I hope you’ll agree when I say:
“A saltwater aquarium will not be complete if not installed a protein skimmer”
SO, what skimmer to applied in a reef tank? What best skimmer to buy?
That is why on this page I have shortlisted the top 10 of Best Protein Skimmers to buy in 2023.
Best Protein Skimmer 2023
Aquarium can be designed in various types. One of the most beautiful species is a saltwater aquarium. It is a kind of aquarium that is designed with sea view. Besides that, the fish also belongs to sea fish. Of course, you should also apply salt water. This aquarium should always be kept well so that the water and fish will always be healthy by removing the dissolved organic compound. To realize it, you need to skim it. There are many skimmers available in the market. If you are excited about looking for a product for your saltwater aquarium, here are the most recommended ideas of the best protein skimmer to buy.
What is a protein skimmer?
Before going to purchase one, you should know basic of this tool. A protein skimmer is a piece of aquarium supplies that make your reef aquarium water purifies. Skimming work by some process called foam fractionation, which is the process of creation of a bubble. Gunk in the aquarium water trapped in the bubble and will be brought into a particular container, then be removed to maintain the cleanliness of the salt water.
This tool is perfect that combines thermodynamics and engineering. Many organic gunks hanging in the water column do not like being in the water, the gunk prefers being close to the surface of the water.
Which One Is The Best Protein Skimmer You Can Buy Right Now?
Choosing the best skimmer it does not matter if you have a lot of budgets, however, I still recommend reading the complete guide. The more money you invest, the more features and durability you get.
But if you are having money issues, of course, it is not going to be easy for you.
Below is the table that shows the top 10 protein skimmers 2023 in the market you can use for your reef aquarium. Each and every skimmer is chosen by our specialist reviewers.
Even though, in the middle of 2023 new products with the latest tech will be available. But we believe these skimmer lists below will still dominate the market and still be the Best Protein Skimmer 2023.
Protein Skimmer | Features | Go to store |
---|---|---|
CoralVue Classic BH-1000 Reef OctopusType: Hang on back skimmer
| View on Amazon | |
SCA Aquarium SCA-302Type: In-Sump skimmer
| View on Amazon | |
Bubble Magus Curve 5Type: In-Sump skimmer
| View on Amazon | |
Tunze Comline DOC 9001Type: In-Sump skimmer
| View on Amazon | |
AquaMaxx HOB-1Type: Hang on back skimmer
| View on Amazon | |
Bubble Magus Curve 7Type: In-Sump skimmer
| View on Amazon | |
Coral Vue Technology AC20284Type: In-Sump skimmer
| View on Amazon | |
AquaC Remora-SType: Hang-On skimmer
| View on Amazon | |
Coral VueClassic BH-2000Type: Hang-On skimmer
| View on Amazon | |
Coralife Super SkimmerType: Hang-On skimmer
| View on Amazon |
1. CoralVue Classic BH-1000
Comes with hob protein skimmer model, CoralVue Classic 1000 can be considered as the best skimmer that you can choose. With hang on use, it is very simple and easy to use. Besides that, it is also very friendly. Besides, BH1000 is very ideal for a saltwater aquarium with up to 100 gallons. However, the medium saltwater aquariums up to 60 gallons of capacity will also be appropriate for this product. So, if your aquarium volume is in these ranges, buying this product will be a good decision.
Based on the performance, Classic 1000 complete with Reef Octopus Aquatrance 1000s pump. This entry level is very ideal for a product to use. Besides that, if you pay attention to the pump included, it is externally mounted. So, this product will sit inside the reef aquarium you have. This position is very good and affects the skimming process to get the better result. Anyway, it can be considered as one of the most recommended ideas as the hang on back protein skimmer.
- This skimmer worked great and very quiet for a hob protein skimmer.
- The skimmer worked great to pulls out a lot of gunk.
- The cup is pretty large, so that cuts down on chances of accidents.
- The installation is easy and doesn’t take more than 10 minutes.
- The discharge cup is easy to remove and empty.
- Poor INSTRUCTIONS packed you might have trouble putting this together, but you can watch the video on youtube.
2. SCA-302 180 Gallon – Best protein skimmer in 2016
This is one of the newest products available in the market today. Of course, it comes with the better offers. Based on the design, it has a compact size. The size is excellent for a new model of protein skimmers. It also makes this product fit for most sumps. Besides that, it also comes with extra wide of collection cup with standard quality. Anyway, this a great feature. It is also designed with laser cut that functions for the seamless assembly. Overall, it is very satisfying and reasonable to be considered as one of the best quality skimmers.
