Looking for a new skimmer for my 40gal system

[peteralexander]

Right now I have a Red Sea Prizm. It is ok but it works better somedays and I seem to be always adjusting it to work the way it should. I was looking at a AquaC Remora Protein Skimmer. It seems that all the reviews on it say it is the best for a hang on system. But when the one you have sucks anything that does the job is perfect. Does anyone have one and how often do you have to empty the goop?

[kodyboy]

Get a D&D marine typhoon for $68 from drfosters. A nice, inexpensive skimmer that really works well. It is an HOB.

[peteralexander]

I would like if someone could tell me if my red sea is a good skimmer or would I be better at getting a AquaC Remora?

[kodyboy]

D&D marine typhoon for a 29 would be great, good or better than a remora for $68!

[manderx]

saw a post where someone modded a prism and turned it in to a workhorse. i don't remember specifics, if it was mesh or something else, but click around and you'll probably find it :)

[Mariner]

I have an AquaC Remora on my 75g, and I think it would be quite an upgrade from a Prizm. The Remoras usually get very good reviews as HOB skimmers, and the Prizms usually get pretty bad ones. There are certainly other choices. I just upgraded to a Coralife Superskimmer on my 40g and I think I'm going to like it.
FWIW,
Mariner

[skimmy]

your red sea prism is NOT a good skimmer, and the aqua c remora isnt much better, imo...
the typoon looks great for the money, and from the pics kodyboy has of the skimmate it produces, i know it will probably out perform the remora for less money.
other than that a good hang on skimmer would be the deltec mce300 for $279

[Andrew]

Coralife super skimmers work pretty good. I did the fishline mod to the impeller of mine and it worked even better. Very good skimmers for $80-$150 ( depending on the model )

[Grey Reefer]

I second koraltek's recommendation. Deltec will blow the other skimmers away. It's like a Honda Vs. BMW. yeh the Honda is cheaper and a better value, but it doesn't even come close to the Bimmer.

[luke33]

Steer clear of the aqua c.......they suck imo. I spend 300 on mine and am totally regretting it, especially now with a large sump!

[peteralexander]

Has any one used or have a D&D marine typhoon? Koyboy, how long have you use it and are there in draw backs? I looked at the deltec mce 300. I would if I could but for that price I wouldnt want it on a simple 29gal, I would feel I needed to upgrade the size of my tank!

[peteralexander]

I am looking at the D&D typhoon skimmer more now, with Koyboy and koraltek's recommendations and seeing there experence it looks like a typhoon it is but does anyone have any other comments on a good hang on skimmer?

[kodyboy]

Pros of a typhoon,
very well built, thick strong acrylic and excellent joints
works well, mine collects a lot of crud every day
easy to set-up and use
cheap
Collection of skimmate is very easy, hose in bucket
easy to clean unit, take off top, clean hose and top

Cons,
not uber quiet, not noisy by any means, but more so than my tunze 9010
I do not know much about the pump, but for the price it can not be a real good one
it is a venturi, not a needlewheel
must remove hose, clean, start-up then re-attach hose or it may start a siphon and pull water out of the tank (learned through experience)

Overall the pros far outweigh the cons, great skimmer for the money!

[kodyboy]

P.S. It is hard to compare the unit to a deltec as it costs about 1/5th or 1/6 the amount that the deltec costs, and it may skim as well overall. I would hope the Deltec is really really easy to use and is absolutely silent, but that is not the case from what I have read.

[skey44]

i have the remora and at the beginning i hated it... but after two years of service i have started to be ok with it. it is expensive and over rated in the size of tank it can handle (could not handle a 75 imo). i had it on a 90 and it wasn't keeping up but have moved it to a 37 and am now much happier. the thing is noisy (this could easily be remedied by aqua c) but my efforts to keep the noise down have failed. it is in my small home and i cant hear it in very many of the rooms. the skimmate production isn't half bad (iv'e worked with much bigger badder(in the good way) skimmers and i can tune mine to get a similar skim and amount from my tank). the microbubbles are bad unless you get the overflow kit (with bubble trap)... but there are always some. the unit requires a lot of cleaning too... the cup, and the inside of the system must be very clean to work correctly. the system seems fairly efficient only requiring a maxijet to run it. i am very happy to be moving up in tank size and this time with a sump. don't spend the money if you are even thinking of upgrading your tank, youll just find out what you really want is a sump and awesome skimmer. my remora has served me well on the bottom line-skimming, but leaves much to be desired in all the other categories that so many under the tank skimmers seem so easily accomplish.

[peteralexander]

thanks kodyboy, I have a drsfosterandsmith catalog. I am also looking at one on ebay to see if I could get it a little cheaper. You have sold me on it. thanks for helping me from making a mistake and getting the remora aqua c.

[kodyboy]

no problem, for $68 or less you can't go wrong:)

[sjm817]

From what I have seen of the Deltec MCE300, it is not very good. I wouldn't bother with it.