what is the best skimmer?

thanks everyone for your help. i am still a little confused but less so

 

i agree somewhat with the coralife users... i have a hard time finding that "sweet spot".. but then again, i don't use the drain hole, so everytime i need to empty the cup, i have to reset the flow adjustment thing-a-ma-jig.... i might have to change my thinking tho...

 

You might want to consider the Octopus skimmers which are a copy of the Euroreef and ASM skimmers.

 

IME, I use the Coralife Super skimmer also. Great skimmer and very efficient. I have my sump pump and skimmer plugged into a X10 Appliance box and use a remote control to shut down the 2 when feeding the display or cleaning the cup.

 

why have a skimer?
if your system cannot deal with its own bio load then the system is unstable.
skimming removes natural plankton reserves which means you have to buy more to put in.
it is all a con to make you buy rubbish that in fact resembles nothing like nature.
low fish population good speradic waterflow and quality live rock is all that is required
oh natural.
trust me it works.
why feed the fish when they can feed them selves?

 

Yes well you can ride in a car and not use shouder belts or drive a Harley and not use a helment also.. ;D

why limit your self no a skimmer is not a have to have but what are you keeping in your tanks ???

 

Heteractis Magnifica
Lps Corals
Sertiapora Hystrix

 

That is a false statement. Have you ever walked along the beach and seen foam washing up and collecting along the shoreline? That's natures skimmer. Besides that, in a closed system we are forced to "over-kill" on such items, because of course we can't provide the vast quantity of fresh water and filtration the ocean can.

I've seen many "natural" systems crash, and it's usually due to "dirty" water.
Use a skimmer, it's a good thing!

Yes, skimmers remove some beneficial nutrients from the water, but luckily, they can be replaced easily, and the amount of "bad" stuff they remove makes it very much worth the effort and cost.

 

If you have ever seen the end result of a skimmate cup and its contents...you may decide to think twice about NOT having one! A skimmer is like nature as mm2002 stated rather nicely. Waves that wash up along the shore or crash along the rocky coast line continuously produce a cream to brown colored foam..this is waste and contaminants from life below and their various process in which to survive, are being removed with the aid of the waves as well as increasing Dissolved oxygen in the water! Thus you have a foam fractionater(protein skimmer) replicating this same crucial process>more so important due to the smaller confined space in which we keep our livestock!
Yes, you could venture off on another tangent and skip the skimmer>but why would you? To have to be more critical regarding your water parameters, by testing more frequently, as well as increased water changes and increased aeration at the air/surface interface to increase oxygen and proper gas transport/ and exchange>why do this as a skimmer will help to ensure your water parameters are optimal IMO!!!!
Carbon also removes good things from our water, like chelated trace elements and medication as well as DOM and other pollutants, so it is a double edged sword, so to speak. But to not dose carbon at some point is utterly foolish IMO, as other things have to be insync and work harder to obtain the same desired results.
Trust me...trust other fellow reefers here on 3reef and believe how important a skimmer really is!
If you don't want to believe us, try some of the pioneers and professionals of the trade and see the nice skimmers they are using for their dedicated and beautiful aquariums...

 

Im with you on that one Tom!!!!