Who has a SWC 160 Cone or Skimz Kone SK181?

[Myka]

Hahaha, oops forgot you're "shroom"! Why you gotta be all confusing like that? Thanks for the info!

[shootingstar]

For what it's worth I was in exactly the same boat as you. Wanted the 180 but bought the 160 just to get the atman pump.

Have owned it for 5 month's, the atman quit for the third time this past weekend and is now in a box on it's way bag to winter-peg.

Not overly impressed with the atman and at this point can't imagine how the sicce could have been worse.

[Myka]

Hmmm...that sucks. It is the same Atman you have been fighting with this whole time or you have had 3 fail? How do they fail?

[shootingstar]

Yes it is all the same atman pump. It quit for the third time. I would only define it as "fail" this third time because I simply could not get it running again.
All 3 were failed re-starts after power loss or even a power flicker.

I do love the performance and it is very quiet.....all wonderful....

just needs a better pump IMHO

[Myka]

Those are the exact same problems the Sicce pump has! I haven't heard of other people having this trouble with the Atman, maybe you just got a bogus pump from the get go? I have had a 120 Cone (on nano) with the smaller Atman 1100 pump on it for about 6 months, and I haven't had any restart issues with it at all. