skimmers, sumps, pumps, all cause my head to spin

[ticalien]

Hi all,
I'm looking to get a skimmer setup based on the recommendations of a few posters here and have been looking around the net a bit. Unfortuantly as ususally is the case the results are a bit "broad" and I'm left wondering where to turn. Is there a thread or site that will give some detailed explanations of how a skimmer setup functions, a skimmer with sump setup, etc.? Additionally since I'm new to the game I'm quite unfamiliar with brand names and thier reliability.
If anyone can provide some helpful links or recomendation I'd HIGHLY appreciate it.
Regards.

 

[lion_crazz]

Protein skimmers are one of the essential things for a saltwater tank. They are just as important as live rock, and that is any type of saltwater tank that I am referring to. No matter what type of tank you run, whether it be fish only, fish with live rock, fish and inverts, or full blown reef, a skimmer is needed or else you will run into protein build-up and high nitrates.
It all depends on the size of your tank and what you are running as a filter. Usually 55 gallon tanks and below work perfectly fine with hang-on-the-back skimmers. The best hang on skimmers are the Aqua C Remora and the Excalibur. Stay away from Kent's Nautilus and the Red Sea Prizm. These both do not work very well unless you tweak them quite a bit.
If you have a tank larger than 55 gallons and have a sump, you want to go with an in-sump skimmer. For in-sump models, you have two options. You could drill your sump and run your skimmer externally and have it plumbed to the sump. The benefits of this method is that you have more room in your sump for other things. You could also do a skimmer that sits in your sump. The benefits of this type is that you could have everything in the same area, just in case you do not have a lot of room in your stand. I like having the skimmer plumbed externally, but that is just my opinion. The best in-sump skimmers are the ETSS models, and the EuroReefs. On my 75 gallon tank, I run an ETSS Super Reef Devil and it does a heck of a job pulling out protein and dirt.

 

[ticalien]

Thanks for the feedback! I have a 55 gallon tank and am exploring the option of an in-sump skimmer, I'll continue to do some exploring until I find exactly what I'm looking for. In the meantime, is there a site or thread somewhere that details a typical skimmer or in-sump setup? I'm still somewhat confused about the exact flow of water from the tank to the skimmer, to the sump, to the tank, etc.
Thanks a ton!