Protein Skimmer Power Rankings

Protein Skimmer Power Rankings - Every brand that we rated we have carried here at Reef2Land.com. Visit our Protein Skimmers section to see our full inventory. These ratings were established for every consumer's benefit based on many factors. This section was created because Skimmers are such a vital part of maintaining any successful saltwater aquarium.

We want to establish right off the bat that there is only one DEFINITIVE WINNER - Nyos when it comes to Protein Skimmers today. The import of nearly every brand to cut costs seems to have left a giant gap in the industry. One thing we deal with on a daily basis is calls or emails from many people thinking we're the manufacturer of any of these brands and we're not, we only sell them, and can handle most warranty claims. However, this does give us some good insight as to what issues people may be encountering. We don't immediately send them to the manufacturer. We talk to them because we see it as an opportunity to find out useful information when it comes to the experiences they are having (good or bad) with any of these brands.

There are some things that we considered when it came to our skimmer testing....

We realized over the years that not many aquarists have a backup skimmer or replacement parts just lying around. This is why we did some of the most in-depth testing and product research that we at Reef2Land have ever done. At our own expense, and without manufacturer knowledge, we purchased many different models from different brands. The reason we did this was to see how sturdy the bodies were; how well they performed under certain loads, how quiet they are, how efficient the pumps were, how reliable, etc.

We even found some used models from almost every brand to see how well they were still performing after being beaten up for a while.

We put most of them through scenarios that they usually wouldn't encounter based on their intended purpose. Such as being dropped from higher up, or having excess force applied to the skimmer body. There is a reason for doing this. Several key concerns with some skimmers, since they are acrylic, are things such as cracked collection cups due to over-tightening, volutes breaking off whenever the air/water mixture is adjusted, and possibly damaging parts during disassembly for maintenance. We never filed an actual warranty claim since the tests we conducted were all intentional.

One of the biggest things to us at Reef2Land is pump mounting; that plays a large role in how we rate skimmers. We simply believe that skimmers with the pumps mounted in the skimmer body perform better; it's personal experience. It also usually allows for the skimmer you purchase to be positioned, so it takes up less room in a sump, leaving excess room for additional equipment.

With every brand we carry we contacted these companies with some of our personal (or created) emails to see how they handled customers and how fast they responded. If the skimmer your purchase should have an issue, we know it's of great importance to rectify that issue for the health of your tank. We both called and emailed them with multiple scenarios to see how knowledgeable they were with their products, how fast they handled warranty issues, and how courteous they were to customers who may be new to the hobby. Was fun to go "The plastic round thingy on the side with the twisty thingy, it broke off." We also took into account dozens of customer reviews as we have sold a good amount of each brand we carry.

If any manufacturer reads this section and disagrees with anything, these are simply the experiences we had after dealing with the companies as private individuals and not as a company. If you would like us to test another one your skimmers, feel free to let us know. We are not biased towards any brand based on the monetary factor. That wouldn't help us as a store to try to push a product because the profits are higher. 

#1 Nyos Protein Skimmers

  • One (1) Year Warranty USA
  • Performance Level Rating: 9
  • Bang For Your Buck: 10
  • Construction and Reliability: 10
  • Customer Service and Warranty Issues: 9
  •  Our #1 Recommended Skimmer

The Nyos website it linked back to Germany or something, but they're actually distributed in the USA by Ecotech Marine. Most people already know Ecotech's reputation for being a well-established exceptional company. They respond to inquiries extremely fast via both phone and email.

One issue we ran into when it came to contacting them was we were informed that during some warranty issues a credit card actually gets held to ensure everything runs smoothly. The next was for price point. The prices on them for a skimmer with a 1-year warranty we think is a little high. But, there is room for a slight margin of error. When we called the company we got 5 different answers. 3 people told us that the warranty in the USA is only 1-year, but 2-years in the UK and Germany. 2 people told us the warranty is 2-years no matter where the skimmer is sold. Either way, no one seemed to really know. They should be ranked #1, but we couldn't seem to get solid answers about how long the warranty actually is or how the warranty issues are actually handled. The only thing for sure when it comes to Nyos skimmers is they perform exceptionally well and are backed by one of the best companies in the USA.

#2 Eshopps Protein Skimmers

  • Three (3) Year Warranties 
  • Performance Level Rating: 9
  • Bang For Your Buck: 9
  • Construction and Reliability: 8
  • Customer Service and Warranty Issues: 8

We actually hated to admit that Eshopps came in at #2 LOL But we just couldn't keep ignoring how great the quality is at such an affordable price. It's not often you see a "budget skimmer" that performs as well as some of the most expensive brands. Eshopps has become one of the most well known names in the industry over the last 15 year. As a company, one major factor to us is having a manufacturer handle warranty issues in an extremely fast and friendly manner. You can also contact us directly should you have any warranty issues. With having an extensive 3-year warranty, Eshopps really believes in the products the and you can tell by how well they stand behind them.

