POLL : Reeflo Orca 250/ BK Super Marine 250 / BK Super Marine 300

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by sphelps

Dumb but 100% true

Why? Because someone actually disagrees with you? He made a sound decision based on his criteria, not yours. For him, it was a smart choice. I would have made the same choice.
Sure, maybe wealthy tank owners can afford the BK 9000 with chrome trim, but most can't, and there are plenty of great skimmers on the market for way less money. The BK is just bling and provides bragging rights, it's not the best skimmer per dollar spent.

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Why? Because someone actually disagrees with you?

No because it's true, if someone spends $1200 on something, they have yet to even see it, no matter what anyone says they will never agree, it's just fact.

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Sure, maybe wealthy tank owners can afford the BK 9000 with chrome trim, but most can't, and there are plenty of great skimmers on the market for way less money. The BK is just bling and provides bragging rights, it's not the best skimmer per dollar spent.

And you said my comment was dumb.
The BK is not just "bling" ask anyone that owes one, best money they ever spent. The amount of effort and energy involved in those skimmers is crazy, and they thought of everything. They even have titanium screws in the base so you can remove it and clean the diffuser plate. Plus you don't have to worry about it cracking, it runs super quiet and is a proven sound product. There's actually a lot more involved in efficient protein skimming than just hocking up a big pump to a large body.

Anyway this has gone too far, I'm sorry I was just trying to help.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by sphelps

I'm sorry I was just trying to help.

Sure doesn't sound like it....sounded condescending and insulting instead...

But yes, this has gone far enough. You like BK, I don't. We won't agree.

[Chin_Lee]

Schelps - don't take this debate personally. We are all expressing opinions but don't criticize other's decision based on your opinion. Your comments and opinions should be more subjective IMO and although I appreciate a devil's advocate in a debate, we should exercise caution when making remarks about the other product when you don't have personal knowledge about it. For example to state that the Orca has thin plastic when its made of 1/4" cast is not accurate. Also when air is mixed with water, resistance is lowered and power consumption is lowered so stating that the air/water mixture will result in 150W is also inaccurate.
Fact-based opinions are much more credible than assumption-based opinions. You recently made similar assumption-based opinions on the Bubble Magus and without first-hand knowledge on the products in question, I strongly encourage discussing the product you are knowledgeable on and I do discourage making untrue assumptions on the products you are not as knowledgeable about.
Nevertheless, I love debates and for reasons outlined above in my previous post, I have made a decision of which one should support as a fellow reefkeeper. To bash my decision is neither beneficial nor supportive. I assure you I will be just as happy with the Orca as you and my good friends are with your Bubble Kings.

[blaster]

All skimmers have pros and cons thats why they keep tryin to perfect them.The bubblekings are stupidly priced for what their purpose is.

[mark]

Skimmers, reactors, everything from acrylic seems overpriced. Heard the argument engineering costs but sure BK had gotten their money back.

As for Reeflo customer support, I'm in agreement it gets a 10 of 10 from me. One thing that does bother me a little bit was when I was talking to them about a pump, they gave me the list of their Canadian distributors, but then offered me the pump for about a 100 less than I could have gotten from a Cdn reseller. Good for me, bad for some of my favorite places that carry Reeflo

[Powertec]

I agree about reeflo customer support when i got my reeflo it was shipped with the ao smith motor. I contacted them and let them know and they shipped me a reeflo gold no questions asked. Now i have a second pump for the skimmer as a back up.

[bullit67]

The only thing I would caution is make sure you install it in a place where you can see the pump and service it I have 2 reeflo dart one for a closed loop one for my main return on both of them the seals have failed with in the first year in service. The one pump I had to replace as the shaft was so badly corroded I could not reseal it. Dont get me wrong I love these pumps lots of GPH for the buck and they run nice and quiet. I am hopping the Reeflo Gold has the seal problem resolved. It must have something to do with the salt water as I have a Sequence pump on my Koi pond and it has been running for 3 plus years with out a leak.

[Skimmerking]

Originally Posted by blaster

All skimmers have pros and cons thats why they keep tryin to perfect them.The bubblekings are stupidly priced for what their purpose is.

There you go Josh is bang on with his statment. IMO. I truely believe that Bubble kings are truely over rated in Price. when you look at the price of a red dragon. its crazy $800-1000 for a small pump I understand that it has its own blue prints that are custom made.

when you look at the price of Acrylic is crazy when you get over the 12" diameter. IMO it comes down to the PUMP pretty much a piece of acrylic isnt going to make the skimmer 1/4" or 3/8" its all the same thin or thick its the pump and the Mesh, Pinwheel, Needle wheel that will drive your skimmer.

[Skimmerking]

Originally Posted by asmodeus

There you go Josh is bang on with his statment. IMO. I truely believe that Bubble kings are truely over rated in Price. when you look at the price of a red dragon. its crazy $800-1000 for a small pump I understand that it has its own blue prints that are custom made.

when you look at the price of Acrylic is crazy when you get over the 12" diameter. IMO it comes down to the PUMP pretty much a piece of acrylic isnt going to make the skimmer 1/4" or 3/8" its all the same thin or thick its the pump and the Mesh, Pinwheel, Needle wheel that will drive your skimmer.

I'm using my post as a quote LOL ITs the pump that makes the skimmer, like Tony has stated. welds dont make the skimmer and the acrylic wont make the skimmer. this discussion will go on forever.

At the end of the day BrAd has his opinions on BK, and Orca's and Steve has his opinions on BK, Orcas
Chin lee will have his opinions on BK and Orca's and everyone will have there Opinions. All I can say is I hav owned pretty much every type of skimmers out there

Venturi
down draft's
Beckett's
Air driven
In sump
external
Mesh wheels
modifed Euro reef's

what I havent owned was Deltec's, which the pumps are super expensive
Bubble King's which i can't afford other then the mini's 160,180 ,200 that i could purchase unless I save up.
euroreef's RC models that are $$$$ but i took my Euroreef CS 250 and modded with the help of Sphelps to make it RC 250.

I 'm currently running a Bubble master 250 with the dual sicce pumps. 80w and I love it its short and compacted and skims my tank for what i want i have bought a second set of Sicce pumps for back up since I like this skimmer alot and want to keep it due to my setup that is very simple.

Another thing too its all what the REEFER wants to spend on a Skimmer. His /Her money at the end of the day. Thier decision