Do All Skimmers Work The Same?

[Simplicity Aquatics]

Going back to the OP, there are many ways skimmers create bubbles. Some old, some newer. Needle wheels in my opinion being the most effective happy medium for power usage vs effective. Old technology like the Becket style skimmers push water through a becket which combines air and water and sprays it out with pressure. While very effective it requires a power hungry pump to have enough pressure to function.

 

[theMeat]

Going back to the OP, there are many ways skimmers create bubbles. Some old, some newer. Needle wheels in my opinion being the most effective happy medium for power usage vs effective. Old technology like the Becket style skimmers push water through a becket which combines air and water and sprays it out with pressure. While very effective it requires a power hungry pump to have enough pressure to function.

Oh yeah, remember those. You needed a hi pressure rated pump to really get em going

 

[legionofdoon]

The life reef and a couple others like I believe the bashsea use a venturi after the pump so the air is not mixed in the impeller housing.

 

[theMeat]

Yes now that I think of it was aware of lifereef making a new to market after pump Venturi skimmer. Nowadays, for the last 20 years or so, needle wheel Venturi are all the rave. Post pump Venturi was the rage before that, which lifereef is trying to reintroduce. Seems they will, and do, have the same huge heat making pump obstacle tho. As Simplicity remembers and pointed out.

 

[legionofdoon]

I'm using a dc pump so heat really isn't an issue. Of course I'm also using metal halides. I use an open canopy and with central ac my temps never went over 80 this summer. I have a chiller but I don't use it and it's sitting in my garage.

 

[legionofdoon]

Jeff hasn't changed the design by much in the last 20 years just cosmetics.

 

[theMeat]

Build quality is great, but they take a lot of room, which many don’t have, or want a skimmer standing outside of stand. And they require large pumps, which is why many use dc pumps as you have

 

[legionofdoon]

I built my sump with the life reef in mind. Here is a picture of it it's a 40 breeder which I know is a little big for my tank but I was planning ahead in case I fire up my old 75.