When it comes to protein skimmers, you do not want to go cheap. This is perhaps the single most important piece of equipment we have as salt water aquarists. There are many skimmers from which to choose, but there are a lot of poorly made versions on the market, and if you purchase the least expensive one I can almost guarantee you will be disappointed and end up leaving the hobby or purchasing a better skimmer.
The Reef Octopus Skimmer line of protein skimmers is large enough that there is a version of these quality units that will suit any size tank you have. The smallest model, which can handle the load of a 100 gallon tank, up to the largest Reef Octopus Extreme skimmer that can handle tanks up to 400 gallons. Depending on the size unit you need, your skimmer will be powered by from 1 pump up to 3, and they are included with your purchase of a Reef Octopus.
A protein skimmer works by taking water from your tank and pumping air into it to create millions of extremely small bubbles. The main chamber of the skimmer fills with these bubbles, and as water passes through the bubbles carry tiny particles of debris to the top and deposit them into the catch cup at the top of the skimmer.
The reviews on the Reef Octopus are surprisingly positive. It is not surprising that they are positive, just that it is almost impossible to find a review that is not a positive one. Users rave about the quality of the construction and the overall comparisons to other skimmers are equally positive. Priced lower than many competitors, many people are left trying to figure out what the catch is. Well, there is no catch. This really is a high quality line of protein skimmers that is available at very reasonable prices.
Since purchasing a skimmer is one of the most important things you will do in setting up your marine aquarium, it is important to take your time and make a wise choice. For this reason, you should seek out as many protein skimmer reviews as possible, as these will be your best source of complete information on any given type of skimmer.