# Protein Skimmer



## findingnemo (May 23, 2008)

Can anyone give me a good place in GTA area and a brand name for a protein skimmer?

75g tank


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

Check out JLAquatics.com or MOPS.ca or locally check out NAFB.

And in your original post "new to hobby" I suggested the Euro-Reef.

Others to consider are Octopus and Bubbleking.

Oh forgot to ask are you going in sump or hang on?


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## findingnemo (May 23, 2008)

In sump, I went to Big als and they had a Corallife 125G

is that a good one?


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## findingnemo (May 23, 2008)

Also looking at this one...

http://www.mops.ca/cgi-bin/SoftCart...100.htm?L+scstore+dbyh1423fffdfffd+1212637316

and this one

http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/store_pages/product-info.php?product_ID=ps-rebkm160

But why is this one so expensive? Is it too much for my tank?

cuz it says

"Suitable for marine aquariums up to 2500 gallons"

and then it says

"Mini Bubble King 160 Specifications:
For Aquariums from 50-135 Gallons "

is NAFB a brand name or a name of a store?


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

I have used the BK line of skimmers for the past year or so. If it's in your budget, it'll be worth every penny. Compared to other skimmers that I have used, it is DEAD SILENT...aside from the air draw which is minimal in the grand scheme of things. If your planned system is in a place where noise can be an issue, this is #1 on my list of skimmers to buy.

I'm pretty sure the up to 2500 gal is a typo. As with any internal skimmer, they run best if that water level in the sump is constant. This can be achived by creating a dedicated compartment in the sump or the use of an ATO (auto top off).


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

NAFB - North American Fish Breeders on Kingston road.

I agree with WTAC and go with the BK if you can. You definitely won't be upgrading a year down the road like most do.

I would stay away from the berlin as there alot of options out there which perform better.

It really comes down to your budget, but just do it right the first time so you aren't upgrading a year from now.


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## findingnemo (May 23, 2008)

Has anyone had experience with

BK

http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/store_pages/product-info.php?product_ID=ps-rebkm160

AquaC

http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/store_pages/product-info.php?product_ID=ps-acevp120

Euro Reef 180

http://www.aquacave.com/detail.aspx?ID=1324

Octopus NW 150

http://www.aquacave.com/searchresult.aspx?CategoryID=222

Everyone is saying "you get what you pay for", is there is there a particular reason why the BK is like significantly different in price? I mean is it really worth that much?

And what is the difference between Needle wheel and recirculating. Also what would be the reason for changing or upgrading skimmers like people have been mentioning to me. I kinda wanna do it right the first time. This is a link to what my final tank would have (or what I plan to have)

http://www.gtaaquaria.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4113


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

woohooo i would never pay over 900 for a skimmer OUCH
could get a second tank for that .
Listen if money is tight gimme some time to get a new pump and then i could pass you the corallife you were looking at , then you can see for yourself what they are like (too much noise)
and then you can pass it back when you get an idea and a new one.
I wouldnt pay a penny for another corallife lol
I put the berlin in 25-250 tripple pass and woohoo i love it !
and it works great considering i dont have it installed right lol
My water is clear today and the goby's are kicking up sand .
now for egg crate to stop the pumps from vibrating on the glass.
I was getting the guy at north american to make me a sump , john is his name , but im afraid if i get another glass i will break it again .
My friend can maybe get me a plastic one gonna check it out tomorrow .
if i get it .......you are welcome to the sump i have ,you just have to fix one insert,i use it for the 90gl , 20 or 30 gallon but will save you hundreds .
The sump is a for sure thing by the way and cant do any better then FREE!!!!!!!!!! ill let you know when i get the plastic ,hopefilly tomorrow 


IM in scarbrough area .....macowan/lawrence


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

You most definitely get what you pay for when it comes to skimmers. Based on your list, this is how I would rank them. And yes, from what I've seen in person BK is very efficient and worth the $. For me though, I couldn't justify the money to the boss  

1. BK
2. ER
3. Octopus
4. Aqua C


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## findingnemo (May 23, 2008)

Seems like im leaning towards the ER. (Any retailers in the GTA area? so i dont have to go online...)

Your using the 250 right? My tank is smaller so I guess i need the 180

But I found this on google...

http://www.zeovit.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-9515.html


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

You can check with Sea-U-Marine as he has the higher end skimmers in most of the time. I wouldn't shy away from places like JL though, their customer support is usually great, shipping is free over $100 and I received mine the same week I placed the order.

Yes mine is the RS250 which was a little noisy, but my solution was dollar store suction cups I put on the bottom of the pump. Not sure why they have holes for the suction cups yet they are not included. You will have to raise the skimmer in the sump anyways, build an eggcrate shelf for it to rest on at the correct height. As for the gurgling sound this occurs when you don't have the skimmer dialed in correctly. Everyone told me I should've upgraded the pump however I stuck with the Gen-X. I've been very pleased with mine, but I guess I was easy to impress upgrading from a Berline Triple Pass and a CSS 220.

If you would like a tour of my tank just email me and we can set something up.


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## findingnemo (May 23, 2008)

hmm JL doesnt seem to sell the ER 180, Sea-U-Marine doesnt list it either so i guess i gotta find some other places.

Have you bought anything from aquacave before?


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## findingnemo (May 23, 2008)

Someone suggested I use a

MX200

http://www.marinesolutionsinc.com/catalog/p132/MSX200/product_info.html

because it apparently has the same quality as the ER but costs less.


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

If your going to spend 350 might as well go all the way lol
Skimmer isnt really a needed thing for a tank anyway 
but im lazy


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

Check your PM, I sent you a link to someone that has the ER RS180 GateValve Moded, shipping incl at a really good rate.


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

BK skimmers are more expensive primarily due to that they do all the work "in house". They do buy Askoll motor blocks and impeller magnets but the rest it all made themselves.

They can buy Eheim, Ocean Runner, Sedra, Gen-X, Resun, etc NW pumps, but they don't nearly have the same air-water ratio, air draw, bubble size, etc as produced by their branded Red Dragon NW pumps and would just be on the same level as other skimmer NW manufacturers. Like any upper level product, it works well out of the box and plug and play w/o any modifications.

JM2C

*EDIT* The Octopus uses the Sicce meshwheel, IIRC. Thought they do draw and shred air like a MOFO, they generally hum more than NW as they use zipties to hold the mesh in place. This causes imbalance in the rotation and will hum more than NW pumps and cause more wear on the shaft. You also have to regularly check on the mesh as it will calcify if left unchecked for too long and reduce the air draw and shredding. SWC got busted a few months ago.


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## findingnemo (May 23, 2008)

Im looking at

Octo NW 200, MSX160


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