Choosing between Bubble King and Bubble Magus mini skimmer

[mseepman]

So have you received your Bubble Magus skimmer yet?

Originally Posted by ReefJunkie

Fish-street also has 110v pumps available for an extra 7 or 8 bucks, and with some versions the pumps are optional. I have ordered the bm100 and it should be here in a few days.....my searches for reviews on these skimmers (from people that actually have them) have been pretty positive so far. Of course no long term reviews yet. I will post my experience with this unit once I get the new tank going.

[Melonbob]

Originally Posted by sphelps

I haven't actually had the chance to inspect the skimmer myself but have you seen a BK, the collection cup lid weighs close to 5 lbs by itself, I really can't see it being of the same quality, either way that was not really my point. I was simply stating that things aren't always what they seem and price always reflects quality. The Bubble Masters had similar reviews and yes the Magus could very well be better but since they are still new to the market you really don't know how the product will perform over time and how the company will stand behind the product if at all. Reputation has to be earned and the Magus as it stands has very little while the King is still King. In the end it's what everyone wants anyways.

Oh and the Toyota and Lexus comparison, way off, unless Royal Exclusive makes the Magus as a cheaper alternative. It's closer to Honda and Hyundai, in which case, like most people, I'll take the Honda.

So is a honda worth 5 times more than a hyundai?

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by Melonbob

So is a honda worth 5 times more than a hyundai?

Not really the point now is it?

Originally Posted by sphelps

I take that back, it's not even close. The aqua-bee pump is comparable to ehiem at best not even close to the red dragon which has a custom housing and stand, titanium shaft, and lifetime bearing warranty. Just look at the airflow specs and power consumption. The Magus is probably comparable to a Euro Reef or Deltec not Bubble King.

[Melonbob]

Thats exactly my point, even a vette isn't 5 times more than a hyundai. I'm sure the BK is better, I'm sure its alot better, but I very much doubt it is 5 times better. Fact is, its a great time to be buying a skimmer right now, there are alot of very good skimming units (BM, Octo) to be had at a very reasonable price.

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by Melonbob

Thats exactly my point, even a vette isn't 5 times more than a hyundai. I'm sure the BK is better, I'm sure its alot better, but I very much doubt it is 5 times better. Fact is, its a great time to be buying a skimmer right now, there are alot of very good skimming units (BM, Octo) to be had at a very reasonable price.

I don't really care about these skimmer threads anymore, if you want a cheap Chinese knock off that's fine and you don't need my permission, so just leave me out of it.

[Tom R]

This is one of the greatest hobbies in the world.

You can get by on the cheap or you can buy the most expensive in both livestock and hardware. There is also everything in between.

Our selection of products is based on what each and everyone of us is able to substantiate in our own minds. The support come from those that can substantiate and justify. The criticism comes from those who can not substantiate or justify.

A few years ago I decided to buy an ASM G5 skimmer. It was a cheaper version of the then front running Euro Reef skimmer. It was all I could justify to spend on a skimmer at the time. My ASM does a great job. Would a Euro Reef do a better job, that I do not know. In my estimation they both do a great job and yet the Euro Reef was about twice the money at the time.

There will always be new products developed for the hobby and there will always be knock offs. Generally speaking though if you were offered a Bubble King for the same price of a Bubble Magus I bet you would take the Bubble King but would it do a substantially better job.

Tom R

[geeluk]

Tom R, I totally agree with your comment which I can relate to my situation. I purchased the Bubble Magus 150 several months ago and used it until very recently I replaced it with a BK mini 180. I probably didn't need the upgrade, but I couldn't resist the opportunity to buy a used one. I can say the quality of the build and production of the BK is in a league of their own, but it is also 4 or 5 times the price of a Magus. The magus worked very well for me and I would have no regrets in using it for the long term. The magus produced more skim then my previous skimmer which was more expensive. On another note, I see that a new mesh impeller will be available for the magus in the near future.

For the value, the magus does an excellent job. If you do not have a budget, get a Bubble king.

Gary