Blog Comments

I loved Playacar, and haven't been back in 8 years. I'm long overdue!

The hut on the water is near Playa Del Carmen. This actual picture was taken at Xel Ha...a water inlet that had a lot of fish, but no corals. A few days before we were near Isla Mujeres, were we saw corals. I hear the best place to snorkel and scuba is off Cozumel, maybe next trip....wait, I am spending all the vacation money on this new tank!

I fixed your image entries so they all show up. That one of the hut on the water - WOW!!! Was it Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, or Cozumel?

I forgot Warner Marine too !

Phil, I'm still recommending the Euro-Reef, Aqua-C, and now SWC skimmers (to replace the ASM skimmers from years ago). There are lots of other choices as you can see above, and there are several that weren't included.

The CPR Bakpak skimmer would be better replaced with a Remora or Remora Pro, but with a sump with space, any of the other three should be good.

What were the 3 Marc recommended? I've finally got room for a sump and want to upgrade from my backpack skimmer soon too.

Yes, there are a lot of skimmers on the market now, and the price range is all over the place. I prefer those that are solid, dependable, and still reasonably affordable.

Well nothing against Melev's suggestions (Marc's tank has been an inspiration since I started reefing). My preference is towards needle wheel skimmers. There're more efficient (lower wattage on the pumps that spin the needle wheel) and more quiet (usually). Look into cone needle wheel skimmers.

There's an old list I made up: (some links might be dead)
EuroReef Inc. - www.euro-reef.com
ASM skimmer - www.asmskimmer.com
Reef Octopus - http://www.octopusskimmer.com
Coralife SS - www.esuweb.com
Pacific Coast Imp. - www.pacificcoastaquarium.com
Deltec - www.deltecusa.us
Bubble King - http://english.royal-exclusiv.de/index2.htm
H&S - www.hs-aquaristik.de
Aquamedic - www.aqua-medic.de
Reef Mania - www.reefmania.net
Geosreef - www.geosreef.com
JDM Tech - http://hstrial-jdmtechnologies.homes...edlewheel.html
AquaEuro USA - http://www.aquaeurousa.com/
D.A.S. - www.PetStoreFixtures.com
AquaExcel - http://www.aquaexcel.cn/En_index.asp
GRoTech - www.grotech.de
Orca Systems - http://protein-skimmer.com/
spazz volcano skimmers - http://aquaticacrylics.com/
fauna marin ultra skim - http://www.faunamarin.de/eng/ultraskim.php

I have no idea other than it was one of the three Melev suggested. What are yout thoughts on the pros and cons of various types....and what would you choose and why? Thanks.

Why did you decide on the Aqua-C EV-240 using spray induction, over a skimmer with a needle wheel ?

Welcome fellow addict !

If you want to run the Aqua-C with an external pump, the sump will have a hole drilled in it from the skimmer section (where the water from the display drains in). The skimmer can still be in-sump. A bulkhead and plumbing to the external pump will provide raw tank water that is then pumped into the skimmer's body. The skimmer's drain pours water out in its section, and continues to the bubble trap / return zone.

The return pump can be submersible or external. It pumps water back up to the display. Whatever return pump you use, I always recommend owning a second one in case you need to swap it out due to a failure. I wouldn't run two on my reef, I'd run the one and have the second one ready to go.

Treated lumber changes shape as it dries out, so you made the right choice on the type of wood used. Have no fear. Sealing the wood will make it last a very long time.

I used standard wood. I hope I made the correct decision. I cannot decide if you are going to say good, because the chemicals from treated wood might somehow contaminate the tank, or "bad", because the moist salt air surrounding will warp or degrade. Would sealing and painting with an oilbased paint protect the wood better?

I have taken pics, but I need to get them posted.

Yeah, you definitely overdid it. Is the wood you used treated lumber or standard? That's an important question.

Thanks for the advice on skimmers. On another note, can one ever build an aquarium stand too sturdy:-) I feel like I went a little overboard, but I do not want to take any chances. I use 8 10' - 4"x4"s for my 162 gal tank.

Welcome aboard !

An in-wall tank can be a beautiful thing. Since I've had one since the fall of 2004, my experience has been a good one.

162g reef tank - I would look for a skimmer rated for 200-225g. There are a lot of choices, and the prices are all over the place. I like the Euro-reef brand, as well as Aqua-C. The SWC skimmers look really good too. We just had one posted about this week in the blog section, with a bunch of pictures.