Looking for skimmer recommendations
I've been seeing a bit of decline in some of my SPS as of late and haven't been able to figure it out... Until today, I think.
After giving my tank a good look over I've discovered a moderate chunk of rust coming out of the pump on my skimmer near the power cord (kinda ticks me off considering that I replaced that pump about 1.5 years ago). It's probably going to cost me about $100 to replace that pump, so that's part way to buying a new skimmer. My skimmer is a number of year's old now and hasn't been a screaming genius despite my constant attempts to dial it in, so this might be a good excuse for a new one. I'm not an skimmer junkie, so I need some recommendations!
Currently I am using a Vertex IN-80 on my 50 gallon cube. Fish-load is low to moderate but the tank is packed to the nuts with corals. I prefer to feed heavy and over-skim. I vodka dose to keep nutrients down.
Because of the shape of my tank my sump is relatively small, so space is at a premium and something compact would be ideal. That said, I'd like a skimmer that can skim like champ. The tank is in my living room, so quiet would also be a blessing (my current skimmer is pretty loud). Also, I'm still a moderately poor student, so budget is on the tight side ($200-400).
Skimmer gurus, I need your help!
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