Life Reef Skimmer -- An Honest Review

[alysak6075]

Just to update this. Bought a regal 250 INT for my new tank, wow. Lifereef is in storage

Interesting, I swapped a 250SSS for an external life reef 36 inch that i run off of a Jebao 18000. the 250 used about 46W, the LF uses 68-72W (depending on what i want, drier vs wetter skim), I adjust the pump and not the valve cause the valve is leaky; packed it with teflon and let it be.

The 250SSS was pretty much silent, and i really do mean silent, for example my MP40s tick me off cause they are loud at 70%. the LF is about as loud as both MP40s at 70%, so not silent but not an issue for me. When the silencer is unplugged it sounds like a garbage disposal that is running dry.

Reason I swapped it: my mom feeds the tank very heavy, i was having all kinds of issues with excess nutrients. After running LF, the skim is vomit inducing. Nutrient issues are now in check.

 

[GarrettT]

Can't imagine the dislike on the above few posts. I've got a lifereef that goes strong without any adjustments for the past 3 years.

Same

 

[areefer01]

Can't imagine the dislike on the above few posts. I've got a lifereef that goes strong without any adjustments for the past 3 years.

People have different experiences using similar products. Doesn't matter if it is a skimmer, light, return pump, controller, salt, etc. Hobbyist A loves it and it works great while hobbyist B wanted to love it but never got it dialed in. So many different factors.

One thing I try and recommend with skimmers is do more research. Look for both good and bad. Put aside a little extra money towards the skimmer budget. Because if purchased properly it will last the duration of the display to include possible upgrades if sized for growth.

 

[jda]

Lots of people equate skim mate volume with performance. I think that everybody knows that clear or tea colored skim mate is not great, but beyond that, more is better to most. Stink is probably a better way to judge it, although this can be hard too.

 

[iriecorals]

Wow great review and thanks for it. I’ll be looking for a new protein skimmer here soon for my new build.

 

[Tcook]

I don't takes sides on this one. I can see why people both love and hate needlewheel, venturi, downdraft and beckett skimmers. Some do perform better than other - hard to deny this - but are harder to use. Some last longer. Some are more noisy. Some take high wattage pumps while some don't care.

What makes a good skimmer is the balance between the pump, air draw and the body. Most of the time, manufacturers just got lucky with a good model since the same manufacturers can screw up with many other models. I have had RO skimmers that were good and some were just terrible. Sicce powered RO was a beast and everything since has been on the range of garbage to OK/good and I have not seen an awesome one since. ASM bodies just work with nearly any pump. LR bodies just work with nearly any pump. YMMV.

I do like to use a bit less pump than what the LR guy recommends - have 700 GPH low wattage pump on a VS2 now and it is better than a Mag 9.5 both in power and performance. They work great for me.

Personally, I do believe that non uniform bubble size skimmers do work better.

If you don't like a LR skimmer, then sell it. They still command a good price on the used market and are rarely available. They seem to get snatched up quickly.

What pump is that? I switched to using a Cor 20 on my LR and am not impressed. It is either injecting too much air or can’t work well in a pressure situation. I have to close the gate valve almost all the way to get the water column high enough.

 

[jda]

I have a couple of Laguna Max Flo and even a fountain pump that was from harbor freight that I cannot even remember where I got it. Put the HF pump on just because it was in a box and it is doing well.

 

[jda]

I just looked 1073.40 on a VS2, Laguna Max Flow that I cannot read anymore (probably a 1350) on a VS3 and that Harbor Freight pump on another VS2. All work well.

 

[JJT]

I don't takes sides on this one. I can see why people both love and hate needlewheel, venturi, downdraft and beckett skimmers. Some do perform better than other - hard to deny this - but are harder to use. Some last longer. Some are more noisy. Some take high wattage pumps while some don't care.

What makes a good skimmer is the balance between the pump, air draw and the body. Most of the time, manufacturers just got lucky with a good model since the same manufacturers can screw up with many other models. I have had RO skimmers that were good and some were just terrible. Sicce powered RO was a beast and everything since has been on the range of garbage to OK/good and I have not seen an awesome one since. ASM bodies just work with nearly any pump. LR bodies just work with nearly any pump. YMMV.

I do like to use a bit less pump than what the LR guy recommends - have 700 GPH low wattage pump on a VS2 now and it is better than a Mag 9.5 both in power and performance. They work great for me.

Personally, I do believe that non uniform bubble size skimmers do work better.

If you don't like a LR skimmer, then sell it. They still command a good price on the used market and are rarely available. They seem to get snatched up quickly.

Skimmers are simple: Pump in bubbles and try to keep them there as long as possible. The only real differences are in the bubble sizes. The rest of the skimmer details don't matter, except for the diameter and length of the neck, but other than that we are working with tubes full of bubbles. Water foams when you pump it full of bubbles so skimmers really don't "make" foam, it is the water that is responsible for making foam. But those bubbles do have a dramatic effect once they get to the surface: Tiny bubbles don't move upwards on their own, they are pushed up by the other bubbles coming in from below, and that takes a longer time for each bubble to get to the top. But if you pump in various size bubbles those larger bubbles will go up the foam column all the way to the top and collect some of the proteins and solids off other bubbles as they pass. This gets the proteins and solids into the cup faster and why venturi skimmer don't need the interior body cleaned as do needle-wheel skimmers. This too is the reason nitrate levels are higher on aquariums using needle-wheels vs true venturi skimmers which include ALL other skimmers except needle-wheels. This would be Becketts, downdraft, nozzle injection, and even airstone. It's the bubble sizes that make all the difference.

