Which BK skimmer?

[JaySchulz]

Currently looking at choosing the right BK skimmer for upcoming tank. Hopefully Slief or any of the many experts will chime in. Its a 515 gallon tank with roughly 100-150 gallon sump.

I was originally thinking that I would need either a Supermarin 300 or a deluxe 300 (internal or external). But after reading a lot of the posts I see that I might be right on the borderline and unless I'm completely and heavily stocked I won't get efficient skimming. Would a Supermarin 250 or deluxe 250 be a better option for me?

Thanks ahead of time.

 

[slief]

Currently looking at choosing the right BK skimmer for upcoming tank. Hopefully Slief or any of the many experts will chime in. Its a 515 gallon tank with roughly 100-150 gallon sump.

I was originally thinking that I would need either a Supermarin 300 or a deluxe 300 (internal or external). But after reading a lot of the posts I see that I might be right on the borderline and unless I'm completely and heavily stocked I won't get efficient skimming. Would a Supermarin 250 or deluxe 250 be a better option for me?

Thanks ahead of time.

If it were me, I would go with either the Deluxe 250 or the SM250. Personally, the Deluxe is my favorite. It has some features including the telescope pipe that make fine tuning for varying loads easier. It's also good for both dry skimming and wet skimming where as the SM likes a heavier load relative to it's sizing and is better suited for wet skimming. You could go with a Deluxe 300 but the SM300 would likely be oversized unless you have a really heavy load where as the SM250, Deluxe 250 would be happy with a moderate load. As noted above, the Deluxe models allow a bit more tuning flexibility and will accommodate a lighter load relative to their size. I have a 480g display with a 700 gallon overall volume. My main display has around 70 heavily fed fish of all sizes. I run an SM250 and the only skimmer I would trade it for is the Deluxe 250 or Deluxe 300. I absolutely love the Deluxe but my SM250 is no slouch either. It's one of the most well made skimmers I've ever run but the Deluxe is definitely a step up. It uses the same thickness materials as the SM but the design differences ranging from the bubble plate to the telescope pipe and some other subtle design differences seperate the two models.

 

[JaySchulz]

If it were me, I would go with either the Deluxe 250 or the SM250. Personally, the Deluxe is my favorite. It has some features including the telescope pipe that make fine tuning for varying loads easier. It's also good for both dry skimming and wet skimming where as the SM likes a heavier load relative to it's sizing and is better suited for wet skimming. You could go with a Deluxe 300 but the SM300 would likely be oversized unless you have a really heavy load where as the SM250, Deluxe 250 would be happy with a moderate load. As noted above, the Deluxe models allow a bit more tuning flexibility and will accommodate a lighter load relative to their size. I have a 480g display with a 700 gallon overall volume. My main display has around 70 heavily fed fish of all sizes. I run an SM250 and the only skimmer I would trade it for is the Deluxe 250 or Deluxe 300. I absolutely love the Deluxe but my SM250 is no slouch either. It's one of the most well made skimmers I've ever run but the Deluxe is definitely a step up. It uses the same thickness materials as the SM but the design differences ranging from the bubble plate to the telescope pipe and some other subtle design differences seperate the two models.

Thanks Slief! I'm trying to work a deal on a used 300 deluxe internal with a member on here. If we can't figure it out I'll look at a Supermarin 250