What kind and make - protein skimmer

[badamsios]

I have a 120 Gallon marine fish only. I have a Coralife Super Skimmer 200 that a google search indicated was a good skimmer. So far I've tried every 4 letter word I know, and I still don't like it.

I run it from withing the sump, and if the level of water changes even an inch - from evaporation - I have to adjust it. It is SO touchy. If I nudge it up (and I mean 1/32 inch) it goes from no production to overflow.

I'd like to hear from those that love their skimmer.

 

[CaptainAhab]

I love my Octopus.. However, I had access to fairly recent HOB Octopus when I started my other 90 not long ago.. Same problem. feast or famine. and don't even get me started about what happens when the pumps are off and I turn them back on... I even tried sitting it in the sump.. production went way down.

So I did what I should have to begin w/ . Bought another in-sump Octo.. and all is well in the world again

 

[badamsios]

How touchy is the adjustment? Here's what I'm thinking and what an issue is... My wife works 24 hour shifts as a nurse and is not terribly interested in checking and adjusting the skimmer. She will empty the cup though, and if need be pull its plug. While I work from home, I sometimes travel and am gone for up to 3 or 4 days. Right now I have a large cup, 24 oz, sitting outside the sump and the drain hose from the collection cup going into it. Last time, it dumped a few gallons of water on the floor. If it keeps up it'll rot the bottom of the tank, and eventually the legs.

What if I mounted the cup inside the sump so that if/when it overflows, it flows back into the sump. Likewise, what if I use the plug on the drain nipple and allow it to overflow through the little holes in the top of the collection cup. Again it would overflow into the tanks.

It seems to me, if it's overflowing it's not skimming a thing, thus it's not dumping anything back into the tank. And, even if the cup was full a good thick skim, when it started overflowing, it's really only going to dump a cup full into the tank before it's dumping un-skimmed. What's the impact of a couple cups of protein diluted by 120 gallons? Worst case it's dumping in a couple cups and then not skimming for a few days. Keeping in mind that this is fish only. Also keep in mind, one goal might be a lion fish.

 

[CaptainAhab]

Going along that train of thought.. You'd only be dumping back in what has already there anyway.. Net zero, if you will.

I've talk to people who drilled a small hole 3/4 up the collection cup inserted a tube and have it drain into bucket (just in case). One talked about how it almost drained his sump once

In hind sight I should have just got an ATO to keep the level constant.. but frustration ruled

 

[badamsios]

What is an ATO?

We moved here to California from Michigan. In Mi. we had a basement. No such beast here. Their, I installed and RO filter under the kitchen sink, and split the line. One for coffee, and the other went downstairs and ran along the ceiling to the area where the tank was. The tank was in the wall, at the end of a bar, where I had closet access - plenty of room. I set a 5 gallon bucket on the floor and drilled a hole through the bottom of the bucket and the floor. Then I installed a float system for a toilet tank, and a siphon to the sump. You can get a float system where the float is on the stem itself, not a ball on an arm so it fits in the bucket. At that time I had a smaller tank that a prism skimmer supported and I never had a problem with that one.

 

[CaptainAhab]

Automatic Top Off.. When the sump gets low it lights up a pump/powerhead you have in a tub of fresh RO/DI water and refills the sump up to the preset depth...$40 at autotopoff.com

 

[jbadd99]

I'm looking at an Octo for my upcoming tank as well, which will be a 120g with a sump/fuge combo. Specifically the Octopus 200 Extreme. Everything I've ready on every forum says they are a good skimmer for the price. A little more pricey than the Coralife, but again, I've been told they're worth it.

I originally had bout a Coralife skimmer myself for a smaller tank, but decided to return it after talking with two different LFS. I got the impression from both that the Coralife skimmer, while good when it worked, was pretty much a piece of junk to look nice in the sump.

I can't personally vouch for either, but in my research, I can't help but believe that a product that I haven't seen a truly *bad* review of, and countless numbers of users who say it's wonderful product actually know what they're talking about.

FWIW