Octopus 200 NW Protein Skimmer Review
Updated August 12, 2019
Author: Mike - FishLore Admin
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The Octopus 200 NW Protein Skimmer is made by Coralvue and it's a cone shaped protein skimmer rated for tanks up to 260 gallons. The price tag on the Octopus 200 NW protein skimmer is anywhere from $260 to $300 depending on where you buy it, online or locally. There are some older models still around that do not come with the gate valve (the one I have). The gate valve allows for more fine tuned control on how you want to skim, either wet or dry.
Specs:
- In sump use only
- Rated for tanks up to 260 gallons
- Height: 24 inches
- Clearance need to remove skimmer collection cup is about 1 inch
- Reactor diameter: 8 inches
- Space needed in sump: 16 inches x 11 inches
- Pump is an Octopus OTP-3000 Pin Wheel (comes included) rated at 790 gph
To fine tune the older models you have to turn the output riser tube left or right to adjust the flow. The unit I have has markings for open/closed and just a tiny little turn will affect performance dramatically. The newer gate valves helps make it a bit easier to control this.
This Octopus 200 skimmer is running on 120 gallon reef tank setup with a 40 gallon sump. The bio-load is average but I tend to over feed the tank so I was wanting a better skimmer for this tank for some time now. After researching several different skimmer models for weeks I settled on this skimmer because of price and performance. Sure, I could have spent a thousand dollars or more for a bubble king but that wasn't in my budget and the hobbyist reviews on this skimmer had my interest given it's performance and price.Set up of this skimmer was really easy even though the directions were kind of crappy. There was no mention of adjusting the riser tube to adjust the flow. Once the protein skimmer was set up and placed in the sump I was disappointed with it's performance... until I started messing with the riser tube. Holy smokes what a difference that tube makes! The tiniest of movements can make a huge difference in how it skims. Make small adjustments and wait a minute to see how it's doing before adjusting again. The newer models eliminate this tube and come with a gate valve which will make adjustment much easier.
One thing I really like about this skimmer is the collection cup. It's huge! It's also easy to remove and fits nicely in my sump. Clearance needed is about an inch so I have plenty of room to remove the cup. There is also a drain tube hole on the cup if you want to use a drain tube. I don't so I use the provided plug to plug the drain hole. This thing was skimming nicely within about an hour of set up. No break in time required for mine. The picture to the right is an actual picture of how it was doing within an hour of setup. If you have an older unit try messing with the output riser tube which has the airline/silencer. Push the tube all the way in and then adjust by turning it left or right to see if it makes a difference.
I really like and have liked the Octopus skimmers for years now. The previous skimmer on this tank on other reef tanks I've had in the past (Octopus 800s) performed well but eventually needed to be upgraded for this size tank. I really like it. I'm pleased with it's performance and would recommend it to a friend. Overall, I give this product 
Reviewed by: Mike FishLore
Summary: Review of the Octopus 200 NW Protein Skimmer.
Description: The Octopus 200 NW Protein Skimmer is made by Coralvue and it's a cone shaped protein skimmer rated for tanks up to 260 gallons.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.
