protein skimmer advice

Mrshane

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Hey all, new to saltwater and need opinions on skimmers... I know you get lots of questions on the subject but the welcome email wanted me to post, so here goes...

I had an Eshopps PSK-75H for a couple of weeks until it started leaking, so I sent it back... Now I am wondering if I should upgrade to the PSK-100H or would the Reef Octopus BH-90 be a better option??? I have that oily film on the surface that I find annoying! The tank is in our bedroom so I wouldn't want it much louder than the Eshopps was...

Can you help me out???

Thanks in advance!!!
 

chefb_5

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well I would have to say try to get your hands on a sump. Skimmers that hand on the back do good, but not as great as in sump. I would have to say the reef octopus they are quiet and I have never owned any other skimmer because I saw no reason to switch. They are all around great skimmers and quiet.
 
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Mrshane

Mrshane

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Thanks Chef_5, they are shipping one tomorrow! I've been thinking about a sump lately... My 65 gallon starter kit came with the big Penguin HOB without the Biowheel, so I upgraded to the Rena Filstar... I kept Discus a decade ago and I'm new to saltwater... Advice is appreciated!!!
 

chefb_5

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any time dude. I am returning the favor when I was new and got great advice. Also being new and not getting the straight truth is wrong. You need to know the truth so money is not wasted on things that you don't need or won't really work in the long run. I also started out with the fresh water filter systems with my tank and also using HOB skimmers only to find out they didn't work or realizing that I need other things if I want to have a great tank and not have everything die off. I didn't have help the very first time I did salt water so seeing that you are getting advice will def show you how to do a tank the right way the first time and not having to spend and waste all the money on stuff doesn't really work as great as you may want it to.
 

Djannel

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I actually own the Reef Octopus BH-90 and it pulls out some impressive gunk. I currently have it on my 75 gallon and it does the job well. The sump that I have does not permit me to have a skimmer because of size issues. I'll take a video tonight so you can see it in action.


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Djannel

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As chefb_5 said, the best way to go is with a sump as well as the in-sump skimmer if space is not an issue.


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fragmatic

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...

I have that oily film on the surface that I find annoying!

Can you help me out???

Thanks in advance!!!


Welcome aboard,
Just wondering with the oily film, this could mean a couple of other things. First, do you have plenty of water movement? You may want to look into buying a cheap power head and placing it midway down in the tank on a back wall with it pointing towards the water surface. You want to place it at a depth that produces plenty of ripples.

Second, is this a fish only tank or do you have live rock and are you planning to have some coral? If you have live rock, may I ask, how much live rock do you have in the tank?

If sounds like you have a great start.

One thing that is common is that the kind of noise an aquarium makes in a bed room, once you get adjusted to it, you will find that you actually sleep better. It is a sooothing living bubbly sound and our sleeping brain likes that.
 
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Mike&Terry

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Welcome to R2R! We'd love to "see and hear" more about your tank...

-M&T
 
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Mrshane

Mrshane

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Wow, thanks everyone!!! I will list what I have so far... I bought a 65 gallon marine starter kit at my LSF... 65 gallon Marineland 36" long tank, Rena Filstar Large canister filter, Aquatic Life 36" 2 x 38 watt T5 HO lights, Eheim 300 watt heater, 2 x Hydor Koralia 750 gph powerheads. And they just shipped me a Reef Octopus BH90 HOB skimmer.
I have about 35 lbs of Fiji live rock. 2 small ocellaris clowns, 1 midas blenny, 1 small hippo tang, 1 firefish, 1 yellow shrimp goby with tiger snapping shrimp, 2 cleaner shrimp and 5 of each snails and hermit crabs...
I DO plan on getting corals in the future... I went into the LFS looking to get a bubble tip anemone for my clowns but the saleswoman talked me into a long tentacle anemone... After doing some research, I got worried about being able to properly care for it, being a newbie, and brought it back... So gonna wait on the coral till the tank and "I" mature a bit...lol

I have the power-heads at either end of the tank shooting down at opposing angles to each other and the return from my canister filter pointing up at the surface to get some agitation... And yes I love the sound of the aquarium at night, my girlfriend not so much...
Would love to see that video Djannel!!!
 

Flamed_Razor

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I remember when i first started my saltwater tank, I bought a biowheel filtration system. Boy did i buy the wrong equipment. Luckily i found this fish store that sells nothing but saltwater equipment, fish, corals etc. He told me that biowheels are nothing but a nitrate factory and to get rid of it. He told me that the Reef Octopus BH100F was the way to go. Which i bought and is quite. Of course you have to get used to the noise at first before you can say it's quite, but not really loud at all. If it wasn't for this LFS i would be buying equipment i didn't need, till i found this site that is:bigsmile:
 
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Mrshane

Mrshane

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NanaReefer

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I hear you on the surface protein issue and its because of that, that just today I chose to buy the Reef Octopus BH-1000. Rated for tanks up to 100g's. It has a surface skimmer, is quiet and I'm finding great reviews :) Good luck!
 
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Mrshane

Mrshane

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Thanks for the video DJ, looks like it pulls some nice scum out of the water!!! I'm curious, do you find it pulls more out after it's been cleaned or before??? The collection cup and neck I mean... Just wondering as I watched a few videos from LA Fish Guys and they said that once it's broken in, it collects more if it's clean... And the short time I had my PSK-75H, once it started producing scum, it slowed down after a few days and started back up once I cleaned it...
And Nana, they were sold out of the BH-1000's and I'm a pretty impatient buyer...lol

Okay any advice on sump's??? I have posted a pic of my tank and listed the equipment I have, I think I'm ready to come to the dark side...lol

Cheers,
Shane
 

caudill187

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That BH-90 looks sweet. I have used an older model of the reef octopus HOB, Reef Octopus BH100SS Hang On Back Protein Skimmer, HOB | CoralVue, on a 56 gallon and now a 30 gallon and have been very happy with it. They were both predominanly zoanthid systems. I'd say that skimmer will probably do good enough for a 65 gallon tank, but a sump with a bigger skimmer would certainly be better.....especially if you want to keep predominantly SPS.


Nice Tank!!
 
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chefb_5

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Not to be mean, but no matter what HOB you get it's not going work as well as in sump and in sump skimmers are just as quiet. If you going to get the octopus skimmer that hangs on the back new, you are spending just about the same money if you were to get a in sump skimmer. If you think about it don't you think all of us have that problem? All are skimmers will get that protein off the top just by letting the water flow down to the sump. If you already have the HOB then it's all good I'm just trying to prevent people from buying HOB's because they might pull out some pretty good gunk, but the in sump does better. I have been there I have tried 3 different hobs they don't pull out as much as the sin sump dude.
 

Djannel

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The skimmer in the sump is definitively the way to go BUT some of us don't have the space in the sump to add one. Myself, I really tried to retrofit my BH90 in the sump but it just wouldn't work. Next tank I get, I will plan for this in advance since the skimmer is a must for any tank, specially a mixed tank and even more if its an sps tank.


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chefb_5

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that would be the only option i would have to agree on if your sump is to small. It is very understandable I just hate to see people spend good money on a skimmer and realize they bought the wrong skimmer type. I'm just trying to look out for the noobies and people who are asking about certain ones is all.
 

skinz78

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