This is among the more popular fluidized reactors in use today due to its smaller size, affordable pricing, and flexibility of use. The below information was taken directly from the manufacture’s website

http://www.twolittlefishies.com/documents/1202405781.pdf

PhosBan Reactor 150™

The PhosBan Reactor 150 is designed with the upflow principle to achieve the most efficient use of PhosBan® or other chemical filter media. By pushing water from the bottom upward through a dispersion plate, it forces an even distribution of water through the media, and prevents channeling. It can be mounted hanging on the back of the aquarium or below the aquarium. Hose barb connections are for 1/2 inch i.d. tubing. Includes 1/2 inch barbed ball valve for flow control, and hose clamps. Use with any pump having a capacity between 100 and 250 gph, but regulate the flow rate to the recommended 20 to 30 gallons per hour with the included ball valve.

I have been using one for a few months now and have found it to be very good value for the money.I am currently using mine for biopellets on a sumped 120 gallon FOWLR aquarium. I have friends and fellow hobbyists who swear by this reactor and have been using it for a few years with phosphate removing media.I really like using this reactor in a sump due to the small footprint it takes up and the fact I will not have to worry about it leaking when used in a sump. The below is a list of pros and cons that I have found using this reactor.

Pros:

-Small size can be used in all most any type of sumped set-up with minimal room lost.
-Can easily fit under aquarium stand if not used in a sump
-Can be used in a hang on back style set-up
-Comes with a built in ball valve
-Very reasonably priced

Cons:

-The supplied connectors often leak a very small amount.If used outside a sump or aquarium, you will need to add better clamps to connect the fittings and hose together in order to prevent any leaks
-You will still need to purchase a pump to use it in some configurations.
-It is not convenient to remove and take apart for routine cleaning or replacing media.
-Some types of media can clump up or just not move around the outside edges along the bottom of the reactor.However, this is a common situation to find in all reactors with a similar design.

One quick tip on using this in a sump, if you keep the portion of the reactor with the media in it below the water line in the sump, you will need lover flow rates through the media and the reactor will work better.  I took a picture and inserted it below to help explain what I am talking about.
Overall I am happy with the performance of this reactor and would recommend it to anyone who has a set-up with limited space for a reactor.

For the past few years I have been using biopellets in a traditional or common media reactor. While this traditional design has been a highly effective design for media such as phosphate removers or carbon, I have found it not to work that well when with the biopellets on the market today. In my experience, it has been challenging to maintain the biopellets properly suspended in the reactor with the correct amount of flow. Clumping and uneven biopellet movement due to uneven water flow through the reactor has always remained a challenge.

I had been looking for an alternative to the common media reactors. In early 2012, Cad Lights Aquariums launch the Conic Media Reactor (CAD Lights Biopellet Reactor), which is a new reactor designed specifically for use with biopellets. The model I purchased is the BR-1

The below information is taken directly from the manufacture’s website

http://www.cadlights.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=51&products_id=213

“Specifications
* NEW 3-way recirculating valve gives you the control of the Bio-reactor at your hands.
* Total space useage: 6″ x 6″ x 12″ (16″ high with plumbing)
* Capacity of 50G up to 350G
* Can hold up to 750ML of Bio-pellets.
* Compatibility: works best with Tapered edge or other non-perfectly round bio-pellets.
* Built in pump
* 11.5W of energy use.
* Standard 1/2″ SCH40 PVC can easily be extended to reach into other chambers for installation.
* Total silence.”

Base on my own experience, this design has two main features that make it different

1 The media chamber is an inverted triangle shape.
2 The pump is placed inside the reactor beneath the reactor chamber.

These two new features help to focus the right amount of flow even through the pellets keeping all pellets consistently moving within the reactor chamber while keeping the foot print of the reactor smaller. Based on a few weeks of use, I am extremely happy with the performance of this reactor. In my opinion, this design makes the Cad Lights Conic Media Reactor among the better reactors on the market right now.

I was also extremely impresses with the manufacture. The reactor cam very well packaged and they even went the extra mile to pre-wrap the threaded connection on the one fitting you have to screw onto the top of the with a good quality thread tap. This shows the company cares about quality.

The only drawback that I can see with this reactor design is that it does require more height clearance than a traditional media reactor which could be a limiting factor when using in an aquarium stand on aquariums smaller than 150 gallons.

Although I feel this reactor doesn’t work as well as the manufacture claims, it still is a very good quality reactor and I would recommended it to anyone who has the required room in their sump for it.

Rating Overview: 4.5 out of 5

Details of my ratings along with the manufacture’s specifications are contained below.

