PECKHEAD - Greetings
We seem to be in similar situations. I have a 90 gallon reef with the Reef Devil Deluxe skimmer. My tank is about 7 months old and has very little in it so far (135 lbs of live rock, 4" sand bed, a healthy clean-up crew, but only 1 fish and a few starter corals...).
I am not happy with the RDD due to inconsistent performance and 4 serious floods (2+ gallons each time
). For some reason, the skimmer will go from doing absolutely nothing to running amok - all without intentional changes to the tank (no feeding, dosing, hands in water, etc.). I've actually noticed this happening from just the slight chemical changes that occur when the lights go off at night. I get almost no skimmate, unless you count tan-colored water, although that could be attributed to the very light bio-load. The flooding, though, is why I am considering something else. As you probably know, the RDD doesn't lend itself to an auto shut-off waste collector since the cup isn't pressurized. I could probably DIY one, or have the overflow go back in the sump, but the performance so far is pushing me to think of alternatives. Why are you thinking about replacing yours?
I have been doing research on skimmers and trying to get recommendations both here and on other forums. I was seriously interested in the Orca 200, but it is a smidge too tall for my stand. I want/need something that is plumbed external to the sump, so I am now looking at the Euroreef RC135. I might also be interested in something more "high-end" like an H&S or Bubbleking, but I'm still thinking about it. I might wait until I get my tank stocked to see how a "real" bio-load affects the performance and consistency. If I do replace the RDD, whatever I choose must either have or be capable of having an automatic shut-off waste collector. NO MORE FLOODS (cherry wood stand, black walnut hardwood floor + water = NOT GOOD!)
If you have any words of wisdom to offer, I'm all ears. Good Luck with your search
