External Euroreef

[moodytj]

Does any one have any experience with using an external euroreef skimmer? The way my sump is configured I do not think I have room to install in sump. My tank is 135 gallons. I could possibly fit the cs6-3, which is rated at 135 gallons, but have heard double the tank size is recommended. Do the externals use a pump just to circulate water, with the sedra just providing the bubbles? The insump 8-2 is rated for 155 gallons and the external is rated for 400 gallons? Also tank heat is factor in the decision to go external with the skimmer.

[Mimbler1]

I use an external CS12-2 that fits under the stock stand of my 200 gal. The two sedra's furnish the bubbles, and I feed it with a Mag 7. I would think that it works better than the sump skimmers because there is less head for the sedra's to work against, and the feed pump makes it a true countercurrent skimmer. Anyway, it works great!
Mike

[moodytj]

Did you have to special order it? I have been unable to find a vendor that carries the externals.

[Mimbler1]

Yes, I e-mailed Jeff at Euro-reef directly. He is very easy to work with, and delivered the skimmer to me through a retail outfit (I believe it is called H20 waterworks, or something similar). It isn't cheap, but it is a great skimmer. Especially if you want really heavy skimming, but don't have a basement to hide some 5 or 6 foot tall skimmer in! I don't think there is another skimmer that could fit in my stand that could come close to the capability of the CS12-2 external.
Mike

[Mako]

Could you tell me the dimensions of the 12-2 external?

[Mimbler1]

CS12-2 external has a 15 x 25 inch foot print, is 30 inches tall, needs no extra height for cup removal, and has a 12 inch diameter reaction chamber. You can see this skimmer at the Euro-reef web site (those are actually pictures of my skimmer - it was the first cs12-2 external built!).
Mike

[valid]

mimbler1 -
from their website, it looks like you got a skimmer rated twice the size of your tank. i'm contemplating a euroreef as well for a large system. these are expensive and i don't want to undersize my purchase (i'd get the largest they make just to be at the rated size - i'd need two to have the same level of skimming as you). i wonder:
1)now that you have it in place, do you think it is necessary to double the size, as you did?
2)how long have you been using it?
3)what is your bioload?
4)do you skim 24/7?

[Mimbler1]

Valid asks the following:
1)now that you have it in place, do you think it is necessary to double the size, as you did?
2)how long have you been using it?
3)what is your bioload?
4)do you skim 24/7?

Good questions - I'll answer as best I can, but number 1 is fairly subjective.
1) for me, I'm glad I got that size. As a matter of fact, I am still running the lifereef VS28 I had previously in combination with the Euro-reef! I got the Euro-reef because I had been fighting a cyano/microalgae problem and wasn't winning. It wasn't a bad problem, but it wasn't going away either. I think the rock and sand had absorbed phosphate over the previous three or four years, and it takes time to extract it. Tank looks much better now, and is still getting better. The glass front can now go three weeks without cleaning, whereas it needed it weekly with only the lifereef. As it is primarily an SPS tank, I don't think it can be overskimmed. I like the combination of the Euro-reef and the Lifereef as they skim differently and may preferentially extract different substances. Although the Euro-reef is producing much, much, more than the Lifereef, the Lifereef has a greater turnover rate, so it may be getting the first pass at removing some portion of the organic before the bad algaes can use it.
2) I've had the Euroreef since September or October, 2002.
3) I only have one fish, a yellow tang, but do have a lot of SPS (one piece is now approx 20 inch by 10), some LPS, and one leather). 500lb of sand and 200 lb of live rock with lots of critters. I don't know how the corals count as biomass, but they do add up. I'm using these skimmers starve out the problem algaes which they are doing, but both of them -really- kick into gear when more organics are present.
4) I do skim 24/7
Let me know if you have any more questions - I'm happy to share what experiences I've had with the skimmers, perhaps others will as well. I will say, that I've read about many people upgrading their skimmers (including myself), but don't recall seeing anyone downsizing their skimmer (except for the skimmerless crowd, but that is a whole nother thread!)
Mike

[moodytj]

mimbler, was the lifereef skimmer just not enough for your 200 gallon? Our do you feel the euro reef is a far superior question. I ask because I've narrowed my choices down to euro-reef, Life reef VS3-30, or an Aqua C EV240. I've read a lot of good things about euro-reef but, have not had time to check prices with the holidays and suspect it may be out of my price range. So if you would share your opinions about the Life reef I would greatly appreciate it.

[moodytj]

mimbler, was the lifereef skimmer just not enough for your 200 gallon? Our do you feel the euro reef is a far superior skimmer. I ask because I've narrowed my choices down to euro-reef, Life reef VS3-30, or an Aqua C EV240. I've read a lot of good things about euro-reef but, have not had time to check prices with the holidays and suspect it may be out of my price range. So if you would share your opinions about the Life reef I would greatly appreciate it.

[Mimbler1]

mimbler, was the lifereef skimmer just not enough for your 200 gallon?

The Lifereef is a great skimmer, and I had no problems for several years. At that time, I suffered a cyano/microalgae problem that needed extra skimming capacity. I feel the Lifereef was always a little marginal for my system (200 gal plus sump plus refugium) because it was limited in height to fit under my stand. The Euroreef has a huge volume due to its 12 inch diameter, and is a little taller because the cup needs no vertical clearance to remove it.

I suspect you would be happy with either the lifereef or the euroreef. At 135 gal you have about 1/2 the gal I do, so capacity with the 30 inch lifereef probably wouldn't be an issue. I'm not familiar personally with the AquaC line, perhaps others could comment.

My theory is though, it's easy to turn too big a skimmer down, but if you pick one too small, you'll be upgrading!
Mike