AquaMaxx HOB-1 Skimmer.... Good??

[SCHMUSTIN]

Originally Posted by trilinearmipmap

I have an Aquamax HOB skimmer on my 30 gallon LPS / anemone cube. It is my 3rd skimmer and by far the best.

Good points:

1. Silent
2. Better skimmate production than other skimmers I have tried
3. Doesn't take up much in-tank room
4. Solid construction

Bad points:

1. A bit of a pain to take apart and clean
2. Not as much skimmate production as an in-sump skimmer
3. A fair amount of microbubbles - I modded the output to minimize this
4. The tank mounting is not large enough to fit on a standard rim (I have a 30 gallon oceanic cube with plastic trim on the top) - I had to cut away part of the inside trim on the tank rim to make the skimmer fit

I would buy one again but the best option if possible is to go with a sump if there is any way to do this. But as far as hang-on skimmers go, this is a good one. I am doubtful about it handling much of a bigger tank than my 30 gallon however I have not taken steps to optimize the skimming eg. dosing vinegar, cleaning the collection cup/neck daily, etc.

Good to know I have a tank with a rim as well so it sounds like I would need to do some modifications.