Skimmer Q&A Thread

[rhcpnut1]

Can anyone tell me what they think about the avast cs1 kit? ive seen nothing but great reviews on the company and product but want some personal reviews. And also anyone who has one please tell me would you recomend the psk 1000 or look at another pump for it?

 

[gerards_reef]

My Avast cs1 is supposed to be delivered today. I ordered it for my upcoming upgrade to a 150. I plan on running it on my current 55 until I get the 150 set-up. I'll let you know what I think after I assemble it.

For what it's worth everywhere I've seen the cs1 reviewed it was emphasized how perfectly matched the pump is to the skimmer. So I went with the psk 1000.

 

[rhcpnut1]

Thanks iamgant and best luck on your upgrade ill be looking for a build

 

[rhcpnut1]

Oh btw are doing you built or avast built and i know they do custom work but i was curious of whether or not it would be a good idea to ask to see if they can make a taller cone custom order. Just curious on what thoughts are of the idea behind a taller skimmer having more contact time how much more efficient does it really make skimmers. I know back in the old day people would build pvc skimmers to be anywhere from 4-6 feet tall

 

[gerards_reef]

I am doing the you built. I would email them on the custom height. They are pretty responsive and I have heard of them doing custom work for people.

 

[mcarroll]

[...]Just curious on what thoughts are of the idea behind a taller skimmer having more contact time how much more efficient does it really make skimmers.[...]l

For cones and other odd shapes, the skimmer body is usually dwarf in volume, so while contact time won't be much different unless you go a lot higher (or wider), overall processing power will be increased going taller. I.e. You'll have a bigger skimmer...more efficient in terms of footprint.

-Matt

 

[rhcpnut1]

thanks matt i figured but wasnt sure if the height would cause a noticeable difference in skimming performance.

 

[rhcpnut1]

Hey iamgant any updates

 

[gerards_reef]

Hey iamgant any updates

I assembled the skimmer last weekend. It was simple enough to assemble. The only thing that I had any trouble with was the cone. Getting it close enough to ensure I got a good enough seal was no easy task.

I finally dropped it in the sump last night. It's a little louder that the reef octo it replaced but not to the point of being annoying. I'll give another update after it's finished breaking in.

 

[rhcpnut1]

alright sounds good

 

[dereks16]

Mojo.. I apologize if this came up. But I have a 75 gallon fowlr. 40 gal sump. I new a skimmer ASAP. I'm looking. At oct nac7 and bubble magus nwb 150 or 200. Do you have any preference? Any help would be great. Thanks.

 

[dereks16]

I really wanted a life reef however they are expensive. I just want something durable that I won't have to replace or mess with too much. I would love to see a review of the life reef skimmer.

 

[dereks16]

Also does anyone have input on the curve 7 as opposed to the other two I mentioned??

 

[mcarroll]

I really wanted a life reef however they are expensive. I just want something durable that I won't have to replace or mess with too much. I would love to see a review of the life reef skimmer.

Lifereef is well-designed and I think lets you use any pump in the correct size range.

I would say about the same for AquaC...you might want to consider a new or used EV-120. They are VERY affordable on the used market...and you can also use any correct-sized pump.

The other skimmers you named are all much more dependent on the specific pump they come with, or a very few after-market replacements. (Doesn't necessarily make them better or worse....depends what you want.)

Any skimmer is pretty much durable and will last forever like an appliance.

The pump, on the other hand, has an impeller with a magnet which will lose strength or become physically compromised, or even the windings in the pump can burn up. I'm not aware of any mainstream skimmers that come with "bad" pumps, but you still probably can't find a more durable pump than Eheim's Universal Hobby Pump line. Any skimmer equipped with one of those should be about as bullet-proof as it gets.

-Matt

 

[Selt1018]

Sorry I tried to skim(no pun intended) through the posts here to see if my question was answered but didn't see it. Forgive me if I missed it. I am looking at setting up a sump and skimmer for a 20-35g tank the sump will probably be between 15 and 20g. But I am looking for a quality skimmer that I wont regret buying and feel the need to replace like 6 months later. Budget probably $100-$300 max if possible.

Thank you!

 

[dereks16]

Well Matt thanks for info. I ended up going with a vertex omega 150. It was about 66 bucks less that what I wanted with the lifereef but I was already stretching my budget pretty good with that purchase. Hope it doesn't disappoint. I did really love the option to use any pump with lifereef. Maybe diwn the line. But I think I will try and pick up an extra impeller for it somewhere.

 

[dereks16]

So of course all the reading up I did prior to purchasing the omega 150 never revealed anything negative.... Until I purchase it. Does anyone know if these still have the impeller issues I'm finding now. Last comment for this issue was June 2013. I'm hoping it's fixed but I'm not sure. I saw they changed it to a shorter shaft but not sure if that was the issue. Now I wish I spent the extra and got the life reef or the aqua c ev so I could use any pump.

 

[mcarroll]

Is it non-returnable?

 

[dereks16]

I don't know. I'm sure I could refuse delivery but I have a hand full of things in the box I need as well.

 

[mcarroll]

I don't know. I'm sure I could refuse delivery but I have a hand full of things in the box I need as well.

That's a good way to p-off the supplier - not a return.

If they have no return policy you may be stuck, but ask them to be sure. Selling it here as "new in box" is an alternate solution.

-Matt