Superskimmer or no skimmer?

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

I set up my newest tank to be sumpless/skimmerless. Not going to last long though :)

I hate not having a sump. I thought it would be a nice challenge and change to have a very simple system with just LR and powerheads...not really...

Everything is doing very well and my SPS have better colour/growth than older tanks I used to keep with all kinds of equipment but there are problems.

I hate having my PH and temperature probe in the display, I hate the surface organics, I don't like the extra powerhead needed because of no return pump flow and I DESPISE manually doing water top offs! Everyday!

The tank is already drilled and I have a nice easy plan for an overflow but I am wondering about a skimmer? I was going to just do the sump with lots of macro and leave it at that but I started thinking that maybe I should just go ahead and add a skimmer too.

Do you guys think a Coralife skimmer is even worth it? I kind of get the feeling a Coralife would be about the same as no skimmer :)

Only reason I am thinking that one though is because I can't spend too much now. Its cheap.

[The Codfather]

I have a coralife skimmer, couldn't be happier. Works great, i don't know why people always knock em. Just my two cents.

[moldrik]

Can I hijack this thread? I am looking for a good hang-on skimmer too. I don't think that this Red Sea Prizm is going to cut it. I barely get anything out of my tank ( there aren't any fish right now, but I'm getting zero foam ).
________
weed (http://wwweed.com)

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

I have a coralife skimmer, couldn't be happier. Works great, i don't know why people always knock em. Just my two cents.


Cool thanks...I should add that I am not trying to knock them really. I am just going by what I have heard. I don't have any experience with them myself.

I was thinking the smallest one.

The tank will be about 80G total water volume and has a yellow tang and pair of clowns. They eat every second day. So low bioload.

Without a skimmer now, I am seeing no nitrates. I just figure it couldn't hurt...although maybe just some macro algae would be good enough.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Can I hijack this thread? I am looking for a good hang-on skimmer too. I don't think that this Red Sea Prizm is going to cut it. I barely get anything out of my tank ( there aren't any fish right now, but I'm getting zero foam ).


The deltec one is amazing but pricey. I like the Aqua C remoras myself. If you don't mind price though, maybe the Deltec hang on or the Tunze ones are suppose to be really good.

[dabandit]

I view reefkeeping equipment like I view sex...anything is better than nothing ;)

[Delphinus]

+1 .. I run one on my 20g. I get teased about it all the time too. :lol: But it gets the job done, pulls out decent skimmate. I did the fishing line mod for the impeller and reamed out the air intake to allow a tiny bit more air in.

The one thing I don't like about it is how hypersensitive it is to adjustments. I run mine in the sump and I can't imagine running it as hang-on. I'd have emptied my tank onto the floor several times over by now if I actually used it that way.

[The Codfather]

Mine is a Coralife 125, like i said it works very well. Then again, if i had the chance for a deltec i would jump all over it.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

+1 .. I run one on my 20g. I get teased about it all the time too. :lol: But it gets the job done, pulls out decent skimmate. I did the fishing line mod for the impeller and reamed out the air intake to allow a tiny bit more air in.

The one thing I don't like about it is how hypersensitive it is to adjustments. I run mine in the sump and I can't imagine running it as hang-on. I'd have emptied my tank onto the floor several times over by now if I actually used it that way.


What is the fishing line mod?

Thanks guys! I think I agree that it would be better than nothing even though nothing is working pretty well so far.

[gqlmao]

I had a super skimmer 65 on my 100g temporary when i got my tank changed. Its better than nothing but couldn't keep up with my fishies' eating habits :P. Still if i had a choice I would go ss rather than nothing lol. I wouldn't say ss are the best having tried other skimmers but they aren't that crappy since it kept my old tank healthy for 3 years lol. +1


About the fish line mod, since skimmers need to cut the air it takes in to produce micro bubbles, people find ways to cut finer bubbles with the stock pump, finer micro bubbles means better crap pick up. Fishing line was one of the solutions, people wrap their old pump propellers with fishing line to increase the cutting surfaces hoping to yield better results. I've never tried it but from what I see it has a slight improvement on stock pumps.


