Hey guys... This is my first post (of many more to come) to the forum. I have a few years of experience with keeping freshwater aquariums in my childhood, but have decided to get back into the hobby with a marine tank. I have a 55 gallon that I'm in the process of setting up, but I just need a little help with a final few details. I want to select a quality protein skimmer, but I would prefer to spend as close to $100 as I could get away with while not sacrificing too much in quality. I'll need a HOT skimmer, since I've decided to forego the risk of running a sump in my apartment. One model that I've encountered in my inquires is the Advanced Acrylics Excalibur Models reviewed here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i1/protein_skimmer_impressions.htm Sadly, this is the only review I've been able to find for this particular skimmer. Does anyone else have any information or experience about them? And can anybody recommend a skimmer that meets the above criteria? Thanks in advance for your comments.
Although it's a little more expensive, I am totally satisfied with my Remora Pro on my 46g tank. I'm upgrading to a 90g in a couple of months and won't have to get a new one. I got it at Northside Aquatics.
I've got to second the Remora. 55 gallon is large enough to use the pro, in case some day you want to upsize. AquaC's skimmers are extremely low maintenance, and they skim like demons. Very high on the bang for buck scale. I must speak out completely against Seaclones. They may look cool, but they are worthless. I had one, and I thought it was good. Then I modded it, and I thought it was better. Then I got a wild hair, bought a Remora, and stuff stopped dying, algae stopped flourishing, and I actually had large amounts of skimmate to throw out. Until you've seen a good skimmer, it's really hard to appreciate how bad a bad skimmer is. And no, buying two seaclones for less than the cost of a Remora would not be an improvement. They're just crap. The skimmer is one thing I would say is worth waiting for. If not having the cash for a good skimmer means delaying your tank setup, then you are far, far better off to wait until you can get the good skimmer.
I may be in the minority here, but when I buy something, I don't want to have to modify it to make it work in an acceptable manner. It should work as advertised out of the box. If not, it has design/manufacturing flaws and shouldn't be sold without a disclaimer saying "This product is defective but it might work if you want to tinker with it".
I have gotten very good service out of the TurboFlotor which operates on a needle wheel. I am using protein skimmers created by My Reef Creations that operate on a Becket Injector. They are built like tanks with quality materials - you will need to spend a few extra dollars to get a good skimmer rather than looking to save money on this part of your reef setup.
