Skimmer Q&A Thread

[fishcraze_1]

Setting up a 92 corner bowfront tank,

trying to decide on skimmer for this tank

which of the following do you recommend

will be a mixed reef with T5 lighting, 20 gallon sump

nac6, nac7 or xp1000 sss

any others i should look into?

thanks mojo

 

[rogerwilco357]

bubble king v.s the royal exclusive alpha series

bubble king v.s the royal exclusive alpha series

what is the main difference between the alpha 200 and the bubble kings comparable model like lets say the 180bk vs the alpha 170 ..other than the price they both have the same plastics and motor correct?

 

[sneaton]

please help

please help

i have a 75 gallon reef plus a 12 gallon sump heavily stocked... i am looking for a skimmer that will work on the 75 and also do a good job on a 200 gallon, as im planing to upgarade to a 200 gallon in a year. which would be the best fit for my needs.... i was looking at the swc 180 cone, but i have no idea if thats the best fit.. please help me mojo..... right now im using a sealife seastorm 75 (older model) with a mj 1200 and it gets a coffee mugs worth of dark wet skimmate every 5-7 days...would i notice anything different with a better skimmer?

 

[FSU3NOLES28]

Setting up a 55g and currently have about 25lbs of cured live rock in it. Am looking to setup a reef tank with corals and fish?

How long before I should invest in a skimmer?

What is more important that I splurge on first? T5 lighting or a skimmer?

My current lighting system is the basic led one that comes in a marineland freshwater kit.

Thanks in advance.

 

[sneaton]

whats the largest tank you would put the swc 160 cone on? i found one for $245 shipped so now my decision is a little harder...i am still wanting to upgrade to a 200 gallon next year so i might have to get the swc 180 cone instead...please let me know what you think mojo, 75 gallon with 10 gallon sump now and looking for a skimmer that i could upgrade with. whats the the best fit for me mojo? thanks in advance bro....your knowledge is priceless

 

[E.intheC]

Setting up a 55g and currently have about 25lbs of cured live rock in it. Am looking to setup a reef tank with corals and fish?

How long before I should invest in a skimmer?

What is more important that I splurge on first? T5 lighting or a skimmer?

My current lighting system is the basic led one that comes in a marineland freshwater kit.

Thanks in advance.

you should really save until you can get both and then buy corals. But if you must have a reef setup, lights are more important than a skimmer, IMO. You will just have to increase water changes. Don't get me wrong.. skimmers are definitely important for a reef.

 

[Stanley-Reefer]

Lots of info and great equipment in this post...just sharing that I got a Deltec SC2560 for Christmas in my 175 HEAVILY stocked sps dominated tank. I have dosed vodka and mb7 for 2 years and only been able to get 20-40ppm readings on my strips....fast forward 36 days and I got my first every 0ppm reading on my strips. While I'm sure there is some in there, its a big difference with no change in anything but the skimmer.

Here is about 18 hours of skimmate...keep in ming the bottom of the collection cup is white and the flash is on. It was expensive but worth it to me.

 

[sneaton]

thanks for the info on the changes in your tank after switching to a good skimmer...i have the same issues with nitrates staying a 20-40 ppm, so now im even more excited about a new skimmer..

 

[sneaton]

i ended up getting the swc 160 cone...couldnt pass up $245 shipped...when i upgrade i will sell and buy the 180 or just get another 160 cone and run 2..i hope mojo thinks the 160 cone is a good match for the 75 gallon heavily stocked

 

[gattoro]

New skimmer for my tank

New skimmer for my tank

Hi...I have an AquaC EV-400 that I run with a Mag 18 that is both using too much energy and not producing as much as I would like. I have heard that I could fix this with a larger pump, but already I want something with less energy draw and I think that maybe the EV-400 is a over sized for the application. I have a 180 gallon, 75 gallon sump, mixed reef with 8 small fish (that will grow to be in the 3" to 7" range), a few soft corals (but will be fulling stocking with more corals) and about 200lbs of live rock and a 3-4" Deep Sand Bed. The tank has been up and running for about 6 months. My guess is with sand, rock and sump level that I am at about 180 - 200 gallons for total volume. The flow through the skimmer chamber of my sump is probably about about 250 g/hr. After researching I've narrowed it down to the following (with low watt/high performance in mind).

Reef Dynamics INS180 45 watts "“ rated for180 gallons
Vertex IN180 32 watts "“ rated for 180 gallons
Vertex IN250 55 watts - rated for 250 gallons
Reef Octopus Extreme 200 30 watts rated for 225 gallons
Reef Octopus SUPER SRO 2000INT 30 watts - rated for 180 gallons
Reef Octopus SUPER SRO 3000INT 40 watts "“ rated for 300 gallons

I have read a lot about these and see various opinions on all. In general it seems they are mostly positive. I am leaning to the Super SRO 2000INT, but any thoughts/recommendations?

Thanks! Ron

 

[jlylec]

I have the opportunity to buy a Bubble Magus BM-180-CS Cone Protein Skimmer for about $55 more than the octo xs 200...do you think this is worth the extra money? is it much better to have a cone skimmer? and this one in particular? good deal at $360? thanks again mojo!

