Saltwater aquarium keeping can be very expensive (now there's an obvious statement). Aragonite sand (versus basic aquarium sand), liverock (a freshwater equivilent might be live plants) and live stock are going to cost more $$$ than the average freshwater system.

Then there's equipment. Skimmers, lighting, calcium reactors, pumps (returm pumps and powerheads) and kalk reactors to name a few. All of this stuff requires a significant investment. The biggest problem to me is, equipment that sounds great in the advertisement, but doesn't live up to the billing once you put it to use. So how do you know up front what's really worth the money/what's a good product?!?!

Really only 3 ways. Spend the money and find out for yourself (great if it's a good product, sucks if it isn't), read product comparisons on the web or in magazines (and hope the author isn't bias and how would you really know) or get oppinions from fellow aquarists that have/are using the exact same item you're considering.

So here's the point of this "OPEN POLL", to try and save each of us some money by providing real world information on products we all use. My trying to list all skimmers would be limiting to the poll. What I propose is that you list and describe your particular skimmer. I in turn will keep a running tab (on this post) of the skimmers listed as well as the answer to 5 questions about it.

*Skimmer name:

1) What did it cost? (include cost for pump if it was a seperate item)

2) Was it easy to set up? (scale of 1-5, 1-very easy thru 5-very dificult)

3) Is it easy to maintain/clean (scale of 1-5, 1-very easy thru 5-very dificult)

4) Rate the performance. (scale of 1-5, 1-very good thru 5-very bad)

5) What size system are you running it on? (Total system volume if you have a sump, refugium etc.)

My skimmer-

Aqua-C EV-400

1) Skimmer-$460, Pump -$150 = $610

2) Set up - 2 (took a while to dial in but has stayed set very nicely)

3) Maintenance - 4 (a real pain to clean)

4) Performance - 2 (huge quantity of very small bubbles/thick skimate)

5) Total system volume - 320 gallons

I think this can be a big help to those just getting started as well as someone looking to upgrade!!!!

Aqua-C:

EV-400 (in sump)

1) $610     2) 2      3) 4     4) 2      5) 320 gal   

Remora (hang on back)  

1) $199 (Canadian)     2) 1      3) 1     4) 1      5) 40 gal   

So many species, so little money!

29g f/w convict cichlid.

10g s/w Percula Clown

cost $150 (us)

setup 5 min. to put together

once broken in it works great

cleaning is easy you can take cup off and rinse it out

i'm running it on 150 gallon

55G

hate it

i bearly get any skimate and to get anything it lets bubbles into the tank.

constantly have to adjust it. not recamended. thank the Lord it was given to me.

SAVE THE OCEAN'S

Seaclone 100

1) Skimmer-$109.99

2) Set up - 3 of 5 It took about 10 minutes to set up.

4) Performance - 2 of 5 Constantly making adjustments to get it to work  correctly.  Set-up as a hang on unit the sponge filter inside the tank has to be cleaned every week or so to remain functioning.  This is good and bad I guess.  I have never had it running smooth in the two years I have owned it. Strongly do not recommend this product.

5) Total system volume - 45 gallons

1) $180 (used) new it is $250

2) 2 fairly easy, but I was missing the directions

3) 1, really easy to maintain, removing the cup and cleaning is super easy

4) 1 really awesome and effecient skimmer

5) about 70 gallons

Overall, I would definitely recommend it. And seasave, skimmers make the maintenance routine so much easier. And you are probably using a lot of live rock on a huge sump, wich will eliminate nitrates itself. But skimming is what nature does anyway, it's what happens on beaches when you see all the foam on the sand. Its a natural process and replicating it in aquariums is just making it that much closer to nature. What you're doing can be done, but skimmers really take the hasssle out of it and make it less to worry about. And with a reef, the're pretty much essential if you want to keep dissolved solids low if you have a decent amount of fish. I wouldn't run my tank without the skimmer.


4 gallon Finnex pico aquarium- Iwagumi tank with orange eye black tiger shrimp.

10 gallon-  Planted Asian biotope with CPD's, sparkling gouramis, and a breeding pair of Betta albimarginata.

<link to pics of my tanks- http://board.fishchannel.com/Topic225475-16-1.aspx>