Those of you who have been reading my posts before know about my Red Sea reef tank system, which I was successfully running for several years. It was a Reefer 170 from the Red Sea. As you can see, I'm talking in the past tense. That's because Red Sea Programm was working so good for me, that the corals outgrew the tank, but it limited the possibility to progress with this setup. But I take it as a huge learning point. I really enjoyed working with the Red Sea build, and I learned many valuable things which I will be definitely looking back to in my future projects. Let me share with you my plans for 2020...
Author:
As a lifelong aquarist, Yuliya has an endless curiosity about our underwater universe. After graduating with a bachelor’s in Environmental Engineering, she transformed her passion into a successful career. While working at the Institute of Environmental Protection in Moscow, her passion for saltwater and reef aquariums only increased. Moving to the United States in 2013, Yuliya embarked on another impactful journey by sharing her unprecedented experience for all aquarium hobbyists ... Read More.
Before Christmas 2019, I finally made the hard decision to breakdown this reef tank and the REEFER 250 as well. But the good news is, I decided to go even bigger this year and start a whole new project! I'm very excited about it! It won't be a Red Sea tank this time and I can't wait to share with you the entire progress and how it will be moving on. And first of all, thank you very much for all your ideas that you've sent to me about the new build equipment. I appreciate all of them! Please keep them coming; I'm still in search for the perfect reef tank setup.
Considering everything that I learned from my previous projects, I knew that this time I need to be even more precise when planning the system. More notably, because I want it to be even more significant and successful.
So where to start?
That's always the problem. I know many of you have been there and wondered about the same thing. We all know that we need to first look at the size of the project we want to implement. When we know the size of the reef, we will also know the size and amounts of all the equipment which is needed there. So let's not wait longer, but get started from one of the essential parts of the reef tanks. You're right, protein skimmer.
Protein Skimmer - Heart of the filtration system of any reef tank.
This time the first equipment I decided to pick was the protein skimmer. It is an essential part of the reef tank, and I don't want to risk the healthiness of my tank. In the end, we all know that without a proper protein skimmer, there is no vitality in the tank. I know, what you want to say... sure you can run a thriving reef tank without a skimmer, but deep inside you know that a protein skimmer is a must-have!
If you want to learn more about the reef tank nutrients export, check later this article as well. Read now ...
Like always, I started a very scrupulous search and went through a long list of protein skimmers for reef tanks from different manufacturers. Not an easy task and I'm sure you can all understand that. The current reef tanks market is saturated with great products; it's not like back in the old days when we had almost no choice. Now it's different; many companies provide quality solutions in this category, like the Red Sea, NYOS, Deltec or Maxspect.
But there is one that stands out with a large variety of models and builds quality, and it's Reef Octopus. I've come across with their skimmers before. I know the company has been around for quite a good time already. Also, I have friends who have talked highly about their products. For example, my friend Shaun Lombard was extremely happy with his previous Reef Octopus skimmer on his shallow reef tank build, and if you didn't see his tank yet, you should check his build thread here. You will enjoy his PRO reefing tip and photography. I also learned that their market within the industry is really high, and even the biggest reef aquariums trusting them in bringing the latest technology in the market.
But can you guess what impressed me the most in them? Their incredible knowledge, professionalism and advanced technology which they can use in their production. On top of that, all skimmers are made entirely in-house. I just had a strong feeling, that with them, I can't go wrong. And after looking at their selection of protein skimmers, I knew that I had turned to the right company. You might want to check it as well because it has such a good variety for many tank types.
So what I'm expecting from a reef tank protein skimmer?
When looking at my past experiences, all the mistakes and successes that I've achieved in reef tanks, I know now what I want from a protein skimmer. I used to go for only high-tech and sophisticated equipment. I thought it was the way to go. I thought that's what you are supposed to have as a professional and it shouldn't be cheap either.
But today I know so much more, and I know that complicity is not always a sign of quality. Simple can be even more effective, and you save a whole lot of time not having to spend hours trying to figure out the system. So, what are the qualities that I look for now? Simplicity, durability, easy maintenance and compatibility. I want the product to meet all these requirements.
And then I came across with Elite 200SSS Space Saver Super Cone Skimmer. Already the name sounded so promising, I couldn't just let it go, but decided to look more into this skimmer.
Reef Octopus skimmer with a space-saving design and high-quality performance, is it even possible?
Let's get to the point then.
First of all, it's a full package with everything included. It's a little bit heavier than the skimmers I've had before. Not a bad thing at all, because the material is also stronger. All parts have been made using high-quality cast acrylic and PVC. It has an underwater outflow, which makes it almost completely silent. I'm sure we've all have our share of noisy skimmers, so we can appreciate this add.
