Read the many customer Testimonials, many of which list other skimmers that did not work as well as the Lifereef

One of the easiest to set up and maintain than any other skimmer, guaranteed! No other skimmer design has been around for 20 years with as much customer satisfaction as ours. This skimmer does not need the weekly take-apart maintenance nor daily maintenance/adjustments that other skimmers require in order to keep working. The only part that needs cleaning on this skimmer is the collection cup and neck. Only one adjustment, not numerous, as other skimmers have.

Click on thumbnails for close-up details, text notes, and fantastic workmanship!

VS2 and VS3 difference: VS3 skimmers utilize a flange top body for interior access. However, rarely does the skimmer body need to be cleaned since this area is "wet" there is no sludge build-up as in downdraft style and similar skimmers utilizing a wet "box" area under the bubble uplift column. In other words a Lifereef skimmer body will remain free of sludge buildup and not need cleaning every week as in all other skimmers with flange assemblys.
All skimmers utilize a Self-Cleaning Venturi! No salt clogging, ever!	Model Number	For aquariums up to	Pump Size (all skimmers come with a pump)	Footprint (inches)	Special Notes All skimmers are ozone safe. All skimmers come with a water pump, fittings, tubing, and clamps.
	VS2-24 (22 1/2" tall)	250 gallons	600-900 gph	7 x 18 with pump	The "original" that has been around longer than any other venturi protein skimmer. The test of time has proven this skimmer to be very efficient and the least amount of maintenance of ANY skimmer on the market!
	SVS2-24 In-sump (22 1/2" tall)	250 gallons	600-900 gph submersible pump	SMALL FOOTPRINT! 8 x 12 with pump	Small footprint and no micro-bubble problems make this in-sump skimmer one of the easiest to set up and you won't require a special sump to use it.
	HVS2-24 Hang-on tank (22 1/2" tall) Left and middle skimmer are the HVS2-24	250 gallons	600-900 gph submersible pump	Takes 6 1/2" of aquarium rim, needs 7" space behind tank, and extends 17" above tank rim.	You can hang this skimmer on the rim in three different directions. Skimmer can be removed from the bracket for in-sump or stand-alone sump connection should you move to a sump setup. Don't have the space behind the aquarium? Hang this skimmer on the front or side for a few days to remove protein then take it off until the next week. Much more efficient than any of the small "toy" hang-ons.
	VS3-24 (22 1/2" tall)	250 gallons	600-900 gph	9 x 12 6 1/2 square base	Flange design utilizes a full-face gasket and 8 nylon thumbscrews with keyhole for easy on/off access. The ONLY reason to use a flange skimmer in a Lifereef design is for cleaning small sponges, tubeworms, etc. out of the main body. Sludge will never build up in the skimmer body as it does in downdrafts and nozzle injection skimmers, which must be taken down regularly to keep them working.
	SVS3-24 In-sump (22 1/2" tall)	250 gallons	600-900 gph submersible pump	9 x 12 6 1/2 square base	Flange design utilizes a full-face gasket and 8 nylon thumbscrews with keyhole for easy on/off access. The ONLY reason to use a flange skimmer in a Lifereef design is for cleaning small sponges, tubeworms, etc. out of the main body. Sludge will never build up in the skimmer body as it does in downdrafts and nozzle injection skimmers, which must be taken down regularly to keep them working.
	HVS3-24 Hang-on tank (22 1/2" tall) Right skimmer is the HVS3-24	250- gallons	600-900 gph sumbersible pump	Takes 6 1/2" of aquarium rim, needs 8" space behind tank, and extends 17" above tank rim.	You can hang this skimmer on the rim in three different directions. Skimmer can be removed from the bracket for in-sump or stand-alone sump connection should you move to a sump setup. Don't have the space behind the aquarium? Hang this skimmer on the front or side for a few days to remove protein then take it off until the next week. Much more efficient than any of the small "toy" hang-ons.
	VS3-30 (30" tall)	350 gallons	900-1200 gph	9 x 12 6 1/2 square base	Can also be used in-sump
	VS3-36 (36" tall)	400 gallons	1200-1500 gph	9 x 12 6 1/2 square base	Can also be used in-sump
	VS3-48 (4 feet tall)	500 gallons	1200-1500 gph	12 x 19 or 12 x 12 if the Mazzei venturi is mounted vertically off the pump.	This 4 foot tall skimmer can be converted to a taller model with the addition of an extension. Can be installed in the following setups: Conventional Counter-current Re-Circulation/Co-current Re-Circulation/Counter-Current
	VS3-60 (5 feet tall)	700 gallons	1200-2500 gph	12 x 19 or 12 x 12 if the Mazzei venturi is mounted vertically off the pump.	This 5 foot tall skimmer can be converted to a taller model with the addition of an extension. Can be installed in the following setups: Conventional Counter-current Re-Circulation/Co-current Re-Circulation/Counter-Current
	VS3-72 (6 feet tall)	1500 gallons+	1200-2500 gph	12 x 19 or 12 x 12 if the Mazzei venturi is mounted vertically off the pump.	This skimmer is awesome! Standing a full 6 feet tall this skimmer is sure to beat all skimmers! Contact time is fantastic! Have you forgotten about contact time and how it relates to skimming efficiency? Can be installed in the following setups: Conventional Counter-current Re-Circulation/Co-current Re-Circulation/Counter-Current

