# SkimMate Ghost Skimmer - anyone use these?



## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

I am thinking i might be interested in one. I got a skimmer that uses a wood airstone, I don't like the buzz of the air pump. I set it up when I noticed protine film on my new tank. I also adjusted waterlevels because - I really don't know what the pit when it comes to setting something as complex as this up. 

Also where can I get one, perhaps even used and in good condition that is not going ot break my bank account. Alternatively, something that can be used in its stead.


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

I have one on my current setup 20 gallon Nuvo. Its not a bad skimmer once you break it in. I might be willing to sell it to you


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

I might be interested. I gotta save up some cash though. sort of spent it all on the tank when I sprung a leak.


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## goobafish (Jan 27, 2015)

You won't find a better skimmer to fit in an IM Fusion, but it is extremely overpriced for what it is. If you have an IM tank and want a skimmer, buying anything besides the Ghost will either be extremely ineffective, or give you very bad headaches. If there was no size constraint (ie. any other system) you would be better off with many other skimmers.


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## Bullet (Apr 19, 2014)

Just my opinion but for a 10 gallon, the need for a protein skimmer is negligible as long as you are performing regular water changes


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

I have the IM 10. ALso considering a regfugium.


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## goobafish (Jan 27, 2015)

Sunstar said:


> I have the IM 10. ALso considering a regfugium.


It is messy. I would consider the reactor or even just live rock and a bag of carbon. I ran my IM 10 with a refugium for 6 months or so, way too much maintenance. It was far worse on the 20 with the upgraded return pump.


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

could you elaborate as to the difficulties you encountered? - reactor is a possibility. I am open minded in this regard. I have stuck an airstone driven skimmer for the time being.


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## goobafish (Jan 27, 2015)

Sunstar said:


> could you elaborate as to the difficulties you encountered? - reactor is a possibility. I am open minded in this regard. I have stuck an airstone driven skimmer for the time being.


All-in-all it was a ton of time wasted on a tiny refugium for a tank that doesn't need it.

You will be dealing with algae in your return pump, and the subsequent air bubbles it feeds into the tank. It is practically impossible to adequately light that tiny chamber without algal accumulation on both the back walls and the rest of the compartment. If it is lit through the back of the glass, you will always have some cyanobacteria in your tank. It is very annoying to maintain and clean, and leaves tons of debris in your chambers.

If it goes uncleaned for too long, algae accumulates on the back glass blocking the light, and the whole refugium will die, leeching phosphates.

After having owned every IM Accessory (including the InTank made ones) and trying them on the 10 and the 20, I can tell you the most important thing by far is getting the upgraded media caddy. I still have the reactor, and am using it on my much larger system until I replace it with a bigger reactor.


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

threw out both caddies and replaced them with Marine pure Balls and Carbon


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## matti2uude (Jan 10, 2009)

I have the mid size ghost skimmer for our 30l. I had problems with it making micro bubbles at first. I had to adjust the water level in the last chamber to get them to stop.

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

Where could I find the caddy and perhaps the reactor. My mag is low so I need to deal with this issue first, I will hopefully go tomorrow and check how much mag costs else I will order it online.


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## Bullet (Apr 19, 2014)

Sunstar said:


> Where could I find the caddy and perhaps the reactor. My mag is low so I need to deal with this issue first, I will hopefully go tomorrow and check how much mag costs else I will order it online.


http://www.reefsupplies.ca/online-s...-AUQA-Gadget-CustomCaddy-20-Media-Basket.html


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

Coral Reef Shop sells these I bought my tank setup there


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## goobafish (Jan 27, 2015)

The InTank caddies are significantly better than the IM ones. I would just order from their site.


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

goobafish said:


> The InTank caddies are significantly better than the IM ones. I would just order from their site.


No Shipping Charges at Coral reef shop if they have them in stock.

I personally wouldn't pay the extra for them they are better but like the spinner nozzle not worth the cash IMO


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## goobafish (Jan 27, 2015)

TBemba said:


> No Shipping Charges at Coral reef shop if they have them in stock.
> 
> I personally wouldn't pay the extra for them they are better but like the spinner nozzle not worth the cash IMO


I owned both the 10 and 20, with all the accessories by both IM and InTank.

They don't have InTank stuff in stores. I bought my whole setup from CRS, then ordered the InTank baskets directly. I used both caddies and there is a major difference. I would build my own over buying the IM ones again, which is why I didn't offer the ones I still have. After running the tanks for quite a while, there was a significant difference in the detritus buildup in the rear chamber. With the IM caddies, I had to fully syphon and clean out some very detritus ridden chambers. When I sold my 20 gallon a week ago, after 6 months of InTank baskets, there was virtually no buildup.

Why aren't the spinstreams worth the 25-30$? They allow you to keep the majority of corals without additional wave function in the tank, and provide wonderful surface circulation. They work even better if you upgrade the return pump to a maxijet. They are also extremelly well-built, they rarely get stuck, move very fluidly, and are quite easy to clean.

Sunstar, I have the reactor if you ever decide you want one.


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

A couple months ago CRS had both the spinners and the baskets for ale separately. I bout my unit from them and then a month or two later they had the other parts in stock. they may not have them in stock currently but a call would cost nothing.

The spinner I had on my tank for several months and it just kept getting stuck and not spinning. I would clean it in Vinegar and then it would work for a while then stop again.

The original ends give way more flow and really only good for surface agitation. Well this is my opinion on them. I have 2 425 Hydor Powerheads and the smartwave. Just the option I went with.


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## goobafish (Jan 27, 2015)

TBemba said:


> A couple months ago CRS had both the spinners and the baskets for ale separately. I bout my unit from them and then a month or two later they had the other parts in stock. they may not have them in stock currently but a call would cost nothing.
> 
> The spinner I had on my tank for several months and it just kept getting stuck and not spinning. I would clean it in Vinegar and then it would work for a while then stop again.
> 
> The original ends give way more flow and really only good for surface agitation. Well this is my opinion on them. I have 2 425 Hydor Powerheads and the smartwave. Just the option I went with.


The original can't give more flow, its not a change in pump, its the same flow rate. It sounds like your caddies aren't working correctly and getting gunk stuck in your spinstream :/. I had to clean the head every ~4 weeks, along with the return plumbing. I had to clean them every 2 weeks with the IM Caddies.


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

So you are suggesting regular removal and cleaning of parts? I already generally sypon out the boxes I run.


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