These skimmers performed exceptionally well under every single one of our load tests. The pumps were strong, silent, and efficient. The construction rivaled that of most of the more expensive brands which was shocking, but also what earned them a spot in the Top 5. If you don't decided on our Top Choice for skimmer or you are working with a slightly smaller budget, you can trust that Eshopps will keep your tank in the best condition to help ensure the health of all of your tank members. We think very highly of Eshopps after all of the testing that we have done.

#3 Simplicity Protein Skimmers

  • Two (2) years on Skimmer Body
  • One (1) year on Skimmer Pump
  • Performance Level Rating: 7
  • Bang For Your Buck: 8
  • Construction and Reliability: 6
  • Customer Service and Warranty Issues: 5

All the Simplicity models come with Digital Control pumps, so they're easy to adjust and can be tuned for multiple stocking situations. The things are built fairly well; they withstood a tremendous amount of abuse from our testing. The performance, when they are working, rivaled that of any of the other skimmers we tested that had a much higher price tag. 

Simplicity dropped in rankings from 2017 to 2019. Reason being is that we heard from a number of customers that it can be a little more complicated to get warranty issues rectified. Some people even reported receiving YouTube videos from the manufacturer on how to repair their skimmers themselves. Simplicity would be Top 2 if we heard more positive feedback from customers about their customer service.

#4 Reef Octopus Protein Skimmers

  • Two (2) year on Pump Body
  • One (1) year on Pump Rotor
  • One (1) year on Skimmer Body
  • Performance Level Rating: 9
  • Bang For Your Buck: 7
  • Construction and Reliability: 9
  • Customer Service and Warranty Issues: 8
  •  Best External Skimmer - Your Choice Aquatics

    Reef Octopus is and will always be a Top Protein Skimmer on the market. They make all of their own parts for skimmers. We have heard from customers both sides when it comes to warranty issues. Some people say it can take some time to get things rectified while others say they are extremely efficient. IF you have any issues with these Skimmers, you can contact us or we can provide the emails of some people who respond pretty damn quick.

    The pricing of the skimmers we believe to be a little high based on the capacity ratings. The Classic models are "beginner or intermediate" level skimmers. You can still use them regardless of how advanced you are in the hobby though. If you're ready to step up your game the Regal line takes the performance of the Classic line and adds the benefits and controllability of a DC pump. Then the Elite line takes that performance even one-step further by adding Varios pumps to each skimmer. The Elite line performs as well as many of the higher-end skimmers, such as Royal Exslusiv, at a fraction of the cost. 

    The only thing we don't really care for with this brand is there are so many different models for so many different applications. At Reef2Land we think that companies should have just a solid 3-5 skimmers that budget friendly and will perform well all around for any aquarium use. Reef Octopus skimmers all perform remarkably well, we just wish higher end models were a little easier to obtain for us hobbyists that don't make a ton of money.

    #5 Red Sea Reefer Protein Skimmers

    • One (1) year on Skimmer Body
    • One (1) year on Skimmer Pump
    • Performance Level Rating: 7
    • Bang For Your Buck: 8
    • Construction and Reliability: 7
    • Customer Service and Warranty Issues:8

      Red Sea protein skimmers joined the reef keeping hobby only recently with their RSK line of skimmers. These skimmers are equipped with a large air intake silencer and rubber vibration dampening parts to help ensure the smoothest and one of the most skimmers in the industry. The precision water level control allows for extremely accurate foam level adjustment. We studied and rated Red Sea because we had so many customers that wanted a more precise way to control the foam level inside of their skimmer. Each skimmer is also equipped with an exceptional quality PSK pump which is one of the most smooth running pumps we have ever tested.

      By now people know one of our top qualities is solid customer service that has numerous ways to get ahold of them. Visiting the Red Sea site you can call, email, or even reach out to them on social media. They actually respond rather quickly and very efficiently when it comes to taking care of a customer's needs. We see no reason Red Sea can't be a Top 5 skimmer when they are more established and have more reviews behind them. Well done Red Sea.

      #6 AquaMaxx Protein Skimmers

      • One (1) Year Warranty
      • Performance Level Rating: 10
      • Bang For Your Buck: 5
      • Construction and Reliability: 8
      • Customer Service and Warranty Issues: 5
      •  Best Hang-On Skimmer - AquaMaxx

      Now AquaMaxx was the HARDEST one for us to judge. Understand we LOVE these skimmers, but this is about what the customers are looking at. There's no doubt that these probably perform in the Top 3. If you look, the unique bubble plates have individual cones. These cones cause an EXTREMELY turbid skimmate that is focused right on the neck of the skimmer. Shorter neck + elongated bubble plate = superior performance. Problem with these is we heard a lot of different things when it came to talking to the distributor. Things such as sometimes parts must be returned for testing before they're replaced. That some of the parts have to be ordered. 

