ASM Baby G Protein Skimmer

[fji258]

hi....i am looking for a skimmer that will fit a sump with the dimentions 7.5x14 the only skimmer that i can get at a moderate price is the ASM Baby G Protein Skimmer. ive read that they are almost like euroreef.

http://www.customaquatic.com/customaquatic/itemdetail.asp?itemid=PS-SMG-0

is this a good skimmer? if not is there any recomendations for this size sump. the tank is a 55 gal.

also it comes with a gen-x 1000 pump... i dont know anything about these pumps...are they quiet?

[bertoni]

[welcome]

The ASM skimmers are said to be good, and are a bit cheaper than Euro-Reef for the same capacity. They seem to get a bit over-rated, as far as capacity. I don't know anything about that model.

The CoraLife SuperSkimmers also get good reviews, if you want to take a look at them as well.

There's no objective data on skimmers, so we're all just guessing to various degrees...

[Paulairduck]

I have the mini skimmer and it works good, I would not use the term great, but it is deffinitely worth the money. Go to global aquatics they have the skimmer for under 100 dollars and they ship it quick. I have also heard good things about the css65 skimmer but have never used one.

[MBuck]

I bought one about 3 weeks ago for my 58g cube....

Works awesome...no problems with it, get alot of wet skimmate, there's no valve on the airline, so you might want to pick one up, just to control your air intake.

I just read somewhere that these have not been rated yet for tank capacity.... but I think it was well worth the $100.00, I have stinky, green/black skimmate have to dump it about every 3 days...

HTH!

[ohioreef]

I am running one on my 75g, although most people would say that that is probably pushing its limit. I am getting some nice stinky dark green skimmate.

I got mine from www.asmskimmer.com for $99 plus shipping.

I don't run an airvalve on the airline, I don't believe they are designed to be run that way. You control the water level by raising/lowering the discharge tube.

Most of the noise from my skimmer comes from the air tube "gurgling". The pump is pretty quiet.

[cem1234]

Hello all -

I have just recently purchased one of these little guys. Unfortunately, it's the only needle wheel based skimmer of this size. For the most part, in my experience, needle wheels are practically unmatched in their efficiency... (yes, I know...a bit bios :-) )

So I was shocked to see a "euroreef-style" needle wheel skimmer for right at $100.00. A local vendor here happen to have one and not a moment too soon. I've had some problems in the tank where I have needed one for some time...

At first glance, I was a little disappointed. The glue joints were messy and it was pretty obvious I needed to rinse it and dry it well (some type of light powder seemed to be on it.) The pump was bagged so it was pretty clean. Nothing special about the packaging...just a top and bottom styrofoam cover and a white box.

I cleaned up the unit with water and set it in the sump. The water level of the sump was adequate enough for the tiny skimmer/pump and fired it up.

I was impressed with how quiet the unit was. Micro bubbles filled the chamber and it looked just like a little mini-euroreef. Only 5 minutes after I turned it on, it started to foam and developed a small bubbling head. (Say what? no break in period?)

Well...my happiness was short lived. Unfortunately, the head dissapated and so far it hasn't skimmed anything further. I know there are dissolved organics in the tank because it's never been skimmed. There is also a build up of various algaes and detritus in the tank.

I got the skimmer hooked up on Sunday night. It's Wednesday night so it's quite possible I'm still in a "break in" period. I still have a touch more to raise the return spout, so I think I'll max that out tomorrow and see if I can get some froth.

I'll keep everyone posted...

- Chuck!

[Paulairduck]

deffinitely give the skimmer some time, especially if you did not run it warm water with a little vinegar, I would give it atleast a week. You can look @ my gallery and it shows exactly where I run the stand pipe, and it runs in 6 to 8 inches of water...

[cem1234]

thanks paul....I'll sit tight and take a look at your gallery. I reallly want this thing to work... :-)

[fji258]

hey Paulairduck...i saw your gallery and you added a mod to the skimmer. what exactly does the mod do?