Etss vs pm

josie · #1 05-15-2010, 04:40 PM

I'm shopping for a new skimmer...
my octopus downdraft is not strong enought for the biolab at the moment..

the space I have in the sump is not big.. 7.5"x 14"...

2 skimmers could fit in :
ETSS 800xr and PM Bullet3

what are your toughts on those 2 skimmers?
thanks!

whatcaneyedo · #2 05-15-2010, 06:51 PM

I've been running a PM Bullet 3 for about a year now on my 270gal system, prior to it I had a Bullet 2 for about a year. It is a powerful skimmer that needs a big energy hungry pump. I'm using an Iwaki 70 (2.9 Amps) for mine although the Iwaki 55 that I used to have did a really good job as well and was quieter. The 70 just allows me to process even more water volume. I find that I need to run 1 gallon of fresh water through the air intake each week and pull apart and clean the injector once a month to keep it running efficiently. The foam head also crashes very easily when feeding any frozen food and will go nuts and overflow if something large dies and begins to rot (happened once). I also need to run a filter sock on the output because it produces a massive amount of bubbles. However I already have to use one on my overflow for the same reason so this is no problem for me.

The box on the skimmer is 10"x7" but with the gate valve projecting out it should just barely fit in that space. Its also 32" tall and should sit with the drain up near the surface of the water.

I was able to get both my skimmer and pump used for about $500. If I chose to buy something new I would have gone with something with less energy draw and a little quieter. Something like a Vertex Alpha Cone wouldnt cost much more for a similar tank size rating if you're planning to buy new... but would not fit in the space you have available.

josie · #3 05-17-2010, 01:44 PM

thanks whatcanwedo!

any etss people out there?

josie · #4 05-19-2010, 01:30 PM

thanks for you reply and Pms!

we bought a used ETSS 600 via reefcentral yesterday... if it,s not strong enought we can upgrade it to a 900 with an extension... 250$US

not too bad

so in maybe a week I'll have a skimmer for sale, octopus downdraft, good up to 150g-200g medium biolab. please contact me via PM for more info