AdAndrews
Marine Enthusiast!
lol,Come on Barney, you cant do that to us, we are now all waiting.................
Seffie x
does anyone know about the new TMC range of "compact" skimmers? the 300 inparticular?
Hardware Of The Month - Skimmers
- Thread starter seffieuk
- Start date
does anyone know about the new TMC range of "compact" skimmers? the 300 inparticular?
xxBarneyxx
Fish Aficionado
Name:Cant remember the brand name off the top of my head see ebay link below for where I bought it from.
http
/cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aquarium-Fish-Tank-Sump-Protein-Skimmer-Inc-pump-marine_W0QQitemZ180431817729QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Pet_Supplies_Fish?hash=item2a02930c01#ht_2918wt_754
Photo
will add some when I get chance of my own one and what it pulls out)
Price range:£59.99 including postage
Size/Dimensions: 207x186x400mm
Suitable for tanks of (min/max litres):is there a min??? Max says 600L
Set-up pros and cons: Very easy to set up. Just push the hose in for the pump make sure the collection cup is on and plug it in.
Running pros and cons:
Very, very easy to adjust. Can adjust both the air and water flow rates.
Easy to take apart to clean.
The collection cup has a drain to waste line which makes maintenance even easier.
Large collection cup.
Very quite (my v2 120 nano skimmer makes way more noise than this).
Feels very solid.
Its an "in sump" skimmer and you need to make sure the water level it is sitting is stays constant but this is true of all in sump skimmers. It could be converted to a hang on style skimmer without too much hassle though.
The only cons I have found are that the collection cup doesnt detach where you would expect. The whole top of the skimmer comes off. This means that you have to kill the air input to take the collection cup off (not a massive deal) but it does also make cleaning it a LOT easier.
Conclusion: I would very highly recommend it. I must admit I havent used and of the big deltec or V2 skimmers so can not directly compare but when looking at what it is pulling out of the tank compared to what I have seen the big named ones doing I would say it is just as good. I wasnt expecting it to be overly great for the price but I really cant find anything wrong with it at all.
Satisfaction with product 1 to 10: Its only been running a week or two but so far I would have to give it a 10 as it is working brilliant, has a great, solid design and I cant find a single fault with it. Not to mention it is half the price of even a second hand big deltec or V2 skimmer.
http
/cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aquarium-Fish-Tank-Sump-Protein-Skimmer-Inc-pump-marine_W0QQitemZ180431817729QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Pet_Supplies_Fish?hash=item2a02930c01#ht_2918wt_754Photo
will add some when I get chance of my own one and what it pulls out)Price range:£59.99 including postage
Size/Dimensions: 207x186x400mm
Suitable for tanks of (min/max litres):is there a min??? Max says 600L
Set-up pros and cons: Very easy to set up. Just push the hose in for the pump make sure the collection cup is on and plug it in.
Running pros and cons:
Very, very easy to adjust. Can adjust both the air and water flow rates.
Easy to take apart to clean.
The collection cup has a drain to waste line which makes maintenance even easier.
Large collection cup.
Very quite (my v2 120 nano skimmer makes way more noise than this).
Feels very solid.
Its an "in sump" skimmer and you need to make sure the water level it is sitting is stays constant but this is true of all in sump skimmers. It could be converted to a hang on style skimmer without too much hassle though.
The only cons I have found are that the collection cup doesnt detach where you would expect. The whole top of the skimmer comes off. This means that you have to kill the air input to take the collection cup off (not a massive deal) but it does also make cleaning it a LOT easier.
Conclusion: I would very highly recommend it. I must admit I havent used and of the big deltec or V2 skimmers so can not directly compare but when looking at what it is pulling out of the tank compared to what I have seen the big named ones doing I would say it is just as good. I wasnt expecting it to be overly great for the price but I really cant find anything wrong with it at all.
Satisfaction with product 1 to 10: Its only been running a week or two but so far I would have to give it a 10 as it is working brilliant, has a great, solid design and I cant find a single fault with it. Not to mention it is half the price of even a second hand big deltec or V2 skimmer.
APG78
Fish Fanatic
This helps - I've not decided what to get for my 425l setup yet. Will keep watching this post...
ben1987
Fish Aficionado
deltec all the way.
look out for a good 2nd hand one and it will be worth every penny.
http
/www.aquatics-warehouse.co.uk/acatalog/Deltec_APF600_Protein_Skimmers.htmlive seen these go in decent nick for £100
APG78
Fish Fanatic
deltec all the way.
look out for a good 2nd hand one and it will be worth every penny.
http
ive seen these go in decent nick for £100
Cheers amigo - I'll keep a search running on eBay for one. LFS had something like this for sale 2nd hand a while ago, but at that point I didn't even know what a skimmer was...
drsquirrel
Fish Crazy
- Joined
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Because of the incident with my #14###... mine isn't complete yet.
Name: Aqua-medic Turboflotor 3000 Blue (inc OR2500 Pump)
Photo: <google it sorry or I might update this later>
Price range: £165 delivered, new!
