Herefishyfishy
Smart Bass
Which, the Bubblemaster or the NW200?
Skimmer opinions for 180g
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Which, the Bubblemaster or the NW200?
Reefdaddy1
Reef Geek Jedi
the Octopus NW200
burning2nd
Well-known member
ev180
aqua C homes!
u should be able to get it for about 300
aqua C homes!
u should be able to get it for about 300
I had and Aqua C and it was way too finicky for me, I was always messing with it to keep it dialed in. I did have my hands in the water quite a bit and that kills all the bubbles but it comes back in a few hours. However, feeding seems to kill the bubbles as well. Overall, I switched to an ASM and I love it. It really is set it and forget it and it continuously pulls out crud on a daily basis.
Maybe look at one of the recirculating ASM's or EuroReef's
Maybe look at one of the recirculating ASM's or EuroReef's
Can someone who REALLY knowledgable on the subject 'splain the difference between the types?? I believe they are 1. Berlin, 2. Venturi, 3. downdraft? I believe the Urchin Pro I have is a "high effecientcy venturi" but I'm not sure...all I know is that if they made one big enough for me I'd buy it.
Herefishyfishy
Smart Bass
Berlin is just a poor brand of Becket injecter skimmer. A becket is a venturi that sucks in air as the pump fills it with water. Most skimmers use this system. There are also needle wheel pumps that use a mesh impeller to froth up the water. Recirculating is what it sounds like. There are 100s of models. The quality of the acrylic and construction details determine a lot of the price as does the power and quality of the pump. Typically size matters except on super powerful small ones like the bubblemaster. Euro-reef and ASM make good skimmers. There are many clones such as Octopus. Low cost Kent skimmers are available used. Stay away fromBerlin and Sea-clone. Many here can add a lot more.
Skimmy
SKIM FU
o.k. you guys skimmers 101!!!
please note, these are only my opinions, and that is all they are
first off....
"berlin" is not a type of skimmer, it's a totally worthless name brand of skimmer made by red sea. it saddens me that they are still sold and saddens me even more that people still use and (think that they)like them.
"berlin" is a reference to a german method of reef keeping wich combines protein skimming, mechanical filtration(polyester pads or socks), bare bottom tanks, carbon use and high powered lights.
so you have;
1. air stone skimmers
2. venturi injection skimmers
3. aspirating needle wheel skimmers
4. downdraft skimmers
5. beckett skimmers
6. threadwheel skimmers
1. air stone skimmers, the first ones on the block, i think were made in the 70's by sanders, a german company. worked well but the constant clogging of wooden airstones made them annoying to service and made skimmate production unstable. the newer versions of home made models incorporating ceramic air stones and high pressure air pumps work much better than thier 70's counterparts.
2. venturi skimmers, i think the first was designed by tunze in the 70's if im not mistaken, and then of coarse the red sea berlin skimmer from the 80's. there are a whole host of skimmer companies who came on the market then, making venturi skimmers of all shapes styles and sizes. readily available and they work fairly well, usually this is a persons first skimmer for thier tank.
3. i cant remember the name of the grandmother of all needle wheel skimmers, kraus something...lol but for all practical purposes i think deltec was the first to mass market thier needle wheel skimmers. had their turbo skimmers in the early 80's, like '84. i think it was just a few years later that aquamedic came out with thier needle wheel skimmers. not sure when h&s and euroreef joined the game but i dont think it was until the 90's.
the needle wheel skimmers definately lift the skimming standard to new heights.
4. downdraft skimmers are basically a reference to ETSS skimmers, they were the first to use this style of air/water injection. they are fairly efficent at the expense of high pressure pumps to drive their injectors, sufficient backpessure is needed on the injectors to draw in large amounts of air and then spray thenm down a tube of bioballs to break up the air into smaller bubbles. these skimmers were the mainstay of professional /commercially used skimmers for years, now their day is finally waning.
5. beckett skimmers were the answer to a more powerful downdraft skimmer, requiring even more power from high pressure pumps to keep up with their high performance. i think their downfall is the high cost of running them coupled with the lack of dwell time for water inside the skimmer, creating the need to increase the many passes per hour it requires to skim efficently.
not very green....
6. it is my opinion that the new threadwheel skimmers from ATI are going to revolutionize protien skimmer design, i have never seen performance like i have with these skimmers, and everyone and their dog and mother is running out there to mod their needle wheel skimmers to threadwheel. they increase air injection, lower wattage needed, and produce smaller bubbles than other current skimmer designs. the threadwheel modification can be done to just about any needle wheel/venturi protein skimmer with a little d.i.y. smarts.
mkay, enough for now
please people if you know some little tidbit of skimmer history and have noticed any mistakes on my part, please post, i want to get my skimmer history correct!
please note, these are only my opinions, and that is all they are
first off....
