Life Reef Skimmer -- An Honest Review

[robert serafino]

Mine is the svs 24-2 i use a jebeao 8000 at 50% it rocks

 

[fishybizzness]

I actually find mine to be pretty quiet. The only really noticeable noise is the sucking of air sound that it makes if you take off the collection cup cover. Other than that, I can't hear much noise out of it. I live in the Caribbean so my windows are open year round so outside noises from nature are usually louder than any noise coming from the aquarium.

 

[fishybizzness]

Mine is the svs 24-2 i use a jebeao 8000 at 50% it rocks

How close to the side of the sump is that outlet valve?

 

[robert serafino]

It looks close it is 2in

 

[legionofdoon]

I’ll check mine but I’m either running and Jebao DCP 10000 or 8000 on my 24 inch model. It’s not dead quiet but I wouldn’t say it’s loud. The Venturi is silenced pretty well by connecting it to the collection cup with the tubing. It noisy when disconnected though. My aluminum stand is completely open and I can barely hear it across the room. I wouldn’t think that you could here it at all in an enclosed stand.

Overall I love the skimmer. Very easy to dial in. I can’t say that about any needle wheel skimmer that I’ve had in the past,

I had to switch my air inlet hose from the collection cup to a BRS CO2 scrubber partially filled with RODI. The inlet hose kept getting chunks of nastiness sucked through it. I figured since I wasn't using the CO2 scrubber if I put RODI in it it would act like it was pulling moisture from the collection cup. The reason why I'm not using the BRS as a scrubber anymore is it's kinda hard to tell easily if the CO2 media is turning from white to lavender if the chamber is purple, don't know why BRS didn't use clear kinda dumb choice on their part. I got lucky I bought mine off of eBay for around $100 shipped with a mag 7 that I replaced with a DCP8000. I just cleaned the collection cup about 3 hours ago. This pic is from now on a 40B

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Jeff will make custom add on pieces as well...for the threaded flange units. Mine he made a 13.5" body extension and my lifereef cal rx he made a 6-8" body height extension as well.
D

 

[legionofdoon]

Also using the CO2 scrubber makes it almost completely silent, my secondary drain's trickle from a beananimal setup is more loud.

 

[legionofdoon]

Reef Breeders is making a new skimmer and I gave some input on making a venturi model

Evergrow started making skimmers?

 

[piranhaman00]

I sold my life reef after a few years. To power hungry and to loud. Yeah maybe it would have been the last skimmer to buy, but a new quiet skimmer that’s way more efficient was well worth the switch.

Legit reason to switch, these are the two things Lifereef fails to talk about.

Evergrow started making skimmers?

Reef Breeders is starting a line of needle wheel skimmers yes.


Maybe my 24 is just noisier than normal? It makes quite a bit of noise more than my 30". Both are not loud per say but definitely the noisiest part of tank.

 

[Robbie P]

How do you like the division 500? I e been looking at the smaller model. Wondering what the noise level is like? Looks like it may have water trickle noise based on the design and the water streaming down on top? Otherwise it looks pretty sharp.

 

[Robbie P]

How do you like your division 500? Im looking at the smaller model but worried about noise level.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

Where is the Air Intake? My LifeReef Sump CLF 2, the Air Intake is at the top of the Collection Cup. There is Zero noise from this design. Also I think this is Genius, if the cup start to overflow, the Airflow is cut off. Very little Affluent is pulled back into the Sump too.

 

[DaneGer21]

Mine is the svs 24-2 i use a jebeao 8000 at 50% it rocks

Looks like you’re “skimming” water

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

That’s a “Light” Skim. You can easily adjust this via the Gate Valve wheel. Sometimes I want a lighter skim, I just add saltwater to the aquarium, to bring my Sump level up. Rather than adjusting the gate valve output.

 

[t5Nitro]

Has anyone replaced the standard 1 inch gate valve with the SVS 24 with a schedule 80 spears gate valve? I have one of those on my main drain pipe, and it looks like there is no metal screw on the wheel. The stock gate valve on the SVS 24 has a metal screw. I noticed that mine is completely rusted over and the screw is falling apart/rust dust around the gate itself.

TLDR: Check you're gate valves. Can we put a schedule 80 Spears 1" in place of the stock gate valve?

 

[GarrettT]

Has anyone replaced the standard 1 inch gate valve with the SVS 24 with a schedule 80 spears gate valve? I have one of those on my main drain pipe, and it looks like there is no metal screw on the wheel. The stock gate valve on the SVS 24 has a metal screw. I noticed that mine is completely rusted over and the screw is falling apart/rust dust around the gate itself.

TLDR: Check you're gate valves. Can we put a schedule 80 Spears 1" in place of the stock gate valve?

Mine is rusting too. Doesn’t seem to effect anything though, as it’s located well above the waterline.
BTW my lifereef is dead silent with a Fluval SP4.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

I just pulled the screw, took
It to the Hardware and bought a Stainless Steel Screw.

 

[piranhaman00]

My screw is rusted over, some rust is good for reef

 

[hart24601]

I sold my life reef after a few years. To power hungry and to loud. Yeah maybe it would have been the last skimmer to buy, but a new quiet skimmer that’s way more efficient was well worth the switch.

Same here, same reasons too. Honestly been running my needle wheel years now same one, not much if any work. LR are nice and refreshing to read a review that is realistic. They are not for everyone. Heck these days many struggle with low nutrients and run skimmers part time, so unless have a tremendous fish bioload and not much coral it isn’t a large concern for most.

 

[GarrettT]

Heck these days many struggle with low nutrients and run skimmers part time, so unless have a tremendous fish bioload and not much coral it isn’t a large concern for most.

+1 especially with how common Dino’s are now. 5 years ago, I never even heard of the stuff.