Manufacture Specifications

The below is taken directly from the distributor’s website for this skimmer:

http://www.aqua-digital.com/skimz/

SKIMZ specializes in designing and building the most advanced marine equipments for professionals and hobbyists. Their are committed to bringing you the widest range of excellent equipments at an affordable price for your marine and reef aquariums.

SKIMZ Singapore LLP begun in early 2000, focusing the initial years in aggressive product research and development, with the aim of bringing the best possible marine equipment to professionals and hobbyists. Today, Skimz carry the widest range of outstanding equipment to suit your needs. They even customized a whole range of equipment for aquaculture farms and the marine industry.

SKIMZ uses the best material and latest technology in the manufacturing of their equipment. The result: To bring to you equipment of the finest quality! All SKIMZ protein skimmers undergo the prestigious TÜV Rheinland testing, a testimony of quality products meeting the highest technical requirements. SKIMZ strives for continual improvements to our products. Lots of useful information are available on the Skimz website.

The below is my own assessment using a CSC 450 in sump skimmer

Price Point (4 out of 5):

While this skimmer is still reasonably priced for a skimmer of this size, it is a little bit lower priced than other skimmers that perform just as well or at least close to the CSC 450 skimmer.  You can typically find these skimmers brand new ranging anywhere between $650.00 and $800.00 throughout Canada and the USA. 

Ease of Use and Set-up (4 out of 5)
This is not exactly “plug-n-play”, but it is not that hard to set-up and use.  The instructions are clear and this skimmer should take you less than 5 minutes to assemble even if you have never assembled a skimmer before. There are a few pictures showing some of the steps involved in stepping up and maintaining this skimmer at the end of this review.

Overall Size (5 out of 5)
This is one of the qualities that I really like about the CSC 450 skimmer.  It has a very small foot print as well as being shorter than most other skimmers with similar capacities.

Noise Level (5 out of 5)
This is another good aspect of the CSC 450 skimmer.  It makes very little noise when running and I would even say it would be the quietest of the skimmers with this type of capacity, but that is only my opinion.

Ease of on-going Maintenance (4 out of 5)
The one thing that I both like and dislike at the same time is how the CSC 450 skimmer is designed to be taken apart.  I do really like how easy it is for everything to come apart and be cleaned very well, but I do not like the amount of screws that are needed to remove in order to take it apart.  I find the large size of the cup to be of great benefit to this skimmer. I have it set for a thinner skimate and I have to empty the cup every 2 to 3 days. 

Effectiveness of Operation (5 out of 5)
The CSC 450 comes with two  Sicci PSK1200  needle wheel pumps which very efficient and top rated skimmer pumps. They can produce a very fine and thick layer of bubbles once the air intake is adjusted correctly. This skimmer is a  6 out of 5 in my books.  The only draw-back to this skimmer that I have come across so far is the length of time it took to break in.  My skimmer took about 2 weeks to break in and another 2 weeks for me to find the best depth of water for this skimmer to sit in. It can be a very touchy skimmer to set-up, but when it`s broken in and you have it set for your tank, it will perform amazingly well.

I found the best place to start this process is to have the skimmer in 7 inches of water with the gate valve 80% open and both air valves 100% open.  After a week of running, adjust the gate valve slowly closing it until you get a good amount of skimate in the cup.  If you want a thicker skimate, raise the skimmer slightly so it is sitting in less water.  This skimmer safely run in as little as 6 inches of water, and will produce a very thick skimate in lower levels like that.

Likeliness of Recommending this Skimmer to Others (4 out of 5)
This would be one of the true ways to really assess how well this skimmer preformed for anyone.  In short, this is among the best of the larger skimmers that I have used and I typically recommend this skimmer to people that have enough room in their budget for one.  This is also one of the few skimmers that I would at least somewhat agree with the manufactures recommend tank size for use.  I have been using this skimmer on my heavy stocked 180 gallon aquarium with a 100 gallon sump and I am very happy with the performance and resulting water quality. I feel this skimmer would be capable of a handling a larger set-up with a much larger bioload.

Below are a few pictures of when I had set-up my CSC 450 skimmer

And the below picture was taken 3 or 4 days after a skimmer cup cleaning

 Rating Overview:

Overall product rating of: 4 out of 5

Details of my ratings along with the manufacture’s specifications are contained below.

Manufacture Specifications

The below is taken directly from the manufacture’s website: http://www.proteinskimmer.com/

The Remora skimmers are designed to hang on the back of your aquarium, taking up as little space as possible. Driven by a powerful spray-injector, these skimmers are sleek, reliable, and nearly maintenance-free.

