We’ve got a fresh new look at the Skimz macroalgae reactor, and boy has it come a long way from the prototype we spotted in Germany this summer. Gone is the fan-cooled mess that typified the original model, replaced now in favor of a much sleeker and passively cooled LED light tube.
The newly refined Skimz Macroalgae reactor looks so much better now, and it retains the built-in controllable DC pump, using their in-house QuietPro DC pump. The inclusion of a water pump makes the Skimz Macroalgae reactor a complete solution to leveraging the benefits of a concentrated algae scrubber, allowing users to simply place the unit in a part of their sump.
Skimz is making their macroalgae reactor in two sizes, the MBR127 for tanks up to 400 liters (100 gallons), and the MBR157 for tanks up to 1000 liters, (264 gallons). The MBR127 reactor has a 14 watt LED tube with a QuietPro 1.2 DC pump, and a footprint of less than 7 inches square, and 16 inches tall. Meanwhile the MBR157 uses a 20 watt LED tube, QuietPro 2.0 and a footprint of 7.25 by 8.25 inches, and 22.5 inches tall. Skimz is expecting a suggested retail price of $310 for the MBR127 and $390 for the larger MBR157.
The Skimz reactor follows the path trail blazed by the heavy-duty Pax-Bellum A.R.I.D. reactor, but brings the concept within reach to even more aquarists with an all in one, and much cheaper model. Large saltwater and reef tanks, or those requiring an externally plumbed solution will still want to look at the Pax-Bellum but for more conventional reef tank sizes, the new Skimz Macroalgae Reactor is looking like a particularly enticing choice.
