suggest a protein skimmer for new tank

[flipster36]

Gday all new to this forum so hi.....

Setting up a new tank fish and coral (100gal)6ftx18inx18in with build in refugium/sump on the back of it. Wanted some advice on skimmers(internal or hang on ) that would suit such size tank.
Secondly i am going to be doing my own plumbing for the tank , want to know is it best to have numerous return water pipes stretched around the tank or stick with one ?? and if so will that stop me having to use powerheads to circulate the water

thanks guys!!

 

[Len]

:welcome:

You've got a lot of good choices to pick from. There is an abundance of quality protein skimmers these days (unlike when I first started out decades ago). For more affordable skimmers, Coralife's new superskimmer, Kent Marine's Nautilus, ASM's line of needle wheels, and the Turboflotor are good buys. There are nicer skimmers such as Euroreefs, Deltecs, Precision Marine, BarrAquatics, My Reef Creations, etc ..... too many to name. Do you have any specific requirements such as skimmer height, electrical usage, noise, etc.? We can help narrow down the field for you.

As for plumbing, always plumb with efficiency in mind. The shortest path with the least amount of bends is a good goal to aim for. The more plumbing, the greater the chance of leaks, the harder it is to service/repair, and the more back/head pressure you put on your pumps. You can definitely plumb outside the tank so that you won't need to use powerheads at all. A big return pump or a use of a closed loop circulation will give you all the circulation you need.

 

[flipster36]

thanks Len for your advice

The height of the sump is 18 inches high , the width would be around 18cm, may be worth getting a hang on skimmer ?
Is there any problems in having the heater placed in the same section as the skimmer??
i have planned to only have two bends in the plumbing so resistance shouldnt be a problem ??
thanks again

 

[ChrisRD]

18 cm (about 7 inches) is not a very wide sump so that will cut into your choices for an in-sump skimmer. A hang-on would be an option, but you should also consider models that can be plumbed to the sump externally.

Two bends sounds great, but pipe diameter will be a very significant factor in how much resistance the plumbing provides to the pump. Generally, stepping up one size larger than the inlet/outlet of the pump is a good practice to help minimize plumbing friction losses.

 

[flipster36]

thanks chris for your post ,

Can you suggest any skimmer for the outside of the tank or any that would fit inside the sump??

Also im after a heater for this tank , would a 300w heater do the job ??

Cheers

 

[Rob Top]

plenty of people will tell you what skimmer to get, based a lot on what they have used and has done well for them. Skimmers are a lot like everything else in the hobby and subject to the tank's set up. A skimmer rated for 100 gallons could do a 240 with only a shrimp in it(why you would have a 240 with only a shrimp in it is beyond me) The point is bio-load has a lot to do with it. My advise is get the biggest one you can afford. Here are some to stay away from
Sea Clone, Skilter, Visi-skim, basically low priced ones. There is a reason they are so cheap. Personally I like the Red Sea Berlin modles for a good affordable skimmer, and I love my Aero Foamer for one on the expensive side

 

[SnowManSnow]

AquaC seems to be consistantly good. Do a google on your skimmer review like, "AquaC Remora Review". You'll turn up lots of reviews and opinions about the various skimmers.

 

[ChrisRD]

Flipster,

On the skimmer - what do you plan on keeping in this tank? As Len mentioned - do you have any specific requirements such as skimmer height, electrical usage, noise, etc.? Are you OK with having to tinker with it a bit, or do you want something that is basically set-n-forget?

On the heater - 300 watts should be fine for your size system unless the tank will be in an unusually cool room (below normal indoor room temps).

 

[Len]

I completely misread your first post and didn't notice your sump will be the hang-on variety. There really isn't any skimmer I can think of that will fit into such a narrow sump. You are probably best served with a hang-on model as others have suggested. 100 gallons is pushing the limits of any hang-on model, but the three I'd suggest is the AquaC Remora Pro, the Turboflotor multi, and the Deltec MCE600 (http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/8/review).

 

[flipster36]

thanks all for your advice , I dont mind tinkering with the equipment all part of this hobby , best way to learn ...
The room will be at a constant temperature, so the 300w shouldnt be a problem

in regard to return pumps what do you guys recomend , how often should the water be recylced??

cheers

 

[Len]

This is a hang-on-back sump/refugium, so you don't need a super powerful pump since there is little head pressure. In my opinion, you should just design it soley as a refugium (and a place for the heater) while employing one of the hang-on skimmers I listed. As a refugium for a 100g, 500-800gph should serve you well. But in this case, you'll still need extra circulation via powerheads or a closed loop circulation system.

 

[ChrisRD]

Sorry, I was reading/skimming fast and I also missed the fact that the sump/fuge would be on the back of the tank. I agree with Len. Some other hang-on skimmer options might be a Coralife Super Skimmer or a Life Reef.

 

[flipster36]

thanks for all your advice guys will invest in a hang -on skimmer, have learnt a great from reading in this forum : )

cheers