Size/Dimensions: Height: 56cm (22") Footprint: 35 x 17 cm, (14" x 7")
Suitable for tanks of (min/max litres): 500-1500L (on my tank which is hardly 500L with sump... oversize ftw!)
Set-up pros and cons: Whole unit seems rather large, and the pump included (Aqua-medic OceanRunner OR2500) is pretty big too. Advantages of this size is the skimmer cup is HUGE. The control handle is a bit stiff and hard to turn it without having to brace the unit with your other hand... could be hard in a cramped location.
Running pros and cons: No personal experience yet - pump is rated at 38w but pulls 42w when measured. Pump noise is marginal, less than that of my power heads - a little whiny if anything.
Conclusion: Not the most compact unit, only just fits in my sump for my 40x24x24 display tank so double check your chamber size. Seems like a good middle ground between the TMC V2 and Deltec MC600.
Pump is much wider than the skimmer body and won't fit in a chamber easily that you can only just get the body in, putting the pump diagonal without the cover over the pump input will fit it in a narrow width as the pump will not sit along the same line as the skimmer body.
Satisfaction with product 1 to 10: n/a (pending)
Name: Aqua-medic Turboflotor 3000 Blue (inc OR2500 Pump)
Photo: <google it sorry
or I might update this later>Price range: £165 delivered, new!
Size/Dimensions: Height: 56cm (22") Footprint: 35 x 17 cm, (14" x 7")
Suitable for tanks of (min/max litres): 500-1500L (on my tank which is hardly 500L with sump... oversize ftw!)
Set-up pros and cons: Whole unit seems rather large, and the pump included (Aqua-medic OceanRunner OR2500) is pretty big too. Advantages of this size is the skimmer cup is HUGE. The control handle is a bit stiff and hard to turn it without having to brace the unit with your other hand... could be hard in a cramped location.
Running pros and cons: No personal experience yet - pump is rated at 38w but pulls 42w when measured. Pump noise is marginal, less than that of my power heads - a little whiny if anything.
Conclusion: Not the most compact unit, only just fits in my sump for my 40x24x24 display tank so double check your chamber size. Seems like a good middle ground between the TMC V2 and Deltec MC600.
Pump is much wider than the skimmer body and won't fit in a chamber easily that you can only just get the body in, putting the pump diagonal without the cover over the pump input will fit it in a narrow width as the pump will not sit along the same line as the skimmer body.
Satisfaction with product 1 to 10: n/a (pending)
OP
OP
seffieuk
I used to be indecisive but now I'm not so sure!
Any new reviews guys?
Seffie x
Seffie x
I bought a Boyu wg310 from ebay about £18
Again I have nothing to compare it to as the Berlin skimmer I had in my river reef never worked as I could never get the water level right in the back chambers for it to actually skim
The Boyu straight away skims and every week I empty the cup which has a weak tea coloured water in there with a dark sludge at the part where the bubbles form.
I;m not sure how good it is but I;m happy that something is coming out.
It chugs all the tiume and when I remove the lid to check it there is always froth coming through
Again I have nothing to compare it to as the Berlin skimmer I had in my river reef never worked as I could never get the water level right in the back chambers for it to actually skim
The Boyu straight away skims and every week I empty the cup which has a weak tea coloured water in there with a dark sludge at the part where the bubbles form.
I;m not sure how good it is but I;m happy that something is coming out.
It chugs all the tiume and when I remove the lid to check it there is always froth coming through
OP
OP
seffieuk
I used to be indecisive but now I'm not so sure!
I had a cheap and cheerful boyu on my orca 550 - always did its job, was quiet, couldn't have asked for really 
pmb_67
Fish Fanatic
Name: Deltec MCE 600 Protein Skimmer
Photo:
Price range: £250 – down to approx £100 second hand
Suitable for tanks of (min/max litres): High stocking 450 litres, low stocking 700 litres
Set-up pros and cons: Very easy to set-up, instructions are easily understood. No cons
Running pros and cons: quiet and efficient, can keep media inside such as phospate remover. no cons, except for the length of flex
Size/Dimensions: 260 x 180 x 500h
Conclusion: an excellent product which does what it says on the box! Can be used as a hang-on or in a sump
Satisfaction with product 1 to 10: 9 would have scored 10 had the wire for the plug been longer
Seffie x
ps I even like the look of the thing, sad I know!
I have the slightly smaller brother (I'd say sister, but nothing this smelly could be a girl) to this, the MC500 - has to be used in sump (or tank, but you wouldn't wanna - it's not *that* nice looking) but otherwise similar piece of kit. Works a treat on my well-stocked 400 litre tank, far easier to set up than Tunze 9010 and TMC V2 - only grumble is like you Seffie, the lead is on the short side. And mine came with a Euro plug, but that's cos I bought it cheap online...
Paul
OP
OP
seffieuk
I used to be indecisive but now I'm not so sure!
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