Skimmer Poll

[mnavick]

Now that my upgrade is complete the last piece is to replace the skimmer. Was looking at an ASM G4+ or an ETSS 800xr. Definetely want to stay with an in-sump design. Tanks are listed in my signature and running half dozen corals and a medium bio-load.

 

[sagecx]

I have the ASM G4 with a sedra 9000 and its a beast. Best skimmer i have ever run. This is without any mods(minus the pump upgrade). Originally i ran this on my 240g(water volume 380g) with a heavy bio load now its handles a few linked tanks with water volume a little shy of 200g and heavily stocked with corals and fish.

 

[Reefried]

Well first of all I WOULDNT get the etss 800 cus first of all its $600+ and needs a $250 pump (they recomend an iwaki 40rlt) to run it, that draws a ton of power, plus the downdraft style technology has been far surpassed in this hobby....dont get me wrong the thing will skim but even the design is flawed as with a box for a reaction chamber the corners become dead zones for bubbles as they get smashed up against the walls.........

......and as far as the ASM goes I would get this over the ETSS and most will say its a rock solid skimmer with a reliable pump and will prolly skim your tank pretty well and its $400.......


......now if I was going to buy a $400-$600 dollar skimmer for my 300 gallon total volume skimmer I would go with either the $400 Reef Octopus SRO 3000 Int. http://www.aquacave.com/reef-octopus-super-brsro-3000int-in-sump-br-protein-skimmer-2998.html

.....or the $500 Reef Octopus SRO 5000 Int. http://www.aquacave.com/reef-octopus-super-brsro-5000int-in-sump-br-protein-skimmer-2666.html

I prefer these over the XP cones as they have a much bigger reaction chamber, and i absolutely love these pumps they pull a TON of air the Bubble Blaster HY3000s pulls in 1600 liters per hour of AIR at 35 watts and the 5000 pulls in 2400!!!! liters per hour of air at 45!! watts, and they come with a 3 year warranty so you cant beat that

 

[mnavick]

Reefried
Thanks for the info, exactly what I was looking for.
As in cost the reason for me listing those two types is that they are used from BRS members

 

[stingythingy45]

I have an ASM G2 and it takes care of 180 gallons of system water.
But,it's a recirc mod.

 

[Reefried]

....so whats your budget??......

 

[mnavick]

Either skimmer w/pump is $225

 

[Reefried]

well you cant get a new skimmer better than the ASM G4 for $225 so i would get that one.

 

[mnavick]

And it has the Gate valve and recirculating mod., only 2yrs old.

 

[Reefried]

yeah good deal just make sure the pump works and when you get it run the pump and skimmer with the air on in a bucket with 2 to 1 water vinegar ratio for 10-12 hours overnight is good.....a lot of people give skimmers a vinegar bath but not long enough, the pump needs to be run for awhile to "de-scale" the motor (magnet and shaft)......then take it apart clean it good and run it in some ro for an hour then its good to go, then every 3 months pop off the pump and run just it with the air on in the 2/1 vonegar over night, and the sedra will last and produce graetly i run one on my euro reef and it rocks....just be care ful not to break any of the pins on the impellar when cleaning or it wont spin right and make noise

 

[delta]

Save yourself the trouble and get a Octopus NW over the ASM . I had the G4 and I found it to be a very sub par skimmer. I did every mod you could, it just never produced as it should.
ASM was the cheap alternative tot he Euroreef when they were the "in" skimmer

Check out Premium Aquatics and the marketplace.

Running your skimmer in a bath of vinegar is one of the most overlooked things in the hobby. More so for people who have them in the light and they are growing Coraline in their skimmers.

 

[mnavick]

Running your skimmer in a bath of vinegar is one of the most overlooked things in the hobby. More so for people who have them in the light and they are growing Coraline in their skimmers.

Thanks both of you for the advice. I wonder if that's an issue I have with my current one (ETSS Reef Devil). Produces but not amazingly and is covered in coraline. But even so way to small for my current setup (was originally used on a 90g DT and 35g sump/fuge).

 

[delta]

I would say if you could swing it grab the octopus 250 extreme in the marketplace sweet deal, might be tight but you will be where you want to be.
http://www.bostonreefers.org/forums...ef-Octopus-Extreme-250-Brand-New-still-in-box

You want your skimmer slightly dirty but not caked. If you have Coraline you are probably cutting performance by a 3rd- half.
Placement is also important you want it right where your overflow enter the sump, so it is drawing raw tank water.

 

[mnavick]

Saw that earlier....................Hmm and I thought I was all done with the ASM decision,rrrrr

Yes my pump is in raw sump water that never fluctuates in water level.