  –13″ tall x 6″ wide x 2-3/4″ deep
 – Minimum tank opening 5-1/4″ x 1-1/2″
 – Minimum tank height 7-1/2″
 – Minimum space behind tank 2-3/4″
 – Maximum tank lip 1-3/8″ wide
 – Vertical clearance above tank 10-1/2″
 – Includes Maxi Jet 900 pump
 – Rated for tanks up to 20 gallons
 – Includes nylon cleaning brush
 – EPDM o-ring for collection cup adjustment

The below is my own assessment of this skimmer after using it on a few different set-up over the past few years.  While this is based on the nano skimmer, most of the information contained below can apply to the larger sized Aqua C Ramora skimmers.

Price Point:

This is a very reasonably priced hang on back (HOB) skimmer.  You can typically find these skimmers brand new ranging around $200.00 to $250.00 (with the pump) throughout Canada and the USA.  Price will vary based on exact model. Certainly worth the money you will pay for this skimmer. Repair parts also seem very common to find well priced, however, I have never needed to purchase any.

Ease of Use and Set-up

This is a very easy skimmer to take out of the box and set-up.  It is pretty close to “plug-and-play” as compared to most other HOB skimmers.  Attach the pump, put the cup in, and hang it off the tank. Adjusting the height of the skimmer cup to get the desired thickness of skimmate is pretty straight forward.  After three to four days of operation, the skimmer started pulling gunk out of the water and was in really working well after 6 or 7 days.

Overall Size

This is a very great feature of the Aqua C nano skimmer.   Most HOB skimmers are bulky and require extra room between the back of the tank and the aquarium.  The Aqua C is among the thinnest HOB skimmers allowing you to place the aquarium closer to the wall as compared with most other HOB skimmers.   This skimmer also has a low profile to help limit the amount of visible equipment outside of the tank.

Noise Level

This is the biggest drawback to the Aqua C Ramora Nano skimmer.  It is just about the noisiest skimmer that I have used.  The noise comes from the spray injector part of the skimmer.  With a slight modification, you can greatly reduce this noise to what I would call an acceptable level; however, it still has a design that produces far too much noise in my opinion.   I have found that placing a small piece of clean cloth soaked in tank water and placed directly on top of the spray injector inside the skimmer will muffle most of the noise.  You will need to replace this with a new and clean piece of cloth every few days (or about twice each week).  Some people have also reported great success by using paper towel or a piece of foam cut to fit inside the compartment and around the injector as well. In short, this may be a very loud skimmer to operate, but you can do something to reduce that noise level.

Ease of on-going Maintenance

The cup is very easy to remove and clean as well as the pump.  I have had very good success with weekly cup cleanings and removing the pump for a good cleaning once every 3 or 4 months.  I will also take the skimmer off the aquarium and set it in a pale of 25% vinegar and 75% fresh water and run it over night before manually cleaning the body.  This will make cleaning the rest of the skimmer very easy and I will do that about once every 6 months.

Effectiveness of Operation

I have been very happy with how this skimmer has preformed.  It does pull a very large amount of skimmate out of the water and typically has consistent performance.  Out of the few different HOB skimmers that I have used, the Aquac C Ramora Nano is by far the best performing skimmer within this skimmer size category.

The Aqua C HOB skimmers are a little different than most HOB skimmers as they use a spray injection design as compared with a more commonly found needle wheel design.  The pump on the Aqua C will produce enough pressure moving the water through the air induction spray nozzle to produce the bubble/foam which will rise up through the skimmer’s body and pushes the waste into the skimmer cup.

This skimmer comes with the Maxijet 900 pump, which in my opinion is a very good quality pump.  Other hobbyists have reported improved performance when up-grading to a Mag 3 pump.  I noticed a large improvement in performance when using the Maxijet 1200 on this skimmer. This would be one benefit to the design of the Aqua C remora skimmers as you can increase performance through up-grading to a pump with a higher rated flow capacity.

The only thing that I do not like about this skimmer’s performance is that it can take up to two or three days before the skimmer is working up to its full capacity after a very complete and detailed cleaning.

Likeliness of Recommending this Skimmer to Others

I always have, and will continue to recommend this HOB skimmer to other hobbyists.  This is the only HOB skimmer that I have used which I completely agree with manufactures recommendations for tank size.  Although the nano version of this skimmer is rated for aquarium sizes of up to 20 gallons, I have been using mine on a lightly stocked 40 gallon aquarium with the up-graded Maxijet 1200 pump.  I would have absolutely no concerns using this skimmer on a heavily stocked 20 gallon aquarium as well as slightly larger aquariums if the pump is up-graded.