"berlin" is not a type of skimmer, it's a totally worthless name brand of skimmer made by red sea. it saddens me that they are still sold and saddens me even more that people still use and (think that they)like them.
"berlin" is a reference to a german method of reef keeping wich combines protein skimming, mechanical filtration(polyester pads or socks), bare bottom tanks, carbon use and high powered lights.
so you have;
1. air stone skimmers
2. venturi injection skimmers
3. aspirating needle wheel skimmers
4. downdraft skimmers
5. beckett skimmers
6. threadwheel skimmers
1. air stone skimmers, the first ones on the block, i think were made in the 70's by sanders, a german company. worked well but the constant clogging of wooden airstones made them annoying to service and made skimmate production unstable. the newer versions of home made models incorporating ceramic air stones and high pressure air pumps work much better than thier 70's counterparts.
2. venturi skimmers, i think the first was designed by tunze in the 70's if im not mistaken, and then of coarse the red sea berlin skimmer from the 80's. there are a whole host of skimmer companies who came on the market then, making venturi skimmers of all shapes styles and sizes. readily available and they work fairly well, usually this is a persons first skimmer for thier tank.
3. i cant remember the name of the grandmother of all needle wheel skimmers, kraus something...lol but for all practical purposes i think deltec was the first to mass market thier needle wheel skimmers. had their turbo skimmers in the early 80's, like '84. i think it was just a few years later that aquamedic came out with thier needle wheel skimmers. not sure when h&s and euroreef joined the game but i dont think it was until the 90's.
the needle wheel skimmers definately lift the skimming standard to new heights.
4. downdraft skimmers are basically a reference to ETSS skimmers, they were the first to use this style of air/water injection. they are fairly efficent at the expense of high pressure pumps to drive their injectors, sufficient backpessure is needed on the injectors to draw in large amounts of air and then spray thenm down a tube of bioballs to break up the air into smaller bubbles. these skimmers were the mainstay of professional /commercially used skimmers for years, now their day is finally waning.
5. beckett skimmers were the answer to a more powerful downdraft skimmer, requiring even more power from high pressure pumps to keep up with their high performance. i think their downfall is the high cost of running them coupled with the lack of dwell time for water inside the skimmer, creating the need to increase the many passes per hour it requires to skim efficently.
not very green....
6. it is my opinion that the new threadwheel skimmers from ATI are going to revolutionize protien skimmer design, i have never seen performance like i have with these skimmers, and everyone and their dog and mother is running out there to mod their needle wheel skimmers to threadwheel. they increase air injection, lower wattage needed, and produce smaller bubbles than other current skimmer designs. the threadwheel modification can be done to just about any needle wheel/venturi protein skimmer with a little d.i.y. smarts.
mkay, enough for now
please people if you know some little tidbit of skimmer history and have noticed any mistakes on my part, please post, i want to get my skimmer history correct!
burning2nd
Well-known member
eazy'r then pie.
aqua c remora..
skimmer+ pump= clean tank
aqua c remora..
skimmer+ pump= clean tank
Herefishyfishy
Smart Bass
As a general rule of thumb, the Remora is good for tanks up to 75 gallons.
NC2WA
Well-known member
DaBrowns,
What is your budget range for a skimmer?? This might be able to help us filter out certain higher end skimmers.
Kirk
What is your budget range for a skimmer?? This might be able to help us filter out certain higher end skimmers.
Kirk
Well while budget is a consideration...I'm more concerned with how well the skimmer performs...and how much room it takes up in the sump. I don't need to spend enough to own a small island in order to feel like I'm getting something that does a good job. I think after spending about a hour with my lfs owner this evening...I'm leaning in the EV-180 direction. I'm going to also be adding a BIG powerhead as the main tank circulation, re-doing my sump (currently a 55g w/no baffles or bubble trap) and maybe adding more light.
NC2WA
Well-known member
Before you purchase this skimmer, you may want to read some additional info on it, from this web site:
http://www.proteinskimmer.com/
Kirk
http://www.proteinskimmer.com/
Kirk
davidabrown66
Dolphin
If you're leaning towards the EV180, you should also look at the EV240 if it will fit.
You don't need a John Guest fitting unless you're using Ozone or have a calcium reactor. I use it to drip effluent (very low PH - high carbonic acid) from my calcium reactor into my skimmer. The oxygenation in the skimmer blows off excess CO2 accumulations in the water, and helps keep the PH of the tank from dropping below normal levels, which can be the downside to owning a ca reactor. The fitting just makes it easier to attach the tubing necessary to do that.
