Skimmer Question

[Ryan S]

Lets say I have a 150g tank. Average bioload. I want a skimmer. Here are 3 potential choices, all with similar footprints and heights. They are also rated for similar sized aquariums. Why do they range in cost from $325 to $1133?

 

1. Reef Octopus Extreme XS200 - $325

 

2. Royal Exclusiv Alpha 200 - $899

 

3. Bubble King 180 - $1133

 

I'm sure all 3 will pull gunk out of a 150g reef tank. I'm also sure they are all good quality skimmers. I would expect higher prices to reflect higher aquarium ratings, but that's not the case. Is #3 really 4x the skimmer as #1? Or is #2 3x the skimmer as #1? Why?

[Big Country]

I'm sure the price of the pump is a large part of it.

[Coral Hind]

I guess supply and demand or just the brand's name, probably nothing to do with how much better one is over the other. I think as long as people keep buying them the price will hold. For a tank your size I would look at an AVAST model or ASM G-3.

[hypertech]

The pump is a huge part of it. The Alpha 200 and the BK 180 both have red dragon pumps. Most consider this to be the gold standard. I have an alpha 170 which has a red dragon pump and IMHO, it is worth every penny. It runs quietly and trouble free with little (or pretty much no) effort on my part. Other skimmers I've had had noisy pumps, start up problems, constantly needed to be cleaned, etc.

[marinebiologist]

A mix of pumps and construction materials boost the price. That and some people love thier stuff too much that they think its gold when it does the same job as a skimmer 1/4 the price.

[Novi]

Bubble King is like the Lexus of Skimmers. Sure you could buy a Honda for way less and still get from point A to B the same but you will defintely notice the difference in how you get there! Same thing for Skimmers and just about everything else for that matter.

[Der ABT]

Go with the avast with recirculating and dont look back. if you want it bigger i wouldnt be suprised if Justin or Dan would accomidate for a price, but ill bet youll be just fine with it.

get the skimmate locker its awesome, swabbie i didnt get but would be nice if i had the money....

im also hooked on avast so im slightly biased.

[epleeds]

I have an ATB small and I love it. I have had an alpha and liked that alot, I just didn't like that you have to unscrew the collection cup off. i like how ATB does it. And yes it costs more than other brands, but It is so quiet that it is worth the extra money.

 

I have a Vertex on my frag system and I can hear that skimmer from the other room. Depending on where you have your skimmer would be a deciding factor.

[steveoutlaw]

Ok, why not go with a used Deltec that you can get for a steal. I know of a member who has an AP851 that would be great for that sized tank. For under $400 you get a skimmer that has an Eheim as the recirc pump (they run forever and are easy to get parts for) and have a proven track record.

 

Plus, the AP851 can be run externally or in-sump. And it's a recirculating skimmer so it's not affected by the sump water level.

Edited December 21, 2011 by steveoutlaw

[beatle]

I don't totally agree with the Deltec and Eheim pumps. While I love Eheims, getting replacement Eheim impellers for skimmers is outrageously expensive, to the tune of $150-$200. My GSA Standard 6 uses an Eheim impeller, but it looks like this now:

 

 

My experience may be atypical, but replacement parts for these pumps are over the top. I'll probably retrofit a Sicce pump as used on the CS1 instead.

[hypertech]

That looks like a regular impeller with some mesh tied to it. Seems like something you could do yourself and save a bunch of cash.

[beatle]

Essentially it is, but I think there's a bit more to it. Here is the stock impeller:

[Big Country]

Essentially it is, but I think there's a bit more to it. Here is the stock impeller:

 

Talk to Dan or Justin, I had the same thing start to happen to my impeller and through them I got a pin impeller that worked every bit as good as the meshmod did and I didn't have to worry about it

[Coral Hind]

Doing mesh mods can throw the balance off on the prop which causes it to rub on the inside wall of the pump. This creates groves through the plastic coating and allows the magnet to rust. From the looks of yours it also had a build up of calcium which could throw the balance off. As Big Country said, go with the pinwheel and the problem will be reduced greatly. Also doing some preventive maintenance would help.

[roni]

Personally, I think you can have success with a lot of different types of equipment over a certain baseline. It comes down to reliability, ease of use, quietness, electricity use, and customer support.

