Vertex Skimmer club
- Thread starter JohnL
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SaltwaterAdict
New member
I heard good things about the new SWC cone skimmers. I was actually about to purchase one, but it wasn't properly sized for my tank. It will handle something like 125 light bioload/90 gallon heavy if my memory serves me correctly. The Vertex was perfectly sized for a 125 gallon.
I had a bunch of skimmers in mind..don't get me wrong there are a lot of nice skimmers out there. I feel like I made a great purchase and would like to share how good of a job I feel it's doing. I feed my tank pretty heavily, not sure what you consider heavy. PE mysis once a day, a sheet or two of nori, flakes/pellets 2-3x/wk.
I changed my mind with the SWC because it has mesh mod and you need to clean it regularly in order for it to perform efficiently. I try to cut down on thing to maintain and spend more time looking at my DT. Very nice skimmer for a smaller tank. The 180 would probably be the right size...problem is I couldn't find it anywhere. :hammer:
SaltwaterAdict
New member
The pump is not changed.
The body is, I also asked Vertex directly about this. that was the reason why I bought the SRO, which for me was a mistake.
I would still say Vertex is way better value & service.
If you want value Vertex, if you want to spend more money , spend a bit more & get a good skimmer.
There are many options out there ATB, alpha cone, I-tech.......
no need to spend more than 600 on a skimmer that comes out of the same factory as Vertex.just my 2 cent.
Yes they also confirmed that Honya OEMs the IN line for them.
I personally think BB was a good attempt at copying askol but they cheaped out on the components.
difference in price between the Ti screws that bubble king uses and stainless steel from Honya is probably cents, but it does add up & that is how asain manufacturers make products cheaper.
Does not matter how good the pump, the rust issue is unacceptable.it is simply cutting corners knowing this will happen, I wouldnot buy from a manufacturer with this type of mentality. The rusty screw you can see in a month, if they designed & made the rest of the pump the same way cheaping out on every component, I don't want to know what will break inside in 6 months.
However as many stated it is free market and you never know until you try
Hopefully they are listening to us & changing things for better, but I am not going to be their beta tester again.
another point people tend to defend the product they are using, we are all passionate about our hobby & how wemanage our tanks & tend to act that way.
personally I think the difference between them so little not worth arguing over.
see what is your budget & buy what you are comfortable to spend.
What is for sure is that the more you spend the better product you get.
but inthis case to pay double for SRO over vertex is not justified since you are getting the same thing touched & made by the same hands.
Thanks for sharing your experience and glad to see your on the same boat as me! I agree that SRO cheaped out on there components and shocked they released this pump with stainless steal screws knowing full well they would end up rusting. :eek2: Not professional IMHO I hope they makes changes for the better. There are a lot of great skimmers out there, but if I see something wrong with one which could potentially do damage to people's reef I'll be the first to let them know. Glad to hear you got a skimmer your pleased with. :celeb1:
SaltwaterAdict
New member
I may be wrong with the pump, but I haven't had it die on me or have rusty screws. It's been a solid performer from day one. :beer:
SaltwaterAdict
New member
When I say tried and true I'm referring to the vast improvements Vertex has made to get it to where it is now...gen 3. I know they originally had problems just like any other skimmer. I'm trying to save people the trouble and have them buy a skimmer that has been tested thoroughly whether it be ATB, Alpha, etc. I jumped once I saw the new SRO XP cones and was a mistake. Hopefully people who already purchased it don't have as many problems, but it seems like more and more people are sharing these same issue. For example, reeftec. We all know throwing nuts in your tank would be ludicrous and hope no one every attempt a move like this in a closed loop system...:thumbdown
frenchie
New member
i still have my vertex 180 gen I on my 125 gallon and have medium bioload and skimmer can handle it no problems, i guess i was lucky cause i never had pump problems and mine is quiet. I'm just wanting to try something else so if i don't find a swc 180 cone i'm gonna just get another vertex 180. vertex are good skimmers for price ive had mine since the very begining of this thread.
Vertex Pump
Vertex Pump
Below are some pics of my in280's production after swapping the stock pump with a BB3000. I never had such result with the stock pump.
I have a stock Vertex pump for those who keep theirs stock and will need a back up.( brand new needle wheel) I will take any reasonable offer as it is no longer of any use to me.
I guess I got a pump with the titanium screws because there are no signs of rust. If they start rusting the 5 minutes it will take to swap them is well worth it.
Vertex Pump
Below are some pics of my in280's production after swapping the stock pump with a BB3000. I never had such result with the stock pump.
I have a stock Vertex pump for those who keep theirs stock and will need a back up.( brand new needle wheel) I will take any reasonable offer as it is no longer of any use to me.
I guess I got a pump with the titanium screws because there are no signs of rust. If they start rusting the 5 minutes it will take to swap them is well worth it.
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poolkeeper1
New member
tangtang clown
New member
Looks good Ward! I like the transition of the Vertex's neck. I wish my OCTOX 200 hadthat type of neck. I would have a Vertex, but I rushed my tank build and didn't realize how low and little room I have under my tank. Any who....