Wait a minute...how much are the EV180's? Maybe I'll sell you mine so I can get an Octopus NW200. It's only about a year old, so no break in period.
PM me if interested, I can probably save you about $100
-David
You don't need a John Guest fitting unless you're using Ozone or have a calcium reactor. I use it to drip effluent (very low PH - high carbonic acid) from my calcium reactor into my skimmer. The oxygenation in the skimmer blows off excess CO2 accumulations in the water, and helps keep the PH of the tank from dropping below normal levels, which can be the downside to owning a ca reactor. The fitting just makes it easier to attach the tubing necessary to do that.
Wait a minute...how much are the EV180's? Maybe I'll sell you mine so I can get an Octopus NW200.
It's only about a year old, so no break in period.PM me if interested, I can probably save you about $100
-David
Skimmy
SKIM FU
i am very unimpressed with aqua c skimmers, personally.
i think your money is much better spent on a needle wheel skimmer,
i even think the octopus nw 200 could skim the pants off a ev-180, and they are a low end needle wheel skimmer. you could mesh mod the octo and it would skim probably twice as much as the ev-180.
to get anywhere close to similar results with the ev-180 you would have to overdrive it with a pump that would cost you more money to run per year than the entire cost of the octopus nw200.
i think your money is much better spent on a needle wheel skimmer,
i even think the octopus nw 200 could skim the pants off a ev-180, and they are a low end needle wheel skimmer. you could mesh mod the octo and it would skim probably twice as much as the ev-180.
to get anywhere close to similar results with the ev-180 you would have to overdrive it with a pump that would cost you more money to run per year than the entire cost of the octopus nw200.
I'd like to know if anyone has experience with or knows how well the ASM G2? It seems like everyone is generally unimpressed with the EV 180...and it "appears" to be overpriced compared with the ASM. I'd really like to see a picture or 2 of `1 in action if anyone is currently using one.
Also does the needle wheel eventually wear out and need replacement? I've never used a needlewheel so would be interested in hearing about how they operate differently than the injection skimmers like remora and urchin's
Thanks again everyone
Also does the needle wheel eventually wear out and need replacement? I've never used a needlewheel so would be interested in hearing about how they operate differently than the injection skimmers like remora and urchin's
Thanks again everyone
NC2WA
Well-known member
If I had the option of purchasing a EV 180 or ASM G2, I would go with ASM G2, hands down; much better skimmer. They are the generic version of Euroreef but don't costs as much. Keep in mind that ASM is now the Octopus brand.
Are they EXACT copies of the Euro reefs? Do they use cheaper parts in building them...or is it just a name thing? I wouldn't mind getting a generic if it's just a name change...but I only want to have to buy this skimmer one last time and be done with it...that's why I'm asking so many goofy questions.
NC2WA
Well-known member
Ask away..great thing about this hobby, you never stop learning..I have been in this hobby almost 10yrs and I'm still learning..
No, they are not an exact copy, which is why the price is alot less. They do use lesser parts, but the skimmage is great..
IMO, the skimmer is the most important part of your filtration system, so get the best darn skimmer you can afford.
I was under the same dilemma last week. I am getting a 375g tank built, and was torn between the BM 250 and the H&S 250. I decided to spend the extra money and get the H&S. The reason I did it is that the BM didn't have the high quality parts I was looking for, was only rated for 500 gallons (not 700 gallons as the H&S was. The BM 250 is a good skimmer; The H&S is a great skimmer.
So the difference between a good skimmer and a great skimmer for me was $300. Was it worth, to me yes for the mere fact I know I plan on having more fish than coral, so a great skimmer was needed.
HTH,
Kirk
No, they are not an exact copy, which is why the price is alot less. They do use lesser parts, but the skimmage is great..
IMO, the skimmer is the most important part of your filtration system, so get the best darn skimmer you can afford.
I was under the same dilemma last week. I am getting a 375g tank built, and was torn between the BM 250 and the H&S 250. I decided to spend the extra money and get the H&S. The reason I did it is that the BM didn't have the high quality parts I was looking for, was only rated for 500 gallons (not 700 gallons as the H&S was. The BM 250 is a good skimmer; The H&S is a great skimmer.
So the difference between a good skimmer and a great skimmer for me was $300. Was it worth, to me yes for the mere fact I know I plan on having more fish than coral, so a great skimmer was needed.
HTH,
Kirk
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