To support in skimming the salt water of your aquarium, SCA-302 is completed with Atman 2000 pump of needle impeller pump. So, the performance is very good. The result is also very satisfying so that the water will be kept away from the dissolved organic compound. Besides, this best protein skimmer also works with up to 180 gallons. Of course, it is appropriate for your marine aquarium even though it has a great capacity. Considering with benefits above, SCA-302 its recommended.
- Awesome cheap skimmer and does the job as it should be.
- Solid construction and excellent performance.
- The pump is super quiet and produces tons of micro bubbles.
- Skims the water really well and takes a small footprint compared to similar skimmer products.
- The Assembly Instructions are poor. Just go online, watch youtube video of the setup, and you’re ready to go.
3. Bubble Magus Curve 5
There are many reasons why you should choose this product. Simple design and very easy to use, just need 15 minutes to set up. Therefore, everyone in your family can use it freely if you are too busy to skim your saltwater aquarium. Besides that, this product is also very sturdy because it is made from thick acrylic. This thick acrylic makes it very durable. So, you should not be doubt of the durability. That is why many people love Bubble Magus Curve 5.
For the performance, it is rated for 140 g that makes it able to handle about 70 up to 80. This makes it very efficient in skimming your saltwater tank. For the efficiency, you do not need to be doubted because it comes with an 8w pump. With the more efficient skimming, the result will also be better. Also, it comes with a small footprint that makes your saltwater aquarium perfectly versatile. Overall, the result shows everything and everyone who has proved it very satisfied. Therefore, it can be considered as one of the ideas of the best choice protein skimmer.
- Skims out a lot of gunk, produces good bubbles and a nice amount of skimmate.
- It is easy adjustment and almost silently when running.
- More efficient with an 8w pump.
- Small footprints make it incredibly multipurpose.
- You just need 15 minutes to set up and started producing skim almost immediately.
- While there may be nothing wrong with the unit in general, in a few cases you need to clean the cup often.
4. Tunze Comline DOC 9001
Comline DOC Tunze 9001 can also be a good choice for skimming your saltwater aquarium. It has a compact size so that the construction is very sturdy. This solid construction makes it very durable. You can also use and clean it quickly. This easy maintenance makes many people interested in it. Besides, it can also be used manually. It depends on your desire. Many hobbyists have proved that their saltwater aquarium becomes very clean with healthy fish. Therefore, it is a good decision if you buy this fish tank skimmer.
One of the benefits that you will get if you skim your reef aquarium using this product is that it is very energy efficient. Of course, it will affect the cost overall depending on how often you use it. Anyway, energy efficiency becomes one of the best benefits of this product. If you buy Tunze 9001, you will also get some features. It includes magnet mount. This feature is very useful for the skimming process. Considering all the benefits it offers, it is very reasonable that it belongs to the best compact protein skimmer recommended for you.
- It’s good for skimming small or nano tank.
- Easy to assembly, it took only a few minutes to setup.
- The skimmate cup is easy to clean.
- Works perfect and producing a good amount of bubble and skimmate with the right semi-wet consistency.
- It is an efficient and fairly silent skimmer with air pump technology.
- It seems sturdy and well built.
- Collection cup doesn’t stay on, and inner plate continuously pushes up.
- Some buyer issues were keeping the water level and with the magnets as it is easy to break.
5. AquaMaxx HOB-1 Hang-On-Back – Powerful hang on protein skimmer
This product comes with 7.5” x 3.5” x 17” of dimensions. This size is ideal as a skimmer. So, you can use it comfortably. With this volume, it offers ¾ inches of outlet size. It is also light in weight so that you can move it from one place to another. For the feature, the features come completely to support in the skimming process. One of them is the pump. The pump included in this product is Sicce Syncra 1.5. Anyway, all the standard features are available for this excellent product.
Talking about the performance, it relates to the power consumption. The power consumption needed for the pump is 11 watts. With this power, it can skim your saltwater aquarium satisfyingly. It is also not too high so that you can minimize the cost needed to spend. Lastly, you should also know the volume rating. This product is able to remove the dissolved organic compound for a salt aquarium with about 50 up to 75-gallon capacity. Even though the price is high enough, AquaMaxx HOB-1 still becomes one of the most favorite options. So, it can be said that it belongs to the best hob protein skimmer.
- Looks like a quality piece of equipment.
- Easy to set up also very easy to clean when needed.
- Compact design.
- Pretty quiet, work properly and great job of producing bubbles.
- After only running for a few hrs is already starting to collect skimmate.
