Please keep in mind that these are my experiences and you may have different experiences.
I have always had smaller tanks, no larger than 75 gallons total tank volume. My current tank is a heavily stocked 50g sps tank that also run biopellets. Some skimmers I have previously owned include: AquaC Remora Hang-On, EuroReef RS80, ATB Econo 840, and the Bubble Magus NAC6.
I set this skimmer up 3 days ago and while it is still breaking in the foam is the best quality I have seen from all my skimmers. It is the frothiest foam I have had to date.
Before I bought it, I researched as much as I could about 9010 quirks and could not find a single post that showed how to overcome these quirks to be headache free. It is my hopes that you read the quirks and buy the 9010 or 9011 because it is truly the best I have found.
Quirk 1: When inserting the pump make sure to look at the top of the skimmer down (collection cup removed) to ensure that the tubing is not crimped. The tubing has a tendency to bend causing it to cut off a significant amount of air flow to the pump.
Quirk 2: When assembling the impeller shaft make sure that the "retaining clips" are properly seated. I was afraid to push them in thinking I would break something and did not seat it properly. I came home to an overflowing skimmer that got water all over my sump area. Luckily I did not go on vacation when this happened. I think this was solved with the tunze 9011 model...
Missing Clip:
Properly Seated Clip:
Clip Seated Wrong:
Quirk 3: This really isnt a quirk but because I am so used to needle wheel skimmers I kept turning the air flow knob in the wrong direction. In order to get dry foam you want to close the knob (turn right) and in order to get wetter foam you need to open it (turn left). Once I figured this out, the thing was working like a beast. I think this was so confusing because, I, like many of you get lost in directions and give up. I don't know why, but I kept thinking if I close the air flow then more water will go through the skimmer ie. the foam head will rise.
Pictures of skimmer in action/foam head.
In conclusion, I would like to say WOW; Absolute best skimmer I have owned once you can properly understand the quirks. I would also like to say, remember this is newly set up on my tank and it has not completely broken in yet. I have yet to see how fast it will skim or if the foam head will collapse like the ATB 840. In my opinion, I believe it will do fine.
Others with a tunze 9010 and 9011 please chime in.
I have always had smaller tanks, no larger than 75 gallons total tank volume. My current tank is a heavily stocked 50g sps tank that also run biopellets. Some skimmers I have previously owned include: AquaC Remora Hang-On, EuroReef RS80, ATB Econo 840, and the Bubble Magus NAC6.
I set this skimmer up 3 days ago and while it is still breaking in the foam is the best quality I have seen from all my skimmers. It is the frothiest foam I have had to date.
Before I bought it, I researched as much as I could about 9010 quirks and could not find a single post that showed how to overcome these quirks to be headache free. It is my hopes that you read the quirks and buy the 9010 or 9011 because it is truly the best I have found.
Quirk 1: When inserting the pump make sure to look at the top of the skimmer down (collection cup removed) to ensure that the tubing is not crimped. The tubing has a tendency to bend causing it to cut off a significant amount of air flow to the pump.
Quirk 2: When assembling the impeller shaft make sure that the "retaining clips" are properly seated. I was afraid to push them in thinking I would break something and did not seat it properly. I came home to an overflowing skimmer that got water all over my sump area. Luckily I did not go on vacation when this happened. I think this was solved with the tunze 9011 model...
Missing Clip:
Properly Seated Clip:
Clip Seated Wrong:
Quirk 3: This really isnt a quirk but because I am so used to needle wheel skimmers I kept turning the air flow knob in the wrong direction. In order to get dry foam you want to close the knob (turn right) and in order to get wetter foam you need to open it (turn left). Once I figured this out, the thing was working like a beast. I think this was so confusing because, I, like many of you get lost in directions and give up. I don't know why, but I kept thinking if I close the air flow then more water will go through the skimmer ie. the foam head will rise.
Pictures of skimmer in action/foam head.
In conclusion, I would like to say WOW; Absolute best skimmer I have owned once you can properly understand the quirks. I would also like to say, remember this is newly set up on my tank and it has not completely broken in yet. I have yet to see how fast it will skim or if the foam head will collapse like the ATB 840. In my opinion, I believe it will do fine.
Others with a tunze 9010 and 9011 please chime in.
