Skimmer selections Opinions please

[jschultzbass]

specs for the 220Filtration Handling
- 530 Gallon – Light Filtration Demand | 400 Gallon – Medium Filtration Demand | 300 Gallon – Heavy Filtration Demand

Technical Specs
Super Cone Body: 9in
Footprint: 16.5in x 12.2in
Neck Size: 4.75in
Total Height: 24.8in
Output Size: 50mm / 1.5in
Note: Recommended Sump Water Depth: 7.5-9in

Pump Information
Reef Octopus Controllable DC 5500s Pinwheel Pump
Power Consumption: 35-45watts
Air Draw: 1200-2000 lph / 42-70 SCFH*
Water Draw: 344gph

that Air draw drops to 1200- lph because it is a DC pump and can be slowed down

That just seems pretty small for a 300 gallon tank. The RD INS350E skimmer I have pulls in 800+ gph of water and has a 10" body. The RO with only a 9" body, not to mention the wine bottle shape has a LOT less volume in the skimmer and less than half the flow through the skimmer. I honestly think you'll be disappointed with the RO because it's just too small, they way over estimated the size tank it will work in. I wouldn't put it on anything bigger than a 220, like the model number says. These are all just my opinions though so take them for what it's worth. (probably not much )

 

[d2mini]

What is not factual about having to run the airline to the cup for moist air to ensure no salt creep? That is a fault of the venturi driven design. There is someone on the LR thread that tried to run a line outside of cabinet to get fresh air, and it continuously clogged. It states on the website that that is a "positive feature", the owner of lifereef words, not mine. It is not needed on a pinwheel skimmer as the backflush of skimmer water when it is turned off for cup cleaning will keep the venturi clean on the volute. A pinwheel skimmer uses a venturi to draw air and mix with water, with the pinwheel also chopping the water air mix.

I don't know why you are being so dense about this.
YES, venture's are known for clogging from salt build up. We know that.
The "feature" of this particular skimmer is that it has the airline for the moist air collection which gets rid of that problem. So now the one known issue of having a venturi skimmer is no longer an issue.
So tell us again how this is a problem for you?
There are so many other downsides to pinwheel/needlewheel skimmers it's not even funny.

Thank you for reiterating my point of it being a space and power hog, and that it does not pull any more nog than any other good skimmer.

Um, again... no one is disputing the fact that it doesn't pull more skim than any other good, seemingly dialed in, perfectly adjusted, not finicky at the moment skimmer. Well, mine pulls a lot more than my alpha 250 ever did. But regardless, that's not the reason we buy LR skimmers.

I'm kinda curious why you are acting like you feel all threatened over LR skimmers.

 

[wildman926]

Cons;
Uses more power.
Tends to be taller than most pinwheel skimmers.

This is all I have said here, and thank you too for backing up my point.

no one is disputing the fact that it doesn't pull more skim than any other

I have said this also, so thank you too for reiterating that.

To the OP, I apologize for your thread getting sidetracked somewhat. The LR cheerleaders get a little bent if you don't rah rah with them. Several times in this thread, they have reiterated only what I was trying to point out.

I hope you think hard about using the RO skimmers. As stated already, the wine bottle shape, or hybrid as RO calls them, does not contribute to body volume, or contact time. It also induces it to overflow if you set the internal water level at the same level as other skimmers.

 

[kris101]

I decided that I am going with the Alpha 300.

Once the alpha is set, it "should" be low maintenance.

I will miss the simplicity of my lifereef, but the I'm sure the alpha will handle everything I throw at it!

 

[d2mini]

The LR cheerleaders get a little bent if you don't rah rah with them. Several times in this thread, they have reiterated only what I was trying to point out.

The LR cheerleaders are just correcting your mistakes. :lol:

 

[jrp1588]

Nothing wrong with being a fan of a particular product. It's when they become the ONLY option that fanboyism comes into play. It's like Mac zealots. I use Mac at work and pc at home. They're both great products.