 Below are a few pictures of mine after a routine cleaning.  Please note, the skimmer cup lid is not in the picture as I have damaged mine and am waiting for a replacement.

 Overall assessment: 4 out of 5

 The below links will take you directly to the ReeFlo website for more detailed information

http://www.reeflopumps.com/dimsmanuals.html

http://www.reeflopumps.com/lowspeedhighflow.html

This is one of the best external return pumps that I have tried.  Based on the manufacture’s stated flow rate, the reeflo return pump would have a maximum flow rate of up to 3600 GPH at zero head height. I would have no concerns using this pump for up to a 200 to 250 gallon aquarium (display tank size).  The wide range of flow rates is based on the options of using one of the two impellers that comes with the pump.  By using the smaller impeller, you will get lower flow rates and the pump will consume less energy.  Using the larger impeller will give you a lot stronger flow rates but it will also use more energy. The above link to the manufacture’s web site contains detailed information about the exact flow rates. The impellers are easy to change by disconnecting the plumbing lines and removing the impeller cover which also makes routine maintenance easier than most external return pumps. The use of different sized impellers is a very smart approach to balance energy consumption while allowing for future flow changes/increases without having to buy another return pump or making changes to your plumbing lines. 

The reeflo return pump is also one of the quietest return pumps that I have used and produces very low level of heat.  The fan built into the back of the pump is both extremely quiet and keeps the pump nice a cool.

The reeflo return pump takes a 2 inch input line and has a single 1.5 inch return line.  I also like the small overall size of this return pump for the flow it produces, measuring at: 11″ x 6.57″ x 7″ (L x W x H).  The reeflo return pump can also be a very expensive pump ranging in price from $350 to $450 depending on where you live in North America.

I have been using my reeflo return pump nonstop on a 180 gallon aquarium with a 100 gallon sump for about a year now without a single problem. Even though these pumps come at a high price, I would highly recommend them to anyone who is setting up a larger aquarium where a external return pump is best suited.  In my opinion, you will get what you pay for.

 Overall Rating: 3 out of 5

The below information is taken directly from the manufacture’s website

http://www.lifegardaquatics.com/products/product.php?id=88

Features

• Extremely quiet operation…noise level less than 45 decibels.
• Ease of service through simple snap on/off covers and removable magnetic drive impellers.
• Patented “Uni-Direction” impeller eliminates need for noisy mechanical device. Allows pumps to always turn in correct direction immediately.
• High quality corrosion resistant bearings help ensure quiet operation and longer life.
• Innovative “cooling chambers” provide air-cooling during dry use and water cooling in wet applications.
• 115v 60 Hz or 220V 50 Hz models in all sizes.

My own assessment of the Quietone return pump is below and is based on three different Quietone 6000 return pumps that I have used in a submerged (internal) set-up:

Noise Level:  Ironically, the Quietone return pump is not among the more silent return pumps that I have used. Under normal conditions use, this pump produces what I would refer to as slightly above an average amount of noise.  Once the impeller gets dirty, or the pump is in need of maintenance, it can get really loud requiring a complete and detailed cleaning before the noise level can be lowered again.

Flow Produced:  This pump produces fairly good flow which is one of the pump’s better qualities.  I have not had one produce the same level of flow as stated by the manufacture, but it is reasonably close and is stable over time.

Heat Produced:  The Quietone return pumps can produce a lot of heat when used internally (in the water).  I once had a Quietone 6000 return pump that I used for mixing salt water in a 35 gallon container.  Within 24 to 36 hours, the temperature of the 35 gallons of water in this container would increase from around 68F to around 83F and stay at that level as long as the pump was running.  As the model 6000 pump would typically be used on a sumped set-up of up-to 90 gallons, it would not raise the temp that much in an actual set-up.

Ease of Maintenance:  The pump does come apart fairly easy for maintenance.  However, it has a ceramic impeller shaft which is easily broken if you are not careful.

Price Point:  This is one of the quietone return pump’s better qualities.  They are among the more reasonability priced return pumps out there which are also commonly found in most major cities in North America.  Prices will vary based on return pump size

Likeliness of recommending this return pump:  I would recommend this return pump to anyone setting up a sumped aquarium of up- to 90 gallons or less and who is also on a very tight budget.

Rating Overview: Overall product rating of: 4 out of 5

Details of my ratings along with the manufacture’s specifications are contained below.

The below is taken directly from the manufacture’s website: http://www.hydor.com/prodotti/show/famprod/46/list/14

Finally a compact, energy saving controllable pump with amazing, never before seen performance!  Even the exclusive magnet suction-cup support has been improved with vibration reduction technology.  Find the model that best suits your needs, position it, plug it into a timer or directly into your electrical supply and watch your aquarium benefit from the powerful yet gentle flow.

