Protein skimmer, bigger or better?

[R3verb]

Hey forum!

My fiancee (13 days until she's my wife!) and I just bought a new 90 gal saltwater tank! We got it second hand but, with the exceptions of a few older hoses that I will replace this week, everything in the tank looks awesome. Right now, we are looking at the only downside to the tank, NO PROTEIN SKIMMER! So we are looking at getting one. I have heard the rule 2x the size of your tank. Staying in our price range, ~100, there is the Reef Octopus rated at 150 gal (about 1.66 the size of the tank) or the Coralife Super Skimmer rated up to 220 gal (~2.5 time the size of the tank). I have seen everybody recommend Reef Octopus so my question is, do I get the Octopus or the Coralife? What's the advantage/disadvantage. Thanks guys!

Casey and Sarah

 

[marcah]

I have had the coralife skimmer and if dialed in right works fine but you can definately see the difference in quality once the reef octopus is dialed in.. You will get more skinmate out of the octopus then the coralife thus I would recommend that one to you, even though a little smaller it will work better..

 

[NanoReefer]

+1 marcah, reef octopus makes awesome skimmers

 

[Smitty]

+2...also, congrats on the wedding.

 

[phastroh]

I will also say that 2x the tank is not needed. Yes it is nice to get it on the large side but the Reef Octopus rated at 150Gal is perfect.

I owned both brands and either is ok but I would take the Reef Octopus if given a choice.

BTW the Coralife 125 and 220 have the same GPH pump it is just the body on the 220 is larger according to the manufacturer when I talked to them.

I run a Reef Octopus Extreme 250 on my 220Gal which by the way is 220Gallon if you take the volume in the tank and the volume of water in the 75Gallon Sump. I measured it as I set it up and it was exactly 220Gallon total.

My point is that your 90Gal will not actually have 90Gal in it. Depending on the rock displacement and such is will be more like 70Gal.

I also have more gallons than just 220 when you add in the 12x UV and the Carbon Reactor and my Reef Octopus is just fine with that. I can leave mine 2 weeks with no dumping and I have posted photos showing it is set right. I just have a low bioload and that also makes a difference. 15 Fish and 21 Corals.

Try to keep more corals than fish hahaha. Actually ever since I started having more corals than fish my water has been the best it has been. Not sure if that is why though.

 

[d2mini]

I agree with Phastroh.
I'm not sure why it started, but the interwebs have gotten out of hand IMHO when it comes to protein skimmers. Maybe it's because they are so much more efficient than they used to be. But just go by what the manufacturer rates them for and you will be more than safe. I also have a pretty light bioload and my cup goes several weeks without needing to be emptied.

 

[BL1]

I agree with Phastroh.
I'm not sure why it started, but the interwebs have gotten out of hand IMHO when it comes to protein skimmers. Maybe it's because they are so much more efficient than they used to be. But just go by what the manufacturer rates them for and you will be more than safe. I also have a pretty light bioload and my cup goes several weeks without needing to be emptied.

If I had to guess, the reason for a skimmer twice the size is usually reccomended is because in a lot of cases the reccomended tank size is usually for a normal stocked tank bioload, most people tend to go over that normal limit. Second, I've seen recently that some manufacturers are way over estimating the capacity for their skimmers. According to the manufacturer of mine it's rated for up to a 320 gallon tank, while I love my skimmer and it works great I wouldn't use it for anything over a 150g tank. JMO

 

[ErinCahir]

I wonder if it also has something to do with the fact that most of us have more water in our system than just the tank. Including sumps, plumbling, etc I know it wouldn't be double the tank volume, but maybe you get where I'm going with this. Or you don't and I'm just rambling.

 

[R3verb]

Thanks guys! Your help is much appreciated. I think we are going to get the Reef Octopus that is rated to 125gal. I am curious though to see how they work. My sump is small (just a trickle filter and then a chamber for my pumps) so I am guessing I just put the pump for the skimmer in that chamber and run it outside of the sump? I will try and get some more pics of the sump so you can see what I am talking about. Now it's on to some new lights!

Casey

 

[ZyberGoby]

I wonder if it also has something to do with the fact that most of us have more water in our system than just the tank. Including sumps, plumbling, etc I know it wouldn't be double the tank volume, but maybe you get where I'm going with this. Or you don't and I'm just rambling.

I think I'm fallowing what your laying down ;)
between the piping sumps and skimmers there is a lot of extra volume to consider than just the tank I know if I set the sump I have up again for the tank that is running right now I would probably triple the volume. I dont know if I'm on the right track but I think it's about the extra volume we have outside the tanks that returns to the tank in at what ever rate our returns are set at?

But also don't you want your overflow to be just under the surfice so you don't drain half the tank in to the sump on top of the vol of water thats already in there? the hob overflow was just that if the water dropped 1/2" its stop sucking. but would it not just be perpetual flow from vol of sump to vol tank regardless of evaporation to a cretin point where the tank will be at its level while the sump shows the loss in water level?

I know some skimmers hold a lot of water but if need be could you know just save on space with a smaller smiller that well with inrange of your tank but just right for the vol of the skimmer? I ask this because the sump is whats being skimmed more so than the tank right?even though the bio-load coming in is X-gallons tank size where the sump is Y-gallons. should that level of water be just be relavent to the depth of the overflow more than tank size. Or at lest overflow x2 for vol of the sump?

I'm guilty of over thinking math at times and rambling :Cheers: :mrgreen::mrgreen:

i think i may have confused things even more lol