Jestersix

Don't you get tired people asking "what skimmer should I get?"

LeviT

LeviT

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Well I'm doing it to :) I should be starting my build thread this weekend if all goes well. I'm setting up a little 19g display and I'm planing for at least another 20g in the sump/fuge.

Live stock:
I'll have a few blennies maybe a goby, just small guys of course.
A small cleanup crew of assorted snails and a few scarlet hermits.
Maybe a small shrimp or sexy crab

Coral:
Primarily LPS and softies but with time I'll have a few SPS's too.

Here are some of the skimmer's I'm looking at. They are kinda in the order I'm considering them (at least right now). Let me know what you think and specially any con's about the skimmers in the list. Oh and I'm trying to stay under $200.

Brand/model price tank size wattage/notes
SWC Xtreme Cone 120 $199 55-90g 20w
Eshopps Snow Series Cone $209 120g
Vertex IN-80 ($129 @ Socal trop) $179 40-80g 20w (hard to clean body
Reef Octopus 4" Pinwheel NWB110 $169 0-100g eh...so so
Avast CS1 Cone Skimmer DIY Kit $240 100-200g 60w too big...?
Bubble Magus BM-NAC3.5 Cone $179 25G-80G 20w too small?

I haven't heard anything about the Eshopps but it seems like a decent skimmer.

Thanks in advance for your comments!
 
No exp with those listed, but what I don't like is a blowtorch skimmer 2-3x (taking mfg ratings at face value) your volume. At least not on a LPS/softy tank. Low wattage!!!
 
tuberider said:
Just don't get the Bubble Magnus, unless of course you like tinkering with things....
Click to expand...
Is the brand in general finicky or just certain models or are they just a matter of getting it dialed in?
 
Someone here was selling an ATB Skimmer?
If you are in the market for a used one, I have a small ER, in the league of the Vertex IN-80; might need a pump
 
Thanks. I saw that but it sounded like he wasn't including the pump which would make it a little more than I want to spend. I went ahead and asked just in case.
 
LeviT said:
tuberider said:
Just don't get the Bubble Magnus, unless of course you like tinkering with things....
Click to expand...
Is the brand in general finicky or just certain models or are they just a matter of getting it dialed in?
Click to expand...

I have one that has blown through two pumps and I don't know how many impellers (8-9?), not to mention the tolerance for water level in sump leaves a bit to be desired.
 
Yeah the ATB is complete with pump. I might be wrong but you think with a total water volume of 39 gallons it might not have enough load for the skimmer. Well unless he feeds his corals and fish like crazy.
 
davskee said:
Yeah the ATB is complete with pump. I might be wrong but you think with a total water volume of 39 gallons it might not have enough load for the skimmer. Well unless he feeds his corals and fish like crazy.
Click to expand...
Yeah you may be right.... I am sure I will over feed and run my water too quickly through the sump (decreasing contact time with the skimmer) but maybe not enough to warrent getting that big of a skimmer.
 
.... not to rock the boat exactly... but you could likely run that system skimmerless w/o problems. Throw some extra rock in the sump, maybe a light and macroalgae if you wanted to get fancy. Keep up on wc's and run carbon when needed, and even hardy SPS should do ok once the system has settled in thoroughly.
 
treylane said:
.... not to rock the boat exactly... but you could likely run that system skimmerless w/o problems. Throw some extra rock in the sump, maybe a light and macroalgae if you wanted to get fancy. Keep up on wc's and run carbon when needed, and even hardy SPS should do ok once the system has settled in thoroughly.
Click to expand...

The thought has crossed my mind. Nothing is set in stone just yet so who knows :) As of this minute I have 2, maybe 3 weeks before my tank see's water (fingers crossed) and since I'm starting with all dead rock it'll be a while before I have any real bio load..... looking like next year... yuk, i hate waiting.... but I'm trying to give this tank the highest chance of success... bottom line is that I have time and with time, plans change.

I am trying really hard to design my stand to accommodate both sump and refugium functions so we'll see how it goes. I'm planning on having more water under the tank than in the display if I can but we'll see :)
 
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