Best hang-on skimmer?

[lotcyclops]

Hi guys! My 60 gallon reef is again alive and well after losing everything back in that Halloween snow/power outage disaster. Got a new lighting system, several corals, 2 clowns and a dwarf red angel, plus some hermits, snails and a few sallyfoots. Everybody is alive and well and thriving. Will finish with the mighty Desjardin's Tang when all is ready as it almost is. Water conditions on all levels are perfect.

My main question is about protein skimmers. I don't use a sump - my setup is a RENA pump rated about twice the tanks needs - understanding the media can slow it up, and this works very well. Plus two strong jets, carefully placed and a lot of live rock.

What I don't like is my Sea Clone hang on skimmer. This works quite well actually when its clean, but the bottom part of it is not possible to reach and the thing is a royal pain to clean. I literally need to buy a new one about every four months.

So I'm looking into a better hang-on skimmer. When I read reviews on various skimmers, I often see like one guy gives it 5 stars and the next 1 star. One site says a model is great, another says its garbage.

So I now ask my expert friends here on the forum! Which, exactly, is the best hang on skimmer for a 60 gallon reef aquarium?

Like I said - with my setup and the 2x54 10k daylights, 460 and 430? blue and purple and moonlights, dusk/dawn timers, everything in my tank is thriving and happy. I just want to keep it this way and the skimmer is my only real problem.

Any advice would really be appreciated. Only the best for my "artificial ocean" here. :)

-Robert

 

[jr7168]

I also have a seaclone it works extremely well for me except right after a water change takes a few to get back goin. I have read and plan on using a Reef Octo series for mine as they are under 200.

Reef Octopus HOB - - Protien Skimmers

this is a decent one.

 

[Northstar24]

I would also recommend the reef octopus skimmer as well

And this is off topic, but you know that your tank is 1/3 of the minimum size for a Sailfin Tang correct? Mine is not close to full grown and I don't see him being happy in something as small as a 60 gallon

 

[Waddi]

I have a hydor slim skim, which is awesome. But reef octopus is a good brand too.

 

[Smitty]

I run an Aqua C Remora on my tank, with great results. I've had it for about 4yrs on various sized tanks.

 

[stormystormy11]

I just replaced my Odyssea protein skimmer with an Octopus BH-90 HOB and I love it. It's a new skimmer that they just came out with and the price wasn't that bad. There is several things I like about it...The collection cup is huge and very nicely made with the option for a drain tube. Easy to clean also. The pump is on the outside under the unit..no more fishing for that ugly thing in my tank. It is small enough and design is "pretty" on the side of my tank because I didn't have room behind my tank. The only problem I had was that the well made adjustable screw arms that stablize the unit against the tank did not fit my tank??? I just took them off. Oh and I need to mention it has a surface skimmer so no more oily film on my water and a bubble blaster..A+
They are hard to find right now but Aquacave had two when I ordered mine and I think it was under $200.00