Skimmer Q&A Thread

[Syris1377]

Hey Mojo Im looking at the Eshopps PK75H or the Warner Marine H1 for my 40b sumpless tank which one would be a better fit for my tank? I will not be heavily stocked.

PS: I sent you a PM but Im sure you probably get slammed with pm's so I figured this would be the better place to ask...

Thanks!

PSS: Thanks for the response Mojo!!

 

[lhm nole]

Mojo

Setting up a 300 gallon fowlr which skimmer would you recommend and would like to keep under 1000 if possible. would be running 200lbs live rock and pretty heavy fish load . I have researched octopus wm and bubble king so far and I am on mind overload please help.

 

[mojo~]

Hey Mojo Im looking at the Eshopps PK75H or the Warner Marine H1 for my 40b sumpless tank which one would be a better fit for my tank? I will not be heavily stocked.

PS: I sent you a PM but Im sure you probably get slammed with pm's so I figured this would be the better place to ask...

Thanks!

PSS: Thanks for the response Mojo!!

The H1 is a really nice unit. It will cycle more water and air than the eshopps

 

[mojo~]

Mojo

Setting up a 300 gallon fowlr which skimmer would you recommend and would like to keep under 1000 if possible. would be running 200lbs live rock and pretty heavy fish load . I have researched octopus wm and bubble king so far and I am on mind overload please help.

The MSX 250A, the super reef octo 5000 series is another good one.

 

[lhm nole]

Thanks Mojo

 

[Buganddoug]

Syris1377,
I am with Mojo on the H1 skimmer. That hang on skimmer Rocks!

 

[alanmorehead]

Mojo,

I've been considering an upgrade to a 300g Marineland DD tank and looking for skimmer suggestions:

300g display tank: SPS-dominated w/ zoas and a few LPS, med-high fish load
250g "sump": A large area dedicated to chaeto, a sohal tang, and some frags. (Mostly open water volume)

I was hoping you could suggest options for both an in-sump and external skimmer. I would like to do an external skimmer this time, but it depends on how much of a difference there is between the skimmer options. I'd like to stay in the $500-$1,000 range.

Thanks - Alan

 

[mojo~]

Check out the Super reef octo 5000 series. They will be a good fit for your size tank. internal or external.

 

[KromiX]

Hi Mojo~, First of all, thank you for providing your time to answer all these questions, guys like you are great for this community.


I will be setting up a 40Breeder, with a 29g sump, No other filtration other than my skimmer. I will have nothing in the sump but the skimmer, chemi pure, and your various probes (temp etc..)

What type of skimmer do you recommend for me? I'm on a budget as I'm buying a lot of stuff but don't want to completely skimp either... I guess looking for a suggestion or two for bang-for-your-buck skimmers that will keep up with a decent bioload....`

And to add, do you know anything about the new (not yet released) SWC 120 Cone skimmer coming soon? It looks like you can get it with a pinwheel as well, cone, $200. Any info on this? Looking at it but worried since its not out to be a first adopter.....

 

[mojo~]

I actually have the swc 120 cone. Got one of the first samples to hit the USA. It is pretty good. would be a nice fit for your tank setup. The vertex in 80 would work and the bubble magnus NAC 6 would be ok. If you are going to upgrade to a larger tank later then getthe nac 6 or the vertex in 100. if not get the swc 120. Nice little skimmer.

 

[docstomper]

Hey mojo, how do you feel about BM200P for 180 gallon display and 55 sump?

Was also looking into Reef octo xp2000 or SRO 3000 Dont really want to go over 400 dollars thanks!

 

[lhm nole]

The MSX 250A, the super reef octo 5000 series is another good one.

Ordered my reef oct 5000 today

 

[mojo~]

Hey mojo, how do you feel about BM200P for 180 gallon display and 55 sump?

Was also looking into Reef octo xp2000 or SRO 3000 Dont really want to go over 400 dollars thanks!

the SRO 3000 is the way to go out of the ones you have picked. Good luck and enjoy. its a nice unit.

 

[mojo~]

Ordered my reef oct 5000 today

awesome, its a beast of a skimmer for sure.

 

[jason2459]

I ended up getting the sro-lx2000s HOB to try out. It's a monster as far as HOB skimmers are concerned. The bubble blaster hy2000 is pulling massive amounts of air at 46scfh @ 45w. Been up for just over 4 days and producing super stinky wet skimmate. Painted it black and bairly noticable in the tank except for the microbubbles which will hopefully go away once it breaks in.

Here's a link to a recap of the setup in my journal with some pictures and a video of the bubble blaster starting up and the air meter.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=16604863&postcount=523

 

[gkb]

Hello, and thank you for maintaining this thread.

Quick question:

What would be the end result of bypassing the venturi on a downdraft skimmer (SealifeSystems Impact - rated at 300g) and replacing the stock pump with a Bubble Blaster?

Thank you again.

Sincerely,
Greg

 

[Crustman]

Mojo, thanks for all your work and here is a question about a Vertex IN-100, 1st gen. skimmer. I cleaned it with vinegar and water because it was producing microbubbles. These were even worse until I figured out that I needed to put the pump outlet pipe deeper into the chamber. Finally I start producing skimmate again and I am talking to my Wife showing her how nice the tank is and I hear the ATO pump kick on, normal and Kalk is being pushed into sump. Pump does not shut down so I immediatly see that the skimmer cup is overflowing and the change in vol in the sump is causing the ATO to fill it with kalk. I unplugged the ATO, shut off the skimmer. It is back on and the water level in the skimmer is right, at the base of the collection cup. What happened, I only fed my fish, nothing else. I am not wearing perfume, my Wife does not have any on and we don't have any cleaning chemicals near the tank. Sorry this is too long like a manifesto.

 

[E.intheC]

Mojo, thanks for all your work and here is a question about a Vertex IN-100, 1st gen. skimmer. I cleaned it with vinegar and water because it was producing microbubbles. These were even worse until I figured out that I needed to put the pump outlet pipe deeper into the chamber. Finally I start producing skimmate again and I am talking to my Wife showing her how nice the tank is and I hear the ATO pump kick on, normal and Kalk is being pushed into sump. Pump does not shut down so I immediatly see that the skimmer cup is overflowing and the change in vol in the sump is causing the ATO to fill it with kalk. I unplugged the ATO, shut off the skimmer. It is back on and the water level in the skimmer is right, at the base of the collection cup. What happened, I only fed my fish, nothing else. I am not wearing perfume, my Wife does not have any on and we don't have any cleaning chemicals near the tank. Sorry this is too long like a manifesto.

I'm glad that as a man you don't wear perfume :lolspin:

But on a serious note, I think it sounds like when you had the pump outlet too far out and it was creating micro bubbles, it was also sucking in air from the outside, hence less water. When you pushed the pump in more, it was able to put more water in the skimmer directly, which would raise the water level inside the skimmer, causing it to overflow. I'm not 100% that's what's happening, but it's worth investigating.

 

[Crustman]

Thanks E in the C, I will look at this. I can see if the pipe is not in far enough that the bubbles will spill over to the outer chamber and to the h shaped outlet and air intake pipe. The pump gets air from a separate tube. What is an easier unit to adjust for a smaller tank like mine? I have a small sump also and the Vertex is touching on both sides.

 

[E.intheC]

crustman, I think I'm running into the same issue. It feels like the outlet pipe's adjusting is very tricky. I'll make a quarter of an inch adjustment in the piping and it will go from being much too low, to overflowing. it might be something else I'm doing though.