MRC Skimmers

[150reef]

What are your thoughts on the MR-2 skimmer hooked up to a mag drive 18, this will be the skimmer placed in a 30 gallon sump for my soon to be 150 gallon FOWLR tank. Getting ready to order the MR-2 this monday and wanted feedback from MRC skimmer owners or past owners or.....

Thanks,
Jack

 

[fritz]

Detailed post from Cali in
3.......2.......1......

 

[Slamajamajama]

i luv mine i have a MRC 3, and with the iwaki 70 running it, it kicks butt, only down side for me is cleaning the injectors, prob 1x every 2 weeks to be sure nuthin gets jammed and also a good barometer on the way its running is that when the bubble level lowers the injectors may be clogged

 

[Bob 1000]

Not sure which 1 I have but 2 beckets about 28" tall.. Works fine for me.. injectors cleaned every 2to3 months...skims like a mother... Shut yo mouth...280 plus gal system..

 

[meschaefer]

Cali must be slacking...he usually can smell the blood in the water.

Either that or he is still composing.

 

[fritz]

Cali must be slacking...he usually can smell the blood in the water.

Either that or he is still composing.

hahahhaahaha
agreed

 

[KathyC]

Cali must be actually working or he would have jumped on this already...lol

I have the MRC2 running off a GenX55 pump and I LOVE it. Skims great and fairly easy to adjust once you get the hang of it. As mentioned above the Becketts do have to be cleaned every couple of weeks but it isn't hard to do. You do need to be sure you put enough unions into your installation so that you can isolate the becketts to get them off easily to clean them

 

[150reef]

Thanks for the input on the MRC skimmers, heard good things about them. Just wanted some feedback from some local users. I know there is one person that I have seen in thier emails that seems not so fond of MRC, I assume that person is cali? LOL

Thanks again,
Jack

 

[Wes]

i've never used one but from what i have read, you are going to see better performance when you run a beckett skimmer w/ a pressure rated pump.

 

[KathyC]

Good point Wes..we all skidded past the Mag 18 he was planning on.
Never mind the extra heat the Mag 18 will add to the tank.

 

[cali_reef]

Cali must be actually working or he would have jumped on this already...lol

I had baby sitting duty today :lol2:

Beckett skimmers must be used with a pressure pump, running one with a internal pump is wasting electricity.

MRC skimmers are crap, they do skim okay once you get over the leaky, crappy material and sloppy craftsmanship. The owner and their local dealer is a big time lier, both I would not buy things from, ever.

You should go for a Barr Aquatics (or what ever their new name is) if you are buying new, much better design, material choice and craftsmanship.

 

[ireefny]

Cali had slowed down considerably after 1 kid & Knee surgery......what a wusss

 

[Bob 1000]

Mines did leak in the beginning...But nothing some plumbers tape couldn't handle..

 

[pecan2phat]

Why should you pay top dollar and accept a skimmer that leaks

You guys ever take a close look at the keyholes and how close they are to the edge? That is a crack waiting to happen with one to many turns :lol2:

I sold my Barr today. Much better design but I find becketts a bit touchy in adjustments for my taste.

Cali fell asleep watching his son then woke up in a jerky motion screaming MRC! :lol2:

 

[PalmTree]

I have an MRC 2 and I love it. It takes a little time to get use to adjusting it but once its set its set. I am not using a pressure rated pump right now. I have mine hooked up to a Snapper and it works great and using less than 98 watts. Not bad all in all. Just my 2 cents.

 

[smoknreefrs]

i have the mr3. i must agree that they do leak and the craftmanship is poor. i fixed the leaks at the flanges with a few small drop of weldon once i located them. i am happy with the skimmer, but, if i would have bought it new (it was used for about year) i would not have been happy with the product, but, for $400 for skimmer plus BL70 you cant beat it.

to be fair, i will say that they do skim very well, but, when dealing with a beckett on a pressure rated pump it should. i think all becketts get the job done, its the customer service and the craftmanship that separates them.

if i have to buy another skimmer it wont be a MRC smkimmer, i will go for a Barr Aquatics (i think its called austin aquatics now) 1st pick, and
Trigger Systems as the 2nd.

 

[Brian65901]

I am new to all this can you let me know if the MRC 2 with the Gen x 55 pump which would be in my tank stand in the TV room how loud woud it be?

 

[KathyC]

I run the same combo..MRC2 & Gen X55..although I'm sure it isn't suggested mine is currently not screwed down and I find it a LOT quieter than when it was. (my plumbing does keep mine tightly in place..so it isn't just flailing around either). A rubber pad underneather the pump is a good idea to lessen the sound form the vibration. The pump itself isn't very noisy.

Mine is also not inside of my stand, but I'm sure that it would be even quieter if it's enclosed in a cabinet

 

[PalmTree]

Mine is in a cabinet. It's pretty quite for my taste. Beckets are somewhat noisy regardless of what brand you purchase. The come with silencers which really cut down the noise to a faint whoosh. I don't know how loud the Gen X pumps are but I had mine on a BlueLine.

 

[rjs5134]

I realize this is an old thread, but it's just what I need so I'm going to try to revive it.

Cali, I know your opinion of MRC and it's well noted. I have purchased an MR-2, chiller and 2 pumps from MRC and have had nothing but perfect, prompt, responsive, helpful customer service. My skimmer did not leak, except at one or 2 locations which were my connections, not MRC's. I think the skimmer is sturdy, well made, durable, and easy to clean and adjust. I don't have alot to compare to though.

It's not all good though. I made the mistake of first buying a Mag18 to run the skimmer and obviously have not had the production I'd like. A Panworld PW55 was recommended to run the skimmer, but HOLY COW is it loud. There is NO WAY I can run this in the living room. The Mag 18 was about as loud as my wife can tolerate.

I'm looking for mods or pump suggestions that could solve the problem. I'm not buying a Barr, so save that one. Thanks for the help.

Rob