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What skimmer should I buy for $400 range?

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Anonymous

Guest
Srbayless,

There are a ton of skimmers out there. I had a hard time choosing which one but I did research them on the net. It came down to 3 skimmers: ETS, Aqua-C, and Euroreef (mainly cuz Marine Depot carries them all). The reason why I didn't choose Aqua-C eventhough I did read an article on it is that it's fairly new and I haven't heard alot of people using this skimmer. I thought...what in the world is "spray induction"??? What if the spray bar get's clogged up or something...Then, I stumbled on the Euroreef. It has alot of good things said about it in the articles but it has to be in a BIG sump, which I didn't like. The collection cup doesn't have the drain so u have to dump it every couple of days, not like the ETS which has a drain hole so u can put it in 5 gallon jug or something. The ETS is more versatile in that u can place it anywhere..but I think most people set it up next to their sump. I didn't know that u have to elevate the skimmer higher than the Sump or else it won't work right due to back pressure from the Skimmer. This is my first skimmer so I can't comment on the quality of construction in comparison to other manufactures. But I think it's good enough. It doesn't come with the scum collector or the airfilter...which u have to spend another 160 or so to get both which I'm not so crazy as to do that...I can make my own scum collector...why is A.E. Technology's Scum collector cost 120bucks, I have no clue..just a piece of acrylic that has a carbon thing to absorb the smell that's all. One disadvantage about this is that you have to fiddle with the valve for awhile until you're happy with the quality of scum u get. This is true enough. the pump needed to run it could cost alot and may make more noises than the Euroreef. I think if I could do it again, I would do the Euroreef..but then again, I don't have a big sump..so there goes the extra cost. By the way, I thought about buying the ETS sump..but they stopped making it for some strange reason. So I"m going with the Lifereef sump...cost a fortune for that thing.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I would lean towards a bullet, PM makes some VERY high quality equipment. The becket injectors are nothing short of phenominal, I've never seen anything pull in a air/water ratio like this. fwiw I LOVE my hsa 1000. L8r mega

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megareef.freeservers.com
Yup, new url, finally thumbnail index html's on the foldlers, and a live reefcam
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Okay,

I am glad to see this post take off like it has, I hate spending $400 before I hear all the opinions of my fellow reefers.

Gannet- What is an Aerofoamer? I have never heard of this brand, but I would be interested in taking a look at it. Do you know of any MO place that sells it and has a picture?

Walker - Thank you for the information on the AquaC. The one concern I have with their skimmers is the possibility of a clogged spray induction part. Has this happened to your skimmer yet? It sounds like they are well built and can handle tanks larger than they are rated for.

Lilgrasshopper - The ETS sound great and so does the Euroreef. Unfortunatley I can only afford the cheaper versions of ETS skimmers, and the cheapest Euroreef I have seen is more than $500. Unfortunately I only have $400 (My wife is making sure I don't spend more)so I would not be able to buy either one of these skimmers. Thank you for the insight though. Maybe when I Yahoo stock hits $600 I will be able to afford the highest end skimmers.
Note: I too was unhappy with spending the extra money on a bigger acrylic sump. I read in several threads that a rubbermaid tub can make a great subsitute. I bought a 28 gallon tub and plumbed in the bulbkhead fitting for my external pump, man it works great and only cost me $10. I don't think any company makes a 28 gallon acrylic sump. Try that before you spend the big bucks for a premade sump.

Aaron- Did your DAS come with detailed documentation when you purchased it? I have heard that some don't come with anything other than the skimmer.

Thank you all for your insights and experiences, I really appreciate them.

KEEP THEM COMING!

P.S. Cleveyank- Moxy not withstanding, I would much rather spend the time with my 8 month old son and wife than working in the garage making a skimmer.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I just received the EuroReef, and I am still definitely a big fan. They're not all over $500... The cheapest one I've seen is $250. The more expensive ones come with more expensive pumps, and most of the ones sold now use the Sedra pumps. Here's a link to an online vendor or two that sell a wide variety of them... marinedepot.com premiumaquatics.com

[This message has been edited by Frisco (edited 28 January 2000).]
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
To me, MTC's products are very nice but over priced.I bought their duel doser for dosing b-ionic, and it works very good, but i couldnt pay their price for the skimmers.I just bought a sipedon 500 a little while back.Dont know how it works yet, but am about to find out.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I would definatly go with the Aqua-C EV-200. It is $399.00 It's set and forget and it has a simple high quality low maintenance design.
If you want more first hand info E-mail me.

Reefaddictus
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I would definatly go with the Aqua-C EV-200. It is $399.00 It's set and forget and it has a simple high quality low maintenance design.
If you want more first hand info E-mail me.

Reefaddictus
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
has anyone gotten a euro with a rio pump i think it is a 2100 .they are 250 about the same as a turbofloter in price.

Ashley
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Sorry it took me awhile to get back to this thread.

