Thoughts on this skimmer

[jmaneyapanda]

Also, FWIW, in my experience and opinion, a beckett run skimmer is the most effective skimming machine available. I would place a properly setup and maintained beckett skimmer against ANY other design, and would blow it out of the water (every pun intended). That being said, the caveats I used ("properly setup and maintained") is where most users fails. Becketts need to be cleaned, and need a horse of a pump to work well. Without them, the becketts will quickly fall from glory. With them- watch out.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Skriz;440269 wrote: To understand it, you'd have to see it. Unfortunately, that's really the only way. You can't really trust most companies with their ratings as most of them are exaggerating. There are a few with ratings more in line with reality. It's also tough for a company to rate a skimmer since different tanks will have different bioloads. For instance a 100g predator tank will have a higher bioload than a 100g seahorse tank..

Most people report the Orca Pro's pull about a gallon of dark skimmate per week. I'm sure that will decrease as the water quality improves, though. Jeremy has a Pro II in use, so he'll have a better idea of what it actually pulls out.

Oh, and yes, it does pull out more gunk and pulls it out quicker.

Agreed. If you really feel there is no difference between a $400 skimmer and a $1200 skimmer, you are fooling yourself. There is a reason people wait on waiting lists for the $1200 ones. They work insanely better. And by better- it is read quicker, stronger, more thoroughly, more reliably, and more effeciently. Like Raj said though, you never know this, until you experience it.

A comical story- when I started in this hobby (in 1993!!!), I though protein skimmer were device that sucked the solids off the water surface (like an overflow). I got a cheap Lees Aquarium airstone driven one, then a seaclone, the a CPR bakpak, etc etc etc. Each time, I was dumbfounded that it could be working better than the last. Even recently. I am a diehard supporter of Beckett skimmers (see my above post). In as much, none are better than MRC Becketts. I had one for years, and loved it. But, they are temperamental. So the average skimming ability (over its entire usage life) was excellent. But then, I got an MRC Pro II. And the report card went to superior. I was blown away at how well it can consistantly perform. I get about a pint of skimmate A DAY, if not more.

Off topic question- after seeing what a protein skimmer will</em> remove, why would ANYONE run skimmerless? Who wants that in their tank?

 

[snowmansnow]

I can't imagine taking what my ER pulls out in a week and dumping it back into the tank! EWWW

My wife on the couch, across the HOUSE from the kitchen, always complains about the stench of me cleaning the thing in the sink haha.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

SnowManSnow;440674 wrote: I can't imagine taking what my ER pulls out in a week and dumping it back into the tank! EWWW

My wife on the couch, across the HOUSE from the kitchen, always complains about the stench of me cleaning the thing in the sink haha.

EXACTLY! IMHO, a protein skimmer is far and away the most important piece of equipment for a marine aquarium.

 

[schwaggs]

I agree that that to a certain extent you get what you pay for in skimmers. I also believe that there is a point of diminishing rate of return. For a skimmer for a 125 gallon tank, I believe that $1200 is way past that point.