Light Commercial Skimmer Advice Requested

[sevenstacks]

I have what you need- I have it in storage and cant remember the dog gone name

Now that’s a beefy skimmer!

 

[sevenstacks]

Is it a DC pump ?? . Personally I’ve used many skimmers in the past and the Reef Octo regal skimmer was the best I’ve used . Mine has an auto shut off when cup is full . Whether or not u buy a reef octo or any other brand in my opinion the dc pump makes a huge difference . Good luck !!! :cool:

The Sicce Adv 10.0 is not a true DC pump, but it sure is close (if you are on a budget); if not better than some DC pumps out there. I always compare specs and some DC pumps are amazing and some still come up short.

Anyway, at the time I bought this pump on sale, it was hard to beat these specs, DC or not, especially in the sub $300 range:

• Max Flow: 2700 GPH
• Max Head: 23 FT
• Wattage: 90W

 

[piranhaman00]

With Venturi skimmers like Lifereef you do not want DC pump. AC handle head better, although the Jebao pumps I have found work the best.

 

[BCSreef]

Meant to address your 'ever clogging' venturi, LifeReef has a recirculating connection on the cup that pulls enough moisture from the cup you dont have clogging issues with their venturis

I found pumping my ATO water through the venturi works better.

 

[ThaBeast]

I found pumping my ATO water through the venturi works better.

Actually contemplating this on my new build, think I will try it

 

[hoffmeyerz]

I found pumping my ATO water through the venturi works better.

This is a good option if your pulling outside air instead of from the skimmer cup. I get plenty of moisture pulling from the cup so I've never experienced a clog in the venturi. I actually have so much moisture I had to plumb in a water trap before my CO2 scrubber!

 

[BCSreef]

Actually contemplating this on my new build, think I will try it

I found that recirculating the air/foam mix through the venturi eventually clogged it.

 

[BCSreef]

This is a good option if your pulling outside air instead of from the skimmer cup. I get plenty of moisture pulling from the cup so I've never experienced a clog in the venturi. I actually have so much moisture I had to plumb in a water trap before my CO2 scrubber!

Yes, I am pumping outside air to the skimmer. Also, I don't clean the cup as often as I should so that is one reason why I had clogging issues :)

 

[jda]

If you have room, use two or three smaller skimmers rather than one huge one. They do a better job and you are not totally hosed if one goes offline while you wait on a new pump.

 

[sevenstacks]

If you have room, use two or three smaller skimmers rather than one huge one. They do a better job and you are not totally hosed if one goes offline while you wait on a new pump.

I’ve always been under the impression that contact time, etc that the larger/taller skimmers bring to the table would likely surpass a couple/few smaller skimmers.

I have the room, but I have never heard that advice before; is that commonly done?

 

[piranhaman00]

I’ve always been under the impression that contact time, etc that the larger/taller skimmers bring to the table would likely surpass a couple/few smaller skimmers.

I have the room, but I have never heard that advice before; is that commonly done?

If contact time is equal between 3 smaller and one larger, the 3 smaller will process much more water

 

[jda]

I had a friend who maintained a 10k gallon aquarium at a restaurant. It probably had another 2k gallons in sump and equipment. They purchased a large skimmer to handle the whole thing - it was well over $10k and used many 220v pumps. I took him some fish that outgrew my tank and he was complaining about the production. I told him that many smaller ones would work better, but he was skeptical. I loaned him a ASM G5 and a dual beckett downdraft. I got a message a few days later to come and get the skimmers because he ordered 3x ASM G6. He ended up buying another one. Each of the ASMs pulled more junk than their expensive huge skimmer. He kept the skimmer online since it kept the pH up with oxygen exchange.

Contact time matters, but so does flow, oxygen and the design. I just think that there are too few huge skimmers that people never got the whole design right. Orca sucked compared to a pair of normal needle-wheels. I could pull a pair or trio of cheap used LifeReef, MRC, ASM, whatever out of my boneyard to destroy a AE large skimmer.

If I was you, I would keep that downdraft or beckett that you have now and add a larger skimmer to it. ASM G6 is $700. Even if you hate them, you can sell them better than you can sell a $2500 skimmer if you hate it.

That beckett or downdraft that you have should really pull some gunk if you have enough pump. They have fallen out of favor with so many smaller tanks and even smaller sumps, but they have always performed.

 

[jda]

I am a LifeReef guy myself. I have a neck to make some of mine go from 30 to 60ish inches. The taller one is better, but it is not better than a pair of 30" LifeReef skimmers.

I any case, I have little doubt that the taller LifeReef will outperform that $2500 RO that you mentioned in the first post. You can always use the current skimmer with it as well.

Keep the ASM G6 in mind if you need more. They are beasts for $700. I hate the Sedra pumps anymore but when they go out, you can replace them with a Sicce PSK and they are just as good.

 

[ThaBeast]

Nice thing about LifeReef, not specific pump dependent. If your pump goes out, you can just plumb another pump to it

 

[sevenstacks]

I had a friend who maintained a 10k gallon aquarium at a restaurant. It probably had another 2k gallons in sump and equipment. They purchased a large skimmer to handle the whole thing - it was well over $10k and used many 220v pumps. I took him some fish that outgrew my tank and he was complaining about the production. I told him that many smaller ones would work better, but he was skeptical. I loaned him a ASM G5 and a dual beckett downdraft. I got a message a few days later to come and get the skimmers because he ordered 3x ASM G6. He ended up buying another one. Each of the ASMs pulled more junk than their expensive huge skimmer. He kept the skimmer online since it kept the pH up with oxygen exchange.

Contact time matters, but so does flow, oxygen and the design. I just think that there are too few huge skimmers that people never got the whole design right. Orca sucked compared to a pair of normal needle-wheels. I could pull a pair or trio of cheap used LifeReef, MRC, ASM, whatever out of my boneyard to destroy a AE large skimmer.

If I was you, I would keep that downdraft or beckett that you have now and add a larger skimmer to it. ASM G6 is $700. Even if you hate them, you can sell them better than you can sell a $2500 skimmer if you hate it.

That beckett or downdraft that you have should really pull some gunk if you have enough pump. They have fallen out of favor with so many smaller tanks and even smaller sumps, but they have always performed.

You may be on the something. I guess a picture of the birds nest I’ve got going on now that I’m upgrading across the board is worth a look before you say I should keep what I have lol! Yes, that’s a giant cheese ball container I modified and have setting on top for the extra skimmate this old beast puts out while I keep my fat and happy. But there is no way (cheese balls or not) it can keep up with the 600 gallon tank I have being built in FL that will be here in two months.

 

[sevenstacks]

That’s the alcove of the mechanical room that will service the larger tanks. You see a 120 gal tank (former) refugium 48x24x24 sitting by the dated sump. The other room (not pictured) has a 240 gallon sump and 10’ ceilings on the ground level. That Iwaki MD-100 RLT is pumping water upstairs to a 240 gallon in my office.