Best Skimmer Out There

[Viktoriia]

Hi I am long range planning a 250 gallon tank set up for the future and wanted to see your thoughts on what is the best skimmer out there.

 

I currently have a Reef Octopus and I am very satisfied. I changed the Sicce pump to a bubbleblaster and it really silenced the skimmer.

 

What are some good brands and quietest pumps out on the market? Foot print will not be an issue.

[KyleGustafson22]

I got a Nyos Quantum skimmer recently for my 125 and i really like it, pulls a massive amount of crud out of the tank

[YHSublime]

This is a matter of opinion. I've had several skimmers, but my favorite is my current Reef Octopus as well. 

 

For the bang for the buck, an Avast CS3 would certainly be more than enough for that size tank, you just would have to build it, which I think everyone should do once if they have a skimmer! Plus, it's made in America!

[pizzaguy]

If money isn't an issue bubbleking. I love mine

[NamReefs]

If money isn't an issue bubbleking. I love mine

Bubbles king the best skimmer out there . Also atb

 

 

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[flooddc]

Personally, they (well known brand) are all the same/similar. There are some that is a pain to tune but works very well once tuned.

It's come down to how much money you want to spent. I have an old ASM G5 and I love it. I replaced both pumps with mag drive pumps (a little loud, but can be replace with any pump you want to use). empty the collector every 2-3 weeks and fertilize my herb garden with it. 

[moga]

Aquamaxx,.. it really works for my tank.~

[madweazl]

Hi I am long range planning a 250 gallon tank set up for the future and wanted to see your thoughts on what is the best skimmer out there.

 

I currently have a Reef Octopus and I am very satisfied. I changed the Sicce pump to a bubbleblaster and it really silenced the skimmer.

 

What are some good brands and quietest pumps out on the market? Foot print will not be an issue.

 

I dont know that there are too many that dont work well honestly. I've had a number over the years and most worked quite well, actually, they all worked but some required more effort than others. On the cheap side, I used a Bubble Magus and it worked well most of the time but was extremely sensitive to changes. I wouldnt recommend it to anyone just because it was a pain but it did skim quite well. My only advice, find something that is easy to maintain (my Deltec can be torn down completely with a single thumb screw) and is also easy to find parts for (something Deltec is terrible for in the US). 

 

This is a matter of opinion. I've had several skimmers, but my favorite is my current Reef Octopus as well. 

 

For the bang for the buck, an Avast CS3 would certainly be more than enough for that size tank, you just would have to build it, which I think everyone should do once if they have a skimmer! Plus, it's made in America!

 

I dont think they're doing skimmers anymore. 

Edited July 13, 2018 by madweazl

[Steve175]

I have to feed extra to keep up with my BK. It is 200x more reliable than the Deltec (that cost $1500 more) that it replaced.

[Steve175]

FYI: Someone listed a used BK250 deluxe [their top-of-the-line] in the For Sale section. Perfectly sized for a 250 plus sump IMO.

[Viktoriia]

Thanks for the responses. What about the pump. what are some good pumps that are ultra quiet. is it worth the extra money to get the DC?

[epleeds]

All the high end skimmers come with the pumps. As for the DC pumps, I have never used one so I’m not sure how they compare. But I have an ATB 1050a with a normal pump on 300 gallon overstocked stystem and it works amazing.

 

Brand new these skimmers are in the $899 range and so worth it. Actually it’s on sale right now for $799.

 

http://www.atb-usa.com/product-p/atb1050.htm

Edited July 13, 2018 by epleeds

[YHSublime]

I dont think they're doing skimmers anymore. 

 

Huh, that's to bad, wonder why!

[madweazl]

DC pumps are a waste for skimmers in my opinion. 

[razzpatazzz]

I got a Nyos Quantum skimmer recently for my 125 and i really like it, pulls a massive amount of crud out of the tank

Love my nyos too! Not sure how much better it is compared to my older skimmer but it's practically silent. I only hear water trickling now with some fan noises, not pumps.

[going deep]

Can only speak for the two I have had:  rlss 8i and BK mini.  I love my BK mini that I bought used.  In the year that I had it, it was a quick dial in at the beginning and have not had to adjust it.  Quiet as heck also!

[Steve175]

DC Pumps are expensive (and therefore make the skimmer expensive) but are super, super reliable. Way less malfunction and way less maintenance. Much less prone to stalling IMO. Plus the ability to regulate the output gives another variable in really fine-tuning the skimmer and finding the sweet spot. Also an advantage, when the skimmer is overflowing (reliably whenever I use epoxy), I can crank down the rate for a bit [without otherwise changing any of the otherwise perfect tuning) to avoid it overflowing crap back into the tank and then return it back to the original flow when the epoxy-effect is settled. I, too, thought DC pumps were a waste for skimmers. . . and then I owned one. I will never go back. I "downgraded" from a Deltec AP 1004. My BK 300 deluxe outperforms the Deltec x 4 at < 1/4 the energy consumptions, < 1.5 the down time, and < 1/6 the maintenance. My $0.02..

[wangspeed]

I have a Bubble King 200 that I got on sale during MACNA. Worth it to me. It’s really good at pulling junk, breaks down easily, and doesn’t make noise/vibration. I highly recommend a DC pump if noise and vibration are a concern.

[Jon Lazar]

Also an advantage, when the skimmer is overflowing (reliably whenever I use epoxy), I can crank down the rate for a bit [without otherwise changing any of the otherwise perfect tuning) to avoid it overflowing crap back into the tank and then return it back to the original flow when the epoxy-effect is settled. 

 

That's an excellent point I hadn't thought of. I may have to do that for my skimmer feed pump.