Skimmer Q&A Thread

the pumpon the 180 is good. I would just run it. But later on I would just get a tunze 9410 or bubble blaster 2000.

I would just run it the way it ccomes. Great skimmer for the $$
 
I have a dual display system. 93g and 29g and a 20g sump. The sump is to be updated soon, probably to a 40g breeder, but I am flexible, so dimensions shouldn't be an issue.

I am carbon dosing. Stocking is SPS/LPS.

3 lyretail anthias
2 OC clowns
1 Melanurus wrasse
1 Spotted mandarin
1 Puple firefish
1 YW gobby
1 McCoskers wrasse

I feed 4-5 times per day.

I'm leaning towards a SRO XP2000 or an AB 250. What do you suggest? Anything else I should look at?
 
the xp 2000 would be a great fit really. the atb 840 is great too but its about the same dimensions as the xp2000 just built a little better.

All in all you will be happy with it I am sure. IT runs in shallower water. I would read the reefspecialty sponsor thread and see where most are running them now and make sure that isnt a issue for you.

Mojo~
 
I can build the sump around it so, either way, shallow or deep is fine. So, all things equal you'd take the XP2000 over the Aquamaxx AB250 for my system? I think the atb 840 is a bit over my budget unfortunately.
 
well its a AM 250 not AB, :) but the am 250 has a need for a larger load to run efficiently. So yes I would go with the xp 2000 for your setup.
 
Well I redid my plumbing on everything. When I took the pics of the skimmer the other day I realized that I had a lot of pieces in my drain that I didn't need, so now i have just a 1" spa flex on my drain, and then I figured out how to get a 1.5" spa flex connected to the skimmer drain. So I removed the gate valve and run the 9.5 wide open with the big drain pipe and it seems to be working well. It's not flushing and filling, the water level is staying constant and its quiet. Unfortunately it was running totally flat so I couldn't dial in the level. Do all skimmers go flat like this? Seems like whenever I do any work the skimmer flattens out and makes mostly big bubbles. It can take a few hours to a day before it makes small bubbles and starts to skim again... I read that this is common on the bermuda's, not sure though.
 
Darn skimmer is still flat making big bubbles... I poured hot RODI water down the Venturi line but it didn't do anything. The whole skimmer was cleaned in vinegar a month ago so it's not clogged or dirty.
 
jscarlata said:
Darn skimmer is still flat making big bubbles... I poured hot RODI water down the Venturi line but it didn't do anything. The whole skimmer was cleaned in vinegar a month ago so it's not clogged or dirty.
Click to expand...

just give it time. it will come back.
 
Mojo

I'm working on a new system that will have a 150 g display, with a 50 g frag tank, about 100 g worth of fuge, and a sump with an operating volume of about 40-50 g. So, a total system volume of approxiately 345-355 gallons. I like fish! So there will be fairly heavy stocking load and my last tank was packed with SPS, so I expect this one will be as well and so will the frag tank.

The skimmers I am looking at are the SRO 3000XP internal, SRO 3000XP external, and the XS 250 internal. I want plenty of skimmer without going overboard, and there'll be no up grades to this system in the near future, so these volumes should stand for the life of the skimmer. I have no preference external vs. internal but want to plan my plumbing around the chosen skimmer.


... What would Mojo do?


And thanks for managing this thread, I read it daily!
 
DXHippie said:
I have been watching this thread for awhile, and in the process of setting up a new tank (120g with 30g in sump), I have been wondering if the skimmers I am looking at would be satisfactory for a reef tank with medium fish and medium SPS. I was looking into trying out the SKIMZ SK 181, but after reading through the thread it seems like it might be under power. Any thoughts on this. The other I was looking at would be the Reef Octopus XP 2000. I would appreciate any feed back that you all have.
Click to expand...

Hey DXHippie, I was wondering the same thing, also the BM NAC7. I am leading towards the NAC7, but not sure if it will be big enough. From what I read on this thread it appears that the XP2000 has the best pump, but probably the loudest. If any you guys could chime in and/or you Mojo(respect your advise)

thanks
Rui
 
Thanks mojo, you were right, she started skimming yesterday morning, and when i got home last night the whole skimmer was a sea of tiny bubbles, it was awesome. I got it dialed in to a good balance of wet vs. dry and was happy...but, there's always a but...
at around 12:30 or so, before i hit the sack, i noticed my drain filter sock was getting clogged, so i swapped it with a brand new one...holy sea of white foam batman...the damn skimmer freaked out and started foaming clean white foam for a good 40 minutes...I got it set so it wouldnt overflow last night and raised it a little this morning, hopefully when i get home it will be running well again...
Is this normal? is there a way to prevent this? i thought maybe i would pre-soak my new filter socks in fresh salt water before swapping them...
this is weird...huh
 
Skimz

Skimz

Well Falcao, I may end up being completely dissapointed, but I think I will be giving the SKIMZ SK181 a shot. It may turn out to be completely useless for a 120g with 30g sump, but I do know that if I can't get it to work, my fallback will be the XP2000. Just my 2 cents. If anyone can chime in for good or bad, I would appreciate the input.
 