*Aquarium sizes in the above chart are suggested by Hydor. Each Hobbyist should choose the Koralia model that better suits the needs of the inhabitants (plants, fish, corals, etc) of the aquarium in which the pump(s) will operate.

The below information is my personal assessment of the Koralia evolution powerhead.

Overall Size and Appearance

Although they are not a eye sore in your aquarium, they can be larger than other comparable powerheads.  The Koralia evolution powerheads are a little large for my personal preference, but that would not stop me from using them

Mounting Set-up

The Koralia evolution using a combination of a suction cup and magnet mounting system.  I personally do not like using any powerhear with a suction cup in the mounting system as over time, the rubber on the suction cup will fail 

Flexibility of Adjustment

The Koralia Evolution has limited angles you can adjust the direction of the flow.  This may or may not be a limiting factor based on the needs of your set-up.

Ease of Maintenance

These powerheads are easy to take apart and clean as apart of your routine maintenance.  I have been using two Koralia Evolution powerheads for a few years now without a single problem.  They are highly dependable with properly maintained

Price-Point

This is one of the best features of the Koralia Evolution powerheads.  They are among the lower priced powerheads commonly available in the hobby.  .

Likeliness of Recommending this Powerhead

I would highly recommend this powerhead to anyone who is on a tight budget and only needs fairly straight flow coming from the aquarium wall the powerhead is mounted to.

The Koralia Evolution powerheads also come with rubber posts built into the base to help prevent noise from vibration.  Although I have never noticed any vibration coming from any of the Koralia powerheads that I have used in the past years, this is a nice feature to have.

Rating Overview: Overall product rating of: 4 out of 5

Details of my ratings along with the manufacture’s specifications are contained below.

The below is taken directly from the manufacture’s website:  http://www.tunze.com/149.html?&L=1&C=US&user_tunzeprod_pi1[predid]=-infoxunter052

Turbelle® nanostream® 6045(6045.000)

For aquariums from 40 to 500 litres (10 to 135 USgal.)
Flow rate: 1,500 to about 4,500l/h (400 to 1,175 USgal./h)
Energy consumption: 5 to 7W
Voltage / frequency: 230V/50Hz (115V/60Hz)
Cable length: 2m (8.7 in.)
Dimensions: diam. 70mm (2.75 in.)
Ejection: diam. 40/15mm (1.5/.59 in.)
Magnet Holder with Silence clamp up to a glass thickness of 12mm (3/8″)

The above specifications is just one of the models of the Tunze Turbelle Powerhead. Different models with vary in size and flow capacities. The below is my assessment of the Tunze Turbelle powerheads and only applies to the: 6015, 6024, 6045, 6055 and 6095 models.

Overall Size and Appearance

Although this is not the most compact design of powerhead that I have used, it is not the worst either.  I do  not mind the design and look of the powerhead at all

Mounting Set-up

Tunze uses a strong magnetic base on both sides of the glass to hold the powerhead to in place.  No suction cups are used at all.  This make for a very strong base held in place which will not move over time.  I have been using them for years now and have never had a single move at all. They also have a rubber insulating base to prevent the vibrations and/or noise inside the aquarium.  There are some pictures at the end of this review that show what I am taking about

Flexibility of Adjustment

This is another feature of the Tunze powerheads that I really like, and (in my opinion) is one of their better qualities. Due to the design of the power mounting bracket, you can angles of 90 degrees with this powerhead.  This will give you a lot more flexibility in were you place the powerhead in your aquarium while still getting the direction of flow that you want.

Ease of Maintenance

These powerheads are easy to take apart and clean as apart of your routine maintenance.  I have been using some of my tunze powerheads for three years now without a single problem.

Price-Point

For me this is the biggest drawback of these powerheads and is just about the only thing that I really do not like about Tunze. The price of the Tunze powerheads can often by as much as 60% more than compared to comparable powerheads.  However, I still feel the other positive qualities of this powerhead outweigh the additional cost.  The price point can also limit the number of distributors in a given area that are willing to stock Tunze products.

Likeliness of Recommending this Powerhead

I would highly recommend this powerhead to anyone who is not on  a tight budget.  In my experience, Tunze powerheads: produce excellent flow, are easy to maintain, are long lasting, and are highly adjustable for both the direction of the flow and the strength of the flow.  They certainly are my favorite powerhead.

