Reef Octopus Elite 150, 200, 220 Internal Super Cone Protein Skimmer Series Review

Overview

The Reef Octopus Elite Internal protein skimmers are top-notch protein skimmers which are for use inside of aquarium sumps. These protein skimmers are made of high-quality acrylic and PVC, making them very durable having a product lifetime of over one decade.

The Reef Octopus Elite Internal protein skimmers combine needle-wheel technology with powerful venturi-valve water flow from their Reef Octopus VarioS-2-S, VarioS-4-S, or VarioS-6-S water pumps to create a spiraling vortex of micro-bubbles that will collect all organic wastes in your aquarium water.

The Reef Octopus Elite Internal protein skimmer features a "super cone" shape. This shape naturally reduces water turbulence, as well as stabilizing and concentrating the organic foam as it rises.

The Reef Octopus Elite Internal protein skimmer and water pump are so quiet you can barely hear them running from three feet away.

The Reef Octopus Elite Internal protein skimmers produce wet skim.

The Reef Octopus Elite Internal protein skimmer is very easy to use. To operate, all that is needed is to adjust the speed on the included water pump controller until micro-bubbles pop just into the collection cup.

Weekly maintenance is a breeze. Simply twist and take off the collection cup to rinse out.

Setting Up Your Reef Octopus Elite Internal Super Cone Protein Skimmer

Setting up your Reef Octopus Elite Internal protein skimmer is easy as long as you follow the manual:

Assembling protein skimmer base:
A. Place protein skimmer base on table or floor, and insert the pole and screws into the proper holes.
B. Place bubble plate 2 on top of the pole so that the pole is in the middle.
C. place bubble plate 1 on top of bubble plate 2.
D. Screw the bubble plates to the base.
E. Place the protein skimmer body on top of the assembled bubble plate protein skimmer base.
F. Insert screw and O ring on top of the protein skimmer body.
G. Align the collection cup on top of the protein skimmer body.
H. Put the top cover on top of the assembled protein skimmer body.
Assembling protein skimmer tubing piece:
I. Connect the tee to the pipe.
J. Connect the O ring to the adjust pipe, and attach the bracket and ozone tube to the bracket.
K. Connect the air hose and silencer to the top of the adjust pipe.
L. Attach the assembled tubing piece to the protein skimmer body, and screw into place.
Assembling protein skimmer pump piece:
M. Attach the venturi valve to the top of the pump.
N. Attach the shim to the side of the pump followed by the water inlet part.
O. Attach the assembled pump piece to the hole in the side of the protein skimmer body.

Positioning your Octopus Reef Elite Internal protein skimmer:
Now that you have your protein skimmer assembled, all that is left before use is to position it in your sump along with the water pump. Octopus Reef provides guidelines as to what depth your protein skimmer should be in your sump:
150 Model: 6 to 8 inches in sump.
200 Model: 7.5 to 9 inches in sump.
220 Model: 7.5 to 9 inches in sump.
Note: The water pump will take up a footprint of approximately 6 L x 5 W x 4 H inches in your sump. The water pump is very heavy so you do not have to worry about it moving.

Refer to the below video to see assembling of the Reef Octopus Elite Internal protein skimmer:

Operating Your Reef Octopus Elite Internal Super Cone Protein Skimmer

To operate your Reef Octopus Elite Internal protein skimmer, make sure the protein skimmer is positioned at its recommended sump depth listed above. Make sure the air silencer inlet is above the water.

A. Plugin the water pump to a power source.
B. On the water pump controller, press the power button on.
C. Leave the water pump on max speed 5 for about one week.
Note: You may want to unscrew the collection cup and let water flow back into your sump for the first week. This week-long break-in period will render the protein skimmer less effective, so its good to just let the protein skimmer go crazy and break-in during this time period.

After one week, screw back on the collection cup if you took it off, and use the water pump controller and adjust the speed setting so that the micro-bubbles are popping just into the collection cup.

Using Your Reef Octopus VarioS-2-S, VarioS-4-S, or VarioS-6-S Controller

Your VarioS water pump controller lets you control your Reef Octopus Elite Internal protein skimmer without hassle or hands in the water. There are two modes on your water pump controller: speed and pause.

Speed Control: There are five buttons labeled from number one to five. These numbers are your water pump's speed from low to maximum. Change the water pump speed if you need to adjust the height of your micro-bubbles so that they are popping into your collection cup.

Pause Mode: There are two pause options on your water pump controller. You can pause your water pump from running for either 15 minutes or 60 minutes by pressing "pause" once for 15 minutes and "pause" twice for 60 minutes. Use this option when you want to do tank maintinence, clean your protein skimmer, or feed your fish.

The water pump controller can be set up to a third party controller such as the Neptune APEX or Reef Angel. This means that you can change the speed of or stop your water pump from the same device as the rest of your tank settings. This makes keeping your tank properly controlled very easy, right from your fingertips.

The VarioS water pump features a slow startup from zero RPM to the full selected preset speed over ten seconds. This ensures your water will change gradually and not panic any livestock.

The VarioS water pump controller allows you to use a float switch connection. You can enable the float switch to turn your VarioS water pump off if the protein skimmer collection cup fills up, or if the water level in your sump gets too high. This adds a lot of security to your tank and protects against disasters. The button "FS ON/OFF" indicates whether the float switch is operating. The button "FS STATUS" indicates if the float switch has stopped your water pump, which means either the water level is too high or your collection cup needs to be emptied.

See the below video to see the water pump controller in action.

Maintenance

Every few days check your Reef Octopus Elite Internal Super Cone protein skimmer's collection cup and empty it out. To empty the collection cup, just twist and lift it off of the protein skimmer's body.

Every month you should completely disassemble the tubing of the protein skimmer or the whole entity if needed, and rinse out any waste so that the protein skimmer and water pump do not get clogged and rendered less effective.

Warranty

Coral Vue offers a 2 year warranty on the pump body, a 1 year warranty on the pump rotor, and a 1 year warranty on the protein skimmer body.

Reef Octopus is not held responsible for damage arising from installation or use of this protein skimmer. Reef Octopus warrants the pump to be free from defects and workmanship under normal use and conditions for the warranty period from the date of purchase.

The Coral Vue Reef Octopus warranty is limited to repairing or replacing parts at Coral Vue's discretion without charge. The warranty protects against defects in workmanship. However, Coral Vue will not be liable for cost of removal, installation, transportation, or any other charge that could arise in a warranty claim.