The product is straightforward to disassemble for maintenance, which ticks my box for easy maintenance. Precision control can be adjusted through the vented wedge valve, and I love that they've added a gradation from 1 to 10 on the control element. As an engineer, I appreciate very much small details like this that makes your life easier.
The wine bottle shape is an exciting feature, that is helping in the natural stabilization and concentration of the organic foam. I must admit this is my favourite shape of the air chamber. The performance is also improved with the professional open volute. The pump is the company's design and has all the latest technology in it. Everything is adjustable according to the reef requirements.
Did you know that this patented pump has many vital advantages over a regular AC pump? It's called the VarioS pump; airflow is adjustable by an external controller. It is energy-efficient and has safer operations and enhanced performance. I love the fact that you can control the pump as this is something I've never used before. I can already see it coming handy, and I'm very curious to try it out in different conditions. And I'm sure I will run it at medium settings to produce a better skimmate. I liked this pump so much that I'm sure I will also buy the VariosS 8 return pump for this build. So stay tuned for a review of this great pump soon.
And then connect the skimmer, return pump and powerheads to HYDROS WaveEngine Wireless Controller from Coralvue so I can controller them all from one place and cut the number of cables, I can't wait to try this!
One of the reasons I chose the Reef Octopus skimmer, was also that I still haven't decided on the exact tank size which I'm going for. I sure know the size and average total water volume of the system that I want, but I'm not sure about the sump area. So, I wanted to look for a skimmer with a compact footprint, but also, that I wouldn't have to compromise on the power of the pump.
In this model, the pump is built inside the bottle-shaped wine skimmer and therefore saves the space from being placed outside.
Reef Octopus skimmer assembly and maintenance made easy.
Have you also been in a situation where you have all these left-over pieces after trying to assembly a skimmer? Yes, me too. How frustrating is that?
When I saw that Elite Series skimmers have videos about the whole process, I was surprised that they were only 6 minutes long. I was sure they must have cut out a lot of parts to make the video short. It could simply not take only 6 minutes to build it up.
But actually, it did. Sure a little more, but it was incredibly easy and fast. And it wasn't complicated at all. That's one reason why I also wanted simplicity from my skimmer. I don't want to spend hours wondering about a missing piece or spare parts.
Also, when building it up, I could feel how durable the material was. It felt sturdy and totally capable of handling the reef life for the next 10 years. One other noticeable thing was the needle wheel that produces the bubbles. This was excellent quality!
Reef Octopus Elite - The Next Generation of Reef Tank Filtration.
So how do you look at it? I'm very impressed. I can't wait to try it on my new project this year. I know already that it's going to perform fantastically.
By the way, the Reef Octopus promises about 10 years life span for this product, which I think is a decent time. For any manufacturing faults, the warranty is 2 years for the pump motor and 1 year for all the other parts. After all my research and now having this skimmer in my hands, I can see that it is well made. It feels solid, the "twist and lift" collection cup comes out quickly, and it will be simple to clean and maintain.
You can imagine that I had tons of questions to the Reef Octopus representative and the answers I got truly represented the professionalism you can expect from such a reputable company. CoralVue was also very helpful when I was ordering this skimmer from them, so go check them out as well.
I always appreciate good customer care, don't we all? Well, with this one, I can feel comfortable turning back to them anytime I have a question or any worries about my skimmer or placing more orders for this build.
Rubber legs for vibration and noise control.
Collection cup overflow protection valve.
Reef Octopus Skimmer Elite Series - Final Thoughts.
I now realize that I've praised a lot this skimmer in this post. I don't want you to feel any pressure about getting one. Take it more as an option for yourself. Next time when you are battling with the decision on where to go and which skimmer to get, you can always come back and have a look here what I told you about this one.
Most of the skimmer manufacturers are overseas in Europe. We also tend to think that the best quality comes from there. Of course, a lot of times, this is the case. But I would like to support a self-grown business from this side of the world. It's not easy to choose a protein skimmer between all the excellent options that we now have om the market, but I hope I have given you some ideas again in my post.
I would recommend you have a look at skimmers from this Elite series. They have other models in different sizes too. Whether you are looking for one to fit in a bigger or smaller tank, they have it all: space-saving and full size. I also love the Reef Octopus Regal series and replacing my old skimmer in the clownfish grow out system with the Regal 200SSS Protein Skimmer.
I would love to hear more experiences from you, especially if you own this type of skimmer already. How has it served your reef? Have you faced any complications? What would be your overall satisfaction level to the product?
I will be sharing more with you also as my journey with the new build. We still have a long way to go. I hope you have found this post helpful and if you have any further questions you would like to ask me, please don't hesitate to do so. If you aren't sure whether this skimmer is best for you or aren't entirely sure what a skimmer does, connect with Reef Hacks on Facebook and send us a message. On behalf of the entire Reef Hacks team, Happy Reefing!
by Yuliya Ivanova for ReefHacks.
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