Things too look for in the skimmer:
Air mixing- good one will give you 600 Liters per hour or more (some are in Gal/hr) Benefits of the large air mixing capacity are: stable ORP, and Ph. Better nitrogen cycle ( bacteria takes oxygen to metabolize waste )
Power consumption, look for Watts rating on the pump (lower the better)External pumps are very power hungry.
Quietness , noise level.
How easy is it to clean ? do you need to deal with screws? or just lift the cup and go? The easyer it is to clean the more likely you WILL do it, (clean skimmer performs better)
How much room will the unit take ?
How easy is it to dissemble (the whole unit) you need to do it at least once a year for stable performance.
I am cautious to name names of the skimmers because people have preferences. However i think that most people will agree on basic points.
i would always go for the most powerful unit that you can afford.
Anything less the $400-$500 (retail) is of questionable performance and you will end up selling it, loosing money , getting a better one , so buying a good one in the beginning will save you money, time, you will have better performance from the beginning and resale value is higher so its a win win.
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