Octopus Skimmers

[sj miller guy]

Just out of curiousity....when you buy an Octopus skimmer like this one:
http://www.marinesolutionsinc.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=22_35&products_id=47">http://www.marinesolutionsinc.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=22_35&products_id=47</a>

do you need to buy a pump to run it? It says plug and play and the pump is in the pic, but I just wanted to make sure.

Also, is this a good pump to run on a 90g reef tank? I don't really know much about these skimmers but I have read good things. I think it would be between this and a Coralife Super Skimmer.

 

[wbholwell]

I believe the needlewheel pump is also the supply pump. You'd only need to buy a supply pump for the recirculating type of skimmer.

 

[mufret]

That one comes with the pump. The recirculating skimmers are the ones that will need a supply pump.

 

[sj miller guy]

Call me a newb to more advanced setups...but a recirculating type skimmer is one that you would actually plumb with a line to extract water from say your sump into the skimmer...and then back into the sump or tank right?

 

[wbholwell]

SJ Miller Guy;53522 wrote: Call me a newb to more advanced setups...but a recirculating type skimmer is one that you would actually plumb with a line to extract water from say your sump into the skimmer...and then back into the sump or tank right?

Yes. You can have a recirculating skimmer sitting in your sump, though, but you'd still need a small pump to feed water through it. Eventually I'd like to upgrade my skimmer to a recirculating type, external to the sump.

Does anyone have a picture of a recirculating skimmer running outside</em> of the sump?

 

[mufret]

SJ Miller Guy;53522 wrote: Call me a newb to more advanced setups...but a recirculating type skimmer is one that you would actually plumb with a line to extract water from say your sump into the skimmer...and then back into the sump or tank right?

Yes, you can run a recirculating skimmer outside of the sump, although you don't have to. They can be plumbed to either have water from the sump pumped to them (1 to 1.5 times your water volume) or tee off your drain and have it flow directly into the skimmer (recommended). The drain line from the skimmer would need to run back into the sump or tank.