skimmer atb or vertex help

[mako61]

Im planning on a red sea 525xl 108+31 gallon tank. I plan at some point to make it a mixed coral tank with a medium fish load. I plan to start with a light fish load and a few hardy corals. I have been out of reefer for 10+ years so i dont know the new gear at all. My last tank I did a DIY skimmer it worked ok but was hard to clean / adjust.

I have narrowed down my skimmer selection to 4.

ATB 840 / 1050
Vertex alpha 170 / 200

My impressions:

Both are quality products
both have DC motors
ATB has great service / help.
I like the price of the ATB-840
the alpha 200 is only slightly more expensive than the 170 so why not
1050 is my current top choice , I worry it may be a little big.

Is the 1050 too much skimmer for 140 gallon tank ?
Is the screw top skimmer cup of the vertex better than the push on cup of the ATB for cleaning?
Is the vertex worth the higher cost?

any comments/suggestions would be greatly appreciated...

 

[GQuinn]

The ATB 840 would be a great skimmer for that tank. I have never used the Vertex, but from what I read they may be to big.

 

[Kies1]

The 200 is way too big for a 105 gallon, the 170 might be too big. I am running a vertex omega 180 I on a heavily stocked 90 gallon

 

[moondoggy4]

ATB 840 or even possibly the Nano.

 

[mako61]

I think the 840 prob is the one. Is says 6-8 inches of water. Im cutting some acrylic for a riser. Anyone know the optimum water depth.

 

[GQuinn]

I think the 840 prob is the one. Is says 6-8 inches of water. Im cutting some acrylic for a riser. Anyone know the optimum water depth.

I ran mine at 7 inches and was very happy with it.

 

[PRDubois]

Atb 840

 

[gcarroll]

I would take a look at the Vertex Omega 180i on that system as well. I don't think you can go wrong with any of those choices.

The Vertex skimmers do not have DC pumps. They use Italian made Askoll pumps.

 

[slief]

The Vertex skimmers do not have DC pumps. They use Italian made Askoll pumps.

Edited.

For a 108 gallon display, I would go with the ATB 840 over the Alpha. It will be much easier to tune. The Alpha's are grossly underrated due to their larger neck diameter and need a really heavy load at their smallest tank size rating to be even remotely consistent. Given the display size, I would lean towards the Omega 180i that Greg suggested over the Alpha though I do like the ATB's over the Omegas. I am not a big fan of the ATB Jebao based DC pumps but the pumps are cheap enough to replace should they fail and they allow for a bit of fine tuning via the pump speed settings which is nice. On the other hand, I believe the Omegas use a Sicce pump which is a decent pump.

 

[gcarroll]

My bad, slief is correct, the omega 180i has a Sicce. The 200i had the Askoll.

 

[Kies1]

I am running an omega 180i on a heavily stocked 90 gallon, love the skimmer. I get a full collection cup of dark, stinky skim mate every week. This translates into a full 4 cup measuring cup. Skimmer is awesome and I highly recommend it from personal experience. It will not be as silent as a dc skimmer but the pump on it is very reliable. It is a modified sicce pump

 

[mako61]

Im still putting my tank together. After reading Sliefs posts Im decided on lx7 lights. I have my rocks (marco) scaped and cooking/curing.

The last thing I still cant decide on is the skimmer. I saw the Simplicity it looks like a good skimmer at a good price. Reviews are kinda thin. Anyone had any experience with Simplicity.

 

[gcarroll]

Simplicity is a brand that is distributed by a Clear Choice here in SoCal. They are a good company with a rich history in the hobby. Before they were a distributor they were known as Reef Geek. I have known the owner since the 2004 or so.