skimmers ahhhhhhh

grozier

grozier

something smells fishy
I have just about drove myself crazy with this skimmer operation. Were the hell can I see a skimmer working in a tank(clear video) I cant see how they hook up. Also do they need more pumps then what they come with? I just want something cheap right now until I decide it wasent worth the money I spent on it. I find all kinds on e-bay but when you read some need a pump???? to move the water through the skimmer I guess? This should not be this difficult. I can't see spending 250-300 bucks on one of these things at this time.
Any suggestions?
 
All skimmers need a pump of some sort in order to work. The really cheap ones will just use a small pump hooked to an air stone which are really garbage.
 
A skimmer is defiantly something you do not want to go cheap on. when I started i thought the same thing, after talking to a few different LFS places, i ended up spending $320 on one. has been well worth the investment, i am sporting an asm g series in sump skimmer and made a big difference in the water quality, worth the money in he long run.
 
:grumble: wouldnt be so bad if I didnt have a larger tank(stupid santa) So on top of buying a skimmer I have to have a pump as well? will the main pump in the sump work if plumbed in that way? :frustrat:I was thinking a mag9.5 for the pump or one of similar GPH. can't go cheap on this as well i'm assuming?
 
generally they come with the pump, at least mine did, but i would recommend spend the cash on the skimmer, especially if you are wanting to put coral in there. and ya you really dont want to go cheap on it, trust me it will be worth it, and are you going hang on or in sump?
 
Last edited:
+1. Why go cheap just to have to buy another one down the road. Get a good one the first time and you'll save money in the long run.
 
I see you have a 125gl tank, i did not want to spend to much on a skimmer also and read some reviews on the SC aquariums skimmers, after doing reaserch i desided to try one, they work pretty good if i do say so my self, it get pretty dark sluge out when i wasnt using my filter socks and now with the filter sock on i still get out nasty dark water. so its still working great even with sock on. I got the SCa 302 for my 125gl. Might want to read up on it and decide for your self.

Heres a Link
Site : Volusion Demo Store

I Went with the SCA 302
 
Well I am a cheap skate...ok I said it...and do my tank on a budget. I have a son in college, one in the army and another on the dance team in school so my money pretty much goes to them. Majority of the equipment I have is made in china knock offs. That I got here Aquatraders - Guaranteed Best Prices on Aquarium Lightings + Free Shipping! So far in the past 5 years I have bought three lights, a hob refugium, return pump, skimmer, over flow box and a heater. Guess what it all still works. I am running on my current tank a 36 inch 4 bulb t 5 with built in timer, the overflow box, return pump, ps 75 skimmer and 200 watt heater. The skimmer pulls a good amount of skim, could it be better? Probably but for $50 I am really happy with it. I have seen threads on RC about the ps 160 and some mods you can do for it. Some like it some dont but for $90 it is a cheap way to run something. The instructions that come with the stuff sucks and sometimes isnt in English but there are a ton of you tube vids on Odyseas products. There are also horror stories all over the net about bad service, no warranties, supposed houses fires...blah blah blah. To date I have not a product fail and have never had a product I couldnt figure out. In my opinion it is all a matter of how much maintenance you want to do and how heavily stocked you are going to be. There are options to people that cant drop $500+ in to a skimmer for this hobby and I am blunt in pointing them out. If you have the money great if you dont the are ways to do this...:twocents:
 
If you spend 250-300 on a decent skimmer it will come with a decent pump and will be a piece of cake to set up. If you spend 100 on a cheap skimmer it won't do its job well, the pump will break or you will have to buy a pump to start with, it will overflow, and you'll constantly be frustrated with it. Spend the money, this is one piece of equipment that's worth the investment. You can easily find a good reef octopus skimmer for a 125g tank for under 300. Also, the cheaper the skimmer, the cheaper the quality, and the higher the rating you will need to go. If you go on the cheap side, then make sure you buy a skimmer that is rated for twice your tank volume (that is a general recommendation anyway, so for a 125g tank you'll want to get a skimmer rated for 250). My LFS has said this rule of them is true for pretty much every brand except reef octopus and the really high end brands (like those that are 1000+)
 
I can't actually see the link (ebay is blocked for me at work), but most reef octopuses come with a pump. How much are they asking for it?
 
The price is the same as other retailers so I wouldn't say you're getting a deal on it. Especially since most of those eBay places don't have post-purchase customer service.
 
Look around, you can find good deals on a SWC Xtreme 160 cone skimmer. I see them for sale quite often. The pump is included, as are most skimmers. Bubble Magus also makes a very good, affordable skimmer.
 
grozier said:
:grumble: wouldnt be so bad if I didnt have a larger tank(stupid santa) So on top of buying a skimmer I have to have a pump as well? will the main pump in the sump work if plumbed in that way? :frustrat:I was thinking a mag9.5 for the pump or one of similar GPH. can't go cheap on this as well i'm assuming?
Click to expand...

Shop on bulk reef supply's site. You can sign up to get points which come in handy next time you want to order stuff because you use them to get discounts. Plus they have tons of helpful videos and are always willing to answer my stupid questions :mrgreen:

Saltwater and Reef Aquarium Supplies - Bulk Reef Supply
 
I can get a used reef octopus 150 for $100. Will this work for my set up. I would like the 200 model but is 285.
 

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