      Their website, there is no contact number, only an inquiry submission form. Using personal emails sometimes responses took days. While AquaMaxx may be a Top 3 performing skimmer, we do wish they were easier to contact, had longer warranties, and replaced parts quicker without as many hurdles in some situations. They would for sure be #1 if these things were rectified. From what we can tell they're also rebranded JNS Skimmers from overseas.

      #7 Royal Exclusiv Protein Skimmers

      • Two (2) Year Warranty On All Skimmers with the RD3 Pumps and One (1) Year Without
      • Performance Level Rating: 9
      • Bang For Your Buck: 5
      • Construction and Reliability: 8
      • Customer Service and Warranty Issues: 7

      Royal Exlcusiv was somewhat difficult for us to place. The price tag on these skimmers is amongst the highest here at Reef2Land.com. Normally we'd just drop something in this price range to the bottom; unless there are ample reasons not to. Royal Exclusiv has a lot of features that we can't ignore. The performance of Royal Exclusiv Skimmers is most certainly one of the best we have tested. The customer service, both phone, and email, is top 2; responses are remarkably fast. This company really stands behind the skimmers they manufacture. 

      For those looking for the lowest noise operation, Royal Exclusiv we would consider top 2. For hobbyists that want to make sure they're getting an energy efficient skimmer, Royal Exclusiv we would consider top 2. And for those who place an emphasis on construction, Royal Exclusiv we would consider top 2. Their skimmers use Titanium hardware, have very sturdy PVC tubing, and Heavy-Duty acrylic construction. All in all Royal Exclusiv is certainly worth the money based on the testing we have done. 

        #8 Skimz Protein Skimmers

        • Two (2) years on Skimmer Body
        • One (1) year on Skimmer Pump
        • Performance Level Rating: 7
        • Bang For Your Buck: 8
        • Construction and Reliability: 5
        • Customer Service and Warranty Issues: 8

        One bonus of Skimz Skimmers is they come with Italian Made Sicce Pumps. Sicce Pumps are well-known for being quiet and lasting a freaking long time. One great thing about Skimz is people may try to visit their website and notice it's in Singapore, but the company that handles the warranty issues is right here in the USA. They are incredibly fast when it comes to getting replacement parts out if something goes wrong with your skimmer.

        The thing we deal with most when it comes to their skimmers, that caused us to drop them in the standings, is nearly half the Skimz skimmers we sell end up with a complaint. Whether the volutes are snapping off in shipping, air-intake lines aren't working, parts are cracking, pumps are frying, or anything else we hear about, it seems that they perform almost as well as any other skimmer, but are not exactly the best skimmers when it comes to reliability and construction. 

        #9 Aqua Excel Protein Skimmers

        • One (1) Year Warranty
        • Performance Level Rating: 7
        • Bang For Your Buck: 5
        • Construction and Reliability: 4
        • Customer Service and Warranty Issues: 4

        Aqua Excel was actually pretty shocking to us coming in at Top 10. They're a little known brand, but have a very appealing design and solid performance. They would be rated higher if the company was more established and had more of a proven track record. We did at one time sell a fair amount of these, but similar to Skimz it seemed like half of them had some sort of construction issue. Most customers would also inform us that it was rather difficult to get ahold of the USA distributor for them. If these issues are rectified we don't see why Aqua Excel Skimmers wouldn't be Top 3. When it comes to Warranty issues you can contact Ming Trading LLC in Chicago, IL. 

        • One (1) year on Skimmer Body
        • One (1) year on Skimmer Pump Motor
        • Six (6) month on Needle Wheel Impeller
        • No Warranty on Ceramic Shaft
        • Performance Level Rating: 5
        • Bang For Your Buck: 4
        • Construction and Reliability: 3
        • Customer Service and Warranty Issues: 2

        Bubble Magus is REALLY a skimmer that is hard, if not impossible, to rate. We hear from most customers that you can either have an amazing experience with these skimmers or a not so amazing experience. One reason that Bubble Magus is at the bottom is we hear from a larger number of customers that it can be pretty hard to deal with the company in general when it comes to warranty issues. If you dial the warranty provider at 714-528-7700, most people get a fax machine tone. There is so much diversity when it comes to the warranty on a skimmer and we believe that a skimmer should have a single warranty. The bubble Magus warranty reads...

        • Skimmer parts, acrylic body, skimmer base, acrylic collection cup and cup lid are warranty for 1 year.
        • Skimmer pump motor is warranty for 1 year
        • Needle Wheel Impeller is warranty for 6 months
        • There is no warranty for Ceramic Shaft

        Bubble Magus is a skimmer company that we have had exceptional luck with in the past, but this is more about customer feedback that we receive from dozens of sources. If Bubble Magus develops a more solid warranty structure and responds to customer issues faster we see no reason they couldn't be in the Top Two for skimmers. We did run into problems with the pumps on them as well. They seem to clog really easy and usually need to be maintained more than most other skimmers that we carry. They still perform somewhat solid or else we wouldn't rate or carry them.