Ultrareef Skimmer 190 quick review

[magikfly]

I was looking to replace my Maxspect SK400 skimmer because I was tired of constantly having to tweak it. My system is a RSR425XL that's wall to wall SPS so I also wanted something beefier. Having gone through Octo, Deltec, Tunze and Nyos I was torn between a RE Double Cone 180 and the new Ultrareef 190. I don't like RE because they're way overpriced so I pulled the plug on the Ultrareef which was somewhat cheaper.
First impressions:
1. The entire thing is milled. No joke, the only things injection molded are the cone, gaskets and the airline couplings. I don't think I've ever seen a skimmer that's this heavy.
2. The weight prevents any vibrations, it's as silent as a cemetary. Spooky silent.
3. The Sicce pump PSK1200 is DC and sucks quite a bit of air. At least twice as much than my old SK400 from what I can observe
4. When powered on the reaction chamber is thick, milky white and swirly. Dialing it in is child's play and fine-tuning is easy. Yes, I hate standpipes.
Overall verdict: Although I don't usually spend this much on a skimmer, I'm aware of the sheer amount of PVC that was used to create this beast and am fairly sure this skimmer will outlast my setup.

 

[JJT]

I was looking to replace my Maxspect SK400 skimmer because I was tired of constantly having to tweak it. My system is a RSR425XL that's wall to wall SPS so I also wanted something beefier. Having gone through Octo, Deltec, Tunze and Nyos I was torn between a RE Double Cone 180 and the new Ultrareef 190. I don't like RE because they're way overpriced so I pulled the plug on the Ultrareef which was somewhat cheaper.
First impressions:
1. The entire thing is milled. No joke, the only things injection molded are the cone, gaskets and the airline couplings. I don't think I've ever seen a skimmer that's this heavy.
2. The weight prevents any vibrations, it's as silent as a cemetary. Spooky silent.
3. The Sicce pump PSK1200 is DC and sucks quite a bit of air. At least twice as much than my old SK400 from what I can observe
4. When powered on the reaction chamber is thick, milky white and swirly. Dialing it in is child's play and fine-tuning is easy. Yes, I hate standpipes.
Overall verdict: Although I don't usually spend this much on a skimmer, I'm aware of the sheer amount of PVC that was used to create this beast and am fairly sure this skimmer will outlast my setup.

Check out the Lifereef. It is a set-and-forget skimmer, can use ANY water pump except pesky needle-wheel pumps meaning the Lifereef skimmer will last a lifetime. They are individually built so you can request color or colors too!

 

[jradz]

I was looking to replace my Maxspect SK400 skimmer because I was tired of constantly having to tweak it. My system is a RSR425XL that's wall to wall SPS so I also wanted something beefier. Having gone through Octo, Deltec, Tunze and Nyos I was torn between a RE Double Cone 180 and the new Ultrareef 190. I don't like RE because they're way overpriced so I pulled the plug on the Ultrareef which was somewhat cheaper.
First impressions:
1. The entire thing is milled. No joke, the only things injection molded are the cone, gaskets and the airline couplings. I don't think I've ever seen a skimmer that's this heavy.
2. The weight prevents any vibrations, it's as silent as a cemetary. Spooky silent.
3. The Sicce pump PSK1200 is DC and sucks quite a bit of air. At least twice as much than my old SK400 from what I can observe
4. When powered on the reaction chamber is thick, milky white and swirly. Dialing it in is child's play and fine-tuning is easy. Yes, I hate standpipes.
Overall verdict: Although I don't usually spend this much on a skimmer, I'm aware of the sheer amount of PVC that was used to create this beast and am fairly sure this skimmer will outlast my setup.

After reading your review and digging in.. this seems to fit what I'm looking for. Appreciate the review. Finding a place to purchase in the US.. the next task haha.

I contacted them.. The new line of skimmers will ship to the US next month (June 2025).

 

[don.chaneaux]

After reading your review and digging in.. this seems to fit what I'm looking for. Appreciate the review. Finding a place to purchase in the US.. the next task haha.

I contacted them.. The new line of skimmers will ship to the US next month (June 2025).

Looks like the new line of skimmers are pretty close to arriving. Maybe closer to July. I'm really liking the ease of disassembly.

Have you seen the new Ultra Reef Skimmers?

We are very pleased with the 2025 design. These skimmers are so easy to clean and disassemble. No more titanium screws needed. Be sure to watch the video. https://www.aquariumspecialty.com/skimmers-filtration/protein-skimmers/internal-skimmers.html https://www.ultrareef.it/skimmer-2025.htm

www.reef2reef.com