Unlike the majority of protein skimmers on the market that need the entire skimmer body cleaned (and why they have flange assemblys) the Lifereef skimmers do not need a body cleaning. The ONLY component needing cleaning is the collection cup.

Read the information below BEFORE making a decision about protein skimmers, and then read it again when you make a different purchase other than a Lifereef and you will see that this information is true.

The Lifereef protein skimmers were designed about 18 years ago and are still produced today because of their superb performance, and best of all low maintenance and consistent operation. Again, LOW maintenance and consistent operation.

We listen to the complaints of those that have other skimmers and try not to make the same mistakes, or build the same skimmers. We have done this, 18 years ago.

There are good reasons why we don't make needle-wheels, Becketts, downdrafts, pseudo-downdrafts, special "nozzle" injectors, or anything else that does not use a venturi. Note: all these skimmers work but at the cost of constant maintenance or adjustments, noise, special add-ons like waste collectors, bubble traps, etc. In fact many skimmer companies have so many issues with their protein skimmers that they have a website to deal with these problems, they don't want to talk to you.

Needle-Wheels: Can be noisy due to vibration and rigid mounting to skimmer body. Can be more noisy due to air cavitation since the air is introduced before the pump, and the pump needle-wheel beats the air into bubbles. Less friendly to plankton and copepods since the needle-wheel acts like a blender, unlike standard pump impellers that simply move "pockets" of water through the pump, something to think about if using a refugium. And something else to consider is the proprietary pump which means no other pump can be used on this type of skimmer. Lifereef skimmers can use any pump as long as the minimum gph is maintained.

Becketts Venturis: The Becketts is nothing more than a big venturi. It must be housed in its own chamber to prevent water from spraying all over and stop the loud sucking noise, add another air valve to fiddle with and you now have three adjustments you have to get in harmony: water in, air in, water out. And if you tweak one you have to tweak the others. The Lifereef skimmers have only one adjustment, a gate valve.

Nozzle Injection: Think of putting your thumb over the end of a garden hose and spraying water into a bucket, that's how nozzle injection skimmers work. Problems: the nozzle gets caked with salt requiring you to clean it (some even include a special cleaning tool) and a port on the nozzle so you can clean the salt, noise due to the high-velocity water hitting the surface of the water in the skimmer, very narrow adjustment range as the nozzle is either submersed or too far away from the nozzle to generate the microbubbles. Black box at bottom keeps you from seeing the water level needed for proper operation.

Conventional Venturis: These are any other venturi skimmer on the market and not the Lifereef venturis: Problems: Constant salt clogging which causes erratic skimmer performance and constant cleaning of the venturi. Noise, due to the venturi orifice sucking in air it makes a whistling or a sucking noise. Collection cup flooding due to erratic performance, due to venturi clogging, your cup can overflow. The Lifereef skimmers utilize a self-cleaning venturi which means your skimmer will perform more consistent, SILENT, never need the venturi cleaned of salt, and no collection cup flooding.

