Bubble King Skimmer Club

[slief]

Thanks for your reply! okay so supermarin over double cone. I guess the rd3 pump is worth the money?

my fish stock is:

5 tangs
1 foxface
1 dwarf angel
2 angels (one huuge imperator)
1 puffer
1 trigger
4 clowns
and 4 smaller fish (anthias and chromis)

That is a very very light load for the 250.. Given your load, the SM200 would be better suited for your current setup. As for the RD3, it's definitely worth it. It makes fine tuning these skimmers a dream & allows for much more flexibility in terms of load & depth. It's also much more efficient. Ideal settings for the 250's & the 200's is around 37 watts. The combo of these skimmers with the RD3 can't be beat in my exerience.

 

[Adrian.F]

Okei, thank you so much placing an order this weekend:bounce3:

 

[slief]

Okei, thank you so much placing an order this weekend:bounce3:

Glad to help. You will love the skimmer!!

 

[Dread Pirate]

Thanks for all the help!! Looking for it right now!

 

[Ryan Paggi]

When will the mini 150's or the dc130's show up in the states and what website would I go to to order them? Thank you so much

 

[slief]

When will the mini 150's or the dc130's show up in the states and what website would I go to to order them? Thank you so much

There may be some more mini's coming in with the next shipment from Germany which is due to arrive in the next couple weeks. Once they arrive, they will be listed at Royalexclusiv.com which means that you will also be able to find them at Premium Aquatics as well as the other Royal Exclusiv dealers.

 

[Ryan Paggi]

Will the rd3 pump work with the dc150?

 

[slief]

Will the rd3 pump work with the dc150?

Not as of yet. There may be an RD3 for the DC150 and the Mini 150 down the line but as of now, there isn't.

 

[sensei]

Scott,

I have one question.
I am building a 500 to 550 gal (total system).
first I though the supermarine 250 + RD3 would be the right choice, but I am rethinking that maybe the supermarine 300 +RD3 is better.
the 300 model has a 10V connection and the 250 model does not. this 10V connection can be conected to the apex? I am not sure what advantages I would have if conected to apex controller?

I am also worried about consistency with the 300 model, but I guess that with the RD3 you could adjunt the speed of pump to get consistency anyway???

please let me know what you think

 

[slief]

Scott,

I have one question.
I am building a 500 to 550 gal (total system).
first I though the supermarine 250 + RD3 would be the right choice, but I am rethinking that maybe the supermarine 300 +RD3 is better.
the 300 model has a 10V connection and the 250 model does not. this 10V connection can be conected to the apex? I am not sure what advantages I would have if conected to apex controller?

I am also worried about consistency with the 300 model, but I guess that with the RD3 you could adjunt the speed of pump to get consistency anyway???

please let me know what you think

I'd stick with the SM250. As I have noted on many occasions, you really need to base your choice on display size and stocking load and not overall system volume. I run a SM250 with the RD3 on my heavily stocked 480g display and it was the perfect choice. I too was ready to pull the trigger on the SM300 but opted for the 250 because I wanted a consistently hard working skimmer as opposed to one that was too large that hardly had to work and was inconsistent as a result. My 480G display has over 60 fish and of those, several are 7" or larger fat tangs. I also feed 3 times a day and my last feeding of the day is a very heavy one. The SM250 is perfect for my system and my overall volume is around 650 gallons.

They did recently reduce the neck diameter of the SM300 which will improve it's consistency on systems our size but the SM250 is right in the sweet spot for displays that are our size where as our displays are really at the minimum volume for the SM300 even with a heavy load. These skimmers are extremely efficient and there is really no benefit in oversizing them.

 

[sensei]

Thank you Scott!

is there any spare parts for this skimmer that would be good to have handy at home?
I believe somewhere I saw a protector for the inlet of the pump to avoid a snail or something to be sucked that can damage the skimmer pump?
I do not know is royal exclusive USA sells something like this?

waiting for your reply

 

[slief]

Thank you Scott!

is there any spare parts for this skimmer that would be good to have handy at home?
I believe somewhere I saw a protector for the inlet of the pump to avoid a snail or something to be sucked that can damage the skimmer pump?
I do not know is royal exclusive USA sells something like this?

waiting for your reply

No real need for spares. We always have the RD3 skimmer pumps & impellers on hand for warranty replacements but I have yet to see a skimmer pump failure with the RD3's. The service side of Royal Exclusiv is being handled much better now that I'm overseeing it and I have new counterpart in Ft. Myers who knows the stuff well. Not only that, like me, he too is a long time reef hobbyist which is a huge change as we both understand how important this stuff is. Between him and I, the rare customer issues are getting taken care of in record time and with the sense of urgency that should be expected. Long gone are some of the service/support issues we faced in the past. Other than pumps, there isn't anything on these skimmers that would be needed.

