Help me pick a skimmer!

[Cantonesefish]

I'm setting up a 125 gallon mostly SPS reef and am planning on a medium-heavy bioload. Currently deliberating over a good protein skimmer. It's important for it to be quiet but an efficient skimmer is of course a plus.

I'm looking for an in-sump skimmer and the ones I'm thinking about include the Euro-Reef RS135, Reef Octopus (Coralvue), and Aqua Euro Usa. Which of these is the most effective, the quietest, or the most bang for buck? Also is there a good skimmer out there I'm overlooking? I'd like to shoot for the under $500 range.

Thanks in advance,
Cantonesefish

[tspors]

Berlin clasic, I am using it in my 150g

[scotmc]

I am using a rs135 for 120 total gallons. IMO It is the best for the money. Produces very well, build solid with a good venturi pump. The rc 135 is better than that, but the price is over 500.00

[HerbieK]

I am using a Bermuda 5C on my 180 SPS tank and it is very quiet. You may only need the 3C on your 125.

[mg426]

Look at the New Octopus extreme line of skimmers. They are the best bang for the buck today.

[luke33]

All the above are great suggestions besides the berlin ofcourse which i would never run on anything larger than a 55g tank. Anyhow it all depends on your budget but imo, the octo extreme from marine solutions is a no brainer.

[scotmc]

Is the extreme out yet?

[scotmc]

How can you recommend a skimmer that is not even out yet. Cheep import knock-off are not in the same leauge as established companies.

[luke33]

Established companies......name one skimmer company out there that works well that is made in america? The extreme's will be out by next week at the latest and look to be better designed than the ati bm's. If you have been around skimmer design's long enough you know what to look for and the swc octo extreme's look very very well designed.

[scotmc]

Euroreef american made.. People hyped the bubble king mini before it was out. It's preformance is below the hype. What is the air intake for this skimmer? I evaluate preformance by results, not looks. It would be nice if people recommed products they actually used.

Ferraris look great, put a ford engine in them and they are worthless. Your just fooling yourself.

[Fishbulb2]

Aren't the Euro reef skimmers made in america? They work pretty well.

[luke33]

Skimer bodies maybe.....pump's no, german or china. Try again fellas.

[scotmc]

"name one skimmer company out there that works well that is made in america?"

Were talking about skimmers. A pump is part of the skimmer. Euroreef is made in the USA. It is designed and assembled in the USA. I am not sure any pump is made in the USA for skimmers. MOst pump manfactures went overseas or went out of business a long time ago.

You would have to have no brains to purchase that skimmer based on your recommendation and lack of information.

[luke33]

So a toyota, hundai...etc is an american car? That would be my point here. Made in the usa these days doesn't mean a whole lot when the parts are imported from china, germany...

[scotmc]

Poor analogy.. were not talking about multi-national companies. You stated this skimmer was a no brainer. Please provide me some infomation, other than looks and hype.

Yes Toyota USA is a american company(TMS), thus an american car.

[luke33]

Ok, so your saying if all the parts come from germany or china....anywhere other than the US, buuuut we asemble them its USA made? Thats an original thought then.......Your saying your rs135 single pass skimmer for over 500bux which you paid(you can get it at PA for 327) which produces 640lph or 22scfh is going to compete with a skimmer comparably priced with the swc extreme octo 200 which is 8" in diameter, 4.5-5" neck diameter producing 50scfh or 1416lph air? At 325bux? Hmmm, and your reaction chamber is 6".....I find your argument pretty unimpressive. Sure the octo will be released in the next few days but your comparing an inferior skimmer to an ati bm200 at this point and the ati isn't even as nice as design as the octo. I understand your skimmer is nice, but there is not a comparison that will be pro ER in this case. But yours is assembled in the USA. Thats great but still doesn't make me buy one as there both foreign parts.

[scotmc]

I was wish, I came up with the thought.. It's called a new world economy. Must people in finance have an understanding of it. I own a rs135 and I paid $327. The Rc is over 500.
You finally produced some infomation on this skimmer. You may want to pass that on to the re-seller. It took long enough. I never made the case er was a better skimmer based on being made in the USA. I wanted to know why this was such a great skimmer. It' s still a import knock-off . It came off the back of someone else R&D, which cost them money. They get a free ride. The extreme looks like a bubble king to me. If I have a problem with ER. I can talk to ER. Who made and designed it.

As for me. I am not interested in dealing with a reseller of a knock-off. Taking it apart to make it better and sloving problems on a thread. I read the octo thread. I am not impressed. If I wanted a BK, I would buy a BK. It's like wearing a fake Rollex, why bother?

[JCTewks]

Well, all of the money you spend is being channeled overseas anyway...I'll save myself a few bucks and buy the Xtreme (It'll get the money overseas faster )....which is not an ATI BM knock off, It is actually designed much better than the ATI. The Xtreme is NOTHING like a BK, in any way!

I'm all for supporting american companies, but if we had to buy "Made in the U.S.A" everything, we'd all be broke buyng groceries everyweek...not to mention everything else!

[JCTewks]

Also, FWIW...MOST skimmer mfr's aren't really putting much R&D into their products these days, you can pretty much tell that by looking at them if you have some basic knowledge of skimmer principles. Most of them are just copying each other, or throwing the new "fad" catch phrases on the same old unthought thru junk and charging a weeks salary for it.

It's refreshing to see a well designed skimmer with quality pumps on the market for a reasonable price...no matter where it is made

[scotmc]

"The Xtreme is NOTHING like a BK, in any way!"

Is that good or bad?

[JCTewks]

Originally posted by scotmc
"The Xtreme is NOTHING like a BK, in any way!"

Is that good or bad?

I meant that they were nothing alike in design or looks, not performance...although looking at the performance of the new BK mini's that might be a good thing

[Fishbulb2]

It's not the made here or there thing that gets to me. It's the MASS recommendations on every thread stating that this will be the next greatest thing ever to happen to reefs. Maybe it will, or maybe it will be a huge bust due to some unforeseen disaster from the manufacturer. Heck, maybe the final product won't even be identical to the ONE lone picture being floated around everywhere. No, instead everyone is being told to buy this skimmer now through pre pay because it's "a no brainer". I mean really, I hope it pans out because it's great to have a nice low cost skimmer that could actually handle a larger tank. But for now, the fan boys of this skimmer are really pitching it rather hard considering there isn't even a single one in the US to review as of yet. Just my opinion.

Cantonesefish,
If it were my money and I need a low priced skimmer ASAP, i'd probably go with an ER since there have been hundreds of reviews on them. If you can wait for a few reviews of the Octo exptreme, then I would certainly wait. Or be the guinea pig, but don't for a second believe there is such a thing a no brainer in this hobby. Other than no tank = more money in pocket :-)

[scotmc]

I could agree more fishbulb2. In looking for a skimmer. ER was established and had a good price point. I am also tired of people hyping a product they have not even used. Maybe these boys have a stake in the reseller. I would hope so. Way too much cheerleading.

[JCTewks]

Personally, I have no stake in any skimmer company or reseller.

Even "IF" these xtreme skimmers don't perfrom as great as they could, there is still nothing in their price range that will compete.

I think we should continue this discussion in another thread when the new Xtremes are released and there are some people using them to give feedback on their performance.

[Creetin]

Funny how alot of these threads turn into promoting the SWC's.
From this side it looks like they do have a vested interest. IMO
With all the mud slinging at ati and bk here these skimmers must be good.
If the BM is the poor mans BK, Is this the poor mans BM?