Customer Reviews

Eshopps PSK-75H Hang-On Protein Skimmer - up to 75 gal - 7 in. x 6 in. x 23 in.

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I really hate this skimmer. When it works, it works OK. The only problem is that it is a bit moody and most times decides that it is waste of energy to work. Being serious, I think the problem is in the pump, which overheats, and as a result the unit stops working. The longest I had it working without dying on me was 10 days. Then it stops, and there are no bubbles, nothing. And then it is a royal pain to start it up again! The water level in the main body is supposed to go up to the collection cup once you block air intake tube. Well, you fingers will go blue but there will be no water movement. If I let the pump work without doing anything for 12-24 hours, then, sometimes, miracle happens, and the skimmer starts working. I go through these up-and-down cycles when I decide that, that's it, I just return it to Eshopps, and then it starts working, and I mellow down - for the next 10 days. I have already replaced the pump, but the replacement pump works just like the old one. BUT THIS IS IT! I am contacting Eshopps to-morrow and demanding the refund, after all the damn thing was acting up from the first day I bought it. Do not buy it, unless you want to satisfy your hidden masochistic instincts!

I looked forward to buying this Protein Skimmer, as it had received many good reviews on the web. A key feature was to be its simplicity (as seen in eShopps' promo videos), but has been anything but.

1. When setting up, or just washing, be sure to re-tighten the below gasket, as it often becomes loose, and thus leaks water on the ground.

2. The adjustment mechanism at the top consists of a crude plastic tube (perhaps this is how all Protein Skimmers are, I don't know). It is not very exact, so take caution when turning it to increase the bubble flow. It seems to have no reaction for hours, but then overflows the cup when you're not paying attention.

3. The sponge covering the intake should be cleaned frequently. I deduce that algae in there was a cause of the skimmer overflowing, but I'm not sure.

4. The craftsmanship is poor, as pvc and silicone around the outside of the tube had meaningful gaps.

5. The filter is very very very loud.

6. The pump/motor itself seems to have failed after limited use (3 months). It still produces sound, but no bubbles or flow.

7. I have written customer service about #6 but no response yet after weeks. I've written again and have my fingers crossed. Further, I wrote them several times upon first buying the skimmer but got limited response about missing parts and questions about how it was supposed to work, and it's loud noise.

All in all, I guess it is buyer beware for such an "economical" skimmer, although it's not quite cheap either.

Just purchased the eshopps PSK 75 and it's very very loud. I opened the pump housing like the Q&A says and there is obviously something very wrong with the pump. It skips and jumps, rattles and is not tight in place. I thought something might be wrong when the skimmer didn't produce any froth it basically looks like fizz from a coca-cola. Also lots of micro bubbles were pouring into my tank. I shut it off put it back in the box and am giving up..

I was really excited to buy this skimmer. Finally got it and of course faulty....

1. The instructions are virtually useless -- apparently they were translated, and poorly. The photographs are not helpful at all. Setup instructions are incomplete, specifically regarding the two flexible tubes. Also useless are the maintenance instructions.
2. I contacted the company with specific setup questions, and they only sent another copy of the lousy instructions.
3. One day, at night, the system overflowed at least 10 gallons.
4. The motor is now broken, and a replacement is hard to find. I've only had it six months.

All in all, it's a poor unit with poor customer support.

After several less than stellar skimmers for my 30 gallon nano reef, the Eshopps PKS-75H has hit a home run.

Besides being very affordable, construction and design are both very high quality - on par with skimmers costing hundreds more. The bubble diffusion plate and ingenious mounting of the motor on the bottom of the skimmer (instead of inside the tank) are great features. The addition of a collection cup overflow tube also ensures that you will never have to worry about overflow.

Installation was virtually drop in and I found it very easy to prime and start. It helps if you fill the skimmer housing with water from the top before starting the motor. Bubble production was incredible and frothing action was excellent. Mine started producing foam and skimmate almost immediately. After just a day, it began producing nasty brown stuff. Micro bubbles returning to the tank were excessive at first, but largely eliminated with the addition of a foam block to the end of the return tube.

My two gripes were very easy to remedy. Adjustment was a bit difficult, as there is no air adjustment valve and the water level adjustment knob is quite large and difficult to control. I remedied this by adding a valve to the air tube, and also marking the adjustment knob so I could visually tell where the adjustment was. The air valve has proven invaluable at fine adjustments of both water and bubble level. Viola, perfect control made easy.

I also found this a bit noisy for a living area, with excessive air noise and an annoying gurgling sound from the hole in the top of the adjustment knob . The air valve added to the air intake tube cut the air noise to near zero and stuffing a small bit of foam in the top of the knob muffled the gurgling noise as well.

All in all, a great hang-on skimmer at a very affordable price.

I purchased this skimmer to hang on the back of my Biocube HQI and have had it for a full week now and am toying with the idea of returning it because it doesn't produce foam!!!! I have followed the instruction to the letter. I have searched forums trying to uncover the solution to this mystery with no resolve. I have installed and reinstalled to no avail and still no foam! The pump seems to work fine, the water level filled by covering the air intake tube, there are many bubbles flowing up to water column but then it just looks like a glass of alka-seltzer with no foam. This of course means that all the gunk that it is skimming is collecting in the neck and not being pushed up through the column into the collection cup. Of course this is because there is NO FOAM!!!!! Yes I have used the adjustment tube again and again with no results. Skimming is not the issue, it is the lack of foam needed to push the gunk into the collection cup.

this skimmer really suck and it brakes easy and you can buy a better one for a cheaper price i got it a week ago and it doesn't produce bubbles its really loud it doesn't let me sleep a night because its so noisy

I don't think you'll find a better skimmer for the price. I hung it on a new 75 Saltwater setup (filled 4 days ago), filled the body 50%, pinched the air hose and plugged it in. Started foaming right off the bat. 1/4 cup of brown scum the first day from a new tank. It's almost silent, I have to get up and look behind the tank to see if it's still on. My only complaint is that the uptake is to deep in the tank. I would have preferred it be just below the surface. I think I will shorted the uptake tube so that it pulls from between 1" & 2" below the surface. I would have given it 5 stars if not for the uptake tube.