 

[mojo~]

Hi...I have an AquaC EV-400 that I run with a Mag 18 that is both using too much energy and not producing as much as I would like. I have heard that I could fix this with a larger pump, but already I want something with less energy draw and I think that maybe the EV-400 is a over sized for the application. I have a 180 gallon, 75 gallon sump, mixed reef with 8 small fish (that will grow to be in the 3" to 7" range), a few soft corals (but will be fulling stocking with more corals) and about 200lbs of live rock and a 3-4" Deep Sand Bed. The tank has been up and running for about 6 months. My guess is with sand, rock and sump level that I am at about 180 - 200 gallons for total volume. The flow through the skimmer chamber of my sump is probably about about 250 g/hr. After researching I've narrowed it down to the following (with low watt/high performance in mind).

Reef Dynamics INS180 45 watts "“ rated for180 gallons
Vertex IN180 32 watts "“ rated for 180 gallons
Vertex IN250 55 watts - rated for 250 gallons
Reef Octopus Extreme 200 30 watts rated for 225 gallons
Reef Octopus SUPER SRO 2000INT 30 watts - rated for 180 gallons
Reef Octopus SUPER SRO 3000INT 40 watts "“ rated for 300 gallons

I have read a lot about these and see various opinions on all. In general it seems they are mostly positive. I am leaning to the Super SRO 2000INT, but any thoughts/recommendations?

Thanks! Ron

The SRO 3000int would be the best fit. Really good skimmer and good bang for your buck.

Mojo~

 

[mojo~]

i ended up getting the swc 160 cone...couldnt pass up $245 shipped...when i upgrade i will sell and buy the 180 or just get another 160 cone and run 2..i hope mojo thinks the 160 cone is a good match for the 75 gallon heavily stocked

The 160 cone will be fine. Not a bad skimmer for the money. inexpensive. But I would stay away from the 180 cone with the sicce psk2500. They work well but you have the directional volute on the 180. THe 160 you have has the atman 2500 and will be ok. Cheap pump but they work well. Not great but they get the job done thats for sure.

Mojo~

 

[mojo~]

I have the opportunity to buy a Bubble Magus BM-180-CS Cone Protein Skimmer for about $55 more than the octo xs 200...do you think this is worth the extra money? is it much better to have a cone skimmer? and this one in particular? good deal at $360? thanks again mojo!

its actually a really nice skimmer, bumps up to a aquabee pump and is pretty quiet. Doesnt really pull huge amounts of air but the pump is tried and true. it is used on the deltec and Das skimmers that work really well. Both the bm and 200 xs will work well.
Sorry for the delay in post all Blizzard here in the Midwest.

 

[gattoro]

Awesome...thanks for the recommendation Mojo...I think the SRO 3000 is what I am going to go with...I'll post some comparison pics to my EV-400 once I get it up and running...thanks for the input...

 

[sneaton]

thanks mojo...youre the shizzle...i was hoping you wouldnt say that the 180 was the better choice, so i really appreciate you approving my purchase it took care of my buyers regret (lol)..

 

[moondoggy4]

Thanks Stanley for sharing I feel you on the nitrates, mine has not gone down to zero yet, went from a 100PPM to 50 PPM I feed a lot one, angry PBT .

 

[Enzel]

This thread is awesome, lots of reading and info!

I wasn't able to decide between 2 skimmers and now I'm between 3...

My tan has a 150ish gallons and with medium bioload, but want to push it to a high bioload. What skimmer would work best. I was leaning more towards a ATB cone 840 V2.0 because I've heard it's a tough solid skimmer. Second option was a SWC 230 mainly because of it's askoll pump which I've heard it's awesome. But now after reading this thread I'm VERY interested in the ATI powercone 250.... I have a 55g sump so my skimmer chamber is about 13" wide and would need the skimmer to be able to fit there so my options are limited unless I want to shell out a lot of $$$ on a BK Mini...

 

[mojo~]

the atb will work great. And has great service. The swc will be ok too but is not built near as well as the atb. Cheaper plastic parts and mediocre customer service are some of the drawbacks. Depends on where you buy them from really. I can say you will be happy with either purchase. I think the ATB will perform more consistant on your tank than the 230 but either way you go you should be pleased.

As far as SWC skimmers, I think they perform ok but compare one to a atb or a bk or any other high end skimmer and you will understand what I mean by the feel of the skimmer being different. The atb's and Bk's being machined parts where as the swc and some other brands injection mold the parts for a cheaper cost.

Good luck with your purchase. Mojo~

 

[Enzel]

the atb will work great. And has great service. The swc will be ok too but is not built near as well as the atb. Cheaper plastic parts and mediocre customer service are some of the drawbacks. Depends on where you buy them from really. I can say you will be happy with either purchase. I think the ATB will perform more consistant on your tank than the 230 but either way you go you should be pleased.

As far as SWC skimmers, I think they perform ok but compare one to a atb or a bk or any other high end skimmer and you will understand what I mean by the feel of the skimmer being different. The atb's and Bk's being machined parts where as the swc and some other brands injection mold the parts for a cheaper cost.

Good luck with your purchase. Mojo~

Yeah I read an another post about swc's lack of customer service. How would you compare an atb 840 with the ati powercone 250? I know the ati isn't out yet but seems pretty good.

Thanks for the help!