The following videos should put all the "Bubble Blaster Bashers" to rest, and probably wake a couple also. My pump is very quiet. The only noise I hear is the hum from my Reeflo Dart closed loop pump and the trickling sound of water exiting my skimmer. This first video is with the air hose hooked up to a RMA-7 air flow meter. You can hear the sucking noise in the video. These were taking right after I rinsed my collection cup.
The second video is with the air hose hooked to my home made silencer. Enjoy.
Video 1
Video 2
The following videos should put all the "Bubble Blaster Bashers" to rest, and probably wake a couple also. My pump is very quiet. The only noise I hear is the hum from my Reeflo Dart closed loop pump and the trickling sound of water exiting my skimmer. This first video is with the air hose hooked up to a RMA-7 air flow meter. You can hear the sucking noise in the video. These were taking right after I rinsed my collection cup.
The second video is with the air hose hooked to my home made silencer. Enjoy.
Video 1
Video 2
chatyak
New member
After price weighing and options - I did decide on the SWC 160 cone over the Vertex. I had a chat with the people and went through the "club" forum on here for them - it looks promising. It should produce a consistent amount since it is rated for/just under my tank which is much better than i've had.
Looks good Ward! I like the transition of the Vertex's neck. I wish my OCTOX 200 hadthat type of neck. I would have a Vertex, but I rushed my tank build and didn't realize how low and little room I have under my tank. Any who....
The following videos should put all the "Bubble Blaster Bashers" to rest, and probably wake a couple also. My pump is very quiet. The only noise I hear is the hum from my Reeflo Dart closed loop pump and the trickling sound of water exiting my skimmer. This first video is with the air hose hooked up to a RMA-7 air flow meter. You can hear the sucking noise in the video. These were taking right after I rinsed my collection cup.
The second video is with the air hose hooked to my home made silencer. Enjoy.
Video 1
Video 2
Outstanding. I like the homemade silencer! I changed the PVC elbow on my wedge pipe and hooked the air line up there. It's pretty damn quite..
SaltwaterAdict
New member
chatyak the thing with getting a skimmer that is rated under your tank arises an issue with not keeping up with the DOCs. I thought the same thing too until I talked to a bunch of reefers. They say go with the biggest skimmer on your budget mainly because it will drive out the fish poop and left over food faster than a smaller skimmer. Basically in order to keep your levels down, nitrates/phosphates, you want to pull out the organics before they have time to convert into more toxic levels. This is why going with the largest skimmer is a smart choice. Anyhow, the SWC looks like a nice design. It's important to clean the mesh in order that skimmer to work effectively. Tell me how everything goes...
SaltwaterAdict
New member
I will get a video of my Vertex and you can see how much nasty crud it will pull out everyday. I actually have to empty the collection cup every 2 days because it will be full. My previous skimmer took about a week to be full if I was lucky. Far exceeded my expectations! :thumbsup:
SaltwaterAdict
New member
Chatyak I pulled up a very helpful video and explains what I was saying in more detail. This guys really knows his stuff and this is why I went with the euroreef style skimmer. He will tell you everything you need to know about skimmers. If you have the time watch all 7 videos, you will be amazed at how much information you will take from him. Here he will tell you to go with the biggest skimmer on your budget. Chatyak watch from 5:38 to get an idea of what I was talking about. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlZWWBafiq0&feature=channel HTH I know it will!!
SaltwaterAdict
New member
This video will prove that buying a different pump to have the skimmer work more effectively is not true. These manufactures design the pumps specifically for the skimmers themselves and they will do a better job rather than trying to oversize the pump. I know people are always looking to have things work better on there tanks and get better results, but it's not necessary. This is a stock pump and you will see how it takes everything that this guy pours into the tank right out. Note: he doesn't have a couple hundred dollar pump, it is the 'stock' pump. Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygFycA6MsQo&feature=channel :bounce2::bounce3::bounce1:
chatyak
New member
Yep - although a skimmer can be too large - then there are not enough dissolved organics to make it up the neck into the collection cup. So I got the 160 cone which has great results on even large tanks from what I've read/heard. So we will see how it compares to my now Lifereef.
I asked about the mesh as well - as I know they require changing moreso than their pin-wheel counterparts. The SWC uses a hybrid mesh- which is a custom mesh between 2 needlewheels. They said it's perfectly fine for 11+ months.
I'm running a filter sock(will be) on the new sump, so nothing should be big enough to clog the inside of it
I'll let you know how it performs if you wish. Would be nice to compare.
chatyak
New member
I will check them out thanks for the links.
SaltwaterAdict
New member
Cone vs Euroreef style skimmer
Cone vs Euroreef style skimmer
Cones are a nice design, but they have a big loss of contact time. In simpler terms the amount of bubbles reacting with one another in the 'reaction' camber. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGDBvr7s-U4&feature=channel
Cone vs Euroreef style skimmer
Cones are a nice design, but they have a big loss of contact time. In simpler terms the amount of bubbles reacting with one another in the 'reaction' camber. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGDBvr7s-U4&feature=channel
SaltwaterAdict
New member
Anytime, I'm here to help! :wavehand:
