will show Definition of FRIENDSHIP: All lives touch other lives to create something new and alive My tank chronicles. http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...wall-reef.html

05-10-2007, 05:31 PM	#3 (permalink)
lcstorc Sunshine Reefer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cocoa Fl Posts: 20,008 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: skimmer upgrade I love my ASM. Check them out. They are great skimmers at a reasonable price. __________________ Peace LYNN You can't change the past but you can change how you view it. A reef tank is like a racecar. The faster you go the harder you crash. Lynn and Franks saltwater adventure Lynn's 20g clown tank Lynn's 90g of sunshine Every 60 seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back. In Loving Memory Of Z 01/22/07 - 08/19/08

05-10-2007, 06:09 PM	#4 (permalink)
DrHank Golden Moray Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Crestview, FL Posts: 2,284 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: skimmer upgrade I think that you'd like either the ASM or new Octopus. One thing that was missing and appears to have been corrected is a drain has been added (at least to the NW125 and higher) to allow you to drain to a seperate container. I'm not sure if the ASM has one or not. That's the only thing I miss on my NW110. I've also got a Coralife 65 and to be honest, I like the Octopus better. My friends that have ASM G3s do love them though so I'm sure that would be a good choice too. __________________ Doc Dr Hank's 210 Build: http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...nks-tanks.html

05-10-2007, 06:13 PM	#5 (permalink)
DaveK Neon dottyback Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Philadelpahia, PA Posts: 651 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: skimmer upgrade Here is the thing about skimmers. There are a lot of low priced junk ones on the market. I don't consider a coralife superskimmer 65 to be in that class, but it's a smaller skimmer. One thing you are going to find out in reek keeping is that you should always buy top quality. It's much less expensive in the long run. The Aqua-C skimmer you like is an example of this. So are the Livereef skimmers. They will last you many years, and seldom, if ever give you a problem. I would select one rated for a tank about double your current tank size. Manufacturers tend to be "optimistic". Here is the bottom line. SW livestock is very expensive. It only takes a few losses to pay for the top quality equipment you should have ad in the first place. As for building a skimmer, yes it can be done. However, a good design is critical. Also, the differences between a "fair" skimmer and an excellent one are often very subtle. If you go this route, you will save some money, but it's not going to be that much. This is because to get it exactly right, you'll likley rebuild sections of it a few times. Many people have gone through 4 or 5 rebuilds to get their DIY skimmer going just right. On the up side, once you get everything just right, you can have a excellent skimmer, with the exact features you want.

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