What brand protein skimmer?

[marciemp]

I am looking for an in sump protein skimmer for a 92 gallon corner tank. Can you give me several brands that are top notch, ones that are good, several that are decent, and a warning list of some that are junk?

I have been looking mostly used but without an knowledge about what is good and what is junk it is hard to know.

Also how big of a skimmer? Is it Ok to use one that is rated for much bigger than our tank, and how much bigger is OK? Right now our tank inhabitants are limited to a blue tang, a yellow tang, 2 clownfish, a yellow watchman, and 2 damsels some snails and hermit crabs, and 3 groups of zoanthid polyps, but we would like the option of branching out to more corals eventually.

Thanks,
Marcie

[Salmon King]

I use a uro reef 135 on my tank and am very pleased.This size would be good for yours.I dont think any size skimmer too big.The one size up is the next one I will get.I hang around the local pet store and have heard the best opinions about this one

[andresont]

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.

.

[Geofrog]

From what I hear the Euroreef skimmers are the best out there, but they tend to be very pricey. If you can afford one, get one. I currently use a V2 Skim 800 on my 95 gal, which works great, and easy to clean. It is rated for 180 gal with a flow rating of 2800 l/hr. I agree with andresont, don't chinc out on the skimmer. I started out with a Red Sea Berlin turbo, what a piece of crap, and then ended up upgrading. In the end I could have saved some money by spending the extra cash up front for a better skimmer.

[digital-audiophile]

I just upgraded from a Coralife Super Skimmer to a Eruoreef RS135 on the weekend. Although it is still breaking in I am very pleased with it. Just in the couple days it has been running my water quality seems to have improved.

If you are interested in the Euroreef go talk to Albert, his price on them is amazing.

If you want a super sexy skimmer look at the bubble king, out of my price range but if I won the lottery It would be my first purchases... well maybe second after a Lamborghini Gallardo

[albert_dao]

TOP NOTCH:

Bubble King - Fantastic build quality, insane performance, unmatched silence and efficiency. Smallest model is, more than likely, too large for your tank (130 gallon min w/ BK Mini 160). $850+

Deltec - Aggressive skimming, trusted brand name, but I don't like them very much. Seems to me like Deltec USA (the master distributor in North America) is gouging the crap out of everyone, considering that these things are cheaper than H&S in Europe/Asia and more expensive than H&S here. $600+.

H&S - Aggressive skimmer. Never heard a complaint about these things, though I've never used one myself. Identical performance to Deltec, cheaper, built like a tank. You probably can't go wrong with H&S if you can find one used. $500+

ATI Bubblemaster - Good skimmer, but requires heavy bioload to operate. Junky build quality (thin plastic), poor product support, but fantastic price vs cost/performance ratio. $500+

GOOD SKIMMERS:

EuroReef - You simply CANNOT beat the price vs. performance ratio on these skimmers. Construction quality is decent, efficiency is very average, the filtering capacity is very good, noise levels are on par with a medium sized air pump (quiet enough for under a cabinet, but don't expect to sleep beside the unit). I use a lot of these, I've also sold a lot of these and I've had no complaints. $240+

Elos - Decent performing skimmer, but WAAAAAAAAY to expensive for what it does. Definitely well constructed though, mine looks like a work of art. $600+

ASM - I dunno, EuroReef's have way better construction and are cheaper to get new (yes, ASM has raised their prices, EuroReef has lowered theirs). Don't bother with these unless you can get one super cheap; like your mom wants to give you one cause she's moving to Montreal to join the circus cheap. $300+

PM Bullet - I don't have any personal experience with these, but a few of my customers use them and they like them. I'm just not a huge fan of injection style skimmers. $400 w/ pump

JUNK STUFF:

SeaClone - Don't. $90+

Coralife Super Skimmer - These are fine if you're a dirt poor, starving college student or a parent with a family of seven. If these don't apply to you, stay away. $120+

Aqua C Urchin - I use to sell these. They worked, but for the price point, EuroReef's definitely are of better value. $190+

All the misc. Chinese made copy products - Most of them are either sub-par to okay skimmers for low prices. If you have the money, dont' waste your time with these things.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Good review Albert.

[albert_dao]

Originally Posted by marciemp

Also how big of a skimmer? Is it Ok to use one that is rated for much bigger than our tank, and how much bigger is OK? Right now our tank inhabitants are limited to a blue tang, a yellow tang, 2 clownfish, a yellow watchman, and 2 damsels some snails and hermit crabs, and 3 groups of zoanthid polyps, but we would like the option of branching out to more corals eventually.

Thanks,
Marcie

Modern skimmers do NOT need to be oversized. In fact, many skimmers will perform poorly when oversized to your system. A lot of the newer skimmers sport a wide neck feature. These wide necks require a MINIMUM bioload in order to produce a stable foam head. Oversize and you'll just have an overpriced water aerator.

[Patrick1]

Listen to Albert..... He is a reef tech Junkie... I like the Euroreef myself. with a narrow neck you can go larger and keep a good head. The newer wide neck style you will need to match the tank size and bio load to the skimmer, meaning don't over size. The Euroreef is so easy to clean. Also it's new bubble diffuser/level setting are silly easy.