I need a skimmer

SLPReefer · 09-03-2006, 09:29 PM

I am interested in starting a new 46 gallon reef tank. What type of skimmer would work best for that size tank. It seems like eveything that anyone talks about on this forum is for 100+ gallon systems.

New or used I intersted in finding who to get a good skimmer from also.

David Grigor · 09-03-2006, 09:33 PM

Will you be running a sump or just a hang on skimmer ?

SLPReefer · 09-03-2006, 10:09 PM

I'd like a sump but i'm not sure if I want to deal with overflows and return pumps. I think I want a hang on skimmer for now. I wouldn't mind a hang on refugium if there is a way to incorporate it into that....

borgy · 09-03-2006, 10:21 PM

Aqua C Remora..... Hang on skimmer. Plug in and it's ready to go. Good for tanks up to maybe 90 gals (I think). Nice unit. Just a suggestion.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLPReefer

I'd like a sump but i'm not sure if I want to deal with overflows and return pumps. I think I want a hang on skimmer for now. I wouldn't mind a hang on refugium if there is a way to incorporate it into that....

ZEKESTER · 09-04-2006, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by borgy

Aqua C Remora..... Hang on skimmer. Plug in and it's ready to go. Good for tanks up to maybe 90 gals (I think). Nice unit. Just a suggestion.

I have used one, they are nice I actualy just upgraded to the EV-180......amazing skimmers

SLPReefer · 09-05-2006, 03:10 PM

Those look nice but I was hoping for something a little cheaper. Any other suggestions?

silvers · 09-05-2006, 03:27 PM

if money is tight I would get a coralife superskimmer Dr foster and smith just had a sale on them I would get the largest possible the 220 was jut 149 I think ,best skimmer for the money

David Grigor · 09-05-2006, 05:17 PM

I was afraid you were going to say Hang on.

Hang on really limits you and most hang ons aren't that great. Rich ( Twinsguy ) and Ryan ( Sea Monkey ) really like the Deltec as far as hang ons go and are worth the money but are not cheap. Very mixed results from people using the Remora hang ons. Hangons also tend to need more constant tweaking becuase without a sump the water levels are changing due to evaporation. Most hangons you get what you pay for and for the most part you get junk with the Deltec being one of the exceptions.

I don't really have any experience since I don't even consider setting up sumpless systems. Personally, it's worth the extra time of setup to incorporate a sump as now is the easiest time to do it before you start stocking it. Most people end up just living with it if you don't get it done now and will require more maintenance in the long run without a sump.

Loverotties · 09-05-2006, 07:08 PM

I really like the Coralife skimmer(it either a hang on or sump in one skimmer.

Sea monkey · 09-05-2006, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Grigor

I was afraid you were going to say Hang on.

Hang on really limits you and most hang ons aren't that great. Rich ( Twinsguy ) and Ryan ( Sea Monkey ) really like the Deltec as far as hang ons go and are worth the money but are not cheap. Very mixed results from people using the Remora hang ons. Hangons also tend to need more constant tweaking because without a sump the water levels are changing due to evaporation. Most hangons you get what you pay for and for the most part you get junk with the Deltec being one of the exceptions.

I know i'm going to be one of the "very few" but i really like going sump less. Long as you buy a good skimmer i think it can work out really well . In my opinion my tank is in good condition and its been up for 2 years with only hang on skimmers.

remoras either have serious quality control issues or people just have drastically different ideas of what good skimmate is because so many people LOVE them and so many HATE them. I personally hated the remora because all it produced for me was a light green tea that smelled organic like phyto or something , it's loud and ugly. Id rather do more water changes than put that thing back in my tank. The deltec produces a thick disgusting skimmate that smells literally like poop and fills the room with the smell when ya empty the cup. absolutely night and day performance. The deltec also has almost no tank presence and its quiet. however it is like $450 . sounds like a lot but its prolly quite a bit cheaper than adding a sump, drilling the tank, plumbing it all and buying even a crappy skimmer. Really depends on what your goals are as a reef keeper i think. if you want to have the absolutely most pristine water possible id go with the sump and a qulaity insump skimmer which also isn't cheap. if you are ok with just "good" water quality , i personally think the deltec hang on can achieve that for you.

you also have to think about wither or not you want to have other expensive gadgets in the future like a CA RX.

nice thing about the deltec and even the remora is they are in such high demand that they ebay for almost as much as you paid for them if ya change your mind later. however it is a real pain to add a sump as a after thought unless ya drill the tank now just in case.

REEFSTOCK · 09-05-2006, 09:38 PM

I had really bad luck with my remora pro as well. After all the upgrades I could find $450 wasn't much further to go... I agree with everything S.Monkey has to say about the Remora (including the resale value if you decide you made the wrong choice).

I would go for the overflow however. I really like having a sump. Your options go way up for equipment.

jules77 · 09-06-2006, 08:46 AM

I would have to say that most of us when first starting up in the hobby were a little intimidated with the sump concept. It is actually quite easy and if you think it out ahead of time you can really eliminate a lot hassles i.e. topoff, varying water levels, equiptment hanging all over the back wall. PVC is really easy to work with and as long as you pick a good return pump in the beginning you will be much better off. Plus you get the added value of extra water volume- "the solution pollution is dilution" , and maybe even a cool refuge as part of your sump.

SLPReefer · 09-06-2006, 09:04 AM

Maybe I will go with a sump since everyone seems to recommend them so strongly. That having been decided, I need to figure out how to do all of this within my budget. Has anyone had any experience with aquatraders?

http://www.aquatraders.com/index.asp...ROD&ProdID=245

This skimmer is a lot more in my price range if it would work well at all....

And there is a 600gph overflow for $30 on this site. Do overflows work alright or is it a lot better to have the tank drilled? Again, just trying save money. I know this is really the wrong hobby for that

Clownnut · 09-06-2006, 09:17 AM

Odyssea = jebo, chinese brand. i had heard mixed results.
do it right at the first place will save u a lot more money in long run.
i had 4 tanks. everytime i tried to save $ and didnt do it right, i always ended up using a lot more money trying to fix the problems...
overflow box = bad news. i wet my carpet countless time.

eswebster · 09-06-2006, 09:21 AM

A Bak Pak skimmer for a 46 would be fine too, not bad on price and definately get the job done, I had one on my 58 and I really didnt have to change the water out at all, maybe 10% change once a month. Everything was doing great, corals and fish and I had a decent bio load on the tank. I was definately not disappointed and its a hangon, not really loud and very small in tank presence. I think the skimmer with the pump included is around $100.