- Not silent but quiet enough.
- Poor manual instructions.
6. Bubble Magus Curve 7
Curve 7 is well known with its powerful pump. It comes with ROCK – SP2000 pump that can provide the excellent performance. So, the skimming process will be maximal, and the result of removing dissolved organic compound will be clearer. Besides that, it also has an excellent capability. The capacity offered is about from 500 L up to 870 L or 130 g up to 230 g. Anyway, the two benefits above become important considerations for the hobbyists to buy this powerful skimmer.
You will be amazed by the pump power it offers. It provides 16 W, 220 V 50 Hz / 110 V 60 Hz. With this pump power, it can be considered as one of the most powerful product available today. For the air intake, it offers 520 L/H. Then, the water level of this product is about 9.5 inches up to 11 inches. That is all the specs of this product. From what it offers, it is reasonable that many owners say that it is considered as the top protein skimmer.
- Easy assembly and set-up with the help of youtube videos.
- This skimmer works well in 9o gallon tank.
- Comes completely apart for easy cleaning.
- The footprint isn’t too big compared to most skimmers.
- Comes with a drain tube for the collection cup.
- Adjusting the airflow is super easy. No more overflows.
- And it’s quiet! No sucking noise from the air intake.
- The instructions are difficult to understand, but it can be solved with a youtube video.
- There are some buyers have trouble with the air inlet where is entirely too close to the lid, which has holes in it for overflows.
7. Coral Vue AC20284 Octopus Skimmer 100-Gallon
It can be the next recommended idea for your product. This product comes with 4 inches of wheel product. This product will be best used to remove the dissolved organic compound for a saltwater aquarium with 100 gallons of capacity. It shows that the performance is very good and it is also efficient. It is also featured with newest pinwheel impellers. This sophisticated feature is able to generate up to 100 percent of increased performance. So, you should not be doubt of the performance provided by this advanced product.
Still related to the performance, this product comes with reef octopus needle wheel or pinwheel skimmers. This feature will give the high performance in skimming your marine aquarium clearly. Besides that, it does not only provide the high performance but also makes it easy to use. So, you can ask anyone at home to skim the saltwater aquarium easily. This simple use makes many people attracted to this product. Overall, it gives the satisfying offers. That is why everyone will agree to say that it becomes the best protein skimmer recommended for you who have a saltwater aquarium.
- Easy to setup and doesn’t expect much instructions from the manufacturer.
- Gate valve allows for easy to adjust the bubble level in the skimmer.
- The build is of high quality, as it uses durable plastic for its construction.
- Easy cleaning with quick-release neck.
- The skimmer is almost quiet.
- The sound of water hitting is pretty loud.
8. AquaC Remora-S Cobalt 1200 Pump
If you are looking for a protein skimmer with hang on use, this can be a right choice for you. However, it is only for hang on use. So, you have no option in using this product. This salt water skimmer will be best used for an aquarium with up to 75 gallons of capacity. This is an ideal use for most skimmers needed and available today. You should also not need to buy the pump separately because it includes a Cobalt 1200 pump. Anyway, this saltwater aquarium skimmer is recommended so much for you.
The most recommended pump is Cobalt 1200 pump. However, you can also replace it with other kinds of the pump. For example, Maxi-Jet 1200 pump is also recommended for this product. It also applies Pre-Filter box. This feature will improve powerful the product efficiency. So, it will be much more efficient. Lastly, this AquaC Remora-S comes with a high flow injector, drain fitting, and larger collection cup. Anyway, it can be considered as the best saltwater aquarium skimmer that you should prioritize to buy.
- This is the best hang-on-back protein skimmer for a small to medium sized aquarium.
- It’s very quiet; break-in period only lasted 3 days, and it started pulling dark skimmate.
- It’s easy to set up even with the poor instructions.
- The skimming is good and it will remove a lot of gunk.
- The AquaC Remora-S produces skimmate like a larger in-sump unit and perfects if you don’t have the room for a sump.
- Some user said at the highest setting this skimmer will only skim very wet.
- Design flaw in the inlet assembly, the apparent lack of quality control.
- Fairly difficult to adjust.
9. CoralVue Classic BH2000 125-Gallon
Still, come with hang on model like Classic 1000, CoralVue BH2000 can be one of the most recommended options to choose. Starts from the design, it is made from high quality of acrylic. That is why it does look not only attractive but also is very durable. The acrylic material can also minimize the price so that it is more affordable. Besides that, it also has a good design and shape. It makes you easy to remove the pump. So, you can clean and maintain it more easily. That is why it is very useful on durability.