Downdrafts: Now here is a very misunderstood area in design, function, and problems. The majority of downdraft designs can be identified by a closed box (or wet box) at the bottom of the skimmer and a large diameter uplift or "dry" column, and a water/air delivery of many different types. These skimmers may utilize for their air delivery a special spray nozzle, a Becketts venturi, a regular nozzle with a bio-ball column to break up the water stream into bubbles, or even a standard venturi with a larger water throughput. Problems, lots: Noise due to high-speed air being ingested into the column or shot onto the waters surface or onto the bio-balls. This design is difficult to trap and retain all the microbubbles in such a short closed box. Larger diameter uplift column requires a much stronger (gph) water pump, more water must be processed because the uplift columns are so short that contact time is reduced, and these types of skimmers REQUIRE a weekly take-down to clean the uplift column of sludge or the skimmer won't work. And one last but very important issue: Skimmer sensitivity....... This means that these types of skimmers are extremely sensitive to water quality and air quality. You would think that you would want a skimmer that is sensitive to water quality but you don't because these skimmers are actually working less time compared to venturi types. The reason is that because these skimmers are processing so much water, along with large volumes of air, that any minor water quality change will cause the skimmer to STOP FOAMING. A good example is when you put your hand in the aquarium or sump, and who hasn't done that at least once a day. This minor activity will change the water surface tension just enough (due to body oil) that these skimmers will STOP FOAMING for hours, and sometimes days, before they resume "normal" skimming. And there are many other products that the average hobbyist adds to the aquarium water that can make these skimmers either stop working, or, foam so much that they can't be run for awhile. And air quality? Being that these skimmers injest large volumes of air means that if you are cooking anything greasy like bacon, steak, hamburgers, hotdogs, hashbrowns, etc. that this grease molecule will get sucked into the skimmer and cause it to STOP FOAMING! It may sound funny but lots of customers don't even think of this and can't figure out why their skimmers aren't working, neither can the manufacturer!

Multi-Pump Designs: Can be any kind of skimmer but usually larger column diameters requiring lots of air because of the large diameter. Same problems as downdrafts, lots of air and lots of water means a very sensitive skimmer, and lots of power-hungry pumps and lots of heat.

Special Waste Collectors: When the first downdraft was introduced it did not come with a waste collector. It was about a year later that one was introduced because these skimmers were, and still are, unpredictable and can dump lots of water and if you are dumping into a bucket you would have a flood. So, a special waste collector was needed to prevent the skimmer from flooding. The "collection cups" on these skimmers cannot be used for collecting anything, they just divert the waste into another container, and it better be a waste collector designed to prevent the skimmer from flooding. If you plug the drain line on a downdraft design the skimmer won't function. If a skimmer company offers a special waste collector it is of the "down-draft or "pseudo-downdraft design. Lifereef skimmers have a collection cup that actually collects waste and rarely floods due to the way it is designed.

The Lifereef skimmers have NONE of the above issues and have the following POSITIVE benefits:

NO VENTURI (or injector nozzle) SALT CLOGGING, EVER! our skimmer utilizes a self-cleaning venturi setup!
SILENT OPERATION, NO venturi (or pressure jet or injector nozzle) suction noise at all!
NO EXCESS BUBBLES in your sump! The Lifereef design criteria was to specifically retain the bubbles within the reaction column where they belong.
NO constant adjustments, the self-cleaning venturi prevents water level fluctuations.
NO cup overflow, the self-cleaning venturi prevents the cup from overflowing.
NO special waste collector required, our cup is a collection cup, not a diverter cup.
NO "humming" or vibration noise as in needle-wheel designs or hard-mount pumps on the skimmer body.
NO SPECIAL SETUP requirements such as having to raise the skimmer.
NO ERRATIC PERFORMANCE, the self-cleaning venturi maintains a stable water level.
NO EXCESSIVE pipe, contraptions, or "air sucking devices" hanging or attached to the skimmer
NO AGGRESSIVE OR HARSH skimming as in downdrafts, high-speed aeration, nozzle injectors or Becketts.
NO PLANKTON killing as like needle-wheels
NO proprietary pumps as in needle-wheels. Many pump brands can be used.
NO MAINTENANCE except emptying the cup!

And "yes" the Lifereef skimmers can be used with ozone!

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