The differences are in the pump. Good pump producing fine bubbles at huge amount will pull gunk better even if you hook it up to a cheap china skimmer body. Functions and features (mostly on pumps anyway) is a bonus.
Do high end skimmers work more efficiently?
- Thread starter Scott.h
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Scott.h
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ins135s. Any idea what gph pinwheel this thing needs? I'm having a hard time finding info. I know I can buy one off their site but I think I can match something up for less then 200. I have a sicci 5.0 laying around but it might be too big.
cap232
Community Member
SEDRA KSP-5000A is a direct replacement that's what came on one of mine when new http://www.saltycritter.com/pumps/sedra-pumps.htm
or this one it comes with the venture but you need the adaptor for 4.99. so that's half the price of the other site https://www.avastmarine.com/products/sicce-psk1000
there out of stock right now butI would go with the sicce and adapt you venture to it. or buy the venture from aquarium source.com
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Scott.h
Valuable Member
thanks! Are you sure the sicce psk is big enough for the 135? I have the equivalent of that now and it's not pulling much of anything, closed, elevated water height too. It should be overflowing. That's why I was assuming I needed a bigger pump
cap232
Community Member
Yrs on the sinnce you can buy the whole skimmer for 240.00 with the pump but they want 200 for the pump alone. http://aquariumsource.com/products.
When pumps get some time on thrm they get weak loose magnedic power.
When pumps get some time on thrm they get weak loose magnedic power.
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Scott.h
Valuable Member
With the psk it seems you can't get the Venturi fitting for them anywhere. The one link makes them but they are out of stock. Without having the pump in my hand I'm not sure if the original Venturi will fit. After reviews the other pump is good for two years.
cap232
Community Member
Just call aquarium source and buy the venturi separate. It will be 5 or 6 bucks and buy the pump from saltycritter and your done. Or buy the sedra 5000 from saltycritter . i just think the sicce is a better pump .
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Scott.h
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I bought the psk 1000 this morning. They confirmed the original Venturi cap will fit the psk.
I was kinda excited about buying a new skimmer. Was thinking about buying the $500 deltec. Now that I'm just replacing the pump on the reef dynamics I'm sure I can repurpose the money. Hopefully it works better. Never a shortage of crap to buy in this hobby.
I was kinda excited about buying a new skimmer. Was thinking about buying the $500 deltec. Now that I'm just replacing the pump on the reef dynamics I'm sure I can repurpose the money. Hopefully it works better. Never a shortage of crap to buy in this hobby.
cap232
Community Member
Thats good i have tried a few of the new cone style skimmers but ended selling them i just like the no fuss set and forget way the old euro reef and reef dynamucs work. They pull out just as much if not more than the new style skimmers . unless you spend 500 or more.
Forsaken77
Valuable Member
Ok... Here's another option that applies to this thread. Do 1 piece wine bottle skimmers, like the Reef Octopus Elite, work better than those "hybrid" skimmers like the Reef Octopus Regal or Aquamaxx that have a seam weld that could interfere with bubbles?
Right now I'm using the Aquamaxx Cone-S Q2 on a 93 cube, but was considering the RO Elite 200-int for my 180. I always thought a 1-piece acrylic unit would be more efficient that a unit with seams.
Right now I'm using the Aquamaxx Cone-S Q2 on a 93 cube, but was considering the RO Elite 200-int for my 180. I always thought a 1-piece acrylic unit would be more efficient that a unit with seams.
Well I had a 17 year old euro Reef I had a reef Octopus now I have a Lifereef as far as adjustment this one is best I have set it and emptied it. Does it pull more well maybe a little but it's hard to tell but this is the first skimmer I have ever had that started skimming well in 2 days really no break in, I have had others but these are the top and I like the Lifereef best by far
cap232
Community Member
Probley not. If it did no way anyone could tell. The job of a skimmer is to get bubbles get concentrated in the neck of the skimmer. Thats ehere it all happens. But a good pump makes more of a diffence than any thing else in my experience
I've gone in the opposite direction of the new fancy skimmer innovations. For my new build I've picked up an old school Lifereef SVS2-24 venturi skimmer. Just waiting on the new Sicce ADV AC pumps to come out to run it. The Sicce ADV 7.0 that I want to get for it reportedly pushes 1900 gph at a mere 55 watts. After all the head pressure from the elbows, venturi spa injector and gate valve for throttling back flow, I'm probably looking at a mere 35 or so watts for power consumption.
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|sCRIBe|
Active Member
I can def chime in on this. I have a cadlights artisan 70 and started with vertex omega 130 (currently for sale). I noticed detritus always collecting in my sump after 1 week or less of cleaning the sump. Even slight detritus on the sand bed.
I upgraded to a bubble king 180 and after months of this running my sump is still clean, almost no detritus on sand and water crystal clear. Def a night and day improvement
I upgraded to a bubble king 180 and after months of this running my sump is still clean, almost no detritus on sand and water crystal clear. Def a night and day improvement
AcanthurusRex
Well-Known Member
I've got one of those, upstairs in a box. Couldn't bring myself to trash it.It doesn't happen to look like this does it? Lol. I've had this thing for years, and I can't for the life of me throw it away. But I'll be honest, I never could get the thing to work properly. It seems like when I bought it it was state of the art.
I bought a Skimz simply because BRS warrants them and the pumps tend to fail on needle-wheel skimmers.
Dream54ing
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I've probably used and tested over 40 different skimmers throughout the years and I have not seen any major difference between the amount of junk it produces...
Things I've noticed with higher end skimmers are the obvious pump reliability, efficiency- wattage, heat; body design, overall design, material, craftsmanship, footprint and special features (bells and whistles). I do tend to lean towards the higher end skimmers for those reasons rather than the amount of junk it takes out.
Things I've noticed with higher end skimmers are the obvious pump reliability, efficiency- wattage, heat; body design, overall design, material, craftsmanship, footprint and special features (bells and whistles). I do tend to lean towards the higher end skimmers for those reasons rather than the amount of junk it takes out.
If you pull the expeller and clean it every six months they last forever I have yet to have to replace a skimmer pump on my tank and it's been years
nola90
Active Member
very true
for example, I had a SCA skimmer at one point when I restarted the tank. It worked VERY well, easy to dial in, but the parts were cheap. I watched as a hermit get lodged into the inlet, destroyed the pinwheel in a few seconds as I turned it off. Same thing for the red sea for my brother's tank. I also had to replace the pump twice in a 2.5 yr span, so when I upgraded to a bigger tank I also did the skimmer. The vertex omega 130 skimmer lasted 2 years for myself, someone else bought it from me, and is still using it to this day..2 years later. Not a single problem since. The SCA skimmer works BEAUTIFULLY. Easily competes with the Vertex Omega. But build quality was vastly different.
Honestly, if you have the money to spare, go for the more expensive skimmer that fits your needs. If you wanna save some money for an equivalent effient skimmer, the cheaper skimmer will be fine.
Orcus Varuna
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I am with you I just bought a 24" lifereef about 4 months ago. I am running it with a mag 12 and have been very happy with its combination of skim mate quality, ease of maintenance, and the ability to set it and forget it.
But as for your original question I would say yes it works more efficiently because it's a much bigger skimmer with a larger pump, reaction chamber, and longer neck. This facilitates a ton of contact time and produces a TON of foam. Was the price steep yes but was it worth it for the larger skimmer I believe it was.
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