Many people bought this product, and they proved that it is satisfying to remove dissolved organic compound apparently so that your saltwater aquarium will always be clean and healthy for your fish. For the performance, it offers coral octopus pump. It is featured with external 2000 pumps as well as 200 gallons. Overall, this product is satisfying so that it can be considered as the best protein skimmer that you need to think.
- BH-2000 come with more advanced than previous models.
- This skimmer worked great and almost quiet for a hob protein skimmer.
- The discharge cup is easy to remove and empty.
- The pump is outside the unit, so it good new for a problem about heat to the water.
- The installation is easy and doesn’t take more time.
- Great HOB Skimmer for your bigger tanks.
- Quite noisy, both trickles of water noises and pump noise.
- Lack of a drain port from the collection cup, which means you need to take the cup out to do the cleaning.
10. Coralife Super Skimmer Needle Wheel
Base on my research that this Coralife Super Skimmer 65 will be excellent to remove the dissolved organic compound from the salt water tank, which will keep the good condition of the plant, fish, and others inside the reef aquarium.
This product is one of the great foam fractionator, which has the high performance and sleek design. The combination of the high performance and sleek design of it can be the reason why people need to choose it beside the other same products. In this skimmer, you will see the patented needle-wheel and aspirating venture, which will maximize the use of it. It is one of the great systems, which will optimize the expectation inside the aquarium in providing the clean and healthy aquarium.
This product also applies the wide neck collection cup. It is one of the superior and modern design of the skimmer. Easy to clean it, you will have the simple cleaning when they apply this product in their aquarium. The use of the double injection inlets is helpful to increase the bubble or the water contact time. Also implemented with Bubble diffuser to prevent the flow of micro-bubbles into the aquarium. and the most interesting is, Coralife Super Skimmer 65 can be used in sump or with hang on mounting bracket. This product will be excellent and suitable for the aquarium ranging in 65 gallons to 220 gallons.
- Good skimmer also good Value.
- Simple to setup
- The skimmer isn’t loud and almost quite.
- Started working instantly no work in time.
- Good dry/wet skimmer.
- This really is a great HOB skimmer. Just keep the water level constant and it can pull out some gunk.
- Large size for hang on back.
- Slightly difficult to remove the cup.
- The materials used crappy, jagged edges and all the original issues.
#My Pick
My choice here is the SCA-302, It is very powerful so that the performance will also be better. Many people have bought this one. The skimmer worked great to pulls out a lot of gunk and Super quiet with an excellent design. It’s just a lack of manual setup.
If the SCA-302 could not have chosen, the other option is Curve 5 or Aquamaxx HOB-1 for hang on back skimmer.
I hope both of these skimmers will still be the best choice and can be our Top best Skimmer of List 2023.
How to pick a good protein skimmer
Size
One of the most important factors when choosing the best protein skimmer is the size for the skimmer. Every skimmer is made for an individual size tank. Another factor is in design, material, pump size, etc. When you buy a protein skimmer that is size not suitable for your aquarium, you run the risk, and always fighting to keep nutrient levels down. I suggest considering purchasing a skimmer that has capacity a little bit higher than the size of your tank.
Price
You might spend as much money as you want on a protein skimmer. So ask yourself how much money do you want to pay and then do some research to try and find the best skimmer with your budget.
Every saltwater hobbyists have bought the protein skimmer. They use it to remove the dissolved organic compound. As the result, their reef aquarium is free from certain organic compounds, including proteins and amino acids found in food particles. So, the water is clean, and their saltwater fish can live healthily. It shows that the function of this aquarium supplies is undoubted. That is why it’s reasonable to be had.
Hopefully, this will be a good reference for you who are looking for a protein skimmer product. From the best ideas above, which product is most appropriate for your saltwater aquarium?
Titau says
I agree with the Aquamaxx. For me, the Aquamaxx Hob-1 series delivers the best hob skimmer for the buck.
Reef98 says
Hey, I’m currently using my SCA skimmer for over 3 years now with not finding any problem, and has consistently pulled great skimmate. For the relatively low amount it cost, it is a high-quality skimmer in my experience.
Hans says
I have the SCA-302 and it’s great. One thing I must to do is to clean the venturi air intake. Now running for a couple of weeks, and it’s doing a great job skimming my 75 gal tank.
Yanos says
How about review of skimmers like Aqua Medic, Aqua One, Tunze, Fluval and such. Not only American fish keepers read this article.
Aquabase says
Hi Yanos,
Thank you so much for your suggestion. Maybe next time I will review the products you suggest.
Cheers!