anyone know a good protein skimmer

Firstsalt

basically what the thread is asking for

eileen

Try http://www.drsfostersmith.com They have good products and the prices are better then the fish stores. The protein skimmers range from low to high prices. They have a nice selection and some have customer testimonials on the product that you can check out. Even with shipping the prices are still better then the fish stores.

B Castle

IMO the best skimmer around is MRC (My Reef Creations). I know lots of people with them, and all of them say they are customers for life. I bought a Reef Octopus, also a very good skimmer but I'd have bought an MRC if I had the budget for it. I am far more impressed with the job that the recirc skimmers do than the "regular" ones. Supposedly Bubble Kings are the Rolls Royce, but they cost more than my tank, so...

I'm sure you will get MANY different opinions.

I think the smartest thing you can do (other than what you are doing now, i.e. looking for quality) is to buy one that is oversized for your tank. Larger skimmers do a better job plus allow you some room to upgrade tanks without having to replace it.

Frankly, I think a "gallon rating" is ridiculous anyway.... bioload is FAR more important to skimmer adequacy than how much water is in the tank.

onefish2fish

i use a MRC MR2 and i like it however my only complaint is the air intake is loud. it isnt a problem if its in a stand or plumbed to a basement/sump room though.
i agree, it is a very good idea to get an over-rated skimmer as Bcastle mentioned, as this is one of the most important things for your tank. the MR2 is rated 300 gallons where my tank is only 85+40 sump. it is also a very good idea to find a local reefing club in your area so you can pick up a used skimmer that would be 10x better then one you bought brand new for the same price. reading online reviews is also very smart.
to name a few good skimmers:
MRC, MTC, ASM, WM, BK, Octopus, ATB. honestly the majority of the skimmers from doctorfosters are garbage. dont get me wrong, some are decent but many arnt up to par.
and i have heard great things about the bubble kings but the cone skimmers, like this one for example:
The New Jersey Reefers Club - K-2 make BKs look like honda civics IMO.