Skimmers... I know nothing...Which One?

[AL210]

Hello all,

While my tank is cycling this week I decided its time to get that skimmer purchased. 1st I know nothing about these skimmers. Prices seem to be all over the place. Not sure what that means. Since I'm new a skimmer that is quiet and easy to dial in is important to me. I've seen quite a few videos reviews and have a list. Any recommendations or comments would be welcomed.

Area in sump available for the skimmer is 8x10 so i need a small one with internal pump. Tank 100 Gal , Sump 20 Gal.

1. Bubble Magnus Curve 5
2. Coral Box D500
3. Nyos Quantom 120
4. Reef Octupus 110SSS

 

[geddavis]

I have not tried a lot of different skimmers yet but my first skimmer was a omega 150 and I'm still using it on my 75g/100g system. it was easy to tune never failed and pulls a lot of stuff out.

 

[Montiman]

I would go with the reef octopus and here is why. We now live in an age where almost all skimmers perform well and there are very little performance differences. What I look for is ease of use, durability, parts availability and warranty support. The Reef Octopus uses a reliable AC pump which should last many years. There is plenty of parts availability for Reef Octopus on the Coral Vue website and I have had nothing but good experiences with their support.

I have multiple Bubble Magus pumps and impellers break. The Coral Box Uses a Chinese DC pump which is less reliable and more likely to fail and the Nyos has always struck me as an overly complicated design that is more for form than function. Lots of small parts that may get lost or broken over time.

That being said you might be able to fit a 110INT. I would never, ever, ever buy a skimmer with an internal pump unless I had to. The internal pump reduces performance due to a smaller reaction chamber and it makes cleaning and maintaining the pump much more difficult. If you can go with the 110INT I would.

 

[Bpb]

Any of those would work perfectly fine. If I were choosing amongst your list I would get the reef octo. They have a stellar track record and fall in the middle on price point.

 

[theMeat]

I would go with the reef octopus and here is why. We now live in an age where almost all skimmers perform well and there are very little performance differences. What I look for is ease of use, durability, parts availability and warranty support. The Reef Octopus uses a reliable AC pump which should last many years. There is plenty of parts availability for Reef Octopus on the Coral Vue website and I have had nothing but good experiences with their support.

I have multiple Bubble Magus pumps and impellers break. The Coral Box Uses a Chinese DC pump which is less reliable and more likely to fail and the Nyos has always struck me as an overly complicated design that is more for form than function. Lots of small parts that may get lost or broken over time.

That being said you might be able to fit a 110INT. I would never, ever, ever buy a skimmer with an internal pump unless I had to. The internal pump reduces performance due to a smaller reaction chamber and it makes cleaning and maintaining the pump much more difficult. If you can go with the 110INT I would.

Reduces reaction chamber a lil but that’s it. It’s no more difficult to clean or get to motor, unless tipping over the skimmer is “much more”

op go with octopus 150

 

[Peace River]

You may also want to consider the #reefoctopus Essence 130 based on the tank size and available space.

 

[ReeferBean]

I have a new Reef Octopus Elite 220INT and its a great skimmer. Pretty quiet and very efficient. DC powered. I love it so far.

 

[nept2n]

Hello all,

While my tank is cycling this week I decided its time to get that skimmer purchased. 1st I know nothing about these skimmers. Prices seem to be all over the place. Not sure what that means. Since I'm new a skimmer that is quiet and easy to dial in is important to me. I've seen quite a few videos reviews and have a list. Any recommendations or comments would be welcomed.

Area in sump available for the skimmer is 8x10 so i need a small one with internal pump. Tank 100 Gal , Sump 20 Gal.

1. Bubble Magnus Curve 5
2. Coral Box D500
3. Nyos Quantom 120
4. Reef Octupus 110SSS

My choice would be #3 & #4. I've had a Nyos Quantum and it works great and I also have a Reef Octopus Regal 150 SSS. The Reef Octopus is the one I am currently using for my 120. I love the varios pump on it as it is DC and I feel it has better control than the Nyos

 

[PatW]

Skimmers tend to be rated for larger tanks than they can handle. It is usually a good idea to go with a skimmer that is over sized a bit. For a 100 gallon, I would suggest going with a 150. Bulk Reef Supply gives the tank size that skimmers they sell can handle for light, medium and heavy fish loads.

I have a Reef Octopus skimmer and it has worked great. But skimmers are not exactly high tech. So most designs work pretty well.

 

[ReefGrammie]

I had a Reef Octopus in my original tank sump and it did a great job. I chose the Bubble Magnus Curve 5 for my upgraded 90-gallon tank with a 30-gallon sump about 6 years ago, mainly because I also needed a smaller footprint (sump is 3 chambers), and it's still running fine. I take it out once or twice a year and run it in a 5-gallon bucket with a vinegar/water solution to clean it out, rinse the bucket and add RO water, run it some more in the bucket with just RO water to rinse it good, and then it goes back in the sump. It still pulls plenty of gunk and I've had no issues with the pump.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

reef octopus for the win. Solid performance, great price and really engaged customer service.

 

[Montiman]

Reduces reaction chamber a lil but that’s it. It’s no more difficult to clean or get to motor, unless tipping over the skimmer is “much more”

op go with octopus 150

Removing the motor on an external pump skimmer.
1. Unscrew union
2. Remove air line
3. Clean pump

Removing the motor on an internal pump skimmer.
1. Remove the skimmer cup
2. Remove skimmer pump venturi
3. Unscrew 4 thumb screws
4. Lean skimmer over and slide off skimmer body
5. Remove another thumb screw used to secure the bubble plate
6. Remove the threaded connection from the pump to the bottom of the diffuse section
7. Remove the skimmer pump from the base of the skimmer
8. Clean pump

Keep in mind leaning over the skimmer in a stand with a sump filled with reactors, refugium lights, and other equipment can be far more difficult then it seems when you are looking at the skimmer online or at a trade show.

 

[theMeat]

Removing the motor on an external pump skimmer.
1. Unscrew union
2. Remove air line
3. Clean pump

Removing the motor on an internal pump skimmer.
1. Remove the skimmer cup
2. Remove skimmer pump venturi
3. Unscrew 4 thumb screws
4. Lean skimmer over and slide off skimmer body
5. Remove another thumb screw used to secure the bubble plate
6. Remove the threaded connection from the pump to the bottom of the diffuse section
7. Remove the skimmer pump from the base of the skimmer
8. Clean pump

Keep in mind leaning over the skimmer in a stand with a sump filled with reactors, refugium lights, and other equipment can be far more difficult then it seems when you are looking at the skimmer online or at a trade show.

I tilt my reef octopus over a bit, pull off motor and done. Maybe easier than having to unscrew a union. Oh, and I take the collection cup off.
While on pump in skimmer design you sacrifice a bit of contact area, it’s not much and would argue that because the pump faces directly into body it leads to more stability. Unlike if the pump was external the pumps flow has longer to travel and a 90 deg turn to make

 

[AL210]

You may also want to consider the #reefoctopus Essence 130 based on the tank size and available space.

Good call! I just ordered the Essence 130