how about voting on skimmers.?

[Anonymous]

i have only a MINI reef tank 29 gals.
so i use a U.S.aquarium HOBack skimmer,
im really not that happy with it.
ive heard some good things about the CPR backpak.
but what do you enthusiast recommend for a small tank.
WHATS THE BEST SKIMMER ????????
fishguy

 

[Anonymous]

for hang on skimmers the CPR Bac Pak is quite good. It is consistent, and easily adjusted. The Knop hang on is also nice, I believe it to be slightly more efficient than the CPR, but it is a close race.

The ETS line of super skimmers is amazing!! They are the simplest, and amoung the most efficient downdraft skimmers on the market. BUT......

The BEST skimmer I have ever seen is the Euro Reef F4. It is not for the semiserious hobbiest, or the light of wallet, but it is above and beyond any other skimmer on the market for the home aquarium. Though not widely distributed, it has recieved the best reviews since the introduction of the first ETS downdraft.......would you believe all Euro reef skimmers are venturi? Check them out.

 

[Anonymous]

I have a CPR II on my 20g and turboflotor on my 40G and 90G. I've been satisfied with both skimmers. I had the red sea berlin before and I was not as satisfied as with the turbo.

robman,
FYI, the is a hang-on turbo flotor.

risma,
euroreefs are not venturi. they are powered by a needlewheel(different from the turboflotor).

fishguy,
for a 29G, the backpak would be sufficient. you could modify it by changing the rio 600 to a 800. some hobbyist put an airstone to add more bubbles. my turboflotor is also modified by changing the rio 2100 to a 2500 and I added a whisper 600 to add more air in the chamber.

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http://sites.netscape.net/coralreef4andrew/reeftanks

 

[Anonymous]

Hang-on skimmers..? If price was a major issue...I'd go for a Precision Marine HOT-1. If you can afford a little more, I'd highly recommend a Lifereef HVS2-24. In my opinion the HVS2-24 is the best hang-on out there. You can't go wrong with either of these skimmers. Both have excellent construction with not notch materials. No cheap extruded acrylic, unfinished edges, weak valves etc. Proven design with proven performance equals kick ass skimmers that will last.


<A HREF="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</A>



[This message has been edited by PHILTER (edited 28 October 1999).]

 

[Anonymous]

I don't know about the best skimmer but in my own experience the Seaclone is one of the worst and is one to avoid. Although talking to the LFS some people swear by them, everyone I've spoken to with one thinks they're marginally better than useless (that includes me). It's a hang-on and rated well for your tank, but needs a few adjustments to make it work.

 

[Anonymous]

Jing,
Actually the Turbofloter and EuroReef are both venturi skimmers. They use a venturi to suck air into the pump where it is then chopped up by the impeller. The venturis are a significantly different design and wouldn't work well without the being in front of the impeller. For ease of communicating, we also call these asperating impeller skimmers, but calling them a venturi skimmer is not wrong.

BTW, I think these are the most efficient design out there in terms of size, power consumption, and performance.

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RockyReef.cjb.net

 

[Anonymous]

My vote goes to the turboflotor 1000, however it is designed to go in a sump. The rio pump (supplied) adds only 35 watts of heat to your system, and the skimmer handles up to 250 gal aquariums. It produces dry foam and is really quiet. Air is injected into a "wire wheel impeller", and cavitation noise is minimal. Tons of tiny bubbles, and very little adjustments. I've been through many skimmers, and this one is great! You can gravity feed or use a powerhead for supply water. ETS skimmers are great, but they need 850 gph or more and can be noisey. Imagine a waterfall in a tube!

 

[Anonymous]

Jing
I believe that venturi refers to using the water pump top draw air into the injection tube. I am aware if the particulars of the asperating impeller because I own one. I believe that it is superior in design to the TF, but it is much more expensive. TF, of course, gets great respect because it paved the way for the ER, and is still better than most other skimmers out there.

 

[Anonymous]

I Love the HSA-250
A Little big for you tank.
But if you ever decided to get a large tank
look into the HSA-250.

I run mine on a 125 gal. tank and every night I clean about 3"-4" of crap out of the cup.

Good luck with the small tank

Chris

 

[Anonymous]

HI:
for hang-on less than 100gals...the precisionmarine HOT-1 is by far the best built in its class (dollar for dollar), for in sumps....the MTC HSA 250 or maybe the precisionmarine bullet skimmers again best built and designed...both use injection heads....again less than 200 gal
As far as aspirating skimmer...I don't think they are venturis in the strict sense of a venturi...a venturi (is the actual device) is when water is forced thru a restriction at which point air is drawn in due to a vaccuum effect of the water being accelerated and reexpanded after release from the restriction...(i believe this is called a bernulli's principle(sp?)). Drawing air in thru a tube into an impellor doesn't appear to me to fit this criteria...never the less aspirating skimmer are probably the most efficient as far as pumps go...you can use a low flow pump, and get similar if not better bubble production than a ventrui being driven by a larger pump....
The euroreefs are great skimmers...but as mentioned eariler...not for the light of wallet. As far as what is the best....you mean dollar for dollar or just the best overall....
if best overall...that would be a tall (4ft)countercurrent wooden airstone driven skimmer with low flow, and high air input.....
my opinion
frank