A few years back, Tunze added the rubber posts to help ensure no noise is created through vibration being transferred from the powerhead to the glass.  I do like this feature, although, I had never noticed any vibration in the other or current models.

One certain models, the Tunze powerhead will also have a mechanical flow control option to reduce the flow of the powerhead.  This will allow for some manual flow control without using a controller.  Simply move the blue knob shown in the below picture and you can reduce the flow by as much as 33%.  This feature is very useful on the models with higher flow rates making them more adaptable to different set-ups or if your needs change over time. By moving the blue knob towards the body of the skimmer you will be moving the blue sleeve towards the impeller which will restrict the amount of water the impeller can draw into the powerhead. That will  restrict the flow without building up pressures that can lead to premature wear.

Please Note:  In all the above pictures I have only shown you one half of the magnet mounting base.  The reason being is that this is a very strong magnet.  When I accidently have these magnets make contact, I have found them very hard to separate.

Rating Overview:

Overall product rating of: 4 out of 5

Details of my ratings along with the manufacture’s specifications are contained below.

The below is taken directly from the manufacture’s website:

http://www.vertexaquaristik.com/Products/ProteinSkimmers/InternalSkimmers/INSeries/IN180/tabid/148/language/en-US/Default.aspx

Amongst the many progresses in Marine Aquaria, the use of Protein Skimmers was, by far, one of the greatest milestones. Since their inception, there has been much advancement in the design and functionality of Protein Skimming. The Vertex™ IN-Series utilize these technologies to their greatest effect while offering you the best value for your investment.

Superior Performance

Powerful motor pumps drive precision Needle Wheel Rotors to introduce large amounts of air and water into the skimmer body. This is done without compromising continuous delivery and velocity due to the turbulence reducing bubble plate chamber. The result is a consistent foam head and nutrient extraction.

Silent

Vertex™ IN-Series Skimmers represent the Ultimate solution to noise reduction. Rotors engineered with the incredible strength of Rare Earth Phosphor Magnets and the frictionless ride of ceramic shafts, polished to an exceptionally high gloss, ensure that the entire impeller assembly spins with amazingly nominal resistance and vibration.

Easy

Removal of the collection cup has never been as effortless. Messy union locks and twist caps used by other competing products have been replaced by a Slip-Lock seal; minimalism simplifying your routine.

Plug and Play

Every Vertex™ IN-Series Skimmers is packaged ready-in-box for immediate use in your system.

Exclusive Features

• Quality cast-acrylic construction for long life.
• Advanced pin-wheel design for maximum performance.
• Effective conical reaction chamber.
• Turbulence reducing bubble plate sits low in skimmer body, increase reaction chamber volume.
• Easy to use Slip-Lock neck connection.
• Hassle-free, built in skimmate drain.
• Advanced air-silencer draws only moist air to keep the venturi clog free.
• Effortless adjustment; truly set and forget.

Technical Data

• Footprint 14″ x 10½”
• Height 24½”
• Diameter 8″
• 720 lph @ 32W
• Rated up to 180gal

The below is my own assessment of this skimmer after using it on a few different set-up over the past few years.

Price Point:

This is a very reasonably priced skimmer.  You can typically find these skimmers brand new ranging anywhere between $200.00 and $300.00 throughout Canada and the USA.  Certainly worth the money you will pay for this skimmer. Repair parts also seem very common to find and well priced, however, I have never needed to purchase any.

Ease of Use and Set-up

The Vertex IN180 skimmer was one of the easiest skimmers to set-up that I have used.  Both of the Vertex IN180s that I have bought took about 4 to 8 days to break in before the skimmer started to work as it should pulling lots of gunk out of the water.  There are no screws, bolts, nuts, or tools of any kind required to set it up with easy to follow instructions.  Certainly a great “plug-and-play” design. Adjusting the air mixture is also very easy to do as you just need to turn the air intake pipe until you have the correct mixture for your set-up.

What I personally do not like is that this skimmer can require slight adjusting over time.  I typically need to adjust it every 2 months or so which is not a very big deal.  After completing a very detailed cleaning of the skimmer you will need to complete a few extra adjustments for the first 3 or 4 days until the skimmer is working well again. While this can be very common for most skimmers, I feel the Vertex IN180 is a little bit more sensitive to changes in the water as compared to other skimmers that are of comparable quality and value to the vertex.

There are some pictures at the end of this product review that show more details of how easy it is to put this skimmer together.  The below picture is the first Vertex IN180 that I had purchased and was taken about 3 days after having it running in the sump.

Overall Size

This is the biggest negative aspect (in my opinion) of the Vertex IN180.  It is taller than most comparable skimmers.  As the Vertex IN180 is designed to have the pump on the outside of the skimmer body, it does have a larger foot print as compared to some other skimmers. 

