tunze skimmer for a 150 gal tank + 35 gal sump

[steve the plumb]

What skimmer would you put on a tank like mine.I have a heavy bioload and many corals,inverts etc but I mostly feed flakes.I might want to upgrade to a 220 with a 50 - 80 gal sump.Keep in mind I also have 2 other skimmers.I might want to sell my Deltec and run 2 skimmers but I am looking for one skimmer that would handle a tank of my size or larger.Would I be better off getting the 9020 and would it be enough if I get a larger tank.I would prefer just to run 1 skimmer and sell the rest.But If the 9020 isn't large enough I may as well run my others as a back up.Maybe one wet skim one dry skim.Do I get the 9010 and run all 3?I would prefer more power.Thanks

 

[rvitko]

I think you would be very pleased with the 9020. I don't think you would need any other skimmer to supplement it.

 

[steve the plumb]

Thanks Roger.Like I said before I could never understand why people never said great things about the tunze.The company makes such good products yet when it comes to skimmers I never heard great things about them.I was told this buy People who carry the Tunze skimmer line.Its a shame that I always have heard more negative than positive.Tunze was the skimmer I wanted form the time I set up my reef 2 1/2 years ago but I was always steered towards other skimmmers.I would have saved more money buy buying it originaly.I will try to sell my other skimmers.Thanks

 

[rvitko]

I think what you heard was based on our old skimmer designs. I can explain it like this, back in 1959 the process of skimming was discovered by a hobbyist who collected the waste from his undergravel filter lift tubes in a drain. Tunze and Sanders began workking on commercial versions immediately. In 1960 both companies offered commercial versions. In the late 70's Tunze introduced the first powered venturi skimmers. These skimmers were revolutionary for their time. They had a design which was safe for plankton by using a closed loop where proteins entered only by osmosis. Such skimmers were awesome for the types of reef kept back then, the so callled "Dutch Reef" of algaes and soft coral. As time went on the focus became SPS. We got behind the curve sticking to our old design. In an SPS reef more agressive skimming is necessary because of the toxins they produce. Our new design allows the skimmer to be adjusted from plankton safe to agressive depending on need. I will admit though, if you tried to keep a loaded SPS tank with the older designs, it was difficult if you weren't very experienced in handling water chemistry issues. I think most of these comments are from these older skimmers on modern SPS systems.

 

[steve the plumb]

Thanks for the help.I will try to get the 9020 model.I hope to see good results.My tank is running well my only problem would be high nitrates of wich I have been reducing.I have cyano in my sump for some reason it seems to like it there.I also have calerpa in my sump.I would like to make some more space in there and place the 9020 inside with the calerpa.Is it ok to have the calerpa next to the skimmer.Should I try and place some kind of barrier inbetween.I don't want to clog the skimmer.My sump is a decent size and I use to have my old remora pro running in there with no problems.

 

[steve the plumb]

Ok I went ahead and ordered the 9020.Since this skimmer has no cup do you have use tubing to have it flow into the bucket it comes with?Does the tubing come with the skimmer?If not I am sure I can buy tubing from the hardware store.I also wanted to knw does this skimmer produce alot of wet skimmate.I am not sure if I have room for the bucket and I may have to use something smaller.I am currently using a coke bottle for my pc skimmer but I am sure thats to narrow for the tubing.I don't want the thing to overflow I am wonering if I will get 1/4 cup of skimmate a day or do you get alot more.

 

[rvitko]

It comes with the tubing and the bucket for the waste. It has a 27L waste reservoir and if you run the hoses to within about 5cm from the bottom, the backpressure will break the foam column before the bucket overflows. At the LFS that has one on their 180 display they get probably 1-2 cups per day.

 

[univalreef]

steve the plumb..

Please post what you will find with that skimmer 9020. I have not made any decision on this skimmer... have not found full/detail review on it

Thanks

 

[JC VT]

In an SPS reef more agressive skimming is necessary because of the toxins they produce. Our new design allows the skimmer to be adjusted from plankton safe to agressive depending on need.

Hi Roger,

Does this apply for the Nano skimmer as well? I am a fan of wet skimming to get particulate detritus out, and I would love to have that ability in my 20L that I will be setting up in the future.

Thanks,
Joon

 

[steve the plumb]

thanks.I don't know if I have room for the bucket underneath my stand but from what I have read the tunze skimmer doesn't go nuts it skims pretty consistant.I will be watchfull incase it does overflow.Do you mean 5 cm from the bottom of the bucket.This will make the skimmer push the skimmate in and by the time it would reach the top of the bucket theskimmer would should off due to backpressure or it just doesn't have enough force to push the skimmate .Would this stress the pumps at all?

 

[steve the plumb]

Rodger I wanted some more info on skimmer comparison.I wanted to know does the 9020 have 1 plug or 2.It looks like its 2 units stuck together is that so or is it 1 pump or 2 pumps with 1 plug.If there are 2 pumps will one overcompinsate or do they alwasy run insink getting an even amount of skimmate.For such a small skimmer you are pulling alot of air 1200 l/h is the reaction chamber large enoug.If you look at some Deltec models the turbo 1605 pulls 1500 l/h but is 15x8.5x24.5 its a much bigger unit running 3 pumps but at a cost of $1,508 More than doubble the cost of the tunze.The ap 700 pulls 950 l/h and is $1,079 and it would never fit under my stand(maybe if I squeezd and held my breath I could fit it in there ) again if you go to a lrger model is pulls more air than the tunze costs almost 3 times the price and is a monster.How do you guys get such good performance in a small skimmer.Sorry for all the questions

 

[JC VT]

Steve, sorry for hijacking... I'll start my own thread

 

[steve the plumb]

Thats ok don't mind I am trying to get a responce from Rodger if you get in contact with him let him know please

 

[steve the plumb]

JC get a larger skimmer if you can.You may want to get a larger tank in the future so you may want to get a skimmer that can do a 50 -100 gal tank with no problems.This way buy once not twice.

 

[rvitko]

The 9020 is essentially 2 9015's working in unison. They are actually completely independent, one can run without the other, but since they are matched in performance each skims equally though some adjustment of the air intake is required. With 46 years experience we learned a lot of tricks and that basic body has been around for 15 years so we have had lots of time to fine tune it.

The drain hose is quite large, it is about the size of a vacuum cleaner hose, it is basically that type of corrugated hose. I would probably find something of at least 2 gal capacity.

 

[steve the plumb]

Thanks Rodger.Thats a big hose.Seems to me that I will probably have to use the bucket or find some kind of container thats large enough and narrow enough.Its amazing how you can equal performance of other high end skimmers at half of the cost and half the space.I regret not looking into the tunze line before I would have bought this skimmer off the bat.I wasn't as knowledgable as I am now but I am still learning.I will keep you posted on the performance and I will let you know what I think of the skimmer.I am assuming there are 2 plugs for the skimmer not 1 correct?

 

[rvitko]

Correct.

 

[steve the plumb]

Thanks for the info