what makes one skimmer, better than the other?
- Thread starter tdam
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ha, i'm not trying to open a can of worms. i'm just asking why some are supposed to "perform" better than the other. i don't know much about equipment. so if i'm wrong in thinking skimmers just spin the water real fast to get stuff into the collection cup... please, someone correct me. is there stuff that some skimmers do that others don't? are do some spin the water faster?
they do not spin water, they just inject micro bubbles into the water and organics like fish poop stick to the bubbles. A bubble and poop froth builds up and spills over into the collection up allowing you to hand carry the poop to the sink where you can clean out poop with your hands and breath in all its wonderful smells.
The pump is a big selling point, your going to here Askoll, Red Dragon, and BubbleBlaster when your talking about the good stuff.
Good skimmers are MRC, Ocopus, Bubble King, Deltec, and several more. Look at tank of the months on here and reef central....you'll see the good skimmers that way. Stay away from ebay junk and coralife.
The pump is a big selling point, your going to here Askoll, Red Dragon, and BubbleBlaster when your talking about the good stuff.
Good skimmers are MRC, Ocopus, Bubble King, Deltec, and several more. Look at tank of the months on here and reef central....you'll see the good skimmers that way. Stay away from ebay junk and coralife.
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Well, they don't "spin" water, they make bubbles. Generally more bubbles and smaller bubbles are preferred. The point of a skimmer is to remove dissolved organic compounds. These gather on the surface of bubbles, so the more bubbles you have, the more surface area, and the more DOC is removed. There are different methods of achieving this, but that is the general goal of a skimmer.
You can't just go stick a pump on a bucket and expect to get results, most skimmers are designed to work with certain pumps and for certain volumes of air, which loosely gives an estimated certain tank size. Go stick a MJ-1200 on a bucket, or a Red Dragon on a coke bottle and see how well that works.
Then there's the quality of construction. Some companies may save money by using thinner acrylic or inferior equipment that may need more servicing. Other companies use fancy colors, and that acylic may cost more. There is also a factor of diminishing marginal returns as you spend more and more on a skimmer; yeah, you may pull 5% more gunk out, but it may cost 2x as much. To some people it's worth it, to others, it's not.
You can't just go stick a pump on a bucket and expect to get results, most skimmers are designed to work with certain pumps and for certain volumes of air, which loosely gives an estimated certain tank size. Go stick a MJ-1200 on a bucket, or a Red Dragon on a coke bottle and see how well that works.
Then there's the quality of construction. Some companies may save money by using thinner acrylic or inferior equipment that may need more servicing. Other companies use fancy colors, and that acylic may cost more. There is also a factor of diminishing marginal returns as you spend more and more on a skimmer; yeah, you may pull 5% more gunk out, but it may cost 2x as much. To some people it's worth it, to others, it's not.
since i'm a non member, i see those google ads at the beginning of the thread. anyways, one is of skimmers that says 65% off skimmers. i'm not trying to advertise (mods can remove if i'm breaking a rule)... but any thoughts on any of these?
I agree with ya jead85. In no way would a CL65 handle the load on a 65g tank. It is matched well for your size though. I had one a long time ago, like you said not a bad skimmer but it you plan on having anything over 40g or so....you may want to think twice.
First lets start by saying that skimmers don't spin the water to make foam. Some skimmers do create a vortex which is the nature of the plumbing and might have some effect on contact time. There are tons of designs out there though that do not create a vortex though. Most modern skimmers use the venturi effect to pull air in and mix it with the water but there are some designs that use an air pump.
There is a lot of debate on skimmers and there effectiveness. Fact is there are many different designs and everybody says theirs is the best. When I purchase a skimmer I let price and quality drive my choice. I think we can all agree that an Octopus, ETSS MRC, Vertex, Bubble King etc. is gonna pull more out than a skilter. Here is where the debate is.The first skimmers I mentioned are all over the price range and are different designs for the most part. there is no definitive measurement for skimmer effectiveness. The link Ralph gave you is someone trying to determine a method of testing which was a debate in itself.
I say let your wallet be your guide. Look at build quality such as thickness of acrylic, the pump it uses, and the hardware such as gate valves etc. Then buy the one with the best features you can afford. You don't have to park your car on it but you don't want it so thin it cracks easy etc.
There is a lot of debate on skimmers and there effectiveness. Fact is there are many different designs and everybody says theirs is the best. When I purchase a skimmer I let price and quality drive my choice. I think we can all agree that an Octopus, ETSS MRC, Vertex, Bubble King etc. is gonna pull more out than a skilter. Here is where the debate is.The first skimmers I mentioned are all over the price range and are different designs for the most part. there is no definitive measurement for skimmer effectiveness. The link Ralph gave you is someone trying to determine a method of testing which was a debate in itself.
I say let your wallet be your guide. Look at build quality such as thickness of acrylic, the pump it uses, and the hardware such as gate valves etc. Then buy the one with the best features you can afford. You don't have to park your car on it but you don't want it so thin it cracks easy etc.
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Although I agree with most of your assessment, i.e., get a skimmer that works, won't crack, name brand, last long, good pump, etc., it was not ONE PERSON trying to determine a method of testing of skimmers. And gimme a break, some of the debaters have a vested interest.............just saying...............
I agree with you there, I should have said a group of people. I was just trying to state that article wasn't created to recommend brands etc. I however do believe through personal expierience and having tried a lot of skimmers that some are indeed better than others and their is a benefit to running them.
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I agree with this statement. I have had a AquaC, Octopus, Euro Reef, and Bubble King.
All skimmers AREN'T created the same.
One has to decide what budget they are willing to dedicate to this equipment, find skimmers IN that window and make the best informed decision based on what performance they desire.
b