Noise Level

This is a very positive aspect of the Vertex IN180 skimmer.  It is a very quite skimmer.  When placed in a sump that is in an aquarium stand, you will only hear a very slight and low humming noise.  The 120 gallon aquarium that I am currently using a Vertex IN180 on is right beside the couch in our living room.  I can’t even hear the skimmer running when sitting on the couch watching the TV which is across the room from both the couch and the aquarium.

Ease of on-going Maintenance

As the Vertex IN180 has a very good plug-and-play design, it can be easily taken apart for a good cleaning and routine maintenance.   There are two aspects of routine maintenance that I do not like.  The first slip-lock skimmer cup / skimmer neck connection. The cup sits very tightly in the neck I personally do not like.  While this helps to ensure effective performance, it can also make the skimmer cup a little difficult to remove. However, the larger sized skimmer cup does help to reduce the number of times you need to remove and empty/clean the cup. The second aspect that I do not like is that it is difficult to clean the bubble plate and inside of the bottom half of the body as the skimmer body is not designed to come apart.   

I like to have my skimmers set to pull a thick skimmate out of the water.  When using that approach, I have found that I need to empty and clean the skimmer once every 7 to 10 days and perform a very detailed cleaning of the rest of the skimmer once every 4 to 5 months.

Effectiveness of Operation

The Needle Wheel Rotor design that Vertex has developed in the IN180 skimmer seems to be very effective producing a very fine and thick layer of bubbles once the air intake is adjusted correctly. This skimmer has continued to work great for me over the past few years.  Once I had it broken in and adjusted correctly, it started taking a lot of crud out of the water and it did not put micro bubbles into the water either.  After a few years of use, it is still working well. In all three of the set-ups that I have used this skimmer on, it had proven it’s self to be a very critical part to the aquariums overall filtration. If you maintain this skimmer when required and keep it adjusted correctly, it will also provide you with years of very good performance. The below is after 2 or 3 days of use on a moderatly stocked 120 gallon set-up

Likeliness of Recommending this Skimmer to Others

In short, very strong likeliness of me is continuing to recommend this skimmer to others. This would be one of the true ways to really assess how well this skimmer preformed for anyone.  I have used two different Vertex IN180 skimmers over the past few years. One in a 90 gallon SPS aquarium with a 55 gallon sump, and a second in a 120 gallon mixed reef tank with a 55 gallon sump, which was later taken down and converted to a FOWLR set-up.  In all three situations this skimmer preformed well overall.  I would recommend this skimmer for lightly stocked reef or FOWLR aquariums up to 130 gallons in size (combined display tank and sump water volume) or moderately to heavy stocked aquariums up to 110 gallons (combined display tank and sump water volume).   The only time I may not recommend this skimmer for aquariums like this would be if there was any potential size limitations of the skimmer compartment in the sump or the internal height of the tank stand if going under the tank.

Some additional Information

As I never did think to take any pictures when I purchased this skimmer new, I thought I would take a few pictures after I completed a very detailed cleaning of my Vertex IN180 skimmer.  The needle wheel is easily removed by unlocking the cover plate a pulling out the shaft.  No tools required.  This makes routine pump cleanings very easy.  When you buy a Vertex IN180 skimmer, the pump is assembled with the needle wheel already in place.

Below is what you will get out of the box when you buy a Vertx IN180.  This is a picture of my skimmer taken apart after a detailed cleaning

To assemble you have to first mount the pump to the pump mounting bracket so it will sit flat when place on the skimmer body.  The “L” shapped skimmer bracket is already on my pump pictured below.

Next to push the pump output nozzel into the pump port on the skimmer body

Assemble the simmer out-put assemble and connect the airline port and the venturi attachement to the pump

And finally the cup and lid

On-going adjustments are easily done by turning the upper part of the skimmer output which will either restrict or increase the flow of water out of the skimmer body which will affect/adjust the production of foam inside the skimmer.

When picking out a skimmer for your set-up, I would refer you to the below article which may help you select the correct skimmer for your aquarium

https://www.reefaquarium.com/2013/selecting-a-new-skimmer/

 Rating Overview: 4.5 out of 5

Details of my ratings along with the manufacture’s specifications are contained below.

Manufacture Specifications

The below is taken directly from the manufacture’s website:

http://www.skimz.sg/products/protein_skimmers/kone_subpage/sk181.html

 Skimz E-Series SK181 Protein Skimmer features the highly efficient Skimz ES2000 needlewheel pump, suitable for aquariums up to 750 litres. With the combination of the conical body and bubble plate, it is the most effective skimmer in its class by significantly reducing turbulence, bubble bursting and surface agitation.

