Protein Skimmer for a 300 gallon FOWLR
 

What would you suggest for a skimmer for a 300 gallon FOWLR tank?

Vertex IN series for price point, good skimmer but a but noisy. Alpha cone 250 and the 300 are mid to high end skimmer with a price tag just over the thousand mark. Then there is the bbk super marin 250 or 300, now your are almost into the couple of thousands but you get what you pay for, amazing skimmers.

SWC 250?

http://www.saltwaterconnection.com/i...products_id=33

I've read good things about the small 120 and 160 versions (see posts on canreef and reef builders). Canadian company.

I have read that the C skim 1800 by red sea is easy to maintain and user freindly as well as being effiecent. Has anyone used or is using this and have any pros and cons.

honestly, from the pics, it looks neither user friendly, easy to do anything with, and doesn't appear to be anywhere near the currently accepted designs in efficient skimmers. It is, however, inexpensive.
Really, for a 300g tank, I'd imagine you should double that amount for your skimmer budget, at least (if buying new).

I have seen some great results from the skimz units. A friend of mine has a 250 gallon reef system and he is running one of these units. It started pulling skim mate out the first day and has never had a problem. They seem to be under 500 for a u it that would work for your system

Ok I will chime in here since I have used pretty much every type of skimmer on the market.

Its for 300 gallon tank some few questions ok.
Fish load?
How much you are going to spend?
what type of skimmer?
in sump
External
do you want a small foot print in the sump or does it matter?
can it be loud?
quiet?
where is the Skimmer going to be?

It is going to be a predator tank not sure of the fish load at the monent but I do know that I wont have a cleaning crew as they would just be food for the fish lol. I would prefer to have an in sump skimmer more just for the fact that if it starts to leak it is contained. I would like it to be somewhat quiet but it doesn't have to be silent some noise is ok. I dont mind spending money on a skimmer but the cheaper the skimmer the more cash I have for the fish.

The best skimmer for you will be the one that fits the space and the budget you have that gets the job done. I don't know if any of us can tell you what that will be...

However, a used Precision Marine Bullet 3 like what I bought could probably work for you. Together with a used Iwaki 70 pump I paid about $500 and it does an excellent job on my 230gal system. Eventually I plan to use it on a 370gal upgrade. Presently I have 9 fish including a +2' moray and a dwarf lion. The downside to this skimmer is the pump draws 2.9A and is a little bit loud. I can still hear a Tunze 6105 over it and its not as loud as my cooling fans but its probably still louder than most skimmers.

yes the Bullet is a champ and will pull alot of crap out of your tank. I have owned many types of skimmers and I can say that you need your water clean you go to ta Beckett. END OF discussion.

for a Pred tank you want to keep that water clean all the time. remember with a Pred tank you are going to get alot of waste in the water so a Beckett will pull the crap out before it starts. Lots of people use Ozone too with the becketts. ti power the water cleaning too to help keep the water clean. However using Ozone you will see that ammonia turns to nitrites faster and then to nitrates faster so then you will see a climb in your nitrates.

Another good skimmer is the Vertex 300 is you are looking for a skimmer that will stay in your sump depending on the size of your sump too. They are a cone ran with a dual RD pump 1500 and a 1000 so you have to look at the footprint too.

with a FOWLR/Pred tank go slow so you should drop the money on a skimmer first hand fish can come later lots of people are unloading Pred fish fairly cheap too.

http://www.reefshops.com/bubble-magu...e-skimmer.html
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http://www.reefshops.com/2011-bubble...-hero-320.html
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For 300 Gal you need something that pulls at least 1000 L/H of air or more. If manufacturer does not say how much air skimmer intake stay away from it.

I bought skimmer and Calcium reactor from this guy and very happy with quality and performance , the only draw back is 220V but i got a transformer from CraigsList for $10 200 Watt. skimmer is only 23 W and calc reactor is only 15W, so i can drive more on the same transformer.
Both units are excellent quality very quiet and skimmer is very easy to clean, just lift the collection cup up.

If money isn't an issue stay away from Crap like that.... in my Honest Experience

All crap is made in China. Cheep crap as well as expensive crap it all comes from there.
Skimmer is just a chamber to mix water and air. I have been in the reef hobby for 13+ years, since 1998 growing SPS corals, and had a lot of skimmers, so yes if money is growing on the tree inside your garage go ahead and buy BK with Red Dragon pump.

Bubble Magus is Chinese skimmer and yet in this thread you are not against it?
Does more expensive means better skimming? I have been using air driven skimmer just until recently when i got a needle wheel.