Bax said:
Mojo

I'm working on a new system that will have a 150 g display, with a 50 g frag tank, about 100 g worth of fuge, and a sump with an operating volume of about 40-50 g. So, a total system volume of approxiately 345-355 gallons. I like fish! So there will be fairly heavy stocking load and my last tank was packed with SPS, so I expect this one will be as well and so will the frag tank.

The skimmers I am looking at are the SRO 3000XP internal, SRO 3000XP external, and the XS 250 internal. I want plenty of skimmer without going overboard, and there'll be no up grades to this system in the near future, so these volumes should stand for the life of the skimmer. I have no preference external vs. internal but want to plan my plumbing around the chosen skimmer.


... What would Mojo do?


And thanks for managing this thread, I read it daily!
Click to expand...
yea the 3000 xp and the 250 xs would be a great fit. The 3000 uses a biggere pump doing all the work but the 250 xs might just give you a little more reaction time. The 250 is a really well balanced skimmer really. Either way you will be pleased I am sure.

Mojo~
 
Falcao said:
Hey DXHippie, I was wondering the same thing, also the BM NAC7. I am leading towards the NAC7, but not sure if it will be big enough. From what I read on this thread it appears that the XP2000 has the best pump, but probably the loudest. If any you guys could chime in and/or you Mojo(respect your advise)

thanks
Rui
Click to expand...

The skimz SK181 is a great skimmer for sure. Just not a lot of them out there. The NAc 7 and the xp 2000 are good as well and each has its place. The nac 7 is a nice skimmer for a more budget minded reefer. The xp2000 has a little nicer transition to the neck and pulls more air and water than the nac7. The sk 181 kind of sits in the middle of these two when you look at the specs. But is closer to the xp 2000. However the skimz line needs to be out longer to prove themselves here in the states. THe es 2800 pump on the sk 201 I had was a little loud for my liking. Louder than the bb2000 pump. the es 2000 pump on the sk181 had been reported to be more quiet.

I hope that info helps. I like the design of the Skimz. But like the performance of the BB 2000 pump.... :)
 
jscarlata said:
Thanks mojo, you were right, she started skimming yesterday morning, and when i got home last night the whole skimmer was a sea of tiny bubbles, it was awesome. I got it dialed in to a good balance of wet vs. dry and was happy...but, there's always a but...
at around 12:30 or so, before i hit the sack, i noticed my drain filter sock was getting clogged, so i swapped it with a brand new one...holy sea of white foam batman...the damn skimmer freaked out and started foaming clean white foam for a good 40 minutes...I got it set so it wouldnt overflow last night and raised it a little this morning, hopefully when i get home it will be running well again...
Is this normal? is there a way to prevent this? i thought maybe i would pre-soak my new filter socks in fresh salt water before swapping them...
this is weird...huh
Click to expand...

Yea brand new socks cause all skimmers to go nuts. give it a day or two to break in. Might even take a water change.... I know it kind of stinks after just getting it going but yea I have the same issue with brand new filter socks.

You will get back on track. No worries man.
 
DXHippie said:
Well Falcao, I may end up being completely dissapointed, but I think I will be giving the SKIMZ SK181 a shot. It may turn out to be completely useless for a 120g with 30g sump, but I do know that if I can't get it to work, my fallback will be the XP2000. Just my 2 cents. If anyone can chime in for good or bad, I would appreciate the input.
Click to expand...

I think you will be pleased. I had the sk201 and the sm 201. One cylinder one cone. I actually thought th3 sk 201 performed better than the sm 201 with the larger pump. However the es 2800 pump on the SK model had more of a humto it I didnt care for. The sm 201 has the es 5000 pump that is much more quiet.

The sk 181 is a nice little skimmer. good luck and I wouldnt think you will be upset at all with your purchase.

Mojo~
 
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