skimmer...can i do better???

[SeattlesDarko]

I have a 46g bow, that eventually i would like to have stocked pretty full... and its pretty much the biggest foot print I can go.
http://www.aquacave.com/reef-octopus-nw-150-br-needle-wheel-protein-br-skimmer-749.html

 

[Skimmy]

this is better:
http://www.shop.reeffiltration.com/product.sc?categoryId=2&productId=20

3 times the skimmer for $90 more

 

[Saltyfish]

I have the MSX/SWC Extreme 160 and I am very happy with it. Took a little bit to break it in but now I love it.

 

[Chichas01]

Buy the best you can afford. If the Octopus is what you can afford, great!

 

[Skimmy]

Buy the best you can afford. If the Octopus is what you can afford, great!

if the octopus is the best you can afford, then go mow some some lawns/rob a bank to make up the extra $90 ...lol

 

[Chichas01]

Yeah! and you can sell your blood or sign up for some experimental medical testing or something!:lol:

 

[gotfish]

The nw-150 will work just fine for your tank. Sure, the msx 160 is a much better skimmer, but if you can only afford the nw-150 then go with it. It's easy to setup and on a tank your size, will do it's job well.

 

[Chichas01]

The nw-150 will work just fine for your tank. Sure, the msx 160 is a much better skimmer, but if you can only afford the nw-150 then go with it. It's easy to setup and on a tank your size, will do it's job well.

Ditto ditto ditto

 

[Skimmy]

The nw-150 will work just fine for your tank. Sure, the msx 160 is a much better skimmer, but if you can only afford the nw-150 then go with it. It's easy to setup and on a tank your size, will do it's job well.

And to me it seems like a no brainer to just save up $90 more and then buy something that has 3 times the power, consumes less watts, has a design that runs circles around the octo, and better build quality to boot.

Considering that the skimmer is singularly the most important piece of equipment in your filtration arsenal, I would suggest that it is more economical in the long run to made a slightly larger investment in the beginning, if your actually looking to save money...
and his question wasnt "is this cheap skimmer good enough?" it was "can I get something better?" and the answer is a resounding YES!

 

[fatboyt123]

i agree with skimmer save some more money and get the 160

even though i had to go and disobey him and get the octo haha

 

[Skimmy]

well, fwiw, that octo nw-150 isnt a bad skimmer for the price, the SWC is just soooo much better for just a little more money, is all.
so, you'll probably be fine, fatboy.

 

[Skimmy]

and the fact that we can even argue over a 450lph of air skimmer for $179 and a 1200lph of air skimmer for $269 is actually really cool...
5 years ago that would have cost you $300+ and $1000+ for good skimmers of that power with similar design quality...

 

[fatboyt123]

i didnt get the octo nw-150 if thats what you ment i got the octo extreme 200 it just wasnt the swc/msx like you told me to get by saving a little bit more money

well, fwiw, that octo nw-150 isnt a bad skimmer for the price, the SWC is just soooo much better for just a little more money, is all.
so, you'll probably be fine, fatboy.

 

[Skimmy]

oh, well, even better! at least if you really wanted, you could switch out the pinwheel and volute/venturi with the SWC/ATB/WM versions for the sicce psk2500. but if you do a good mesh job on the impellar, it's probably not neccessary...

 

[fatboyt123]

what about the purple pinwheel or is that what your talking about?

if i did get one with you say go with the large or small?

i here there almost as good as the mesh and with no start up problems is this true?

i think they say it better because with the mesh they say that the body cant handel has much air as the mesh creates and that the purple pin wheel keeps it at a lower air level but higer than the regular wheel does this sound right?

 

[SeattlesDarko]

Yeah! and you can sell your blood or sign up for some experimental medical testing or something!:lol:

hummm...already doing that

 

[Myteemouse]

I have the SWC 250 and I love the skimmer more than the tank LOL

 

[trido]

I have to agree with avoiding the inevitable regret. If you buy the octo, you will regret it, because in six month's (or a year, you insert what works best) you'll be taking the loss and buying the MSX.

 

[Saltyfish]

I have never used a nw-150, I being that you only have a 46gal bow front if you looking to save money you might want to take a look at the ASM Mini-G. I had this one before the MSX-160 and I was very pleased with it. I paid $114.00 for it and when I sold it I got almost what I paid for it.

I only sold it because I upgraded my tank to a 90 gallon from 55 gallon.

I like the MSX160 so far and I am liking it even more when I think about going to a 120 to 150 gallon tank. I wont have to upgraded it

 

[morgan]

that looks like a knock off of the tunze skimmer which is crap the most expensive crap ive seen