Maybe recommend a handful of options, and mention Lifereef is your favorite. Fair and balanced, and no one gets their jimmies rustled.

 

[mikeatjac]

This is all I have said here, and thank you too for backing up my point.



I have said this also, so thank you too for reiterating that.

To the OP, I apologize for your thread getting sidetracked somewhat. The LR cheerleaders get a little bent if you don't rah rah with them. Several times in this thread, they have reiterated only what I was trying to point out.

I hope you think hard about using the RO skimmers. As stated already, the wine bottle shape, or hybrid as RO calls them, does not contribute to body volume, or contact time. It also induces it to overflow if you set the internal water level at the same level as other skimmers.

Gee you need to learn to read! You are the one that side tracked this thread. Please stop so we can get back to the discussion!

 

[d2mini]

Nothing wrong with being a fan of a particular product. It's when they become the ONLY option that fanboyism comes into play. It's like Mac zealots. I use Mac at work and pc at home. They're both great products.

Maybe recommend a handful of options, and mention Lifereef is your favorite. Fair and balanced, and no one gets their jimmies rustled.

Let's go back to the beginning and see what YOU started.

-------------

I have a 300 DD that I am building and my Lifereef VS3-30 will not be big enough which I am very disappointed about.

Why don't you get a bigger LifeReef or add an extension?

I agree Dennis. I did talk to Jeff again yesterday but the problem is I don't have the stand height to go bigger or I would. Believe me I am not happy about this, but I am out of options

Fanboy alert! Not saying their skimmers aren't great, but the other skimmers listed are great too. Nothing wrong with going new tech. Call it ideological differences, but most of his website came across as "I don't trust all this new fangled stuff. I'm going to stick with what I know and am comfortable with."

--------------

The initial suggestion that seemed to "rustle feathers" for no apparent reason, was for the op to save money, keep what he has, and get an extension. Another benefit to the LR, btw. This was before he said he didn't have the space for it, which was why he was considering something else. Then you came along with your fanboy drivel which sent the thread downhill. Without your comment, it would have been dropped and the OP would have gotten what he needed in half the threads. Congrats.

You want another suggestion? MTC. But that won't fit either.

 

[jrp1588]

I'm just trying to bring some moderation into the discussion. Sure, they're great, but other stuff is great too. Every time I see you post in a skimmer thread, you talk about the LR skimmers like they are the end-all be-all of skimmer technology, and any other option is wrong and bad. I was having a grumpy day, and I felt like saying something about it. My bad.

I'm really not looking to get into an internet argument here. As we all know, whenever you argue on the internet, everyone loses, and we're all more stupid for it.

 

[viggen]

I decided that I am going with the Alpha 300.

Once the alpha is set, it "should" be low maintenance.

I will miss the simplicity of my lifereef, but the I'm sure the alpha will handle everything I throw at it!

GREAT!! I think from the specs that's a MUCH better choice!!

The skimmer should also be set and forget.... that is if your sumps water leve doesn't change at all. If it does change it will need constant adjusting which is a complete PITA

 

[kris101]

I was water testing my 300 and sump and found that running 9" water level required by the Alpha is cutting it very close during a shutdown. The sump is 80g 48x24x16

I am probably going to order a Bubble King Supermarin 250 and call it a day. It only requires 7.3 water level and will take up way less space in my sump

 

[AcroporAddict]

I was water testing my 300 and sump and found that running 9" water level required by the Alpha is cutting it very close during a shutdown. The sump is 80g 48x24x16

I am probably going to order a Bubble King Supermarin 250 and call it a day. It only requires 7.3 water level and will take up way less space in my sump

Kris, not trying to postpone your decision further, hehehe, but you say it is cutting it close during a shutdown. Do you mean the sump is close to overflowing? If so, you can easily set up the skimmer to shut off during return pump shutdowns without an issue if you use a controller.

I owned and used an Alpha 300 for over two years and they don't need 9" of water to function. Mine was in 8.5" all the time, and could have worked fine in 8" as well.