 The below is my own assessment after a few years of using a SKIMZ SK181 in sump skimmer

Price Point (4 out of 5):

While this skimmer is still reasonably priced, it is a little bit higher priced than other skimmers that perform just as well or at least close to the SK181 skimmer.  You can typically find these skimmers brand new ranging anywhere between $375.00 and $475.00 throughout Canada and the USA. 

 Ease of Use and Set-up (4 out of 5)

This is not exactly “plug-n-play”, but it is not that hard to set-up and use.  The instruction are clear and this skimmer should take you less than 5 minutes to assemble even if you have never assembled a skimmer before.   When following the instructions to adjust this skimmer, you should have it dialed into your set-up after about 15 to 20 minutes of minor adjustments and abservation.  I do like the fact that once you have your skimmer adjusted correctly, it will need almost no routine or even minor adjustments from that point on.  The Skimz SK181 also started pulling some pretty nasty looking crub out of my water within about 2 to 4 hours of taking it out of the box and setting it up.  There are a few pictures showing some of the steps involved in stepping up and maintaining this skimmer at the end of this review.

 Overall Size (5 out of 5)

This is one of the qualities that I really like about the Skimz SKS181 skimmer.  It has a very small foot print as well as being shorter than most other skimmers with similar capacities.

 Noise Level (5 out of 5)

This is another good aspect of the Skimz SKS 181 skimmer.  It makes very little noise when running and I would even say it would be among the quietest of the skimmers with this type of capacity.

 Ease of on-going Maintenance (4 out of 5)

The one thing that I both like and dislike at the same time is how the Skimz SKS181 skimmer is designed to be taken apart.  I do really like how easy it is for everything to come apart and be cleaned very well, but I do not like the amount of screws that are needed to remove in order to take it apart.  I find the cup to be on the small size.  I have it set for a thicker skimmate and I have to empty the cup every 5 to 7 days.  However, these are very minor complaints when compared to the other aspect of this skimmer.

 Effectiveness of Operation (5 out of 5)

The Skimz SK181 needle wheel pump design is very efficient, producing a very fine and thick layer of bubbles once the air intake is adjusted correctly.  It comes with the Skimz ES2000 needlewheel pump in it. This skimmer is a  6 out of 5 in my books.  Within hours of taking this skimmer out of the box, it started removing a lot of gunk from the water and it just kept getting better from there.  Even after a few years of use, it is still removing an amazing amount of stuff from the water. The below picture is what I get in the cup after around 36 hours of use, even after running this skimmer for a few years.

 Likeliness of Recommending this Skimmer to Others (4 out of 5)

This would be one of the true ways to really assess how well this skimmer preformed for anyone.  In short, this is among the best skimmers that I have used and I typically recommend this skimmer to people that have enough room in their budget for one.  This is also one of the few skimmers that I would at least somewhat agree with the manufactures recommend tank size for use.  I have been using this skimmer on my moderate to heavy stocked 180 gallon aquarium with a 100 gallon sump and I am very happy with the performance and resulting water quality. Although I do feel that is seriously pushing the limits of this skimmer with my set-up, this is not the only form of filtration and nutrient export that I have on that set-up. I would have absolutely no concerns using this skimmer on heavily stocked set-ups up to 150 gallons in size (combined display tank and sump water volume) or lighter stocked tanks slightly larger.

This skimmer is also an excellent choice for a smaller or limited size sumps due to the small foot print taken up by the skimmer and its relatively shorter height.

Some Additional Information:

The skimmer pump can be maintained by removing the four screws (two on each side of the pump) from the front plate allowing you to remove the front plate and then the needle wheel assembly for cleaning.  When you purchase a Skimz Skimmer the motor will come fully assembled.

The below shows all the parts of the skimmer as you would unpack them when you purchase this skimmer.  I never did think to take any pictures before assembling my skimmer when I purchase it new.  These are pictures taken after a detialed cleaning a did a little while ago.

Start by adding the bubble plate chamber to the pump

Slide the pump onto the skimmer base.  It will lock into place.

Attach the skimmer body to the skimmer base

Attach the micro adjustable valve to the skimmer body

Attach the air intake assembly to the skimmer body and the skimmer pump

This only leaves the skimmer cup and skimmer cup lid and you are done.

When picking out a skimmer for your set-up, I would refer you to the below article which may help you select the correct skimmer for your aquarium

https://www.reefaquarium.com/2013/selecting-a-new-skimmer/