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Hydor Slim Skim Protein Skimmers


Mozimo

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Hi everyone, just looking for opinions on skimmers for a 25g system, I have no refugium or sump, so a hangon/in is my only option. I'm looking at the Hydor Slim Skim Protein Skimmers, as they are smaller and supposedley very quite(tank is in my room) Just wondering if anyone has any personal experience with said skimmers, thanks guys! :D

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Hi everyone, just looking for opinions on skimmers for a 25g system, I have no refugium or sump, so a hangon/in is my only option. I'm looking at the Hydor Slim Skim Protein Skimmers, as they are smaller and supposedley very quite(tank is in my room) Just wondering if anyone has any personal experience with said skimmers, thanks guys! :D

 

I had the slim skim nano. I loved the slick look of the skimmer, as it just looked like an overflow box in a reef ready tank. My issues were that I could never get it to actually skim anything because I didn't have an auto top off to keep a consistent water level. Water evaporates very fast in a 20g long. My other issue is that it didn't actually surface skim. It assembles loosely with all the acrylic sliding together, so I think most of the water would intake through those cracks rather than pull from the surface. I saw a mod thread where they used a hot glue gun to seal all the cracks, causing the skimmer to actually pull from the surface.

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I had the slim skim nano. I loved the slick look of the skimmer, as it just looked like an overflow box in a reef ready tank. My issues were that I could never get it to actually skim anything because I didn't have an auto top off to keep a consistent water level. Water evaporates very fast in a 20g long. My other issue is that it didn't actually surface skim. It assembles loosely with all the acrylic sliding together, so I think most of the water would intake through those cracks rather than pull from the surface. I saw a mod thread where they used a hot glue gun to seal all the cracks, causing the skimmer to actually pull from the surface.

 

Hmmmmm -_- I defintley need one that skims the surface since mine is an open tank, any other suggestions for a skimmer, need it to be as quite as possible and skim the surface

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phattypeeps

I have to disagree with the first comment, I have one and it works great. It has been running for over six months now, and although there is some noise, I have compared it to others and it is by far the quietest one I have ever found. The design is really nice because it looks way better than most skimmers, very minimalistic. Mine has been effective at surface skimming since day one, and its in a 17 G all in one tank.

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I'm looking at this for the back chamber of my hoodless Nanocube 12 DX.

 

From what I have read the biggest issue seems to be dialing the skimmer in.

 

I would love to hear some first-hand advice on setting up this skimmer.

 

As well as any mods that may help.

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I have to disagree with the first comment, I have one and it works great. It has been running for over six months now, and although there is some noise, I have compared it to others and it is by far the quietest one I have ever found. The design is really nice because it looks way better than most skimmers, very minimalistic. Mine has been effective at surface skimming since day one, and its in a 17 G all in one tank.

 

Thanks for the opinion, I've heard nothing but good things about this skimmer, checked out some reviews, quietness is the number one factor then skimming capabilities! B)

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I'm looking at this for the back chamber of my hoodless Nanocube 12 DX.

 

From what I have read the biggest issue seems to be dialing the skimmer in.

 

I would love to hear some first-hand advice on setting up this skimmer.

 

As well as any mods that may help.

 

Free Bump- I want some more info :happy:

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I have the nano with the old cup design (neck in the front, not the middle). It's definitely quiet enough to keep in a bedroom. I can't even hear it over my noisy MP10 powerhead. It seems to do ok as protein skimmer and may work even better with the new cup design. It think it would skim better if it put out more bubbles, but then it would need to be noisier and consume more than 4 watts.

 

I have no sump or HOB and I can't aim the MP10 at the surface, so I was counting on this skimmer to have good surface skimming. It fell miserably short of my expectations. I've tried blocking the front intakes so that only the very surface of the water enters the skimmer, but still no luck. I think the fatal flaw in the design is that the intake to the pump is near the bottom of the skimmer. The bottom of the skimmer is open, so it's much easier to suck water in from below than to pull it down through the narrow slot leading to the surface. I've resorted to floating a paper towel on the surface of my tank about once a week, which works amazingly well.

 

I'd still buy it again, because it's attractive, quiet, pretty good at protein skimming, and it hides my heater and float switches perfectly.

 

Mine has been effective at surface skimming since day one, and its in a 17 G all in one tank.

Your AIO overflow is likely breaking up the surface for you, because you're one of the only people I've heard complimenting its surface skimming.

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FACT: You need a ATO to have contant water level in most nanos... unless u have an area where the water level never changes... this is key to having the skimmer work properly... if the water level changes constantly it will not skim right.

 

i had the slim skim and loved it. worked perfect for my aquaeuro 34 once i installed my ato. it just a mater of setting the water level so the bubbles rise enough to get good gunky stuff

so go for it. its alot cheaper then the tune 9002(excellent skimmer also) but is also quite (had mine in my room to so i noticed any loud noises. hope this helps.

 

also you would have to put the skimmer in the display inorder to get surface skimming.

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FACT: You need a ATO to have contant water level in most nanos... unless u have an area where the water level never changes... this is key to having the skimmer work properly... if the water level changes constantly it will not skim right.

I agree with this. I've always had an ATO, so I can't comment on the performance of this skimmer without one.

 

also you would have to put the skimmer in the display inorder to get surface skimming.

Mine is in my display and it still won't surface skim worth a damn. I've tried numerous things to improve it, but I'd still end up with a film on the water. I only change my water every 3 weeks, so a lack of surface skimming becomes very obvious. I mentioned above what I feel is the fatal flaw in the design of the surface skimmer.

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phattypeeps

I don't have an overflow, by an all in one, I mean, the skimmer is in the display, and I don't have a sump. I do find that to promote surface skimming, the water has to be at the right level, about an inch below the top of the skimmer, to ensure water is pulled into the main body of the unit. If the water is kept at the right level the skimmer does draw surface gunk in.

 

Your AIO overflow is likely breaking up the surface for you, because you're one of the only people I've heard complimenting its surface skimming.
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  • 1 year later...

I have one in my 29 gal biocube and I love it. For a small nano skimmer, it pulls some nasty skim. It's very thick and dark. I don't have issues of evaporation with the hood on the cube and it fit perfectly in the back chamber. It's quiet and I love it. I bought one to replace the aquatic life 115. Much better.

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  • 1 month later...

Lifer, do you have yours in the 2nd chamber? Also, does yours make a humming sound? Mine does and I'm trying to find a mod to fix it.

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Netsecpro- I have my hydor in chamber 1 and no, it doesn't make a humming noise. My maxi jet 400 I have powering my TLF phosban reactor is the loudest and drowns everything else out. But in my experience, the Hydor has been very quiet compared to my previous Aqualife 115

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netsecpro

Lifer, how do you get it to stay in place in the first chamber? I tried putting mine there, by I couldn't use the magnets to keep it in place.

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I built a stand for it with egg crate and twist ties that sits underneath and maintains the skimmer at the right height. I also took a piece of airline tubing bent in half and tucked it on the side to keep it secure and it reduces a lot of the vibration. I then adjust the flow on the top by adjusting the skim cup up or down depending on the water level

 

I didn't use the magnets, it was too tight a fit

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netsecpro

I think I'm gonna buy some dyna mat and put in on the backside of my tank and see if that helps with the humming/ vibration. This thing hums so loud it vibrates down the shared wall between me and my next door neighbor. Luckily, he has a tank on the other side of the wall so he probably thinks nothing of it.

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