Stanley,

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

I had a super skimmer 65 on my 100g temporary when i got my tank changed. Its better than nothing but couldn't keep up with my fishies' eating habits :P. Still if i had a choice I would go ss rather than nothing lol. I wouldn't say ss are the best having tried other skimmers but they aren't that crappy since it kept my old tank healthy for 3 years lol. +1


About the fish line mod, since skimmers need to cut the air it takes in to produce micro bubbles, people find ways to cut finer bubbles with the stock pump, finer micro bubbles means better crap pick up. Fishing line was one of the solutions, people wrap their old pump propellers with fishing line to increase the cutting surfaces hoping to yield better results. I've never tried it but from what I see it has a slight improvement on stock pumps.


Stanley,


Thanks Stanley

Yeah I have a feeling I will be disappointed with the SS compared to the Bubblemaster on my other tank but oh well. I think I will end up going for it unless I can find a used skimmer from someone.

Thanks for the mod advice. Same idea as a mesh mod then on other skimmer pumps.

[fishoholic]

I view reefkeeping equipment like I view sex...anything is better than nothing ;)

:lol: Now that's sound advice :wink:

[phillybean]

:lol: Now that's sound advice :wink:

You've clearly never met my Aunt Benta...:lol:

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

You've clearly never met my Aunt Benta...:lol:


Yup...I too thought of a few reasons that theory could be flawed ;)

[targa81]

I've got a SS 125 on one of my 50 G tanks . Definitely better than nothing and better than the Prizm.PITA to fine tune it to actually skim though and IME not getting enough air in the tubing is the problem as the air line keeps plugging.

[Delphinus]

About the fish line mod, since skimmers need to cut the air it takes in to produce micro bubbles, people find ways to cut finer bubbles with the stock pump, finer micro bubbles means better crap pick up. Fishing line was one of the solutions, people wrap their old pump propellers with fishing line to increase the cutting surfaces hoping to yield better results. I've never tried it but from what I see it has a slight improvement on stock pumps.


Summed it up pretty well. I just wrapped fishing line around the impeller needles and it seems to give the skimmer a marginal improvement. (Not a huge change by any means but basically noticeably a little bit better.)

I wanted to mesh mod it but the pump they use is an odd size. I was not able to find a replacement impeller so I wasn't brave enough to take the step to start cutting up the stock impeller (always braver if I know there's a way to "undo" what I've done :lol:). So I tried using a similar sized impeller instead from a different pump and it was ever so slightly too small. It did not have enough power to draw the air in. I still wonder if a mesh mod is possible but using a different pump .. but I didn't look for a different pump because then my $70 skimmer becomes a $70 + "whatever a new pump costs" and if I'm going to spend that kind of coin anyhow then there are probably other options in the used market for around the same price, so I didn't take that step. If a guy had a pump laying around anyhow it might be a different story.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

I think I may wait and find a slightly better skimmer. I doubt after using my Bubblemaster for so long I would be happy with a SS.

I remember thinking the Aqua C Remora skimmers were awesome until I started using higher end ones. You really can't beat a good skimmer!

I am not in a rush really since the tank is doing so well and not fed very much.

[justinl]

IMO, go skimmerless for a while, and save that money towards a tunze HOB or better. preferably deltec or better, but that gets pricey very quick.

[tang daddy]

gsp what size set up is the tank you have now, dimensions?

When I first started the hobby I couldn't afford much that's where the css came but hanging it on my sump and the water level fluctuating in the sump I ended up with wet skimmate smelling carpets which would always happen when I was at work or at jl so after the second time it flooded my floor that was it. Now I know people are happy using this skimmer however I would not recommend it to anyone I know not even a newbie....

I am in the midst of setting up a new tank in my living room this set up has to look good while not costing me half a car lol. What I have done is take a 48g, 36x18x18 and put a baffle at around the 6in mark then put acrylic over it with slots then painted the back part and put another baffle inside it, by the time I am done it will look pretty clean just 2 lockline will be seen in the display. no heaters no powerheads and best of all skimmerless. Reason why I say this is because if your current set up allows you to then do what I did empty the tank and builed an overflow compartment in there where you can put a large enough return pump and heater aswell, anyhow maybe an idea.

