protein skimmers

leveldrummer · 11-24-2005, 07:31 PM

any of you on this forum know that im researching to switch a 46 gallon cichlid tank to a salt/fish only tank. im now looking at thousands and thousands of protein skimmers and im totally lost. im thinkin about going to the under tank versions but nothing really explains what i need to do to do this. do those operate like a sump? do i need a tank below to pump everything into?i have a couple extra tanks that i could do this with. but im just lost. i thought about the hang on the back design but im not completly sold on that. its bad enough with the large filter i have on there. (i lean more toward over doing it with filtration.) and ill probably do the same with the skimmer. would it be worth the money and time to get the combo filters (filter and skimmer in one) run the pipes and such and put it under my tank? i have a custom stand that i can easily cut up and run pipes through. any suggestions out there? should i not worry so much and just get a hang on the back type?

flamingo · 11-24-2005, 08:20 PM

Just get a hang on back.

Theres a lot of types out there and theres not a definate one out there that's the greatest.

Just take the recommendations of others and go off of that and maybe do some research. I used to think seaclones were good but actually they kind of suck and need a lot of tweeking to get them to be a little good.

Other than that I would recommend the following: remoras, coralife needle wheel skimmers, or bak paks.

Personally I prefer the coralife one. Cheap and easy to set up and work from what i've heard.

**Fishfirst** · 11-27-2005, 08:45 PM

I'd go with a aqua c remora... quality for a reasonable price

leveldrummer · 11-28-2005, 12:54 PM

what do those generally run? what is "resonable price?"

flamingo · 11-28-2005, 04:03 PM

For a good one they are usually 75 dollars and up.

Im not sure how much the remora c's go for though.

leveldrummer · 11-28-2005, 04:05 PM

haha its ok, i dont even know why i asked, i did a quick search. at marine depot they sell for around 150. what brand did you see for 75? all the other sites i checked were all about the same price.

**Fishfirst** · 11-29-2005, 01:40 PM

the ones that are 75 dollars is probably the seaclones or prisms... which seaclones do "okay" however I have to tweek mine almost daily. prisms I've heard worse reports... I'd vouch for aqua c's as they get better reports and for a reasonable price... $150 dollars isn't a bad price for a skimmer... some can be twice that.

leveldrummer · 11-29-2005, 01:42 PM

well thats not too bad since i already have everthing else, if thats the most expensive thing i have to get. i should be just fine,

**Fishfirst** · 11-29-2005, 01:49 PM

cool... and don't worry about posting so many questions... we like answering them

flamingo · 11-29-2005, 02:22 PM

I meant other skimmers are usualy 75 and up if you want a good one.

Seaclones suck though. Like fishfirst said, they need a lot of tweeking and adjustments, they also inject the air into tghe wrong place or osmething like that.

leveldrummer · 11-29-2005, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fishfirst

cool... and don't worry about posting so many questions... we like answering them

haha thanks fish guru, i just feel like alot of you are at homing screaming at your computer for me to go buy a book. haha but its much more helpful to actually talk to people to me. books are great once you get a little more knowledge and want to take it to the next step. but for a beginer, going from fresh to salt, its really hard wrapping your head around somethings.

**Cichlid Man** · 11-29-2005, 03:01 PM

Yeah tell me about it.

My wife still doesn't realize that goldfish don't come from the sea, and that some of my fish tanks need salt while others need acidic conditions.

**TheOldSalt** · 11-30-2005, 07:35 AM

GO BUY A BOOK!

jk

I thought I'd save a few bucks by making my own skimmers... well... that didn't exactly work out as planned. Oh, I made some truly awesome skimmers, but they wound up ultimately costing almost as much as a commercial unit. Apparently there's not much profit in the skimmer biz, despite the high prices.

11-24-2005, 07:31 PM	#1
leveldrummer something like a pimp Join Date: May 2005 Location: atlanta Age: 29 Posts: 1,933	protein skimmers any of you on this forum know that im researching to switch a 46 gallon cichlid tank to a salt/fish only tank. im now looking at thousands and thousands of protein skimmers and im totally lost. im thinkin about going to the under tank versions but nothing really explains what i need to do to do this. do those operate like a sump? do i need a tank below to pump everything into?i have a couple extra tanks that i could do this with. but im just lost. i thought about the hang on the back design but im not completly sold on that. its bad enough with the large filter i have on there. (i lean more toward over doing it with filtration.) and ill probably do the same with the skimmer. would it be worth the money and time to get the combo filters (filter and skimmer in one) run the pipes and such and put it under my tank? i have a custom stand that i can easily cut up and run pipes through. any suggestions out there? should i not worry so much and just get a hang on the back type?

11-24-2005, 08:20 PM	#2
flamingo One Word: Croutons. Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Wisconsin Age: 17 Posts: 1,899	Just get a hang on back. Theres a lot of types out there and theres not a definate one out there that's the greatest. Just take the recommendations of others and go off of that and maybe do some research. I used to think seaclones were good but actually they kind of suck and need a lot of tweeking to get them to be a little good. Other than that I would recommend the following: remoras, coralife needle wheel skimmers, or bak paks. Personally I prefer the coralife one. Cheap and easy to set up and work from what i've heard. __________________ If you put "u" instead of typing out the actual, shocking, three letter word... i'm not going to read your ramblings. I'm so behind it's not even funny.

