OK, so I just picked up a 360 gallon tank (8'x2.5'x2.5') as a HUGE upgrade to my 90gal. I have the tank, 100 gallon sump, 2 return pumps and 2 closed loop pumps. I need to get a large skimmer for the sump, and I have never had a tank think big, so what kind of options are there out there, where can I purchase?
What skimmer for a BIG tank?
- Thread starter dt90gt
- Start date
Craig Lambert
Premium Member
Congrats dt90gt! You're going to have a great time with that. I hope to do something in the range of 240-300 some day. If I were you, I would post the quesstion here: http://reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=252 You'll be able to find out what's working well for similar sized tanks. Good luck!
Roland Jacques
Premium Member
Id recomend the ATI Bubble master 250 as the best value $700. and probably the best skimmer under $2000. Down side their new on the seen and have no longterm track record. The other down side is they are about 4-5 weeks back ordered.
link http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=945636
link http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=945636
clekchau
Premium Member
my options for a moderate/heavily stocked 600 gallon fowlr were
bk 400 external
deltec ap1003
h&s 3 x 1260
euroreef rc1000
spazz custom recirculating dart needlewheel
going with spazz 55" tall, 18" diameter, 150 scfh of air almost as much as the biggest bk at 1/4 the price and under 200 watts to run
bk 400 external
deltec ap1003
h&s 3 x 1260
euroreef rc1000
spazz custom recirculating dart needlewheel
going with spazz 55" tall, 18" diameter, 150 scfh of air almost as much as the biggest bk at 1/4 the price and under 200 watts to run
Hammercoral
New member
How bout a big beckett, downdraft, or venturi. ETSS or RK2 style?
Roland Jacques
Premium Member
Looks mean nothing, 90 SCFH @ 60 watts
Obey your thurst
Roland Jacques
Premium Member
bump
$1800??? yaeh Thats a winner!!!!
Last edited:
Craig Lambert
Premium Member
On a 360G tank? You're kidding right?.........
HAHA I love this site, sorry, went to dinner after posting, and a billion answers, and of course most of them related to tanks WAY bigger than 360!
OK budget, cheapest possible for something which can handle a moderately stocked 360. The tank will be built slowly, so no need for massive skimming to start. I actually got a really good deal on an ASM G5 for $320 which is what I am considering at the moment.
Noise is not an issue, and obviously electrical costs should be a at minimum. I am a minimalist. I DO NOT want the top of the line newest bestest skimmer which is 5x the cost of everything else to skim 5% more effectively than everything else.
Bear in mind, the total cost for the tank, 2 closed loop pumps, 2 sumps, and 2 return pumps is 1K. So spending 2k on a skimmer would be ridiculous. I want realistic options in the <1k range.
i.e. is there a skimmer out there for around $500 which will outperform an ASM G5 on this size tank?
michaeldaly
New member
If you want the best you could go for a Bubble King, but it will set you back alot of cash.
clekchau
Premium Member
i assume by that comment you are inferring that it is too expensive ?
i guess i could have rephrased it to "it is cheaper than h&s, deltec, bk and even euroreef and outperforms them all". is that more to your liking? :rolleye1: could you build something that performs better on less watts for cheaper?
kentrob11
Premium Member
$1800 is a great price for the sheer skimming power you're getting out of that beast. The ASM G5 is an OK skimmer but not even close in terms of skimming potential when compared with the other skimmers mentioned. I know cost is always a factor with these kinds of things but good skimming is something a lot of people seem to forget about when upgrading to really large tanks. A big system requires a big, effective skimmer and they aren't cheap!
