Stolireef
Active member
I set up a new 40 gallon breeder QT / Frag tank a few weeks ago and decided it needed a skimmer. I rarely buy Chinese knockoffs (at least for my tanks) but for a smaller tank, I figured I'd give it a shot. On my main display tank, I'm running a fairly high end Vertex skimmer. It's one of the best built kit I've owned (beautiful acrylic work, great skimmate, excellent pump, very quiet) so this review is kind of a comparison.
The price of the BM Curve 5 is really great. Around $200 at Marine Depot. But, as we all know, price can be an indicator of quality so here we go.
1. Packaging: Excellent. Every part was easily located, well protected, and the unit itself was spotless.
2. Instructions: Stick to the pictures. Save the written instructions for their entertainment value. (eg. "Every product tested before leaving factory, so some water blob maybe leave on it. It's not used vestige...") That said, the pictures are pretty good and assembly was quite easy.
3. Build Quality: This is a mixed bag. Compared to the Vertex, the acrylic is quite thin and just doesn't feel as solid. On the other hand, all of the parts fit together well and the pump appears to be either a modified Sicce (just like on the Vertex) or an excellent knockoff. Disassembly for cleaning is pretty simple with four flanges that hold the skimmer body to the base plate. Bubble plate is held to the pump using the output nut on the pump itself. The rest of the bubble plate assembly is held together by a single nylon screw that was correctly aligned and threaded. The water level adjustment tube is very well marked (much better than the Vertex) and is very easy to adjust.
4. Function: So far so good. The unit started right up and, unusually, runs in pretty deep water (about 10" to the instructions). This means that for most sumps, you won't have to build something to keep it at the right water level. After running for about two hours, it's producing a nice thick skimmate.
Overall, and this is a little early, I'd give this a solid 4 out of 5 star rating. And, if you adjust for the price, it'd probably get a 5. Buy with confidence.
The price of the BM Curve 5 is really great. Around $200 at Marine Depot. But, as we all know, price can be an indicator of quality so here we go.
1. Packaging: Excellent. Every part was easily located, well protected, and the unit itself was spotless.
2. Instructions: Stick to the pictures. Save the written instructions for their entertainment value. (eg. "Every product tested before leaving factory, so some water blob maybe leave on it. It's not used vestige...") That said, the pictures are pretty good and assembly was quite easy.
3. Build Quality: This is a mixed bag. Compared to the Vertex, the acrylic is quite thin and just doesn't feel as solid. On the other hand, all of the parts fit together well and the pump appears to be either a modified Sicce (just like on the Vertex) or an excellent knockoff. Disassembly for cleaning is pretty simple with four flanges that hold the skimmer body to the base plate. Bubble plate is held to the pump using the output nut on the pump itself. The rest of the bubble plate assembly is held together by a single nylon screw that was correctly aligned and threaded. The water level adjustment tube is very well marked (much better than the Vertex) and is very easy to adjust.
4. Function: So far so good. The unit started right up and, unusually, runs in pretty deep water (about 10" to the instructions). This means that for most sumps, you won't have to build something to keep it at the right water level. After running for about two hours, it's producing a nice thick skimmate.
Overall, and this is a little early, I'd give this a solid 4 out of 5 star rating. And, if you adjust for the price, it'd probably get a 5. Buy with confidence.
