In the market for new skimmer for 60 gal + 40 gal sump reef tank

starshrike

New member
Currently have a EuroReef Cs-80 skimmer which is acting sluggish and not very good at skimming even after vinegar baths.. I have unfortunately been traveling more as of late and cannot routinely open up the skimmer to clean it out, but would like to have at least some "peace of mind" when my friend takes care of the tank. He'll empty out the cup at least :).

Tank is medium/heavy stocked with
Inhabitants:
Inverts - std hermits and snails
One of each: Sea Urchin (1.5" diameter), Coral Banded Shrimp, True Percula, Mandarin Goby, Wrasse. Lawnmower Blenny, Clam (3")
Corals: Variety of primarily SPS (dominated by birdsnest and cap coral) and some softies. Forgive me but I'm still learning lots about this tank which I got from a friend about half a year ago, and about reef keeping in general!

Ideally, I would like to get a good primary skimmer and retire the EuroReef to be the backup. I took some ideas from this thread, which is well compiled
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1952047. I am not looking to blow my budget, but get a good work-horse skimmer. The SWC160 caught my eye as a good value, and the ATB seems to be a bit steep in price for me, but I am open to ideas!

Thanks in advance!!
 
swc 160 cone 2011-08-23_19.29.58[1].jpg18 hours of diarrhea
 
I saw the Warner Marine and RO have internal pump - is it hard to maintain/clean? I've heard a lot more positives about RO in general too.

sneaton, is 18 hrs of break-in like that good or bad???
 
After going through some, these seemed to get the most constant reviews. If I had time, I would try the Avast as I love building things - probably my next one :D

Between SRO XP1000SSS (top of intended budget)
Bubble Magnus NAC7
Reef Octopus 8" Pinwheel
Reef Octopus Extreme XS160
SWC160

What would be easiest to maintain, quiet and "last"?

Sump depth is approximately 12" water, so I would prefer an adjustable water level system that is easy to use. The total height I have available is 25" so they all fit within the clearance I need.
 
Reef Octopus has won me over personally. I just picked up a Reef Octopus NWB 150 for my builb. One of the display tanks at the LFS has it in operation. Thing works well, and is nice and quiet.
 
From what I've seen more people said Super Reef Octopus >> Reef Octopus, though it's also highly recommended. I just want to see if its really worth the extra $50 or so. I think now it comes down to ease of water level adjustment and pump quality.
 
Ok, figured out the exact footprint I need, down to
Super Reef Octopus SRO XP1000SSS
or
Bubble Magus NAC-7

I like the SRO BBHY1000s pump better than the atman from the BM, but the water level in my sump is 10-11"... I suppose I could raise the SRO one a bit :) There's also the 100$ difference in price... Is the SRO worth it in the long run?

Looking to place my order today!!
 
I saw the Warner Marine and RO have internal pump - is it hard to maintain/clean? I've heard a lot more positives about RO in general too.

sneaton, is 18 hrs of break-in like that good or bad???

It's not that big of a deal to take the pump out and clean it. This is usually a good time to give the body of the skimmer a good scrubbing.
 
It's in my living room - the euroreef is definitely noisy but between the overflow and the return pump I think it's all moot.

good skimming, reliability, ease of use/maintenance are my priorities - of course within budget.

Looking @ those two in particular because they are on BRS.. which I need to put an order in shortly for bulbs...
 
One good thing about the atman pump is that it's inexpensive. You can pick up a whole new pump for like $40 or so. I think the BB pumps are quite a bit more.
 
I think I'd prefer the new sicce line over the atman, which was the issue.

Except the footprint of the Reef Octopus Extreme XS 200 is in theory too big. From images it doesn't look like it needs 15" width but I'm not the expert.

The space I have is 12" x 11" which I suppose diagonally it can fit 15" but it might be pushing it, so I don't want to risk it.
 
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