CAD Lights, an aquarium equipment company that’s got a well-rounded lineup for tanks of all sizes, has an interesting new skimmer hitting the market, and it’s unlike any other we’ve seen. Instead of being like any other space saving protein skimmer that puts the pump inside and/or underneath the body, the PL-100 skimmer takes it all a step farther and finds a novel way to ditch the bulky plumbing that allows the water to exit the skimmer. CAD Lights completely removed all standpipes and valves, giving the skimmer essentially no external parts to get in the way. This unique design allows the skimmer to be 40% smaller, which is music to the ears of those hobbyists with very limited sump real estate. The footprint on this skimmer? Believe it or not, but it only takes up an area of 4.75″ x 4.75″ and is good for tanks in the 60-100 gallon range.
So how is it this PLS-100 is able to be so tiny yet remain so powerful? Well, for starters, the skimmer uses the TIA-1150 simmer pump, which has seen plenty of use on CAD Lights’ mid-level protein skimmers. To stay small, the plumbing has all been removed and the skimmer body itself is designed to act like the standpipe. That’s right, the PLS-100 uses its own body to regulate the water level within the skimmer. To adjust the water level, simply twist the skimmer body like you would a standpipe. Turning it one way allows the water level to rise, while turning it the other allows it to fall. It’s a simple and outside the box solution to a very common protein skimmer problem, which is taking up too much space obviously.
Features from CAD Lights:
- Extremely small overall dimensions: 4.75″(L) x 4.75″(W) x 18.75″(H)
- Powerful TIA-1150 Skimmer pump
- GPH: 375GPH
- Wattage: 20W
- Air draw: 315 L/H
- Optimum Water level 7″-10″
- Load recommendations:
- Light bio-load (100 gallons)
- Medium bio-load (80 gallons)
- Heavy bio-load (60 gallons)
- 100% Cell-Cast acrylic. High quality Craftsmanship.
- Retail price: $174.99
To see the PLS-100 skimmer in action, be sure to check out this video:
