Skimmer Q&A Thread

So, do you think It would be worth changeing out the lifereef for the octo 160, also how big of a problem is it with the pump starting backwards, is there a way to fix this or would you recomend another skimmer.
Thanks , Ken
 
Hey Mojo!

I am stuck, and I am having a VERY hard time deciding what to do.

I have an elos Mini. The NS100 skimmer that is comes with is nice, but not quite nice enough for me. I feel as though there are not any good high-end (high-quality, extreme-performing) skimmers for this size tank. I have modified my sump to fit a skimmer with a foot print of 10X8 and I have around 22" of height to play with.

Right now my tank is setup as a non-photosynthetic system and I feed A LOT.
I may convert it to a SPS tank in the near future... but I am not set on it.

What should I do?
I am not a fan of most of the true "nano" skimmers.

Thanks for any help.

BTW- I originally modded the sump to accomodate the BK Mini 160, but was told the skimmer would not perform on this size tank,,,,,, true?
 
So, do you think It would be worth changeing out the lifereef for the octo 160, also how big of a problem is it with the pump starting backwards, is there a way to fix this or would you recomend another skimmer.
Thanks , Ken
The vertex in 180, or the ocean force MRC skimmer is another small footprint skimmer if you need that.
 
Hey Mojo!

I am stuck, and I am having a VERY hard time deciding what to do.

I have an elos Mini. The NS100 skimmer that is comes with is nice, but not quite nice enough for me. I feel as though there are not any good high-end (high-quality, extreme-performing) skimmers for this size tank. I have modified my sump to fit a skimmer with a foot print of 10X8 and I have around 22" of height to play with.

Right now my tank is setup as a non-photosynthetic system and I feed A LOT.
I may convert it to a SPS tank in the near future... but I am not set on it.

What should I do?
I am not a fan of most of the true "nano" skimmers.

Thanks for any help.

BTW- I originally modded the sump to accomodate the BK Mini 160, but was told the skimmer would not perform on this size tank,,,,,, true?

The MRC ocean force or a Bk mini 160 would fit in there.
 
The MRC ocean force or a Bk mini 160 would fit in there.

From what I have read the BK mini 160 will not skim much if anything from a 20g (unless your really dumping food in there) due to the grossly oversized neck.

The MRC ocean force 100 would prolly fit, but double check the footprints with the MRC...the sizes they have in their product info is not correct last time I checked. It is 22" tall as well, so not sure clearance will work...

A Tunze DOC Skimmer 9410 might be able to fit...but I haven't seen anyone run one of those yet.
 
i will be using it on my 90 gallon mixed reef with about 6-8 fish maybe more, ill build my sump around my skimmer so size dosent matter to much.. the smaller the better but i rather have a great skimmer
 
Hi Mojo,

I've been out for a while and am setting up a new sps system that will be in the max range of 300g or so.

What do you know about the Vertex Alpha series? I read somewhere that it is a jv with Royal Exclusive and they use the Red Dragon pumps. True?

They seem possibly like a nice balance between quality and performace and moderate price.

Anyone used them on here if Mojo hasn't?

Thanks,

Todd
 
Hi Mojo,

I've been out for a while and am setting up a new sps system that will be in the max range of 300g or so.

What do you know about the Vertex Alpha series? I read somewhere that it is a jv with Royal Exclusive and they use the Red Dragon pumps. True?

They seem possibly like a nice balance between quality and performace and moderate price.

Anyone used them on here if Mojo hasn't?

Thanks,

Todd

I have used the 170 and the 250 model. I posted what I thought about the first ones out and well a lot of people didnt agree that I thought the 250 needed more air. However they changed the nozzle to increase the airflow from 1400 lph to 2200 lph. The 170 had surging issues and a few little quirks. They have since come out with a new pinwheel for it and different intake reducer. Was I wrong? lol well both of my concerns were addressed. I would get a ATB cone or SWC 1a cone over any of the Alphas. But thats my opinon based on what I have seen.
 
Thank you, I'm not in to names, so whatever works better.

I tried to read as many thread you've made as I could, guess I missed some.

And the ATB cone / SWC 1a cone VS Warner Marine K2?

Thanks again,

Todd
 
For a 300g, I would go with a askoll based skimmer for sure. The ATB 1050A or the SWC 1a. would both work well.
 
So many skimmers are way over rated. A lot of skimmers have a huge system volume rating and really dont cycle enough water to justify their rating. I personally think the water a skimmer cycles should have more to do with system rating than just air. It takes both together to make it work on a larger system.
Just my two cents.
 
So many skimmers are way over rated. A lot of skimmers have a huge system volume rating and really dont cycle enough water to justify their rating. I personally think the water a skimmer cycles should have more to do with system rating than just air. It takes both together to make it work on a larger system.
Just my two cents.

And if anything, I wish water was more standardized than anything. How much water they process, and then someone could at least make a better educated guess at what kind of turnover rate they wanted for their setup.

Does a rule of thumb even exist for skimmer turnover rate for a given tank size???
 
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