Skimmer Talk #3
Getting a good skimmer at a good price.
I have been seeing this problem more and more frequently lately: "Hi, I need a skimmer for less than ($60, $80, $100, $130) for my XX or XXX gallon tank, and I was wondering if skimmer X (new at $79.99, $99.95, $109.99) works well? Thanks in advance" Now, I know what people are looking at. They see cheap but well marketed skimmers with overrated capacity (they make adequate nano skimmers at best). They think, hey, I think I found the answer
, but if (and I mean 'if') they ask for other opinions, they are frustrated with other peoples quick dismissal of their great deal
or
. I say there are some 'ok' skimmers out there in the sub $150 range, but it seems to me that one does not really get to a solid base model skimmer until approaching at least the $200 dollar mark, and that price does not guarantee good performance. Normally $500 dollars is where there is some guarantee that a skimmer will skim... but they are not always the most effective (many sub $500 skimmer will outperform $500+ skimmers). Still, the price for good quality skimmers has come down (Thank you China?) in the last 5-8 years, but some folks, especially newbies, do not want to plop down cold hard cash for the most important piece of equipment, in my opinion, for medium and large tanks. So if you are one of the folks who cannot go out and buy "the right skimmer" right now and are trying to decided if it is best to order that cheaper skimmer, this is what you do.
You get what you pay for a lot in the hobby and that is no exception with skimmers. Yes, there are good less expensive skimmers but no real good cheap skimmer. If you decided to get the cheap skimmer, you will only put yourself further behind. You will likely have less money and the same problem of not having a skimmer. So you might be asking "What is the point? Should I just go skimmerless?" and the answer to that is "YES!" Think about it, a cheap skimmer isn't really skimming anything so the only nutrient exporter is the good old water change. I find it funny that many people think that they have to buy items, equipment, supplements, dosings, and junk to make their tanks look good, but the truth is that water changes do the most good (adding elements while removing waste... it is a twofer!) , are inexpensive, not that easy to screw up, and do not require expertise in chemistry to execute. Instead of putting all of the money into a cheap useless skimmer, save it and do regular water changes (averaging 10% once a week) until you can afford the right skimmer. I if you have less than 50 gallons, the skimmer is really optional. Now, I know there is someone thinking "So, why buy a skimmer at all?" This is simple, skimmers are LONG TERM INVESTMENTS. Despite the miracle of the water change, they add up over time (years), and can be expensive for large tanks. Buying a cheap skimmer is a knee-jerk reaction and short-term thinking. It is based solely on the immediate cash in one's pocket rather than a long term plan for a tank and that is always the most expensive way to reef. A quality skimmer reduces organics so that water changes are more effective. I will explain. A lot of times, people are told that skimmers are used to do less water changes and I am sure I have even said this in the past, but I have come to the realization that this is (slightly) misleading. A skimmer should not make water changes/weekly maintenance less frequent, but rather that the amount of water needed to change is (should be) less than that of the skimmerless tank in order to achieve the same amount of organics in the tank over the same time. Ok, I know this might sound confusing
but I will try and explain. Let say there are 100 "baddies" (baddies are organic wastes in various forms) in a tank. A 10% water change removes 10 "baddies", a 20% water change remove 20 baddies. Now let us suppose a good skimmer removes 12 baddies a week (a cheap skimmer is lucky to do 1 or 2). You might say that skimmer is better than doing a 10% water change, and well, maybe, but I maintain that a water change is always best (remember is replaces elements too). Ok, now that there is a skimmer removing 12 baddies, how much water is need to make a 20% effective water change? Well an easy, but incorrect guess would be 8 gallons, but there are only 88 baddies and that would be a baddie reduction of 8 percent of 88 baddies leaving 81 baddies (yes close but slightly off, fractions and percentages make easy seeming calculations awkward so keep in mind that when doing tank calculations). Still, a good skimmer makes smaller water change volumes as effective as a nutrient exporter as larger water changes. Still, the best benefits are when there are regular large water changes while using a good skimmer. So remember, when looking at a skimmer as a tool, don't look at it as something that reduces the need for regular maintenance, but rather as something to make regular maintenance more effective.
Over the long term, a skimmer will make regular maintenance more effective and cheaper because it takes less water volume (aka salt, RODI, ect) to be effective. But still, how does that solve the problem of limited funds and a skimmer need. The trick is not to spend money on a cheap skimmer and then spend money for an appropriate (and often a more expensive) skimmer. But, if you are in dire need of a skimmer there might be some help. While one saves their money for an appropriate skimmer, I say the best place to get a skimmer would be from a local reef or aquarium club
. If you can find someone to load you a skimmer, this is best until you can afford something new. I have loaned skimmers out before, but I don't like it when folks use them for several year
. Please don't borrow a skimmer more than 2 (maybe 3) months, if that. Local clubs might even have several skimmers for sale as most experience reefers have upgraded and changed set ups over the years and some closets become museums of the hobby. You might be able to find and buy a appropriate skimmer for less. Finally, there are good deals on ebay and craiglist but I recommend against them for most folks. Why? Because, unless you know what you are buying (and most people on the hunt for a cheap skimmer often do not), then it is often not a good deal (parts missing, dying pumps, overpriced used equipment). Sometimes I look at some of the "for sale" posts on these websites and noticed the equipment was the "cheap" equipment with folks getting out of the hobby due to frustration. Go figure.
Ok, when setting up a tank, the cost of a good skimmer should be included in the planning/purchasing process. Unfortunately it is easy for folks to jump in to a tank , fish, rocks, and all the pretty stuff and forget about the seemingly expensive but unseemingly useful equipment. However, if you are one that is short on cash but need a skimmer, there are options. First, check with local clubs to buy a good skimmer for less or borrow a skimmer temporarily. If that fails, just be patient. Water changes will keep you in the game(or hobby) until the funds are available to go serious skimmer shopping. Water changes work and are easy, they buy you time. When going budget skimmer shopping you need to double your research.
Don't look just the price or the consumer reviews at the retailer's website. You need to find what the experienced hobbyist are using and recommending (best if what they are using is a few year old because you should be able to find a used skimmer then). Ask them how many skimmers they owned, which ones they liked, which ones they didn't like, what features were good ideas and such. After all of that, then look for a specific and recommended skimmer for a lower price. And if you don't believe me about waiting, I have at least 3 or 4 "cheap" skimmer that I have wasted my money on before getting it right!