11-27-2005, 08:45 PM	#3
Fishfirst Fish Guru Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Northern Wisconsin Age: 24 Posts: 3,541	I'd go with a aqua c remora... quality for a reasonable price __________________ 210 Gal Reef w/ 55 Gallon Sump/Fuge, 125 Gal Fish Only, 65 Gal Seahorse-29 Gallon Sump, 55 Gal FOWLR, 54 Gal Corner FW Community, 20 Gal Nano FOWLR, 55 Gal Piranha, 29 gallon QT "All the yellow tangs and clownfish in the world can't save you now! hahahah" Peter from Family Guy

11-28-2005, 04:03 PM	#5
flamingo One Word: Croutons. Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Wisconsin Age: 17 Posts: 1,899	For a good one they are usually 75 dollars and up. Im not sure how much the remora c's go for though. __________________ If you put "u" instead of typing out the actual, shocking, three letter word... i'm not going to read your ramblings. I'm so behind it's not even funny.

11-29-2005, 01:40 PM	#7
Fishfirst Fish Guru Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Northern Wisconsin Age: 24 Posts: 3,541	the ones that are 75 dollars is probably the seaclones or prisms... which seaclones do "okay" however I have to tweek mine almost daily. prisms I've heard worse reports... I'd vouch for aqua c's as they get better reports and for a reasonable price... $150 dollars isn't a bad price for a skimmer... some can be twice that. __________________ 210 Gal Reef w/ 55 Gallon Sump/Fuge, 125 Gal Fish Only, 65 Gal Seahorse-29 Gallon Sump, 55 Gal FOWLR, 54 Gal Corner FW Community, 20 Gal Nano FOWLR, 55 Gal Piranha, 29 gallon QT "All the yellow tangs and clownfish in the world can't save you now! hahahah" Peter from Family Guy

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11-28-2005, 12:54 PM	#4
leveldrummer something like a pimp Join Date: May 2005 Location: atlanta Age: 29 Posts: 1,933	what do those generally run? what is "resonable price?"

11-28-2005, 04:05 PM	#6
leveldrummer something like a pimp Join Date: May 2005 Location: atlanta Age: 29 Posts: 1,933	haha its ok, i dont even know why i asked, i did a quick search. at marine depot they sell for around 150. what brand did you see for 75? all the other sites i checked were all about the same price.

11-29-2005, 01:42 PM	#8
leveldrummer something like a pimp Join Date: May 2005 Location: atlanta Age: 29 Posts: 1,933	well thats not too bad since i already have everthing else, if thats the most expensive thing i have to get. i should be just fine,

11-29-2005, 01:49 PM	#9
Fishfirst Fish Guru Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Northern Wisconsin Age: 24 Posts: 3,541	cool... and don't worry about posting so many questions... we like answering them __________________ 210 Gal Reef w/ 55 Gallon Sump/Fuge, 125 Gal Fish Only, 65 Gal Seahorse-29 Gallon Sump, 55 Gal FOWLR, 54 Gal Corner FW Community, 20 Gal Nano FOWLR, 55 Gal Piranha, 29 gallon QT "All the yellow tangs and clownfish in the world can't save you now! hahahah" Peter from Family Guy

11-29-2005, 02:22 PM	#10
flamingo One Word: Croutons. Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Wisconsin Age: 17 Posts: 1,899	I meant other skimmers are usualy 75 and up if you want a good one. Seaclones suck though. Like fishfirst said, they need a lot of tweeking and adjustments, they also inject the air into tghe wrong place or osmething like that. __________________ If you put "u" instead of typing out the actual, shocking, three letter word... i'm not going to read your ramblings. I'm so behind it's not even funny.

11-29-2005, 03:01 PM	#12
Cichlid Man Super moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 2,100	Yeah tell me about it.My wife still doesn't realize that goldfish don't come from the sea, and that some of my fish tanks need salt while others need acidic conditions. __________________ If you have a big enough tank with enough hiding places, pH of around 7, you can keep virtually any fish together as long as all the fish are around the same size and these two groups of fish are avioded: Serrasalmus Tetradon(figure eights and dwarfs are the exception). I keep a successful community of fish in a 4 foot tank including the following families: Cichlids, tetras, loaches, gouramis, barbs, rainbows, livebearers, killiefish, catfish, puffers.

11-30-2005, 07:35 AM	#13
TheOldSalt Darth Ichthyos Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,358	GO BUY A BOOK! jk I thought I'd save a few bucks by making my own skimmers... well... that didn't exactly work out as planned. Oh, I made some truly awesome skimmers, but they wound up ultimately costing almost as much as a commercial unit. Apparently there's not much profit in the skimmer biz, despite the high prices.

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