Product Review: Coralife Super Skimmer 65g

[snakeblitz33]

Reviewer name: SnakeBlitz33 (Seth)
Date Reviewed: 01/22/2009
Product Name: Coralife Super Skimmer 65g
Date Purchased: (08/2006)
Approximate Cost: $139.99
Features: Newer models feature needle wheel impellers. This skimmer can be mounted either on the back of the aquarium or in the sump. The "easy twist" collection cup makes it easy to take it out of tight spaces. The water adjustment dial helps you dial in your skimmer more accurately for wet or dry skimming. Also contains an air inlet silencer. Included in the package is a sponge filter, which acts as a bubble trap for HOB use.
Benefits: Increased ability to control wet or dry skimmate. It's relatively inexpensive and performs efficiently. Benefits include being able to see skimmate collecting in the cup on a regular basis for waste removal.
Pros: It constantly works, has a constant water level in the main body. You can increase amount bubbles and make the bubbles larger or smaller depending on the amount of air injected into the skimmer. It creates a uniform amount of bubbles.
Cons: If the air line tube/silencer ever accidentally drops in the aquarium, the bubbles will stop, and the skimmer will overflow. There is no clip to hold the airline tube to the skimmer. If you are setting it up as HOB, it is big and bulky.
Tips and Tricks: Do not drape the airline tube over the edge of the aquarium, or else if you turn off the skimmer, it will siphon water out of your aquarium. Do NOT over tighten the "easy twist collar." Or else you will not be able to get it off. Also, when installing the pump, add a "ball valve" to the intake and throttle it back just a little. This will prevent the skimmer from overflowing the first time you start it.
Mods: Conceivably you could use Ozone on this skimmer.
Variations: Coralife Super Skimmer 125 and Coralife Super Skimmer 220
Personal Opinion: I like this skimmer. I have used several over the years. You can not get a better product for as cost effective as this skimmer is. HOB or In-Sump, it performs extremely well.
Recommend this product? Absolutely
Product rating: 8.5
1=worst 10=best
swf.com has it? Not as of 1/22/09

 

[snakeblitz33]

 

[nietzsche]

i wouldnt recommend this skimmer, they will overflow. for the price, you can find way better skimmers that will not overflow and skim better

 

[jackri]

I have the 125 model.... after 2 years of running I'm having my first bit of trouble with the air inlet not getting the bubbles that produce foam.
I switched out a new airline and has helped but I think I need to shorten it... as a temp fix I had run an airline from an airpump to push air through --- skimmed awesome this way.
Personally would I get another? Yep, ordering one for my new frag tank I built -- cost/performance I'm very happy with -- know how they work and it's an in sump application.
I would never use any skimmer as HOB for fear of overflowing/collection cup oozing out (happens in the sump now and then when I don't pay attention for a couples days)... everything now would just dump back into the sump safely.
Cup comes off easy and easy to clean -- I'd give it an 8.5 out of 10 as well.

 

[jackri]

Originally Posted by nietzsche
http:///forum/post/2955080
i wouldnt recommend this skimmer, they will overflow. for the price, you can find way better skimmers that will not overflow and skim better
They CAN and DO overflow -- hence I would NEVER use one as HOB... but the overflowing is my fault with the settings -- they can be a little finicky until you get them dialed in.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Do not let the airline tube/silencer fall into the aquarium or else the protein skimmer WILL overflow. Use a ball valve that comes with your Rio 1100 to decrease the amount of flow into the skimmer.

 

[crimzy]

I had the 220 on my old tank and I liked it although I wouldn't recommend using it as a hang on because mine did overflow a few times. This isn't a huge crisis in the sump but is pretty annoying if water is spilling onto the floor. I like that you can adjust the bubbles and amount of skimmate produced. Pretty good for the money, IMO.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Thank you all for making the product reviews worth the effort!

 

[crimzy]

Is it me or are you campaigning HARD for the next open mod position???

 

[snakeblitz33]

naa, I'm not sure I want to be a mod. It's a tough job! I don't want to be percieved as "The bad guy" for editing posts and closing threads.

 

[snakeblitz33]

btw, fwiw, I'm just trying to get the Product Review forum kickstarted. Gmann is going to post his reviews later, and I am going to type up a few more right now as we speak. XD

 

[05xrunner]

I had this skimmer for a while..yes it did see to skim pretty good. I just could not recommend it to anyone due to the fact of the random overflowing it does for no reason...I kept up with mine to full take down and cleaning every 2weeks.

 

[otterball182]

yep.. I have the same problem way way too often.
I have a valve on the pump and you can turn it down. I have the out put flow as high as possible.
The pump is so strong that it pushes water all the way into the cup.
So I have it at like 3/4th's way fully open and it develops micro bubbles right when it starts to neck to the top of the collection cup.
It is very very finicky.

 

[culp]

Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33
http:///forum/post/2955102
naa, I'm not sure I want to be a mod. It's a tough job! I don't want to be percieved as "The bad guy" for editing posts and closing threads.
for every thing mods do and put up with, does any one know what they get for their effort/time.

 

[beckto]

I have been using this skimmer for about a week now. I am using it HOB for now as I build my sump. I never had it overflow, it is all about setting the valves when you first start it. After it "broke in" I have it all the way open and no overflow. It is skimming great, lots of gunk and my tank is still in cycle! I got it from a reptutable online source for $100....cant beat it! 9/10

 

[caz2022]

I've been using one as HOB on my 55 for over 2 years now with absolutly no complaints. After the 24-48 hour breakin its been working perfectly, never overflowed (but i installed an outlet abd have a tube running down to a milk jug under my tank). Total cost of upgrading it was $6.00. I'm ashamed to say that my tank is overstocked but I've yet to lose anyone. I would most definitly recommend this skimmer. I'LL be upgrading to the larger one once I finish setting up my 225.
I'de go so far as to give it a 9.0 out of 10

 

[caz2022]

Just looked at your product picture in the post. Mine actually came with gate valve that mounted between the pump and inlet line. It also has a "clip" molded into the housing for the airline. I forgot to mention that you can use 3/4 pvc to change your return line if you want, making it very flexible for different setups