If you're thinking of putting a SS in there my freind has one sitting around think it's a 125 for $50 although I think skimmerless set ups are ok aswell aslong as you can keep up with WC.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

IMO, go skimmerless for a while, and save that money towards a tunze HOB or better. preferably deltec or better, but that gets pricey very quick.

Yeah I have been skimmerless with great success so far. I am happy with it but I am getting tired of the water changes. I am also thinking it will "catch up with me" at some point.

I do not want a HOB no matter what. I actually added a sump today, so I will be going with an in sump skimmer. I am looking at the Vertex. Actually I was looking at them before the big price increase at J&L...wish I would have bought it before they decided to jack the price way up :sad:

I like the build quality of them and the price is still good...just kind of hard to swallow paying quite a bit more only about 4-5 months after first looking at them for no apparent reason...Im tired of hearing the dollar BS too!

[Doug]

Yeah I have been skimmerless with great success so far. I am happy with it but I am getting tired of the water changes. I am also thinking it will "catch up with me" at some point.

I do not want a HOB no matter what. I actually added a sump today, so I will be going with an in sump skimmer. I am looking at the Vertex. Actually I was looking at them before the big price increase at J&L...wish I would have bought it before they decided to jack the price way up :sad:

I like the build quality of them and the price is still good...just kind of hard to swallow paying quite a bit more only about 4-5 months after first looking at them for no apparent reason...Im tired of hearing the dollar BS too!

I,m with you. I would not run a hang on ever again either. Any of them, despite some being very good skimmers. Just to much chance of running on the floor.

I would use a Tunze, install a sump, go skimmerless and jack up the water changes or whatever else goes with being skimmerless or

one could use an external beckett type skimmer. As long as a proper waste container is used, they are leak proof and skim extremely well. Of course you would need an adjoining cabinet to sit it in, so its high enough, etc.

But as mentioned, for the price, my Tunze 9010 did the job for me on my 90g, while taking up no more room than an overflow, except for the large collection cup.

Once a person uses a quality skimmer like you have, its hard to imagine anything else being good enough. :smile: If I was ever doing a large tank again, it would have a sump and run a beckett skimmer or a double pumper Octopus. Both great skimmers and at a reasonable price.

[AndyL]

FWIW, Got a CSS220 that ran for years on the 65... Never had an unexpected (read one I shouldn't have known was coming) overflow - meds/treatments etc with warnings "turn off skimmer" were the only thing to cause issues...

It worked pretty well, I've gone back to an old school air driven skimmer now (power & heat issues). While High zoot is nice, can't beat the reliability of a small pump + air pump; yep I have to change that airstone every month, it's backbreaking work compared to cleaning the needlewheel pump I tell ya :)

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

I,m with you. I would not run a hang on ever again either. Any of them, despite some being very good skimmers. Just to much chance of running on the floor.

I would use a Tunze, install a sump, go skimmerless and jack up the water changes or whatever else goes with being skimmerless or

one could use an external beckett type skimmer. As long as a proper waste container is used, they are leak proof and skim extremely well. Of course you would need an adjoining cabinet to sit it in, so its high enough, etc.

But as mentioned, for the price, my Tunze 9010 did the job for me on my 90g, while taking up no more room than an overflow, except for the large collection cup.

Once a person uses a quality skimmer like you have, its hard to imagine anything else being good enough. :smile: If I was ever doing a large tank again, it would have a sump and run a beckett skimmer or a double pumper Octopus. Both great skimmers and at a reasonable price.

Thanks for the ideas. I actually have been doing weekly water changes and with no skimmer, this tank has looked better than most any other sps tank I have ever kept. I don't know how long I can keep up with weekly water changes though ;)

I really like the Tunze Skimmers but I don't want to spend that much right now. I have had a lot of offers from members here for all kind of skimmers, so I am going to take a look at what might be the best one for the price people are asking.