Skimmer inside vs outside of sump?

[Masterplan75]

is setting it up inside the sump more of just a space saver idea? or is there a real benefit to it? after doing a lot of research and talking to a bunch of different store owners i've come to this conclusion that i'm gonna eventually need both if i want to be successful with my tank.. i've had my tank for about 4 months now and i'm starting to see a lot of particles swimming around in the water.... so i'm looking to act fast.. why i didnt do it sooner was for 2 main reasons lol couldnt afford it at the time.. and i listened to stupid friend that said i didnt need it =\

also am looking for some suggestions for a reasonably priced skimmer for a 60gallon tank... all the ones that ppl are pushing on me are like 200$+ i mean there has to be something cheaper than that ... that isnt a piece of junk?

any help would be greatly appreciated =)

thanks

[cmor1701d]

Good skimmers are not cheap and this is an area where you generally get what you pay for.

I've had both in sump and out. In sump works for me for space reasons. If I had my skimmer in a basement I would go outside the sump with a large skimmer. From a performance stand point there is no difference. It's just a personal preference. You can generally get a larger skimmer when you add one outside the sump.

[Ziggy953]

I agree with Cmor....$200 is "cheap" for a good skimmer. Look into the Octopus line of skimmers they are good and affordable.

Another point for having your skimmer in the sump is to keep any leaks leaking back into the sump. I had mine plumbed outside the tank and had to move it into a sump because a uniseal started leaking on me.

[melosu58]

I agree inside the sump would be better as far as leaking and other problems that might arise. It will keep it from sight also.