The Bullet 3 Hang-On-Back Protein Skimmer is a high-performance filtration device specifically designed for saltwater aquariums. It efficiently removes organic waste compounds, such as proteins and other pollutants, from the water column before they break down into harmful nitrates and phosphates. This essential equipment helps maintain pristine water quality, promoting a healthier and more stable environment for marine fish and corals.
This skimmer features a compact footprint of just 7.7" x 7.5", making it ideal for smaller spaces while effectively filtering tanks between 40 and 80 gallons. It is powered by a high-performance Sicce SHARK 1.0 needlewheel pump, which has been enhanced with proprietary AquaReady impellers to maximize air and water mixing. Constructed from durable cell-cast acrylic, the Bullet 3 boasts an advanced internal flow design, a built-in air silencer, and silicone noise dampeners for ultra-quiet operation and easy maintenance.
The Bullet 3 Hang-On-Back Protein Skimmer is best suited for saltwater aquarium hobbyists looking for powerful and reliable waste removal without the need for a sump. Its innovative design, quiet operation, and ease of setup make it an excellent choice for those with 40 to 80 gallon reef or fish-only systems who prioritize water clarity, durability, and a compact, unobtrusive filtration solution.
| SKU | 254333 |
| Manuals | Bullet-3 Manual (Page 1) Bullet-3 Manual (Page 2) |
| Aquarium Type | Saltwater |
This is the best working hang-on-back skimmer ive ever used. It really changed the game for my 50gal rimless AIO setup. Only docking a star for lack of instructions in the box (easy to find on google and easy to understand / assemble) and a lack of air valve to use during the break in period. I just used a binder clip to limit the air flow and it broke in within 3 days. Now its completely unnecessary for an air valve. As for priming, if the other reviewer read the instructions, it re-primes itself if you stick the air pickup line in the water. Now that its broken in, its pulling out quite nasty stuff, and the adjustment screw is useful for when i want to run a more wet skimmate during cleaning sessions. Definitely glad i went with the bullet 3 over the smaller versions.
So I purchased this skimmer because I'd heard good things about it! However when i received my skimmer in the mail the bubble diffuser does not fit correctly and scratches the acrylic housing badly. BRS was great and sent out another promptly, however the next unit they sent had the same problem. Sent it back for a refund. BRS so far has been great about everything, just waiting for the unit to make it back so I can get my refund. On to find a solution for my skimming needs.......
The first unit was manufactured incorrectly. I could not not insert the bubble diffuser in the skimmer body, it was to large. BRS was quick to send me a replacement after I showed a video of what was wrong. The second unit still is not quite right. I can manage to get the bubble diffuser inside the body of the skimmer but not with scratching up the clear skimmer chamber. additionally when i change water or experience a power outage the skimmer will not start flowing again unless I add water to the skimmer. extremely dissatisfied with Aquaready and no fault at all on BRS. I would think that aquaready would test a product to ensure it works before manufacturing it.
This unit has some really nice features like the removable collection cup, easy cleaning, excellent bubble production, a nice air silencer, etc. It does take a few days to a week to break-in and form a film on the inside of the skimmer body as a lot of skimmers do. During this time, either stick the venturi air intake line in the pump section to draw in water or attach an airline valve to control it. Some areas of improvement would be that it doesn't come with any assembly/instruction manual. it's not terribly hard to put together, and really will only go together one way. Just looking at the product images or watching BRS' video on it you can figure it out pretty easily, but still - Aquaready can/should do better here. Secondly, it should come with an inline airline valve to control the bubble production since this thing will surely cause problems right out of the box without a break-in period. I also feel the Sicce pump has too much flow for this size of a skimmer. The water exits the unit very quickly, and then opening the venturi valve (assuming you have one installed), obviously starts to cut the water volume being pushed out, but a little more control would be great. If this were to ever get a refresh, a DC controllable pump would be a MASSIVE improvement on this skimmer. I'm running this on a smaller tank and it's more skimmer than I need, but I like the feature set enough to deal with it. It's unsightly, but you can fit a 1/2" Spears PVC gate valve if you also use two 1/2" schedule 80 elbows that have a slip x spigot design to control the water flow. I did this for awhile with the unit to add another point of control, and eventually 3D printed a new top 1/2" PVC piece (the one that goes between the two top 90 degree intake PVC elbows) with reduced flow. I've done this with other things over the years to reduce flow also, you just sketch up a piece of PVC to the length you need and then reduce the ID, in-turn reducing the flow rate. It's not necessary to do so, but like I said, it adds another point of control to the system.
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Bullet 3 Hang-On-Back Protein Skimmer
by AquaReady
Protein Skimmers
Reference reading: Species guide on Codexery
Species guides on Codexery
- Red lionfish — Scientific name: Pterois volitans · Family: Scorpaenidae source
- Banggai cardinalfish — Scientific name: Pterapogon kauderni · Family: Apogonidae source
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