 

[JJT]

I just looked 1073.40 on a VS2, Laguna Max Flow that I cannot read anymore (probably a 1350) on a VS3 and that Harbor Freight pump on another VS2. All work well.

Would love to see photos!

 

[JJT]

Can't imagine the dislike on the above few posts. I've got a lifereef that goes strong without any adjustments for the past 3 years.

It's really difficult to compare skimmers when everyone's water quality may be different. Not talking about salt or salinity or the other parameter numbers. I'm talking about all the things added to the water like meds, dosing chemicals, filter socks, filter media, hands in the water, etc. Anything that gets introduced into the water changes the surface tension and the way the foam forms or doesn't form. But, there are improvements in foaming when the bubbles are of various sizes vs all consistent, and this is proven by physics and science. Bubble all the same size produce a consistent density of foam, or a wetter foam due to the tight mass of tiny bubbles. But when the bubbles are of different sizes you get a wetter foam at the bottom, a medium foam in the middle, and a drier foam near the top. And this layering can be adjusted to get a wet to a dry foam. Plus, proteins and solids are put into the cup faster in a venturi skimmer vs a needle-wheel since tiny bubbles don't rise in the neck by themselves, they all rely on other bubbles to raise them to the top, which takes longer and many of those solids collected fall back into the skimmer thus the need to take them apart frequently to clean out the sludge.

 

[Tcook]

I just looked 1073.40 on a VS2, Laguna Max Flow that I cannot read anymore (probably a 1350) on a VS3 and that Harbor Freight pump on another VS2. All work well.

Is the 1073.40 a laguna?

 

[jda]

Tunze.

Always wondered what would happen if you put a NW on a LR and used the venturi too. I have some Sicce PSK around...might try it. Probably too much air, which is a real thing in some cases.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

I can’t imagine people complaining about the LifeReef Skimmer being noisy. I’m wondering if they weren’t hooked up right. Both mine are used. The First on, half of the Air tube Quick connection was missing. The Second one both pieces were missing, and he said he hated the skimmer. I got the Quick Connect Fittings from Zorro Tools, and hooked the air intake to the Cup. Dead Silent, and if the Skimmers go crazy, they stop skimming, as the air is blocked.

 

[Oldreefer44]

In my 40 years in the hobby I would, after using one for 9 years, consider it one of my top 5 purchases since I started in the hobby. One of the best thing about them besides the consistent performance and quality is that Jeff will talk to you personally about your choices and can replace any piece you might want to change out or ad on. Nothing like being able to work directly with the person who makes them.

 

[fishybizzness]

If it ain't broke, dont fix it and it's definitely not broke for me! Lol

 

[Tcook]

Tunze.

Always wondered what would happen if you put a NW on a LR and used the venturi too. I have some Sicce PSK around...might try it. Probably too much air, which is a real thing in some cases.

I think that’s what’s happening with the Cor20. So many bubbles and not enough water to lift the bubble column

 

[Bpb]

I used a lifereef for many years. There are some good things about them. Simple physical design. I like the external pump (not unique to them). I especially like that they take a standard pump and not a proprietary needlewheel pump. You can obviously save a couple hundred dollars and keep replacing with a jebao or mag drive rather than a heavily marked up skimmer specific pump.

But there are some real downsides I discovered after some years. First being height. You need height for them to work as well as they should. The shortest model which would fit under most typical aquaria has very little dwell and contact time. You have maybe an inch of bubble dwell before they go shooting up the neck.

Obviously the 36”+ tall models will be more effective for the higher flow venturi style. But that is impractical for most reef tank keepers.

On my recent tank I built a short stand so I could peer down at the tank rather than looking up at it. I favor branching corals and they obviously look better from above than below. My lifereef would no longer fit as even the shortest model is too tall.

I got a deal on a tunze 9430 I couldn’t pass up. It’s kind of the opposite design. Short squat very fat body. External pump. Tons of bubble dwell time in the chamber. I have been pleased with its performance. The pump has been problematic. The impeller didn’t sit flush and melted the plastic coating due to friction. Had to already replace the impeller and carefully sand out the impeller shaft to make it smooth again. It has already stalled several times and requires frequent maintenance and cleaning. I can foresee myself having to drop $300 on a replacement pump within the next couple years.

Tunze design and performance are fantastic. Their reliability has been about as bad as any brand I’ve used. This opinion based on the 5 tunze products I’ve purchased to date. Their reputation for longevity is puzzling because it’s been a nightmare with 4 of the 5 products I’ve purchased

 

[GarrettT]

If it ain't broke, dont fix it and it's definitely not broke for me! Lol

Mine gets pretty nasty too : )

 

[JJT]

Did you ever call Lifereef to discuss the skimmer you were having problems with?

Can you tell the difference from a new needle-wheel from those of the past? Still same bubbles and all have a bubble plate and a cone or straight-side body. Nothing has been "new" on these since they came out over 20 years ago. They are forced into this type of design due to those tiny bubbles and why all NW skimmers are exactly the same, only the diameters change, the heights are limited to only short skimmers. What they do change though is the pump, that still makes tiny bubbles, because that is all they have to make you buy another when the pump fails and is no longer available or the pumps have a fairly high price. With a venturi skimmer you can use ANY water pump making a venturi never obsolete.