Skimmer size ratings

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#1
I'm considering getting a new skimmer, but looking at the ratings has me a little confused. Let's say there are two skimmers one is a 150 and one is a 200. Is the difference the amount of material it can pull per hour/day? Could you put too big of a skimmer in the sump?
 

joseserrano

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#2
Yes regarding ratting. You can put a skimmer that is too big, but a skimmer that is too big would be something you wouldn't be looking at, so I wouldn't worry about that too much. Give us what you want to keep and size of the tank with sump. I'm sure everyone can jump in with suggestions.
 
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#3
My tank is a 240 + 90g refug + ~75g in the sump (it is a cut down 90)

I have about 17 fish in my tank,
2 blue tangs,
two dwarf angels,
leopard wrasse,
yellow wrasse,
algae blenny,
athsis,
2 occ clowns
2 perc clowns
pajama cardinal
diamond goby
firefish
1 occ (in refug)
1 pajama cardinal (in refug)
 
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#4
I have reef dynamics 250 (which has done an awesome job until about 4 weeks ago, I've run the tank for 4 weeks with the skimmer barely working) and frankly, it looks better than ever. I'm trying to decide what to replace it with... or even replace it. We do 40 gallons water change every 2 weeks or so. Last time I tested everything was zero except nitrates were about 4-5ppm.
 

joseserrano

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#5
I would always keep a skimmer to help with aeration and ph, as well as a back up if anything every happen waste wise. If you are finding better results with higher nutrients, feed more. Depending on the pump on that skimmer, any newer skimmer will do much better. Something rated from 400-600 G will probably be what you are looking for.
 

reefes pieces

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#6
I think going for a skimmer that is properly rated for a 200-250g tank would work out nicely. Also skimmer ratings aren't regulated so compare them by body size, air draw, and how much amperage the pump draws. That should give you an indication of how much bioload it can move.
 
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#9
Does more air intake make a large difference? Looking at two skimmers, almost the same price (within $40), one has 900 l/h the other is 1200 - 1920 L/h.

Sorry for maybe what are rookie questions, I bought my current skimmer 10 years ago used and it is has served me well.
 

joseserrano

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#10
Does more air intake make a large difference? Looking at two skimmers, almost the same price (within $40), one has 900 l/h the other is 1200 - 1920 L/h.

Sorry for maybe what are rookie questions, I bought my current skimmer 10 years ago used and it is has served me well.
Yes, air draw makes a bigger difference. What two are you looking at?
 
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#11
Aquamaxx ConeS Q 5 - rates at 1500
Aquamaxx ConeS Q 3 - No rating, but I'm thinking between 1100-1200 based on water spec
Skimz OCTA SC205I INTERNAL PROTEIN SKIMMER -900

Skimz SM207 MONZTER DC INTERNAL PROTEIN SKIMMER 1200-1900

The ratings on the Aquamaxx I found online were mixed.

I'm somewhat constrained due to to the design of the sump re footprint. I should have made it bigger. At times I'm tempted to get a new sump made as it was pretty inexpensive.
 

five.five-six

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#12
I have reef dynamics 250 (which has done an awesome job until about 4 weeks ago, I've run the tank for 4 weeks with the skimmer barely working) and frankly, it looks better than ever. I'm trying to decide what to replace it with... or even replace it. We do 40 gallons water change every 2 weeks or so. Last time I tested everything was zero except nitrates were about 4-5ppm.

The tank looks "better than ever" because there is lots of nutrients in the water. However over time, that will build up and your tank will go from looking "better than ever" to looking "greener than ever"


Props on a euroreef skimmer. That thing is better built than probably anything on the market today.

I'm assuming it's using an ehime 1260 pump and the impeller died... that or the venturi clogged which is easy to clean with warm water or vinegar

If it's a bad impeller, forgetaboutit because all the euroreef/reef dynamics and deltechs used that impeller and the went out of production years ago so remaining stock gets about $130 for the impeller.

I ended up making a modified impeller for a jebo pump and it works great.

This would be a good replacement pump

https://premiumaquatics.com/products/bubble-blaster-hy5000-pump.html

this would be a great pump

https://premiumaquatics.com/products/varios-6s-controllable-dc-skimmer-pump.html

the problem with those 2 pumps is the output is 1.25" and your skimmer has a 1.0" input but you can adapt that down



This is the pump I used

https://www.amazon.com/Jebao-DCP-65...qid=1542396913&sr=8-1&keywords=jebao+dct+6500


and this is the impeller I made, fun little project















 
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#13
I read somewhere the 250 was rated to 800 (i read it on the intertubes so it must be right.. :) )

I guess in my heart I was hoping the tech had advanced enough to make an upgrade worth it, but after reading reviews any skimmer in the 400-500 range is just a crap shoot. I don't have 1k to drop on a new one right now.
 

joseserrano

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#14
I would go aquamaxx, from the ones you listed. I don't think you have to drop a k for a skimmer. The build quality of the euro reef is better than a lot of brands, but not something like vertex, bubble king, or ati.
 

reefes pieces

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#15
I think you should be fine with a skimmer that has an 8" avg body diameter if space is a concern. Personally, I don't calculate sump and fuge volume into the equation when looking at skimmer recommendations as that volume is used to filter the tank vs the capacity that's causing the waste. In fact, a large fuge actually helps diminish nutrient load.
 
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#16
One my question, AC vs. DC pumps? The idea of being able to control the pump sounds great, but how necessary/valuable is it in practice?
 

reefes pieces

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#17
I think there are pros and cons to each. IMO some of the pros and cons to each are:
AC:
Pros
Typically more affordable
More reliable than DC (although DC can be pretty reliable now)
Set it and forget it (Skimmers shouldn't really need constant tuning)
Easier to tune (less variables to adjust to make a skimmer optimal)
Cons
Only option is on/off (can't turn down the pump power for feeding or maintenance)
Can only adjust so much for certain sump water levels
Can also be harder to tune (for those that aren't as concerned with optimal tuning and just want to hit a button to get a certain bubble height)
Lesser quality AC pumps can be noisier
DC:
Pros
Typically quiet running
More flexible with different sump water levels
might have feed modes to turn down skimmer but not completely off
Cool LED flashy lights and knobs
Easy to set up
Cons
Long term reliability is still not as proven as AC pumps
more sensitive to fluctuations in performance (GPH)
Can be harder to tune for optimal performance (one more variable to adjust)
One more controller to mount
Typically more expensive

Personally I wouldn't let AC or DC be the deal breaker for me as there are more important features to look for such as body size, air draw and wattage, overall build quality of the skimmer and the user reviews. Also, for AC there are plenty of budget priced skimmers out there that use high quality name brand pumps like Sicce but probably can't be said for budget DC skimmers.
 
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#20
I scored a good deal on an Aqua Excel, the largest model during black friday. the pump was missing a part when it arrived, but the seller took care of it. im very happy with it so far and it is pulling out about twice what the Reef Dynamics did. Spent a bit tuning the skimmer to get what I want, but it is quiet and does what i expected. And I got it for a lot less than other models. Corals seem like they are happy.
 

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