Dustin1300
Reefaholic
Glad to have you following along. What type of bioload do you have and what type of coral do you keep?
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk 2.
A Reefaholic's 1000+ Gallon Mixed Reef System Build
- Thread starter Dustin1300
- Start date
Glad to have you following along. What type of bioload do you have and what type of coral do you keep?
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk 2.
shaggss
Active member
What about a BK? Great skimmer and very well built. Ask Jeremy in the BK thread. He should be able to recommend one.
Good job on the stand BTW!
drummereef
Team RC
The stand turned out great! 
Dustin1300
Reefaholic
Honestly don't have $5-10k for a skimmer and don't really want a divorce right now! For a comparable skimmer we're talking about an SRO for $1300 or the price I noted above and I honestly don't see what your paying for in the BKs. Maybe I'd consider the BK later down the road but I can't quite justify. I think the Vertex Alpha skimmers are of similar build quality with a much better price but the A300 is biggest and supports a 225-600 gallon tank.
Thanks for the compliments on stand BTW
Dustin1300
Reefaholic
The stand turned out great!
Thanks Brett. I've got to get another coat on in the morning and then I can call it for the stand. Once stand is in place I'll likely use the following under cabinet lights and put under the stands:
http://www.amazon.com/AmerTac-LSP30KBAMCC-Surface-Cabinet-Lighting/dp/B003INDKXA/ref=sr_1_3?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1346657003&sr=1-3&keywords=led+under+cabinet+lights
Osteoclast
New member
My tank is approximately 525 gallons at 8 feet by 4 feet in height. I ran a closed loop to my chiller plumbed to my basement via a hammerhead gold pump (to reduce noise). A second loop runs from the overflows to my sump which feeds the SRO xp8000, a carbon reactor, and a GFO reactor. The bio load is slowly developing as the tank has been running for 8 months. I have about 16 fish, 2 large clams and 4 medium sized lps pieces. I am going to slowly add SPS to gradually fill in the upper zones in the tank. I have room in my fish room for a frag tank, and other components as needed. The skimmer is a good choice especially if the system will push nearly 1000 gallons.
SPotter
Active member
have you looked at the ATB skimmers? The ATB 12.5 Deluxe external skimmer is rated for a heavily stocked tanks up to 900 gallons. They are cheaper than the BK but more the than the SRO. I had an SRO on my smaller system and had a lot of problems with the bubble blaster pump just cutting out or not starting back up after turning it off. I had the pump replaced 2 times and still had the same issues. Fortunately the customer service with coral vue is one of the best in this hobby but it was still frustrating to have these problems. I know others have had similar problems and most have a back up pump on hand at all times now. I was all set to spend the money on a BK but had concerns about replacement part availability and thats when I started researching ATB skimmers. I sent the company an email on a Saturday evening and the next morning (Sunday) I got a response from Victor with his cell phone number telling me to call him. After doing additional searches on RC to see what the feed back was with other users, I decided ATB was for me and I haven't looked back. I can say that I've had zero problems with it and it was very easy to dial in.
Dustin1300
Reefaholic
If you take inner dimensions of tank minus acrylic for overflow and height of water I'd say we're ~500 gallons for the DT. Add to that about 85 gallons for the sump, 70 gallons for fuge, 140 gallons for frag tank and you get around 795 gallons. I've got two 40 gallon breeders I plan to add for macro/mangroves and will likely add another sump to the mix under the big tank. That'll bring me up to 1000+ gallons in total system volume:hmm5:
Dustin1300
Reefaholic
Guess I need to do some further research but for the price/performance factor I really liked the SROs but just another thing on the list to further research. Maybe I'll get to see a new skimmer at MACNA!
As far as the SROs, you've had a different experience than I have...I did have to send a pump back due to a cracked housing though when I first picked up the SRO 3000 Internal. It ended up getting replaced but was fully functional and would agree on the customer service from CoralVue. I've never really had any issues with the pump outside of that but had the skimmer right when they came out a few years ago and give the pump a vinegar bath every six months and kicks right on when it needs to. I'll have to look around for more reviews and if others have had that many issues I'll be looking towards some other skimmers.
One thing I did pay closer attention to was the power consumption. The SRO seems to be blown away by some of the competition in regards to power consumption and I'm trying to keep the electrical bill down as much as possible.
SPotter
Active member
I think the SRO's are great skimmers and like I said, Coralvue provides amazing customer service. I know a lot of people on here that have no problems with them and then just as many that have problems with the pumps. I think the xp8000 would be a great choice but would definitely suggests having a back up pump on hand at all times.
Dustin1300
Reefaholic
Don't disagree. Right now I've got the list comprised of the ATB 12.5 Deluxe, XP8000 External Cone, Vertex Alpha 300s (Possibly run two and start off with one), and OPEN to other recommendations. I appreciate the concerns on the 8000 as I was unaware and still looking into them. I've got time so no big deal
Dustin1300
Reefaholic
Had a busy past day or so and missed your post! This is surprising to me and definitely going to look at the different options. I'm keeping an eye out on the for sell forums but if everyone likes it they likely won't let go
Looking at the vendor list looks like ATB won't be at MACNA....Wish they were so I could check them out!
SPotter
Active member
Had a busy past day or so and missed your post! This is surprising to me and definitely going to look at the different options. I'm keeping an eye out on the for sell forums but if everyone likes it they likely won't let go
I see them pop up for sale from time to time but not often and when they do, they sell fast. I would email/call Victor @ ATB and go over any questions you have with him. He is extremely responsive and very eager to help. If you haven't done a search about ATB reviews on here yet, I would do it when you get a chance....that's what sealed the deal for me.
Dustin1300
Reefaholic
I'm actually currently looking at the reviews on RC. Such a critical piece of equipment and don't want to regret when I spend that money later! I have found some claims saying that Coralvue has corrected the pump issues too but everywhere is different.
Osteoclast
New member
For what it is worth, my Bubble Blaster 10k has been without any issues on my 8000xp. Admittedly, I have purchased backup pumps for all my equipment as a precaution including the skimmer. I have used the spare BB when doing HCl cleaning of the primary pump and both have functioned well without difficulty. So with a small N- I am 2 for 2, (yet neither pump is very old). Good luck with your choice.
Dustin1300
Reefaholic
I appreciate the feedback. How long have you had the skimmer? From what I've read the pumps have been reworked and are no longer having the original issues.
Osteoclast
New member
I purchased the skimmer last September. Water went into the tank mid January. I bought my back up pump late spring. Have the neck cleaner as well. No problems. I like to internally clean all the pumps every 3-4 months as I am overly obsessed. Although 6 months might be adequate.
Dustin1300
Reefaholic
I appreciate the feedback and I've got plenty of researching to do to ensure the heart of my system is the right choice!
Dustin1300
Reefaholic
I just sent off an e-mail to coralvue asking for skimmer recommendations as well as if they are still having pump issues and what they've done to address them. I'll share what feedback I get. I've also pinged a couple other resellers of the skimmer to get customer feedback.
