Which one is better?

princesuhaib

I have a 75g and I found these 2 protein skimmers, please tell me which one is better

Aqua Medic Turboflotor protein skimmer,up to 200 gal, This unit includes a venturi pump with
a needle wheel and has 2 flow control taps plus two different sizes of
elongation pieces for the foam cup. 3 months old for $100

or this one for $150 dollars

Kent Marine Nautilus Turbo Eductor Protein Skimmer

Please let me know if there is going to be a big difference or should I just buy the $100 dollar one and spend the $50 ill save on something else!

Thanx

conger

I haven't read about the Aqua Medic yet, but the Kent Marine you linked appears to be an in-sump only skimmer... thus you can't use it with the wet/dry sump that you have now, you'd have to make your own sump and be sure to size the skimmer chamber large enough to allow this guy to sit in it.

Also just a general reaction, while perhaps you've found some great skimmers for cheap, this isn't one piece of equipment that you want to skimp on... I guess the Aqua Medic sounds like it's used (you said 3 months old), so maybe that's why it's so cheap, but I would expect to spend closer to $200-$300 on a skimmer for a 75 gallon tank, to get a quality one. But like I said above that's just my knee-jerk reaction, it doesn't mean you won't find a good skimmer for less.

I'm at work now, but I'll read about the Aqua Medic when I get home, and will give my opinion on it then... otherwise you should consider searching around some other options of skimmer. Hopefully others will chime in as well with their opinions!

aquakid

Turbofloter

conger

with a quick read, the Turboflotor looks pretty decent (had good reviews), just be sure that the one you are thinking about buying is the hang-on model. Aqua Medic sells both hang-on and in-sump Turboflotors, so make sure the person selling it knows you need a hang-on!

Pasfur

Looking at the designs of the 2 skimmers, I like the Nautilus better. The neck is less restricted, allowing for foam to enter the collection cup with less breakdown. It also appears the collection cup on the Nautilus sits on the skimmer in a more convenient fashion for cleaning. Finally, the flow control on the Nautilus is on the output, which I have found to make for easier adjustments to the water height inside the skimmer.

conger

Pasfur: as noted above, in-sump skimmers aren't an option for Suhaib... thus the Nautilus is out of the question . Unless I misunderstood what I was looking at when I checked out the Nautilus page he linked. But he needs a hang-on-back style skimmer, at the very least he might be able to accommodate an out-of-sump skimmer depending on how it would be plumbed to/from the sump.

Pasfur

Good point Conger. I completely missed that.

conger

lol well you made a good point, I didn't realize it until after I posted my reply . For others who are reading this thread, and just as an answer to the general question originally posted (which of these two skimmers are better, independent of a particular tank they might be used for), you favor the Nautilus!

Pasfur

Yeah, thats it. I was just answering the original question. 8)

princesuhaib

Hey thank you guys, I am going to budget $100-150 for a protein skimmer, if you guys can think of any other where I can order online, please forward me to the right direction! thank you