Skimmer Recommendation.

[jw10604]

I have a 175 gallon mixed reef with a medium bio load. Its a mix of hard and soft corals. I also have a 40 gallon sump that is filled with macro algae. I need a skimmer recommendation for this tank. Should I buy two 9005, or a 9010/9015 or dig deep and get the 9020? Help!

 

[rvitko]

The 9020 would work great but a 9010 or 9015 would also do the job, it really depends on feeding and other filtration as well as the specific corals. If you have good maintanence practices, run a bit of carbon and phosphate remover and the load is modest and the hard corals are more LPS than SPS the 9010 should do the job.

 

[jw10604]

Feeding is moderate. The corals are a mix, 60% soft, 20% lps, 20% sps. Basically they are all frags that are growing in. I do have some carbon and phosban in the sump. Whats the big difference between the 9010 and the 9015? A taller tower in the 9015? Will it make that much of a difference over the 9010?

 

[rvitko]

The 9015 just lets you run the air flow full blast, I would say it is about 25% stronger than a 9010, I prefer the 9010.