Lifereef skimmers vs needlewheels

[jft]

My question is are lifereef skimmers more costly to run using appropriate pumps and are they more noisier than needlwheels

 

[AydenLincoln]

So yes because they are already more expensive to buy but can be made custom unless you buy a used one. Jeff at LifeReef is great but I could never get my skimmer from him to work or foam. He is sending me a new one but I personally like needle wheels better. Although his customer service is unmatched.

 

[legionofdoon]

They are more noisy but not that bad if you use the cup for your air line or a CO2 scrubber. I didn't realize that they are $700 now without pump. I got mine on eBay for next to nothing. Jeff the owner however has the best customer service ever regardless if you bought it used or new. I'm surprised people can't get them to foam. I had mine on a 40 breeder and it worked just fine. It's now on an 80 and still works great. The good thing about them is that you are not married to a pump that might be phased out at any time and leave you with a slimmer that doesn't work. They are also easily upgradable.

 

[jft]

YES BUT 700 DoLLARS I COULD BUY TWO NEEDLEWHEELS !

 

[legionofdoon]

YES BUT 700 DoLLARS I COULD BUY TWO NEEDLEWHEELS !

If you compare them to Reef Octo the pricing is similar. I've only used three skimmers in twenty years, the original reef octopus with the SWC branding,a sca 302 and the lifereef. The lifereef is the one I'm still using.

 

[X-37B]

They are nice skimmers. I bought this 28" older model for < $250 a few weeks ago. I use a Jebao MDP 8500 pump.
The effluent will make some noise as does the intake. The noise goes up if you increase speed.
At 70% you can only hear the effluent. At 80% you will hear some intake noise but it's not bad with the doors closed.

 

[ThaBeast]

I've played with many different skimmers in 30 years. I still have a 30" life reef (in use) a 72" life reef(in case I ever set up another monster tank) and a small euro reef just in case. The only other skimmers that came close were the big Deltecs and Euroreefs...those can be hard to find parts for now. Once you dial in a lifereef you really don't need to do anything else, just empty the cup regularly and wash the cup occasionally. I think the SWC/Octopus I had made more noise than the 30" lifereef I currently run

 

[areefer01]

I purchased my skimmer from Jeff @ Lifereef in early 2000 and still using it today. The original purchase was with the Japanese Iwaki pump (great pump btw) but lost it when I had a tank crash while on vacation. Never the less I've carried that same skimmer and used it across many tank sizes through the years. It is currently on my 210 gallon mixed reef and will move forward to the 400 I am working on now.

Skimmers, regardless of brand, are something that you should only buy once. And by purchasing I mean making an informed decision that isn't dictated by price or social media. The initial purchase may seem high but as I already noted it will last the duration of your time in the hobby. It really is as simple as that.

Rule in my house is that I can only empty it when my family isn't home. The smell reminds me of a good day of scuba diving. My family thinks otherwise.

Note - I am a long time user of Lifereef skimmers so a bit biased. But if I am being honest the skimmer has a sound build quality and the venturi just works. I've owned an ETSS skimmer but while it worked it was never really set and forget. The only other skimmer I own is a CPR Bak Pak and that is for a 40 breeder and used when I need it. While not on the same scale, those lads did a great job on that.

Anyway - the takeaway outside my liking my Lifereef skimmer is to remember that a skimmer is a long term investment. Don't be swayed by the price. It is something you will only pay for once when done correctly.

Hope everyone is having a great day and month.

Here is mine on my workbench as I was cleaning it.