Vertex Skimmer club

hello, im trying to be a vertex member. all these post got me convinced. right now i have a 50g tank 10g sump with med load mixed coral and 2 med and 5 small fish. i have a cpr backpack skim. that is not cuttin it anymore. first question, im looking at the vert. in 100, is this enough for now and possibly for an upgrade to a 75g later? second is, what is the true footprint of the 100 2nd gen. because ive read it is 11x13 and also 8x10 (size of the 100 1st gen). my sump space is 9x11. has anyone measured a 100 2nd gen. or compared it to the 1st? thanx
 
in100 will be fine. I run a gen1 on my 50g display + 30g sump (only using about 15g worth of water). You could use it on a 75g too, mediumish bioload. I would have to get a 180 for a 75g tank though just because I'm all about overskimming I guess ;) I'm not too sure about the footprint as I have a gen1.
 
Glad , you checked in EvMiBo.. Were is bubble break set on these critters? (water level some call it)

I scaned thru thread again quickly- but really didn't see any close-ups of BB.
 
I'm at work so I can't go check mine out right now, my new pump is breaking in anyways so I can't even say it would be accurate.. But honestly, I think it's hard to say. Most peoples setup on here will be similar but not identical. What I mean is most of us have the water level in the skimmer chamber 7-8 inches like it has been recommended by ~mojo in the beginning (may be different for some 250+ owners). But, we have different size skimmers (with different pumps) and our wedge pipes are probably dialed in slightly different. Another thing to consider is one of the main differences between the gen1 and 2.. The bubble plate in the gen1 is higher then the gen2 [the top of my bubble plate on my gen1 in100 is probably only ~1" below the water level in the skimmer chamber] - And I would bet that a gen1 and gen2 in100 have at least a slightly different "bb" under the same conditions because of it. Another factor to consider would be your bioload.. I would imagine that 2 identical skimmers under the same exact settings would have a different bb with one having a light bioload and the other having a heavy bioload.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that there is no right or wrong spot to have your bubble break. This is my first skimmer, but others have said it breaks in much faster then others they've had. Still, I don't think you'll have (or should expect) a fully consistent beast in under 3 weeks, where you can see what your bb is for your setup and conditions.
 
Thank you for that.. Most (all?) skimmers (20+) I have owned had a "nomal" BB point.
I agree with what you say, each set-up is different.. but there are general set points, then we dial in from there.
The octo 200 extreme BB was 1" below first bend in the body. ( in 7-8" water)

Hopfully someone here has a 180 Gen2 that is dialed in.
 
Since the skimmer has been running full open for a day and formed a nice crud in the curved section of the skimmer, I went ahead and adjusted the standpipe to a bit more than 3/4 closed. That raises the internal water line of my IN180 (G2) to a little above the first black band on the skimmer (where the cylinder meets the curved portion). The bubbles are now reaching the lip of the cup.

Hope this sounds right and on par with others' settings.

//EDIT: Just to clarify, my sump water height is about 7.5"
 
Last edited:
Saying what I said I think we'll all be with 2" of each other. Water height probably plays one of the largest rolls and most are in 7-8".
 
wdytat said:
Since the skimmer has been running full open for a day and formed a nice crud in the curved section of the skimmer, I went ahead and adjusted the standpipe to a bit more than 3/4 closed. That raises the internal water line of my IN180 (G2) to a little above the first black band on the skimmer (where the cylinder meets the curved portion). The bubbles are now reaching the lip of the cup.

Hope this sounds right and on par with others' settings.
Click to expand...

You may get some overflows, keep an eye on it :hmm4:
 
wdytat said:
Since the skimmer has been running full open for a day and formed a nice crud in the curved section of the skimmer, I went ahead and adjusted the standpipe to a bit more than 3/4 closed. That raises the internal water line of my IN180 (G2) to a little above the first black band on the skimmer (where the cylinder meets the curved portion). The bubbles are now reaching the lip of the cup.

Hope this sounds right and on par with others' settings.
Click to expand...


I had mine at first black bar overnight seemed like a good point. No overlows, 1/2" light green skimmate.

Edit: Mojo just said water level will be @ black bar :thumbsup:
 
Back ordered

Back ordered

Just got a call from AquaCave says the IN-100 I bought is on backorder till next week...I told them I would wait.All the LFS's and most online are sold out too :mad2:
 
I have to have the internal water height a little above the first black ring for the foam to reach the top. If right on the black ring, the foam only reaches about half way up the tube. Of course, that may change as it settles more.

Let's see pictures of everyone's water line. :-)
(I'll eat my own dog food and get a photo soon)
 
My IN250 is set with a breaking point just above the first black band.

The skimmate I have is super dark and thick and the bubbles in the cup have enough surface tension that they do not break easily.

I rather not run very wet...so it's preference...also I bet each skimmer has its own characteristics.

It's in 7.5" of water.
 
Day 4 & 5

Day 4 & 5

Day 4

day3-1.jpg



Day 5

Day4.jpg
 
VitalApparatus said:
Just got a call from AquaCave says the IN-100 I bought is on backorder till next week...I told them I would wait.All the LFS's and most online are sold out too :mad2:
Click to expand...

If you can, order from premiumaquatics.com or marinedepot.com - both are having a 20% off sale for october. :rollface:

putz- looks awesome!!! How closed is the wedgepipe?
 
make sure keep those skimmer cups and neck cleaned once a week so your skimmer will perform well, i just cleaned 1/4 thick of crud of inside of skimmer cup.
 
Frenchie, What do you use?
I have been using a baby bottle brush (the one with a sponge on end) for yrs..
But open to new ideas :D
Sometimes I wonder if its best to clean every other day..??
 
I'm wrestling with the idea of picking up the IN-180 while the sale is going on... but probably won't be using it for 6 months... in that time, there could be an upgrade or similar pricing.... geez... what to do...
 
i use kinda like small toilet bowl brush so i can scrub down into skimmer body and i use one of those free plastic scrapers you can get from premium aquatics.
 
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