Is the SWC 160 Cone Skimmer a worthy Skimmer?

stellarfly · #1 03-09-2013, 04:00 AM

Hey guys,

I have seen Mark Callahan (Mr. Saltwater Tank) use and review this skimmer on his show. I have seen both great reviews and some negative reviews of this skimmer. What do actual owners of this skimmer think? worth getting this skimmer? Is it as reliable as everyone says it is? I have personally seen this skimmer running at the LFS and it looks great. I could barely hear it running.

I have read that sometimes the pump does not turn on after turning the skimmer off and sometimes the venturi can get clogged. Any experiences? Let me know. Floor is open to anyone running the SWC 160 cone extreme.

lpsreefer · #2 03-09-2013, 04:37 AM

I personally love mine. My air hose did get clogged but it was my fault. I was gluing frags underwater beside it.
From all the skimmers I have had its is one of my favourite.
Csc skimmers are pretty much the same skimmer. Minus the big red maple leaf on the top.

ensquire · #3 03-09-2013, 04:41 AM

I have had mine running for a year and a half. Have never had a restart problem in that time and my power is very unreliable. My only issue and it's a minor one is that you really have to keep the water at a fairly consistent level. I think that that's common for most skimmers though. It will overflow if the water rises more than a couple inches. I am very happy with mine. I have a Skimz 120 for back up and have never felt the urge to try it out yet.

frd72 · #4 03-09-2013, 04:43 AM

I am using this skimmer for almost 2 years now and somehow satisfied.
All your research is correct. If they changed the Atman pump maybe it is better, mine stall sometimes when first plug in.

Quote:

Originally Posted by stellarfly

Hey guys,

I have seen Mark Callahan (Mr. Saltwater Tank) use and review this skimmer on his show. I have seen both great reviews and some negative reviews of this skimmer. What do actual owners of this skimmer think? worth getting this skimmer? Is it as reliable as everyone says it is? I have personally seen this skimmer running at the LFS and it looks great. I could barely hear it running.

I have read that sometimes the pump does not turn on after turning the skimmer off and sometimes the venturi can get clogged. Any experiences? Let me know. Floor is open to anyone running the SWC 160 cone extreme.

stellarfly · #5 03-09-2013, 05:31 AM

Thanks guys for the quick and honest answers to my question. I really like this skimmer and these few answers only solidify my liking of this skimmer

Jakegr · #6 03-09-2013, 06:30 AM

I owned this skimmer for a year. Never had a restart problem. Great bubble density and it is easy to maintain. I really like having a gate valve too. Noise level was reasonable for a skimmer that size... don't let anyone tell you it is silent!

In terms of build quality (e.g. acrylic thickness) I would give it a 7/10. I now use a Vertex IN skimmer and despite being the same price, it is made of far higher quality materials.

I still think it is one of the best value skimmers available.

Evilweevil · #7 03-09-2013, 12:58 PM

I have had mine 6 months its been great no issues at all and if you order right from the company website it's about 279$ before shipping I believe

Evilweevil · #8 03-09-2013, 01:02 PM

It's 274.99 + 36.18 for shipping so its still a pretty good deal I though I think I seen it for 370$ in a store

spit.fire · #9 06-04-2013, 01:07 AM

The atman 2500 is a pump worthy of a garbage can, they have a high failure rate and tend to electrocute me

banditpowdercoat · #10 06-04-2013, 02:59 PM

I have the Mini S on my 150, with Sicce pump for about 3 years now. Never a lick of trouble. Only cleaned cone and pump once. Quiet, and skims very well!