ATB vs. Vertex Alpha Cone

Reefer08

New member
Which has a better performance?

Alpha 250 vs ATB Medium?
Alpha 200 vs. whichever ATB thats comparable.

Give me your opinions,
thanks
 
your going to get a lot of biased people on here (I'm one of them) saying that their brand skimmer is better than the other. you should check out the ATB skimmer club (in the ATB forum) and the Vertex Alpha skimmer club (in the PA forum) and form your own opinion based off what the people who own them think of them.


if your thinking of putting this skimmer on a 67g, both alpha's (and the ATB med) are WAY too big and you won't get much out of them.
 
I agree with Vanilla. The Warner marine as 200 is too large for your 67g as well. It will shut down.

I would put a ATB 840 on you tank and call it good.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15608117#post15608117 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by vanillagorila
your going to get a lot of biased people on here (I'm one of them) saying that their brand skimmer is better than the other. you should check out the ATB skimmer club (in the ATB forum) and the Vertex Alpha skimmer club (in the PA forum) and form your own opinion based off what the people who own them think of them.


if your thinking of putting this skimmer on a 67g, both alpha's (and the ATB med) are WAY too big and you won't get much out of them.

No this is my not for my current tank. Im just interested in comparing them.
 
i would ask about replacment parts for the alpha

i see alot of people with bubble kings that if the impellor breaks they are waiting over a few months to get one
 
There's no way I would get the alpha. My friend has one and he's not happy right now. I would go I-Tech. They are the only manufacturer with all their skimmers top rated. You can't go wrong with any of them. Just my 2 cents :)
 
I would go ATB because I have owned 3 and service is some of the best out there. Not just because someone else says they like theirs.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15616191#post15616191 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Emster
They are the only manufacturer with all their skimmers top rated.
lol, who's doing the rating? where can I get that job! ;)
 
I know everyone has their favorite. Its all good. Thats what makes the world go round. This topic is more than likely to start arguements rather than valuable input.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15616421#post15616421 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mojo~
I know everyone has their favorite. Its all good. Thats what makes the world go round. This topic is more than likely to start arguements rather than valuable input.
+1
I thought you'd say that you already had the skimmer testing job Mojo?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15615879#post15615879 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chadfarmer
i would ask about replacment parts for the alpha

i see alot of people with bubble kings that if the impellor breaks they are waiting over a few months to get one

I can't argue with you there, I know Victor is on his toes when it comes to customer service.
Its just seam so appealing when you see the air draw #'s on the alphas.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15616450#post15616450 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Emster
Yeah everyone's a self proclaimed skimmer expert :)

oh I agree with that. I never claimed to be an expert. But I have invested as much money and time as anyone I have ever met to test different brands of skimmers and to draw a unbiased conclusion.

Any bias on my part is to help those get a great product from my conclusion. I can say that I made some comments about the alpha 250 well people didnt like it very well. Although the suggestion I made about the skimmers air draw were taken into consideration and new noxxles were made t allow this to happen. The 170 did work better but again Ihad some surging problems and was able to get rid of them. But others have had the same issue.

I can say that I have not had this issue on any other skimmer I have tested no matter what the cost.

Good luck getting anything vof value from this thread as I foresee it becoming very opinionated.

Both skimmers IMO , lol, have their pros and cons. The alpha is built like a tank and runs ok.
The ATB is the same price or a little more and runs really well. Built well but with not quite as thick of materials but still a better performer from my experience from both of them.
Alpha 170 after 3 days of running
P1000799.jpg


P1000763.jpg

atb after 3 days
P1000747.jpg
 
now my older atb didn t pull the same but it was at a different time in my tank. the alpha and atb 1.5 were run right after each other
IMAGE_063.jpg
 
maybe your Alpha 170 didn't pull as much skim because you ran the ATB 840 v1.5 first and the ATB skimmed your tank so well that it didn't leave anything for the Alpha.

J/K of course. ;)
 
My Alpha 170 with the Red Dragon 1500 pump does a good job skimming my 60gallon reef tank, and I only have 1 fish. It also fits perfectly in my 10gallon sump which I was very surprised because the skimmer is pretty freaken big..

I think you should just get the 170 for your 67gallon.. The rating for this skimmer is 40-200 gallons..

IMG_0778.jpg

IMG_0780.jpg

IMG_0781.jpg
 
I wondered how long it would take for someone to say that. um i think it took about 4 seconds.

lol. Na After all this I ran the BK mini Gen 2 180 and it pulled pretty well too.
 
i just got turned off on the alphas by their cone shape, the atb has more acute angle to them, which would seem better with a cone skimmer imo, also mojo the alpha looks pretty crooked in that picture.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15617423#post15617423 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by addicted2reefin
the alpha looks pretty crooked in that picture.

The Alpha has these pointed rubber bushings at the bottem. Which absorbs any vibrations. The rubber is real soft to. Thats why in the above picture, with the Vertix and ATB. The Alpha looks a little crooked. Those can be taken off though. With that being said, I left mine on, and it sits flat in my sump..
 
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