Best 1st Skimmer, 75G Tank, Sub-$100?

[rainmkr07]

I will be getting my first skimmer for my 75G tank later this month. My tank is 3 months old. I am looking for the best skimmer under $100. Does anyone have any recommendations? I've been leaning towards the Red Sea Prizm Deluxe Skimmer ($85).
I've heard these were good, but are out of my target price range:
Remora C was good ($160)
Coralife Super Skimmer ($150)
Octopus ($140)
CPR Bak Pak ($125).
But again, money is tight, and I know I'll only have my 75 gallon for 20 more months before I get a bigger tank anyway, so I consider those out of my target price range... If push comes to shove, I could wait an extra 1 or 2 months to afford one of them, but I'd rather get a cheaper one this month if possible...
Other Sub $100 skimmers I have seen include:
The Seaclone Protein Skimmer 150 ($85)
The Seaclone Protein Skimmer 100 ($70)
The Typhoon Hang-On Skimmer ($70)
The Visi-Jet Protein Skimmer ($35).
Thanks in advance.

 

[integral9]

Personally, I like the ASM skimmers ($100+ category). The only other skimmers I have experience with are the Prizm (POS) and the CPR (good but a little heavy on the maintenance as I have to keep cleaning off the PH to get a good amount of suction and bubbles).
My advise is not to go cheap on the skimmer. I did that w/ the Prizm on my first tank, big mistake. In the end I spent what I should have on a good skimmer and was out the money I spent on the Prism. In general, you usually get what you pay for and if you really want a cheap skimmer, the DIY route is probably your best route.
Red Sea Prizm Deluxe:
Cons: Filled tank w/ bubbles, over flow is useless as it either doesn't skim the surface or causes the pump to lose prime, the return makes the water splash in the tank which makes more bubbles and salt creep.
CPR (BakPak + Aquafuge):
Cons: Pump needs to be cleaned off every couple of days. (might be fixed by replacing the Rio 600 w/ a Rio 800)
ASM Mini-G (in sump):
Cons: Haven't found one yet.

 

[rainmkr07]

The only problem with the ASM's is that I don't have a sump. I believe they are all in-sump, so I need a Hang on Back Skimmer...

 

[integral9]

btw. I'll give you my Prism if you want it. Just pay for shipping.
Edit:
Sorry, but you may not want it. I just remembered that I modded it a bit to try and make it work better. I broke the clip off the over flow basket to try and make it a floating design that would raise and lower w/ the water level. Didn't work in the end, but the rest of the skimmer is still intact. I can post pics if you are still interested.

 

[azaintcold]

I got a prizm pro deluxe for free from a friend who is a vendor. I used it for a bit and gave it away it was such a piece of junk. Spend a little more cash, the skimmer is one of the biggest tools to keep water parameters in pristine condition.

 

[rainmkr07]

How do you all feel about the Seaclone Skimmer? There is a 100 model and a 150 model (up to 100 Gallon Tank, and up to 150 Gallon Tank). If I put the 150 model on my 75 gallon tank, surely it would do a good job?

 

[nigerbang]

Originally Posted by rainmkr07
How do you all feel about the Seaclone Skimmer? There is a 100 model and a 150 model (up to 100 Gallon Tank, and up to 150 Gallon Tank). If I put the 150 model on my 75 gallon tank, surely it would do a good job?
I have heard they can be finicky...I have also heard with a few mods that they can get the job done rather well

 

[joncat24]

before I would get a seaclown, I would either save for a better one or get you a jebo/odyssea.
The seaclones are not worht messing with.....IMO

 

[rainmkr07]

Originally Posted by joncat24
before I would get a seaclown, I would either save for a better one or get you a jebo/odyssea.
The seaclones are not worht messing with.....IMO
I saw the Jebo's on the big

[hr]
site. But I heard they are low quality imports from China... Was that not accurate?
I am just trying to find the best skimmer for under $100.

The Jebo's are only $20-$30. That can't be a better skimmer than a Seaclone or Prizm Skimmer at $75-85, can it?

 

[zeroc]

isn't everything an import from china?

 

[joncat24]

Originally Posted by rainmkr07
I saw the Jebo's on the big

[hr]
site. But I heard they are low quality imports from China... Was that not accurate?
I am just trying to find the best skimmer for under $100.

The Jebo's are only $20-$30. That can't be a better skimmer than a Seaclone or Prizm Skimmer at $75-85, can it?

anything is better that a seaclone....IMO

 

[triga22]

I would deffintatly as joncat says please stay away from the seaclone. Ive only hear mabye 5 sucess stories out of hundreds.

 

[reefforbrains]

Listen to the group, I can already hear ya want to save some money, We all like to save money but SeaClones really are horrible skimmers............trust me I run them.
They are inefficient compared to others on the market in thier section. They require tuning and tweeking and are prone to bubbles in your display.
I always defend the productline just for sake that I am so familiar with them. I have used them for so long with great success that I just have to defend them.
BUT THEY DO SUCK. DO NOT BUY ONE
there......that should about sum it up. Bump your bracket into the 150 range and maybe hold off so you can save the difference but it will be worth it in the end.
-RFB

 

[heartben]

do any of you guys want to hook me up with a skimmer? if no ones gotten rid of ANYTHING they dont want, i would gladly pay for shipping for it.
i just started a few weeks ago, so i need all the help i can get!
PM me or send me an email (heartben@gmail.com) orrr IM me on AIM at : theheartben
thanks doodz
-ben

 

[bsmith219]

i had a jebo 150 i think ( looks very similar to seaclone), i added a rio 800 with rvj kit worked very well on my 100 gallon.

 

[dragonzim]

A skimmer is definitely one piece of equipment that you dont want to skimp on. I have an AquaC Remora on my 75 and it is well worth the money!!!

 

[integral9]

A couple pics of my Prizm in action. I took the cup off so you could see the proof. All the pics of the back I took were really blurry or too dark to see anything going on inside the skimmer. The brown stuff on the cup and lid (in the bottom of the bucket) is fairly well stuck on there. I'm soaking it to see if I can get it off. It's just the residue from the skim, when it's fresh it comes off fairly easily, but does stain over time.

 

[integral9]

Close ups of the part I broke off. You can see that the track and runner are still there. I only broke the clip.

 

[wangotango]

I would go with the Aqua-C Remora. If you're in a pinch the CPR bakpak might be cheaper. As mentioned, a skimmer is not something that you want to go cheap on, you'll regret it later.
-Justin

 

[scsinet]

Originally Posted by DragonZim
A skimmer is definitely one piece of equipment that you dont want to skimp on. I have an AquaC Remora on my 75 and it is well worth the money!!!
This is the best piece of advice on this thread. If it's your first skimmer, then the cheaper models are going to give you nothing but frustration. Spending $200-400 on a good middle of the road skimmer will give you a much more pleasant experience.
If you can't afford that, then run sans skimmer for the moment and save your money until you can.