Need High End Skimmer advice

S

slow_leak

Premium Member
I have been reef keeping for 12 years and have finally advanced to a custom tank, stand and sump.

Specs of set up are:

Reef Savvy 150- internal skimmer box
Custom sump about 2/3rds of cabinet
Electronics cabinet on garage side of wall to keep electonics away from spray
Reefflo snapper gold pump - external in in cabinet, but inside HDPE tray that overflows to garage 15-20X tank turn over
Precision Marine GFO reactor in sump with Eheim 10w hobby pump
2 -6105 Tunzes on Large DC battery back up
Tunze Osmolator
old refugium external of about 20 gallons

Space in not unlimited for the skimmer but is something like 10X 18 internal sump area available.

What would be the best Bubble King or Vertex product for this set up? I am concerned Supermarin 200 may be over kill.

Thanks for any insight.
 
Vertex Alpha 200 on my 185, total water volume around 210gals. Best skimmer that I have ever owned, hands down. Love it!
 
I wouldn't buy the 200. Not that good of value. Get the 300 for $200 more.

If you are building a custom sump... while don't you just build it around the skimmer?

You wild be a lot happier with the 300. Twice the performance of the 200 on paper at only $200 more.
 
The sump is already in place and as big as cabinet will allow.

The 300 is not 200 usd more but 500 usd dollar more on BRS site. If I oversize I would get Supermarin 200 maybe.

Anyone use BK Mini 200?
 
I have read Feldman's articles in the past. They are great articles. It is clear therre is no real replacement for pump displacement, BUT if he took the time to evaluate skimmer efficiency versus electrical consumption, the results would be less ambiguous.

It is also clear to me that cones are a fad that here to stay. The supermarin looks like a great design but like you said how much better can it be than an equivalent 35w bubble plate?

I also wont buy three POS's to get one quality product.
 
slow_leak said:
The sump is already in place and as big as cabinet will allow.

The 300 is not 200 usd more but 500 usd dollar more on BRS site. If I oversize I would get Supermarin 200 maybe.

Anyone use BK Mini 200?
Click to expand...

You are correct I was looking at the 250.

Supermarin would not perform much better than the 200. You are paying more BC that line is built different.

Unless you just want spend a bunch of money. You could look at the sro 3000 int or sro 4000 int. Both would perform as well or better than the BK. Come with better warranty and better customer support. Plus its half the price.
 
I originally began my build with a Alpha 200 and I did not like it. I had the hardest time trying to dial it in. I ended up selling it and buying a Reef Octopus 3000 Int and have been very very pleased with it. Its pulls the same amout of skim and the Alpha for fraction of the cost. JMHO.....

Jim
 
The tip for easy availability of replacement parts was an eye opener. I am not sourcing my own askoll parts when BK pump fails. I forgot one of the "rule" of this hobby is to not buy proprietary european parts that need replacement.
 
I have the sro 2000sss and love it! I've seen the 3000 in action too and these skimmers are beast! Also the customer service is great!
 
I have an eshopps cone with sicce pump on my 120gal mixed reef with 40gal sump/refuge and that thing works perfect you should see the bubbles it produces and the skimate, forget it, IMO best thing for the $300 I paid for it brand new
 
sourcing parts

sourcing parts

slow_leak said:
The tip for easy availability of replacement parts was an eye opener. I am not sourcing my own askoll parts when BK pump fails. I forgot one of the "rule" of this hobby is to not buy proprietary european parts that need replacement.
Click to expand...

Amen PS guilty
 
rtparty said:
May want to read this before spending a ton of money on a "high-end" skimmer than can't do anything more than the cheap skimmers can.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2009/1/aafeature2

We are talking about mixing bubbles with water. There isn't anything special about it, yet some of these companies gouge the h@#l out of us.
Click to expand...

I disagree. If it's just about mixing bubbles with water, why not just use an air pump with an air stone in a bottle.
 
clearly, there is some science behind it. but the end results of that science are not $1000 worth of efficiency. At least not in a way that has been quantifiable.

If your skimmer is pulling out dark, thick, skimmate on a regular basis, then it is working.

According to that article, it looks like at best a skimmer is only able to pull about 30% of DOC from the water column

I would make my decisions based on rated capacity, then ease of serviceability and replacement parts,
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

mark.red
Husband Passed Away- worth over $10,000-180 Gallon Custom Reef Setup and Tons of High End Accessories
Replies
6
Views
2K
BeanAnimal
B
zuzecawi
Does anybody still use downdraft skimmers?
Replies
2
Views
2K
capecodder
C
T
Need Advice on a pump and skimmer
2
Replies
22
Views
3K
tomreefer
T
WinnipegDragon
Many years away, back the reef!
2 3 4
Replies
61
Views
17K
WinnipegDragon
WinnipegDragon
L
Advice needed on equipment for a 200g build
Replies
3
Views
695
Jayreefer
Jayreefer
Back
Top