skimmer replacement (let the battles begin)

[phislet]

I have a 125 gallon with a 55 gallon sump. For the last 3 years I have been using a Red Sea Berlin HOB. Unfortunately my Berlin has seen hard times as of late and needs replacing. I have considered the Berlin in sump XL model. Does anyone have any experience with the berlin turbo models?

Based on several posts on this board I am also considering the turboflotor 1000.

Questions:
1) Can the turboflotor be run with a Mag 7? Does the pump connect straight to the turboflotor with the water discharge going straight back into the sump?

2) Has anybody used the Kent Nautilus?

3) Berlin classic vs. turbo. Thoughts?

 

[Manofathousandpolyps]

I also have a berlin hob. I love it. If and when it goes down Ive been thinking of trying out an Excaliber.

 

[mbsparo]

Stay away from the Berlin Turbo. I had one and called up Red Sea and got the parts to make it a true classic. I know of at least 6 other people on other boards that did the same thing.

Take care

Mike

 

[73ChargerFan]

And I'm looking for a skimmer for my 100g tank.

Basically, I want a skimmer that is as low maintenance as possible (and can be fit with a collection bottle if necessary), and doesn't require constant supervision. I've heard the stories of skimmers requiring re-tuning weekly, and requiring them to be disassembled monthly to scrub the parts. I'd like to limit mainenance to wiping down the outside monthly, and maybe a cleaning every six months or so.

I like the Aqua-C 180EV, but it is very expensive. I'll stay far away from the Berlin. A turbofloater was recommended to me, but it seems to be the #1 used skimmer that people are trying to get rid of on the forums. Euroskimmer is too expensive. Lifereef brags that it hasn't been updated in 10 years. Myreef makes an economical skimmer, MR-2, that appears to be comparable to the 180EV, but I heard many comments on it.

Help! I need to be 80% confident about my choice before I make one of the most important purchases for my tank.

 

[Jimmy G]

Like Mike said, stay away from the Berlin Turbo pump. Lots of people have had problems with them.

 

[phislet]

Ok. Sounds like the Berlin turbos are bad, bad, bad... but what about the regular old Classics? I have been using a Mag 7 on my existing broken Berlin HO. Would the Mag 7 be enough for a Berlin Classic XL?

 

[Mouse]

Deltec.....

ive changed my mind from Aquamedic. Deltec increased their range and ive seen comparable models now, big differences in what they say they can handle against raw hardware.

If you want low maintenance get Deltec, some can even be fitted with a self cleaning head. But it requires connection to a drain.

[ March 21, 2002: Message edited by: Mouse ]</p>

 

[endymion]

Everything that I have heard about the myreef skimmers has been positive. Also you could get away with the MR-1 model on a 100G.

I own and olde Aqua-C 150 and it does a decent job but nothing spectacular. I will be going with a Lifereef or Euroreef. If money was tighter I would look at a Myreef. I do plan on buying one of his calcium reactors.

And stay away from a berlin....to much adjustments needed and does a poor job.

[ March 21, 2002: Message edited by: endymion ]</p>

 

[Anonymous]

If I were to do it all over again I would get a larger more efficient skimmer. BUT I do have a Berlin Turbo HOB and it does a superb job at skimming my tank. It produces a cup(which is large) a week on my 55. I clean the cup once a week and clean the pump once a month. I have not played with it at all and I run it on Max air and Max water flow. The only thing is that you need the replacement impeller. It makes a huge difference in it's performance. I have to say I am content.

 

[danmhippo]

Anybody mentioned skimmerless?

(back to the sump......)

 

[Odd Ball]

My vote goes with Lifereef.

You asked, my opinion. YMMV

I've owned a ETSS RD3, CPR Bac Pak, and now a Lifereef. By far, the lifereef has provided a more consistant output of skimmate. With little to no adjustments.

Only maint needed with my lifereef was the initial setup. Then final adjustment, and it's been rock solid every since. Weekly dumping of skimmate is a must, as it is gross

Support is top notch. Either by phone or email, you will get a good response with someone who cares.

All pieces are shipped with skimmer. All you need to do is put it together. Instructions are good.

If nothing else, add him to your contact list and ask about his skimemrs. I did. Never once talked bad about other makes of skimmers. Just said how his works, why the design is like it is, etc.

Peace out.

Oh, here is a pic: Warning - Large image - I need to resize and crop. I'll do that tonight when I get home. The file is a jpg, but my upstream connection is slow. Sorry.

lifereef_skim_1

[ March 21, 2002: Message edited by: Odd Ball ]</p>

 

[smokie]

I had a Berlin Turbo,right out of the box the pump sounded like a MAC truck in my living room,overall the skimmer did not perform well at all,I finally ordered a venturi for the classic model and screwed it into the skimmer and used a different pump but it still did not perform well at all.I also had a Turbofloater 1000 which i replaced the berlin with,it performed better than the Berlin Turbo simply because i plumbed my overflow directly into the skimmer,however performance was mediocure at best.
Then i got a Precision Marine Bullet 2 to replace the turbofloater 1000,it performs well but not what you would expect for 400.00 and customer service is non existant based on my personal experience,(i have been waiting going on 2 weeks for a reply from them due to broken parts)
My advice is spend the extra money now to get a good skimmer rated larger than your current tank and save yourself the frustration of having to buy a good one 6 months from now when you find out the cheapies just dont cut it.

 

[Anonymous]

The Turbo was loud due to the old impellor. With the new impellor it is very quiet.

 

[M.E.Milz]

FWIW, I was never really satisfied with the performance of my HOB Berlin skimmer - at least until I finally found the right pump - a Mag 9.5. Since switching to the Mag 9.5 (I previously used a Rio 2500 & 3100), the skimmer has performed great on my 90g FOWLR tank.

 

[FishHead1]

Do yourself a favor and buy the biggest most powerful skimmer you can afford. You won't to do mess with it again.

 

[M.E.Milz]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote

Do yourself a favor and buy the biggest most powerful skimmer you can afford. You won't to do mess with it again.

There are some that believe that you CAN overskim a tank. BTW, do you really want to put a 6 foot, tripple injector skimmer driven by four Iwaki MD100 pumps on a 20 gallon micro reef? Even if you can afford it?

 

[skylsdale]

Why not skip the skimmer and go with a 5-6" DSB in the 50g sump? Light it at night to stabilize your pH and harvest macro in it for nutrient export. Will work quite effectively and save you money on a skimmer that may break down again someday.