Comments: As a skimmer goes, I'm no expert. Fortunately my friends are. I chose this skimmer because of the positive reviews and recommendations from friends in THIS PRICE POINT. There are absolutely better skimmers in higher price ranges.
<br />
<br />PROS:
<br />Firstly, I don't know why someone would say construction is questionable. All the pieces feel of good quality except for the return plumbing which uses thin PVC.
<br />
<br />Drain fitting. If you travel or don't want to do daily maintenance this is fantastic and isn't always standard on skimmers
<br />
<br />It comes with adapters from metric to 1 1/4" PVC for the return.
<br />
<br />The skimmer is quiet. Much quieter than my aquaC Remora which with a silent pump still sounded like a jet engine.
<br />
<br />CONS:
<br />
<br />The Hailea pumps aren't very good. I was warned this was the weak link in they system. It is very loud. I was told it would break in over time but in my experience with 10 or 20 different pumps that if something starts at very loud you'll be lucky if it breaks in to just loud. Since I had to glue the PVC together or face water everywhere, my only option is to try and get coralvue to send me a new pump (and pray it is quieter) or upgrade to a bubble blaster 1000 which will increase skimmer output but also gets B ratings. It will also increase the cost of the skimmer by $200 too.

Comments: I've owned 5 skimmers over the years. ASM to Euro-Reef. This thing is as cheaply made as any but works better than 1/2 of what I have owned.Good value but an obvious value item. Pumps are not anywhere near top of the line but not bad. It seems the parts are kind of thrown together in order to assemble this unit. Its metric so it is a hassle to assemble in terms of any extra plumbing that needs to be done..All that said, it can skim and it does that well. Its a little freaky until it breaks in but, after a day or two, it gets the job done. Not bad but a hassle to set up and confidence level regarding long term viability is so so.

Comments: Despite it being metric size fittings its still an easy external unit to hook up. I went with the recirculating 6 and plumbed it 6 feet away from the sump. It is rated for 180 gallons and on my 125 FOWLR tank it is actually a bit oversized. Very quiet and Can handle 500 gallons per hour easy. Plenty of bubbles. This unit is very comparable to higher end skimmers but at a working mans price. Very little break in period if any.

Comments: This skimmer has got to be the best in its price range. If you plan to buy a skimmer for about 200 bucks,get this one. I have it set up as an external unit. The return plumbing does require pvc glue at each slip union to prevent leaks. The unit comes with enough pipe to reach a sump about 2 ft away. I've got to check for bubbles in the skimmer to make sure its on because I cant hear it running.(very quiet)Im only pushing 220gph through it. No micro bubbles returning to the tank. This is a very solid,well built skimmer. It took 2 days to start collecting skimmate with it adjusted on the lowest suggested water level mark. Easy to set for dry chunky,moist sludge,or wet tea skimmate. Stop searching the web for a $200.00 skimmer that can out perform the reef octo 4. Your not going to find one.

Comments: This is a wonderful add to my tank. It is external, very quiet, and best of all it works. Easy to set up and comes with a great External Pump and a lot of piping but don

Comments: The protein skimmer is a beast, It does the job.The protein skimmer along with a g300 needle wheel pump as a feed pump and I have all the micro bubbles that I can want. all this on a 65 gallon tank. The only reason I did not give it five stars is It is a bit loud,where the air intake is but I can live with it.

Comments: Plugged two of these in parallel into a 300G setup and they scrub an incredible amount of waste. The built-in effluent tube is also wonderful - saves daily emptying of the collection cup. I actually bought some additional tubing and plumbed it straight into a drain pipe from my sink. No emptying of the collection cup ever! woohoo! Creates an incredible amount of VERY tiny bubbles and skims an incredible amount of waste without overflowing and wasting valuable aquarium water. This is a definite buy.

Comments: Not sure what the other reviewers heard but the pump is loud - you can easily hear the buzzing, and that is a great disappointment

Comments: This skimmer kicks some serious skimmate right out of the box! No break in time what so ever.

Comments: Love this unit, Reef Octopus 4 (125Gal) Recirculating Protein Skimmer. It pulls more crud out of my tank in 2 days than my other skimmer would pull in a week. Also for an external unit it is extremely quiet, I can't hear it at all. Installation is a breeze and dialing it in with the feed pump is just as easy. For the price this is a superior skimmer. No complaints at all.

Comments: i have seen on here a man being picked on becaause he said his pump was loud, i bought the dual and 1 pump is silent and the other keeps me awake at night. i have tried doing different things with this pump to no reguard. im disappointed by the fact i ordered the dual 600 and recieved a different model to begin with. the skimmer as a cleaning machine would seem to work very well if i could keep it on for extended periods. the pump tend to get very warm and my tank temp reflects it.

Comments: i think it is a very good product i have a 400 gallon reef tank fully stocked skimming is very important

Comments: I took a recommendation on this skimmer and initially my experience is not a positive one. some of the issues include
<br /> - Odd sized pipe... it is not 1 1/4" or 1". Makes plumbing it a chore if you can't use only what is provided.
<br /> - No manual... I know it is pretty straight forward but I am weird and I like to read these types of manuals. If for no other reason than fine tuning.
<br />- I contacted CoralVueand they advised that they are currently creating user manuals.
<br />
<br />The skimmer is up and running and functions as designed.

Comments: I have a 15 year old 200 gallon display with a pump room beneath it in the basement. I have a 75g sump, a 25g refugium and a 40g frag tank all plumbed together. I had a Berlin skimmer that I thought was doing a pretty good job although I knew it was not sufficient for a system my size. Finally decided to upgrade and nearly went with a Deltec, but after doing some research decided to get the Octo for half the price. I have it mounted externally and it is gravity fed from my display overflow. The skimmer is beautifully constructed. The pump recirculates the water in the skimmer and seems to do a great job so I am not sure what one reviewers complaint about the pump was. The skimmer is a wonder to behold while working. The amount of bubbles it produces is amazing. It pulls a tremendous amount of crud from the water. It is very easy to adjust from a wet foam to a dry foam. Overall I do not see how any other skimmer at any price could do a better job. As an experienced reefer I highly recommend this skimmer.

Comments: This is no Deltec or Bubble King, but it is sturdy enough, costs 1/4-1/3 as much and pulls out 1 cup of dark skimmate per day from my overstocked and overfed 180gallon SPS + tang reef right out of the box. The pump needed cleaning every 2 months which I do by dropping in a maxijet from the top and draning the saltwater, replacing with RODI and a touch of vinegar and letting it recirculate below the exit level for 4 hours, then draining that. Adjustment is easy by rotating the verticle pipe. No major problems with this after 6 months but if I did I wouldnt hesitate to throw it out and buy another at this price. In this economy, can't say that with a $1000+ unit.

Comments: Great body on this skimmer but has a terrible pump.
<br />
<br />There are better choices out there.

Comments: I've had this skimmer for some time now, it was first in my 200g reef now it's on my 400g reef, it's just a must have if you tend to overstock!! Buy one!!!