As for the inlet strainer. That is something that is coming but as of yet, isn't available for the skimmer pumps. Those new strainers are made out of titanium and won't be cheap either. I've been running my RD3 skimmer pump without one for the last year and it's not a necessity unless you have a lot of critters in your sump. Every now and then and snail manages to get past my filter socks and into my skimmer pump. It's easily noticeable because it always causes the skimmer to overflow due to the airflow being reduced which is displaced by more water going into the skimmer. If you were really concerned about that, you could always make something out of a 1-1.5" PVC pipe with slots cut in it or holes drilled or make a small acrylic box with holes or slots to sit over the inlet.

 

[sensei]

Thank!

 

[jshepherd]

300dd suggestion

300dd suggestion

I have read the last 50 pages and must say that without the addition of Scott's input I would have stayed away from RE.

I have an order placed with PA for a SM200 w RD3. I am second guessing my decision and would like some reassurance before it ships. Reading earlier it appears Jeremy at PA used to suggest larger skimmer like the SM250

My tank is a 300DD w 90g sump. I am not sure how to rate my stock.

Large Powder Blue
Large Yellow tang
Med. Scopas Tang
Fox Face
Royal Grama
2 x Clowns
Rock Beauty Angel
Melanurus Wrasse
Pygmy Angel

I really do not plan to add much more. I am light on corals.

Thanks for any insight or reassurance. I need to make any changes (if need be )in the morning before it ships.

Thanks !

 

[Dread Pirate]

I posted before and was helped by Sleif (Thanks again). I am setting up a 72gal mixed reef tank with what will most likely be a medium bio load and around a 40gal sump. Slief recommended the Double cone 150. I am afraid to get a skimmer that is to big for my system because of the trouble people seem to have calibrating these skimmers when they are a bit oversized.

 

[Dread Pirate]

I noticed online there is a double cone 130 available at very few places. Is this a discontinued model. If it is not would this be a better fit for my system.

Thanks in advance for the expertise

 

[slief]

I have read the last 50 pages and must say that without the addition of Scott's input I would have stayed away from RE.

I have an order placed with PA for a SM200 w RD3. I am second guessing my decision and would like some reassurance before it ships. Reading earlier it appears Jeremy at PA used to suggest larger skimmer like the SM250

My tank is a 300DD w 90g sump. I am not sure how to rate my stock.

Large Powder Blue
Large Yellow tang
Med. Scopas Tang
Fox Face
Royal Grama
2 x Clowns
Rock Beauty Angel
Melanurus Wrasse
Pygmy Angel

I really do not plan to add much more. I am light on corals.

Thanks for any insight or reassurance. I need to make any changes (if need be )in the morning before it ships.

Thanks !

As I mentioned, I run an SM250 on a much larger system with a MUCH heavier load. I think the 200 will be perfect for you. You could get away with the SM250 but might face some minor inconsistency issues and have to run it really wet to keep it reasonably consistent. If it were me, I'd likely go with the SM200.

 

[slief]

I noticed online there is a double cone 130 available at very few places. Is this a discontinued model. If it is not would this be a better fit for my system.

Thanks in advance for the expertise

I don't think there are any DC130's in the states at this point in time. There may be some coming in with the next shipment which is due to arrive in a couple weeks. I think you will be OK with the DC150.. The 150 should be perfect for your tank. It's max rated size is 92 gallons. The DC130's max rated size is 80 gallons. You could go either way assuming your going to keep a low load but if you end up wanting more fish down the line, the 150 would be better suited.

 

[jshepherd]

As I mentioned, I run an SM250 on a much larger system with a MUCH heavier load. I think the 200 will be perfect for you. You could get away with the SM250 but might face some minor inconsistency issues and have to run it really wet to keep it reasonably consistent. If it were me, I'd likely go with the SM200.

Thanks for the prompt reply, I certainly trust your opinion more than anyone. I did not mean to imply that I was second guessing your suggestions. One other thing that helps sway one way or the other is the sump dimensions

I have a 14x18 and a 16x18 sections. I assume there is a little wiggle room but the Sm250 is 14x18.5.. and is out of stock at PA.

I am running on an old xp2000 from my 150g build now so I am sure the 200 will be a nice upgrade

 

[Dread Pirate]

That what I thought Slief. I was getting a bit apprehensive in getting a RE skimmer after reading all the trouble people were having keeping them consistent.
But I think RE is the only skimmer on the market that you shouldnt oversize? It seems most people having problems dont have enough waste to skim off and have an oversized skimmer?

Love all the help. Cant wait to get my tank and get to reefing!:bounce3: