Which is the best skimmer?

[TheReefGeek]

Is the other area for a fuge then?

Sound slike you will have to plumb a skimmer in through bulkheads.

You can't use ASM then, because they can slowly leak, so they are in-sump only.

Euroreef will do this, they are more pricey.

With a refugium and 40g total water you could get away without a skimmer, just keep on top of water changes. I think you will find your 30g will fill up so quickly you will be wanting a 180g in no time, and can buy a nice juicy skimmer then.

You could go with a CPR BakPakII, or better yet a AquaC Remora in the meantime, the Remora would sell on the used market no problem once you are ready to upgrade.

Oh and even easier, just hang your skimmer off your 10g sump. You might have to install a baffle to make the first chamber high enough for the skimmer, depends on the model & setup of your sump.

Or maybe you will be happy with 30g......... ah who are we kidding. You'll have a fish room in no time!

[Coderad]

I don't know is you can see from this picture but, it is the filtration part where you put the media and such, and were the return line comes from the sump out to the tank. No Fuge. I am new to the whole sump thing but it is a wet/dry, and there is a lid on the larger side with a tray for foam under it then an egg crate that the media would sit on under that. So from what I can see I have no room for HOB skimmer either.

[TheReefGeek]

You don't need the wet/dry, you can take out the eggcrate if you want, definately don't use bioballs, you could use the drip plate for a phosphate remover or other mechanical media, it is up to you.

[Skimmerking]

ASM...... IMO are a crappy skimmer Thier a cheap knock off of a Euro Reef I would go with a euroreef or a Deltec, If you are looking for for a decent skimmer and a name you can count on.....

[Coderad]

I was planning on putting small pieces of live rock and some carbon in the sump for media. Is this good enough.?

As for the skimmer though where whould you put the return line, back to the sump or out to the tank?

Can I put the intake pump for the skimmer next to the intake pump for the sump or will that reduce flow back to the tank?

[TheReefGeek]

You can have the two pumps beside each other, the water is just flowing through the skimmer, and back into the sump.

ASM is a cheap knock-off of Euro-reef, emphasis on the cheap! Build quality isn't the same, and they use cheaper plastic, but the same pumps, so it skims just as well. (used to be the same pumps, euro-reef might have changed now)

[Coderad]

I was looking at a skimmer at wai's anyone know the brand name of that one it was only like 110.00 but If It does a half decent job, It should work for now. Or dose anyone know of a place I can look locally for a half decent skimmer for a decent price under 200.00.

Thanks Cody

[DanG]

$110, maybe a Readsea prizim? I wouldn't consider it a great skimmer.