The SM 250 is a great choice, but your 300 is perfect for your application and then some.It will definitely overskim some, per your first post in this thread.

 

[kris101]

Acropor

Yes close to overflowing. The skimmer pump would also be down during a power outage so it wont matter

How where you adjusting for the 8" sump level. Air intake? I have the old red dragons with the adjustments that slide in and out of the volute

 

[AcroporAddict]

Acropor

Yes close to overflowing. The skimmer pump would also be down during a power outage so it wont matter

How where you adjusting for the 8" sump level. Air intake? I have the old red dragons with the adjustments that slide in and out of the volute

I have always adjusted via the wedge pipe. If you have a lower operating level you just close it a bit more.

My 300 had the white screw in type volute adjustments, the threaded ones. You have an older 300 if you have the red pipe lengths the first ones came with. But you really should not need to mess with the volute for a 1/2"-1" change in operating water level. You should be fine just adjusting the output of the skimmer body via the wedge pipe. I never messed with the threaded volute pipe myself. Had it 3.5 turns out from closed and just left it there all the time. I always adjusted the foam head via the wedge. As long as you have a good mix of air/water currently, a small change in operating water height should not make much difference.

I also owned a Marineland 300 DD tank. You might look at the flow rate of your return pump. The greater the flow rate, the higher the water level in the tank, and the higher the volume of drainback to the sump when it is turned off, of course.

I rely on Vortech MP60s for my in-tank flow in my 465 gallon SPS tank, and only have a moderate flow through rate in my sump. You might try slowing the flow of your return pump a bit, and you will see less water in your sump when it is turned off. A high flow through your sump is neither necessary nor desireable, IME.

 

[kris101]

I choose a skimmer (not the Alpha!)

I choose a skimmer (not the Alpha!)

Well this has certainly been a very entertaining thread!

I am a big fan of Lifereef. It is truly a consistent set and forget skimmer!

But I also believe that there are different skimming techniques out there that are fantastic.

The key to a good skimmers success is quality and matching the skimmer to your system.

I would like to emphasize the word quality. Every skimmer that was brought up in this thread were of high quality and perform well for what they are.

Along with quality, Its about matching the system and space allotted.
I became limited! This caused me to research..

I did purchase a Bubble King Supermarin 200 today and will have it Thursday:celeb2:
Its a quality Skimmer and it fits my system. It's a great performer and if you research it on reef central, you will not find many threads of people complaining about them or switching to another skimmer because of performance.

Thank you everyone for contributing to this thread. a lot of great points were made about brands of skimmers and the tech they use!

 

[mikeatjac]

Good choice.

 

[jrp1588]

Good lord, I've never priced Bubble King skimmers. I about spit my pre workout drink all over my laptop. haha

 

[kris101]

Bubble Kings are a tad more than Alphas. but and I say this knowing this hobby the way I do

I DO NOT PLAN ON GETTING A BIGGER TANK! LOL I have a 300 gallon!

Bubble kings are quality... I should not need to ever buy another skimmer again! LOL

Famous last words!

For the money, if I stuck with the with the Reefocto Elite and found that it didn't perform 6 months later or the alpha being to big for my system, I would have had to buy a 2nd skimmer.. the cost of 2 quality skimmers is the price if not more than one Bubble king.

Like I said find one post of people getting rid of their Bubble kings because of performance

 

[jrp1588]

Not knocking them, I've heard good things. Just never seen a price tag on one. That's a whole other league than what I buy! Quite a jump in price from mid-high end to high end equipment. Then again, I've only ever priced stuff out big enough for a 125gal tank. I should have been a doctor. My hobbies are too expensive.

 

[azjohnny]

I have thought about a BK Supermarin 200 but was scared off by the lack of customer support I have read on the Bubbleking skimmer thread concerning pumps that have failed and the user's have gone months with no service or word back on a replacement pump

The amount of failed pumps might be low but if a pump fails I expect stellar service considering how much you are paying for the skimmer