Simplicity 240DC Protein Skimmer for Saltwater Aquariums

I bought this unit for my 110 Reef Tank after giving up on my previous skimmer. It arrived on time which was less than 24 hours from me having to leave on a week-long business trip. Assembly was pretty simple so I set it up knowing that I wouldn't be able to make adjustments for the next week, but what else could I do? I set the water level, crossed my fingers, and headed out early the next morning. I got home last night after 8 days away and went to check the tank and skimmer not knowing what to expect. The skim cup, which is amply sized btw, was about a 1/3rd full of the darkest skim I've ever pulled. This thing is a beast, couldn't be easier to set up, and dialed in like it was on auto control. I couldn't be more surprised and happier with this purchase!

So far so good. Working as advertised. Took me a minute to figure out how best to tune the skimmer but once I did it’s working great. The manufacture should have a site to show how best to tune it. I had to find it on a YouTube video. But again it works!!!

The media could not be loaded. Simplicity 240DC Protein SkimmerSummary:Well made, simple to assemble, and quick break-in period.Pros:* Well made. This unit feels substantial just pulling out of its packaging. Each individual component seems well made and made to fit. Only time will tell, but I think I made a good choice.* Quiet. While the unit will make a noticeable humming noise when the pump is cranked up (initial setting), it is basically silent when you tune the device to your environment. You're not likely to need the pump to be on max.* Proven design. This design isn't so revolutionary, really. This unit is efficient at generating the microbubbles and the funnel is good at providing a column for skimmate to travel.* Collection cup. The cup is large enough to collect for a while depending on how dry you want to run your skimmate. The cup also has a drain. Easy to remove and empty the whole cup, but I just use the drain and empty it into a large cup (for now).* Controller. The controller operates the DC pump. This allows you to step up or down the amount of water/air you want to be sucking in. This should be the first thing you tune because at MAX the other tuning options are the water level and air intake and they aren't as efficient if the pump speed isn't dialed in. You'll also likely spill lots of microbubbles into the sump that will cloudy up the display tank. Start at F5 and move down/up.Cons:* I can't think of any just yet. If something presents itself after more operation, I'll be sure to update my review.Wish:* A port in air intake to allow ozone attachment. This isn't a con, just a wish list item.Use:I overfeed my tank. I say over-feed because I'm sure I am by most standards. I use an Avast Marine Works automatic feeder to dispense food every hour for only a few seconds each feeding. This feeder keeps food suspended in the water column. This is great for the inhabitants because there is food always - and no aggression. The corals are also always pooping (the implication being that they're grabbing more than enough from the water column).The problem with my approach is that socks get dirtier much faster. This also means that nuisance algae and other undesirables pop up (as they did in my original tank). I bought this skimmer to remove excess dissolved organics from the water before they have a chance to break down and cause problems for my water quality.Because of my tank profile, my break-in period was about a day. This unit began producing a nice self-supporting foam immediately, but the skimmate was relatively clear due to the use of socks. After two days of occasionally tuning the pump, water level, and air intake, I could already see the type of dark skimmate I expected. After a few more days and I removed socks from the sump. This unit has exceeded my expectations. I've included a few pictures for reference. I received my unit on a Tuesday and the pictures are from just 6 days later.Note: My practice of over-feeding was carried over from my previous tank from which everything in this tank was transferred. In the AIO, I had an outbreak of algae that was annoying, but also expected since the only export options for me were incremental daily water changes and socks; and I only used socks intermittently to polish water. One thing I noticed with this skimmer is how much waste there is for algae sheets. I feed my naso and hippo tangs (Daffy and Gloria) pieces of nori sheets regularly and while they always look like they have devoured every morsel it is clear that they don't. I'll be dialing back on the feeding because it looks like the bits and pieces get stuck in the neck of the skimmer.

This is my 3rd skimmer, after struggling for months of constant over flowing with a bubble magus curve 7 elite I decided to give this skimmer a shot, im beyond happy with the performance. It started skimming the first day! Constant skimming and no need to adjust. It’s literally plug and skim!

Item arrived broken and in pieces box had huge hole in it that was taped up I will be returning the item

My Bubble Magus' impeller disintegrated after 2 years. This skimmer is built exactly the same as my old BM and many others, assume it's the same product from the same shop, just branded differently. This one had the best price and availability, so I got it last week. I don't understand why they ship it disassembled, it generates work and frustration for the customer and requires a larger box and more plastic packing to trash, seems like a lose-lose. Also, they don't supply tubing to drain the collection cup, you have to come up with it yourself. Finally, there is no mention about the operation of a motor controller in the attached instruction or online video. To their credit, customer service response was nearly instantaneous. Once up and running, the system seems to work as expected.

Don’t be fooled by the price these units are high quality in every way. Been using simplicity skimmers for the past 7 plus years and I won’t use any other skimmer. I have two dc120s and three dc240s. The 240s are nice and beefy super quite very powerful. Hard to believe you can get a big skimmer like the 240 rated up to 240 gallons for under 300 bux. The 120s are no slouch either. I plan on getting the massive dc800 for my 500 gallon build. Also a cool change some won’t know unless they been a fan for years like me but, these models are exactly the same but the controllers are much smaller and look much better. Been reefing for over 25 years and I’ve had all types of skimmers very high end down to your hang on backs and this has been the only brand of skimmers I’ve used the last 7. Awesome stuff price point is crazy good for what your getting.

The media could not be loaded. I only had it for about a month, it will take a few days before it gets used to the water but after that it works great