 

It's really hard to beat ATB in terms of all of those factors but you pay for it. Deltec used to have most of those but given that Marvin, the US distributer, has been difficult to deal with recently, you don't really get the customer support. Vertex/BK is good but again has the cost issue.

 

I personally like the Coralife SRO series. Great bang for buck and the 3000 would be plenty for your tank and under $400. I also really like the Avast skimmers, though the smaller Avast is a little small for your tank. However, the new Black Pearl looks sweet. Lots of people like the ASMs but I've never been a big fan of the build quality. However, hard to argue with the price.

[zygote2k]

If your skimmer or skimmer pump comes from a country that has a stronger currency than the dollar, it will be more expensive.

If you want a skimmer that has easy to find parts in an emergency, start there.

I've use the following skimmers on various systems-

ASM

E-shopps

Euro-Reef

SWC

Reef Octopus small and large

Turboflotor

Deltec AP series and HOB

Becket style downdraft skimmers

ETS

AVAST

 

Of all the skimmers that I use, I like the following- ASM and Euroreef simply for the ease of use- set it and forget it.

AVAST- I've installed 13 of these so far and I like having any part needed just a short trip away to Rockville.

[steveoutlaw]

I don't totally agree with the Deltec and Eheim pumps. While I love Eheims, getting replacement Eheim impellers for skimmers is outrageously expensive, to the tune of $150-$200. this now:

 

 

That's true.......if you go through Deltec. There are other vendors out there that make the pinwheel impellers for the eheims.......H-E-double hockey sticks, Dan may still have some. I know people who have used the Eheim pumps with the same pinwheel impeller for over 6 years. If you take proper care of the Eheim you will be set for a long time. Just sayin.

 

I will also agree with Rob (did I really just say that?) about the Euro-reefs (now Reef Dynamics). They make a H-E-double hockey sticks of a skimmer and it really is set and forget.

[Ryan S]

Here is a follow up question. For a 150g tank.

 

Skimmer #1: ASM G-3 (rated up to 250 gallons)

Skimmer #2: ASM G-4 (rated up to 350 gallons)

 

Are these skimmers rated "too high" for a 150g tank? If I could have either one, would I be better off with the G-4 because it's rated for a higher tank? Could I "over-skim" my tank? Or is there no such thing - Once the dissolved solids were gone, the skimmer simply wouldn't produce anymore skimmate?

[Coral Hind]

Both the G-3 and G-4 use the same pump, just a difference in reaction chamber size, so the energy consumption would be the same. If you don't think you will be getting a bigger tank in the future then I would go with the G-3. It is about $100 cheaper and it has a smaller footprint which means more room in the sump. If sump room and cost don't matter then the G-4 gives you the flexibility for future expansion and more capability to skim in case of an emergency like food over dose or a dead animal. Some believe in "over-skimming", I don't think it is an issue myself.

[smallreef]

I had a G-1X on my 150 FOWLR and LOVED IT! wish I would have had the extra $$ for a 2 or 3... but that being said I think over skimming is GOOD as long as you arent depending on the skimmer to be there in space of water changes...

[steveoutlaw]

Both the G-3 and G-4 use the same pump, just a difference in reaction chamber size, so the energy consumption would be the same. If you don't think you will be getting a bigger tank in the future then I would go with the G-3. It is about $100 cheaper and it has a smaller footprint which means more room in the sump. If sump room and cost don't matter then the G-4 gives you the flexibility for future expansion and more capability to skim in case of an emergency like food over dose or a dead animal. Some believe in "over-skimming", I don't think it is an issue myself.

 

+1

[Steve175]

Overskimming is cognitive dissonance from folks who try to save money in their skimmer purchase. Go as large and as nice as your budget allows. I have been running a Deltec AP 1004 with a cleaning head for 4 years and it remains very low maintenance and very effective. Don't try to save money on your skimmer or your lights or you will be replacing them in short order.

[smallreef]

OHHH cognitive dissonance... sounds like you just took Professor Glassmans' marketing class at ODU, lol Every other word out of his mouth was "cognitive dissonance"lol

Edited December 23, 2011 by smallreef

[FormulatedFire]

I've had great reliability out of the ASM models. I ran the ASM G3 on my 75Gs and it was easy to use and worked great. I picked it up for 100 used off reefcentral.

[smallreef]

I have also had great luck with ASM's... I had a Mini-G on my 35g and the G-1X on my 150.. loved them both.. never had much of a problem with either even after 4 years of use..