The "induction" part has never clogged. There are slots near the nozzle that are narrow (1/16"?) and rather long (they go aroundd the whole nozzle). The odds of the whole thing clogging are slim, but anything is possible. However, There is also a second place for air to enter the mix (around the neck of the foam tower I think), so even if it did, it would still perform exactly the same.

The thing truly is a maintenance free as a skimmer could be. all I do is clean it out once a week. No adjusting, no fiddling, tons of dark green gunk pulled out all the time.

Walker
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
you can get all the parts to make your own beckett skimmer (hsa type) from a place called aquatic eco-systems ( www.aquaticeco.com ) They are in florida... the key is that they sell 4.5" diameter acrylic tubing that fits 4" pvc fittings, so you can use a 4" pvc flange for the base, and a 4X2 reducer to make the neck of the skimmer, etc. kinda cool stuff, I would check them out, oh, and they sell it by the foot. you should have an acrylic shop in your town that will have 6" and 8" acrylic, but they are going to make you buy 6' pieces of it, and its EXPENSIVE at that diameter, like $20.00 a foot or more...

hope it helps.

vigg aka goby.

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A

Anonymous

Guest
Hi Vigg,

Thank you for the information, I'll check out www.aquaticeco.com. I have tried to find a place in my area that sells the tubing, but i was lucky even to find sheet acrylic. To give you an idea of how lame the DIY stores are here, The LARGE (brand new and massive) Home Depot doesn't even carry metal halide ballasts. I asked most of the guys in the electrical department if they had them, they gave me a blank stare and told me to try an electrical supply company.

Question, where did you get the venturi valve to make the skimmer? I have tried MO with no success, and you can imagine the response I got at Home Depot when I asked for one.

Thanks.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Thank you Frisco, I'll be checking your website often to see the new pictures.

Anyone else have opinions on Euroreefs, ETS and AquaC skimmers? I have narrowed it down to one of these brands. Now I just want to hear some more opinions and experiences people have had with those brands.

Thank you.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I will always be a fan of any skimmer which does not rely on the pumps to create the foam via pinwheel or venturi. The reason why is that these types of skimmers require constant cleaning of the pump in order to run at optimal performance. Therefore, they tend to be less consistant, and a pain in the neck. Because of this, I went with an ETSS. This skimmer does not require you to run any strange items on your pump. The performance you get is extremely consistant, and does not require a lot of maintenance. I like to enjoy watching my reef, not constantly fiddling w/ the equipment underneath it. The same thing goes for any air-stone/diffuser driven skimmer, except they are far more maintenance. If you want a skimmer that is has great performance, and is relatively maintenance free, find one that uses the downdraft method. (I have heard that the new spray injection method is similiarly maintenance free, but I wonder about clogging).

Basically, it's all a trade off. Yes ETSS is more expensive, but I think they save you alot of time cleaning and adjusting. What is worth more to you: your time, or your money...

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-Life's a Reef, so frag'n enjoy it.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I would go with ETS500 and Iwaki 30RTL, the total price is around $400.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Sorry I didn't check back into this thread sooner.

The advantage of the Aerofoamer is that it is available with very large reaction chambers (8.5" diameter) coupled with proven Beckett air induction and high quality construction (at least on mine). I'm not aware of another skimmer that has this in an off-the-shelf model, but if there are some, worth a serious look. Compare air induction systems at that point.

It's a small company (basically a guy in a basement). Of necessity, you may not get the customer support you might get from a bigger vendor. If that's a big issue, don't buy an Aero.

They are sold by this shop: http://www.marineecosystems.com/

The manufacturer has a site here: http://www.reefconcepts.com/

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fwiw, imo, ime, ymmv, etc.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Thank you all for you opinions on what skimmer to BUY.

Frisco - I saw the cheapest Euroreef for $250, but it comes with a Rio pump. Is it any good with that type of pump, or should I spend the extra $ to get the better pump?

Homestead - What is MTC, and where can I find information on their products? I have never heard of that company before.

Golfish - I too am interested in Sipedon's skimmers, but have not seen enough feedback to determine if I should buy one. Anyone else ever used one or seen one in action?

Reefaddictus - Thank you for the opinion on the AquaC. The more I hear about the AquaC, the more I like them.

As for making a skimmer, I have always wanted to try. The main deterent is the fact that I have been unable to find clear acylic tubing, preferably in the 6"-8" diameter. Cleveyank, have you been able to find that type of tubing? If so where? I have seen homemade models, but they all use large diameter PVC. If a homemade skimmer is made out of opaque PVC, how can the user tell if the skimmer is working properly? Do you just play with it until the skimmate starts to come out right? Doesn't that take a long time, and its not always the optimal setting?

Thank you again for your opinions and insights.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
GoldenGoby,
Unfortunately you have not had the same experience with asperating (needle wheel) skimmers that I have had. I have had EuroReefs for about 4 years now and I think they are the most trouble free type of skimmers out there. I have never had to clean the pump (knock on wood). They are much closer to 'set and forget' than my ETS 700 ever was.
 
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