Skimmer Recommendation?

fishieness said:
I would choose the turbofloater over the backpack definitely. Once again, both are decent for smaller tanks, but for the 125 that the poster has, i would not get either. There aren't many GREAT HOB skimmers. For a larger tank, you are going to have to pay for it. THe deltec MCE600 would be a pretty good choice if you need a HOB. Most others are a little on the ok-side. For a 40 gallon tank, the turbofloter will definitely do the job. ANd if the money for a deltec is not avalible, which is veeeeeery understandable, the other common HOB skimmers like the octopus, turbofloter, or backpack will definitely do something. It is just on the smaller/weaker side for a larger tank, especially if it is heavily stocked.
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Ok, I gotcha. Thanks for the clarification. I did a little Googling on the Turboflotor and was under the impression that it could be run in a sump. We're definitely not looking for a HOB skimmer and had already ruled out the BakPak. But if the Octopus is a better product, we'll be sure to do some more research on that. The cost didn't look too prohibitive for those models, unlike the Deltecs... I'm pretty sure we will have to rule those out; just too far out of budget with the other tanks we have.

BTW, this tank is Hooked Newbie's and mine, thus my chiming in on the thread. ;)
 
She's the smart and pretty one. I'm just around for manual labor. ;)
 
severum mama said:
Ok, I gotcha. Thanks for the clarification. I did a little Googling on the Turboflotor and was under the impression that it could be run in a sump. We're definitely not looking for a HOB skimmer and had already ruled out the BakPak. But if the Octopus is a better product, we'll be sure to do some more research on that. The cost didn't look too prohibitive for those models, unlike the Deltecs... I'm pretty sure we will have to rule those out; just too far out of budget with the other tanks we have.

BTW, this tank is Hooked Newbie's and mine, thus my chiming in on the thread. ;)
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ooohhhh. That makes sense.
The turbofloter can be used insump. But for the price, there are much better skimmers that can also be used insump.
wait.... I have been messing this all up. The two people talking about the same tank confused me. And then when severum-mama said there was at least a 55 or 40 long gallon SUMP, I read it as TANK you guys were setting up.
This makes things MUCH easier if you are planning on having a sump...
But yes, definitely look into an octopus skimmer. The needlewheel models and the recirc models are great skimmers and pretty darn inexpensive for how well they work. I would look into the extreme series in the link that evelyn posted up above. Probably the 250 or 200, depending on what you are planning on doing with the tank. But even the cheaper models such as the NW and DNW will also do a good job.
 
not sure I was clear on a specific model - Turbofloater makes both HOT skimmers and larger (I presume more powerful) skimmers for sumps and larger tanks. On some other forums... as well as at my local SW specialist - "Something Fishy, Minneapolis MN" they RAVE about the bigger, more beefy Turbofloaters. I love the BP2 thus - I am also running just a 36 gallon tank and needed a HOT. I certainly wasn't recommending the BP2 for a tank that size!!!

I'm not suggesting you follow any recommendations from me either - just trying to share some of the exhaustive research I have just been through on the world of skimmers. I found very little info at all on the Octopus - which didn't suggest to me at all that they were bad... just didn't suggest to me anything at all. For me, it was about trying to find AS MUCH FEEDBACK from AS MANY SOURCES before I made a decision on investing in the equipment. Couldn't find many reviews for the Octopus, also couldn't really find the Octopus (doesn't seem to be carried in the circles I run in - ie my local stores or Dr. Fosters and Smith)
 
fishieness said:
ooohhhh. That makes sense.
The turbofloter can be used insump. But for the price, there are much better skimmers that can also be used insump.
wait.... I have been messing this all up. The two people talking about the same tank confused me. And then when severum-mama said there was at least a 55 or 40 long gallon SUMP, I read it as TANK you guys were setting up.
This makes things MUCH easier if you are planning on having a sump...
But yes, definitely look into an octopus skimmer. The needlewheel models and the recirc models are great skimmers and pretty darn inexpensive for how well they work. I would look into the extreme series in the link that evelyn posted up above. Probably the 250 or 200, depending on what you are planning on doing with the tank. But even the cheaper models such as the NW and DNW will also do a good job.
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LOL sorry for the confusion, we are both talking about the same tank- 125 gallon with 55 gallon sump (maybe 40 long if it is a better fit in the stand). We're looking to do a mixed reef and incorporate some sps into this tank. We are currently looking into our options for lighting.
 
I'm just curious.... for some of the people who like to rank them (ie "I'd use this one over that one) have you used ALL the skimmers you are ranking? Sure sounds like it.
 
I've never used a skimmer myself which is why I posted the thread. I tend to trust most of the suggestions given so far though. The advice has pretty much lined up here and on my club site. We're going to be on the lookout for an OE 250 used or go for a 200 if we have to go new. Thanks all!
 
Jalo Reefa' said:
I'm just curious.... for some of the people who like to rank them (ie "I'd use this one over that one) have you used ALL the skimmers you are ranking? Sure sounds like it.
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Pretty much. I haven't used all of them personally, but I've dealt with the vast majority of them on the market in one setting or another (i.e. working at LFSs and such). Beyond that, once you become accustomed to skimmers, know how they perform, as well as their actual specs (like air intake, etc.) and design you can usually speculate pretty accurately as well.
 
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