Some one posted this article where air stone skimmer was proven to be very efficient in terms of crap removal.
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http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/sho...+driven&page=3
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Oh i know it what makes the skimmer is the pump and if the skimmer is made like crap or cheaped out like alot of them out there then the pump is the only thing that backs up the skimmer.

Im in the exact same boat.... 300g with a 100g sump and I dont want a BK its just too fancy :)
Im knee deep in research for an affordable plug and play (seen the becketts but couldnt build one) skimmer that is double the ratings but still not over a grand....
So far the ASM G4+ but maybe 2 of em.... the skimz large one or the INS400 by reef dynamics I actually talked to the owner for a half hour today after seeing his half hour demo youtube video with LAFishguy.
I cant find anything huge and used..... Ebay is nothing but made in china knockoffs and really everyone just pushes the big brands so Im still digging....
Please pm me when you get narrowed down as im in the same boat ;)

The SWC skimmers were mentioned at the beginning of the threat but no one commented about it. I am in the same boat as well, I have been searching quiet a bit. So what do you guys think of the SWC products, and is it better than a vertex? thanks in advance.

These skimmers seem to get great reviews and are flying off the shelf from one of the LFS in victoria. I know a few people that are using this skimmer and are having good results so far. Sure the pump may be cheap (haven't really looked at them that closely yet) and the quality might not be like a bubble king, but really who cares? If it works then why not use it?

I own a Bubble kindg skimmer and an SWC 160 cone. I love them both! The Bubble king just feels like quality in your hands. Easy to setup and maintain. Dead quiet.

I was really surprised to the SWC skimmer. it has by far surpassed my expectations for a skimmer in that price range. In my mind much much better than the vertex -in series ( i had a in-100)

Take a look at these two and compare the skimmers:Bubble King and Bubble Magus; Overall shape, mixing chamber, diffuser plate, air intake silencer, collection cup and the neck riser.
All these parts will not wear unless we introduce ozone. The biggest thing definitely is the pump. If pump is reliable, silent and pulls 1200-3000 L/H of air it is very hard to beat.
However compare $1200 tag to a $300 tag.
Also if we get a bubble bluster pump instead of Red Dragon, bubble blaster pumps 1500L/H of air and cost is $250.
Do we want to pay double price just for the fancy over-hyped name (tat is BTW is also made in China and not locally), or do we want to skim our tanks?
JMTCW

Is anyone even selling Beckett skimmers anymore? I thought they were collecting dust along with air driven and downdraft skimmers? There are a lot more efficient options available that don't require a massive pump to drive the skimmer.

Precision Marine, Aqua C and MRC are still in existence if you want a Beckett. Ocean Aquatics can sell you a PM, J&L has Aqua C listed and I think MRC just sells over its website. There was also a used PM Bullet 2 and a 3 listed recently in the buy sell section of this site. There are probably more around too but those are just what I've noticed and I'm not really paying very much attention.

Actually i saw an amazing Beckett down at MACNA. Check out www.bashsea.com I've never been a Beckett fan but what I found amazing on these was that even a little pump (their example was a little Rio) could pull big numbers and do an amazing job with their special design.
I was really tempted to buy one of these rather than the Octo skimmer I ended buying.

I hope the Becketts rock...... I just ordered a massive one :)

which one....... the twister, the blu demon or the skimatic?

also what was the price range?

Cheers,
Vic

+1

what brand did you order?

Cheers,
Vic

I got a Super Reef Octopus recently and love it. Pulling out so much more than my old skimmer and its solid, set it and forget it.

http://www.saltysupply.com/Reef-Octo...mers-s/838.htm

I have one with the bubble blaster pump.

Keep an eye on my build thread.... should be running within the week :)
Ill do a full review therafter

I am running a SWC 230A Cone skimmer on my 250Gal, works fantastic. Very quiet and it pulls stuff out that I don't want to talk about :redface:....

I have a BK 250 with a spare impeller for sale $900 OBO

if ya want. I never got around to using it bought it for a big upgrade and then a separation happened.

Gawd... Three quarters of the way through the thread, I realize it's been necro'd...

Would people still have those opinions from 2011?
Bump fer skimmerkings good deal. You can't go wrong with Royal Exclusive products. The only haters are those that don't own them. So why is that?:biggrin:

No, but I was going to answer OP's question. Now, given that OP is probably not still on the search, I feel less inclined to.

Oh you tease. Threads been dusted off now. :lol:

Just a spillover from how I treat the ladies.

<_______<

*crickets chirp*