Got LifeReef ??? Show us your LifeReef Sumps, Skimmers, and Anything else you may have by LifeReef.

[legionofdoon]

Here is an updated picture of my lifereef it's on a lightly stocked 40b with about 70 total water volume. So proof they work on smaller tanks.

 

[legionofdoon]

I drain it when the sludge gets to the top of the blue tape which was 3 days ago. I'm running the air water line about an inch and a half from below the flange.

 

[foozed]

I drain it when the sludge gets to the top of the blue tape which was 3 days ago. I'm running the air water line about an inch and a half from below the flange.

Which pump?

 

[legionofdoon]

DCP 8000, I know Jeff discourages against DC pumps but it works for me

 

[joe berkman]

Ive been running that same pump for a year and a half on mine with zero complaints

 

[Silver14SS]

I've got a Deltec skimmer in my sump under the tank and my only complaint is the smell from the skimmate. Do Lifereef skimmers really contain all the odors, or would one still expect some smell?

 

[joe berkman]

I have a T on the line between the cup and ventury piping air in from outside and still the only smell under my tank is chetto.

 

[Crashjack]

Never really thought about it, but mine has no smell.

 

[laguest]

Does your Lifereef skimmer cup every overflow like normal skimmers?

I am in the market for a new skimmer, one thing I absolutely hate with my current skimmer is how inconsistent it is. It overflows all the time, it skims wet, then dry. I clean it every month, water level never changes and it still happens. I know its a piece of junk that that is why I am buying a new one. When I look at all the skimmers on the market they are all pretty much the same, except Lifereef.

If I drop $500.00 on a Lifereef skimmer will some of this just be solved and I can just run it and not deal with all this?

Thanks

 

[Adele]

Does your Lifereef skimmer cup every overflow like normal skimmers?

I am in the market for a new skimmer, one thing I absolutely hate with my current skimmer is how inconsistent it is. It overflows all the time, it skims wet, then dry. I clean it every month, water level never changes and it still happens. I know its a piece of junk that that is why I am buying a new one. When I look at all the skimmers on the market they are all pretty much the same, except Lifereef.

If I drop $500.00 on a Lifereef skimmer will some of this just be solved and I can just run it and not deal with all this?

Thanks

My skim cup has a valve at the top which there is a tube. Normally this connects back to the Venturi so any overflow would just feed back into the system. However right now I have the Venturi sucking fresh air so the tube is hanging down into the sump so if there is ever an overflow it again, goes back into the sump.
you will not regret a LifeReef. It’s a set and forget operation.

 

[Dmsick]

The only time my skimmer overflows is if I forget to empty it. It’s incredibly consistent.

 

[italquam]

Yea... I've heard that LifeReef Sumps and Skimmers last "forever" ! There are lots and lots of online testimonials and reviews from people who say they've had them for 15-20 years without failure.
They are a little more expensive than I was planning to pay, but if they will last a long time and serve me well, I think it's well worth it.

Especially the fact that you can use any pump, that alone negates any extra cost involved for the skimmer. All thes enew skimmers on market look cool and great but how many times have you seen a new skimmer come out then obsolete a year later. The replacement pumps for those are sometimes more money than the entire skimmer. I would always go Life Reef and never look back

 

[bblumberg]

One possible concern with LIfereef and other venturi-based pumps is that you need a lot of GPH to pull enough air through the venturi. I have an SVS2-24 skimmer. It worked well in my 75g corner tank, but the included Mag 9.5 (950 gph) was not really enough power (typically only the lower skimmer neck accumulated the solid skimmate). I replaced the mag with a Sicce Syncra 5.0 (1321 gph) and had much better results. However the Mag (93 watts) and the Sicce (105 watts) pull a lot of power compared with the Aquamaxx FC-120 (15 watts) I eventually changed the Lifereef for.

90 extra watts of power may not seem like a lot, but at my average winter electricity rate ($0.169/kwh) the extra cost of the Lifereef is $134/year and at summer rates ($0.221/kwh) it is $174/year. Let's say an average extra cost over the year of $147 (8 months at winter rate and 4 months at summer rate). In addition, the extra watts put into the water by the Lifereef made my chiller run more, which I can't really estimate the cost of accurately but it is not negligible.

So, the bottom line for me is that I can buy a new FC-120 (quite a nice skimmer) every 19 months (and probably sooner considering the chiller use) for the energy it saves over the Lifereef. The extra space in my sump from not having 2 separate pumps (one skimmer, one return) is also quite nice.

I am not bad mouthing Lifereef - I like his products a lot and still have the sump and use a Lifereef calcium reactor. The products are good value for the money even despite the high cost of acquisition. However, I am saying that the ability to use any pump for a Lifereef (or other venturi) skimmer comes with a cost that is non-trivial and not immediately apparent unless you run the numbers.

 

[CNDReef]

I actually run the sicce 5.0 and it only draws .65 amps not the .95 as advertised

 

[fishybizzness]

If you don't mind me asking, what model and what size tank is everyone running the skimmer on? I currently have a 55 gal dt with a 30 gallon sump. I am running a sca 302 skimmer. It works pretty good for me. I am upgrading to a sca 120 with a 55 gallon diy sump. I am thinking of upgrading to a lifereef skimmer. My plan is to plumb both the 55 and the 120 into the same sump. For those currently running a lifereef skimmer, what size would be best for this system in your opinion?

 

[CNDReef]

40b with a 20 long sump
Sv3 -24”

 

[DaneGer21]

Sold my skimmer years ago. To power hungry for what it was. As said above, I went a more efficient route

 

[JoshH]

SvS2-24 is what I ran on my 35 with 15 G sump and what I will be running on my 125 when it's set up. I'd say stick with a SVS3-30

 

[nickkohrn]

Let's see it, @watdachuck!

 

[DS204]

For those currently running a lifereef skimmer, what size would be best for this system in your opinion?

Currently running SVS3-24 on a 525xl (139 gallon). Skimming has been unreliable but it could be because I have a super light bioload (2 fish), and perhaps my Sicce 4.0 951gph is underpowered after reading one of the recent posts above. It constantly under or over skims, and it's been running since August. My best guess is that I don't have enough fish.

Aside from that, I like the flexibility of my own pump and the extra large collection cup. The build quality is solid too. Just wish I could dial in the performance better. Perhaps over time..