As far as protein skimmer designs go, the RLSS protein skimmers should look familiar to experienced reefkeepers.  They share many design elements of high-performance needle-wheel skimmers such as Bubble Kings/Vertex and ATB: cast acrylic sloped body, built-in air silencers, bubble plate diffusers, twist-action or ball-valve water level adjustment, and silicone tubing.

But it’s not all your “standard” high-end fare.  The most notable difference is the choice of pumps.  RLSS skimmers employ H2O System’s Waveline DC-5000 DC pumps to produce copious amounts of air with minimal electrical consumption.  Users can adjust the RPM of the pump (six preset speeds) to tune their skimmer’s performance.  The pump’s 10 minute feed mode allows easy shut-off and automatic reactivation of the skimmer for coral feeding.  H2O Systems designed their special pinwheels with perforations to allow water to pass through the back plate in order to cool down the pump. In addition, the pinwheels have 2 levels of density which reportedly chops bubbles even finer than conventional needle-wheels.  The RLSS skimmers also feature tapered, curved reaction chambers compared to the conventional straight-sided cones prevalent in other designs.

Six models (3 internal and 3 external designs) are currently available.  Smaller 5″ and 6″ skimmers using a smaller DC-2500 pump are also planned for the near future. Like the Waveline DC pumps, the RLSS skimmers are in production, available for sale in Canada and coming soon to the United States.

Photos, details and pricing for the six models are provided below:

R8-E

• 8″ diameter external protein skimmer
• 17 x 16.5 x 23.5″ (435 x 420 x 600mm)
• 1 x DC-5000 (40 watts)
• Air draw: 900-1800lph
• Rated for 264-528 gallons (1000-2000 liters)
• $699.99

R8-U

• 8″ diameter internal protein skimmer
• 15.75 x 12.2 x 21.5″ (400 x 310 x 550mm)
• 1 x DC-5000 (40 watts)
• Air draw: 900-1800lph
• Rated for 264-528 gallons (1000-2000 liters)
• $579.99

R10-E

• 10″ diameter external protein skimmer
• 18.5 x 18.1 x 24.5″ (470 x 460 x 620mm)
• 1 x DC-5000 (40 watts)
• Air draw: 900-1800lph
• Rated for 396-660 gallons (1500-2500 liters)
• $949.99

R10-U

• 10″ diameter internal protein skimmer
• 18 x 18 x 21.5″ (455 x 455 x 550mm)
• 1 x DC-5000 (40 watts)
• Air draw: 900-1800lph
• Rated for 396-660 gallons (1500-2500 liters)
• $799.99

R12-E

• 12″ diameter external protein skimmer
• 25 x 20 x 25.5″ (640 x 510 x 650mm)
• 2 x DC-5000 (80 watts)
• Air draw: 1800-3600lph
• Rated for 528-792 gallons (2000-3000 liters)
• $1,299.99

R12-U

• 12″ diameter internal protein skimmer
• 24.5 x 20 x 22.8″ (620 x 510 x 580mm)
• 2 x DC-5000 (80 watts)
• Air draw: 1800-3600lph
• Rated for 528-792 gallons (2000-3000 liters)
• $1,149.99