Which skimmer??

[Slyguy00]

So im gonna be needing a skimmer here pretty soon as the hob just isn't doing the job. My question is which skimmer will give me the best bang for the buck? Don't wonna spend a fortune on a skimmer but don't want a piece of crap either. I have a 75 Gallon with a 15 gallon sump. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

[mrhasan]

Originally Posted by Slyguy00

So im gonna be needing a skimmer here pretty soon as the hob just isn't doing the job. My question is which skimmer will give me the best bang for the buck? Don't wonna spend a fortune on a skimmer but don't want a piece of crap either. I have a 75 Gallon with a 15 gallon sump. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

Bubble magus would be the "sweetest" bang for buck. I use curve 7 on my 70/20 system.

Next would be vertex omega if you want to spend a bit more.

[Magickiwi]

We need a poll...

However asking which skimmer is best bang is going to get you a different opinion from nearly every person you ask. Personally I have a Deltec MC600 and it's the first skimmer I've had that does the job to my expectations and won't foam my tank. A few months ago I would have said get a Tunze but that was before I saw what a real skimmer can do.

A 15g sump won't get you a big cone skimmer or even a medium sized one for that matter. And if you get a HOB skimmer you are going to get tons of bubbles in your display unless you consider a Deltec or spend lots of time fiddling with a cheaper one.

I think given your configuration you should shop around for ones that will actually fit in your system and then ask people which ones they've had good experience with. (Stay away from Tunze)

Not very helpful I know but that's the best I can suggest.

[daplatapus]

For what it's worth, I've semi-given up on the traditional, often recommended skimmers. I've had nothing but problems with ceramic shafts, pinwheels, overflowing cups, plugged venturii's, motors not starting after power outages etc, etc, etc.
A fellow member on here pointed me to Lifereef skimmers and it would appear a bit older technology never had many of these problems. If you have the space, check them out.

[mike31154]

Wooden air stone diffuser driven. Does the job, quiet, low power usage. Only drawback I can see is it needs to be fairly tall & that doesn't work for folks who like to put them in the sump under their cabinet. I don't have a sump, built a little stand to have it next to the display instead of hanging off the tank. I guess that's another drawback, clutter by the display. Oh well, it works for me.

[jon.smolders]

Bubble Magnus Curve 5 is affordable, and has a small footprint. Should fit in a 15 gallon depending on your configuration. I think its 8x10 ish... I have a 60 gallon with a 20 long sump and just ordered one. Should be here Monday... I've heard they're good skimmers.

[The Guy]

I have a Vertex Omega 150 running on my 90/50 system, I ran it in a vinegar/water mixture for 24 hrs for break in. Rinsed it and put it the sump and after a day or 2 I had it tuned and it's been working great for me. Best skimmer I've had hands down. I did have a Bubble Magus that worked well for me too.

[xenon]

Smallest footprint skimmer would be the CADLights pipeless skimmers.

4.75 x 4.75 for the PLS-100
7" x 7" for the PLS-150

[Slyguy00]

I ended up going with a reef octopuss space saver. Pretty happy with it