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WHO HAS A DAS SKIMMER?

anyone have any experience with DAS skimmers? this is one of the skimmers im considering for my 210 when i upgrade in december. Im also looking into mrc skimmers. I want an external skimmers so i can put it behind the wall where the tank stands/ any other suggestions would be appreciated. ASM or other IN sump only skimmers are out of the question. thanks

Peter
 
I think any quality skimmer would work just fine for you. The trick is simply to avoid the low cost junk out there, and to size the skimmer correctly.

Manufactures tend to be "very optimistic" when rating skimmers, choose one that is rated for a tank about double your size. In your case this would be about 420 gal.

I happen to use an ETSS 600 skimmer on my 125 gal reef, and I like it a lot. here is a link to the company - http://www.superskimmer.com/Protein Skimmers.htm

However, I wouldn't say it's better or worse than any other quality skimmer out there. Also, keep in mind that various manufacturers design their skimmers to work slightly differently. Some want very aggressive skimming to remove as much as possible, others are less aggressive on the theory that they don't remove plankton. Often the choice comes down to personal preference.

In addition, consider factors such as the kind of pumps needed to drive it, the noise it makes, how easy it is to clean (very important), how big it is, and so on.

Another thing to keep in mine, most people are going to recommend the skimmer they are using. This is fine, but limited. Very few people have used more than a few brands of skimmers. In other words, they have little or no experience or knowledge of many other skimmers. Take any advice with "a grain of salt" as it were.
 
Edward771 said:
I got my friend Ron one of these DAS skimmers. they are nice.
Edward did you order it from DAS or throught a third party company? which model did you get and for what size tank?
 
DaveK said:
I think any quality skimmer would work just fine for you. The trick is simply to avoid the low cost junk out there, and to size the skimmer correctly.

Manufactures tend to be "very optimistic" when rating skimmers, choose one that is rated for a tank about double your size. In your case this would be about 420 gal.

I happen to use an ETSS 600 skimmer on my 125 gal reef, and I like it a lot. here is a link to the company - http://www.superskimmer.com/Protein Skimmers.htm

However, I wouldn't say it's better or worse than any other quality skimmer out there. Also, keep in mind that various manufacturers design their skimmers to work slightly differently. Some want very aggressive skimming to remove as much as possible, others are less aggressive on the theory that they don't remove plankton. Often the choice comes down to personal preference.

In addition, consider factors such as the kind of pumps needed to drive it, the noise it makes, how easy it is to clean (very important), how big it is, and so on.

Another thing to keep in mine, most people are going to recommend the skimmer they are using. This is fine, but limited. Very few people have used more than a few brands of skimmers. In other words, they have little or no experience or knowledge of many other skimmers. Take any advice with "a grain of salt" as it were.
Dave
thanks for the advise....I also have an etss skimmer. a ref devil deluxe i used on my 120 last year. Its obviously too small for the 210 so I'm looking to upgrade. I have considered etss but the reef devil is so sensitive that I've been reluctant to consider one of their larger skimmers. I'm glad the 600 is doing a good job for you . are you using it externally or in sump and is it as sensitive as the reef devil. for a 210 which model would you recommend?
 
pistolpete said:
Dave
thanks for the advise....I also have an etss skimmer. a ref devil deluxe i used on my 120 last year. Its obviously too small for the 210 so I'm looking to upgrade. I have considered etss but the reef devil is so sensitive that I've been reluctant to consider one of their larger skimmers. I'm glad the 600 is doing a good job for you . are you using it externally or in sump and is it as sensitive as the reef devil. for a 210 which model would you recommend?

I'm assuming you used the reef devil deluxe in your sump rather than externally. In this application, it would be very sensitive. These skimmers are easily effected by the water level in the sump, so unless you use a auto top off system, they can be tricky.

In my own system I use the ETSS 600 skimmer plumbed externally to the sump. I'm also using a sump from the same manufacturer. Initially, I also had a problem with the water level in the sump effecting skimmer performance. This was easily resolved by building a small stand to place under the skimmer, so that the output from the skimmer was well above the water level in the sump. This stopped the sump water level from effecting the skimmer.

For your system, I'd choose an ETSS 800 or ETSS 900. The 800 is more expensive, but more compact because it's a "double downdraft tower" model. The ETSS 900 has a very tall downdraft tower, so check to make sure it will fit. Because it's a single downdraft tower, it's less expensive.
 
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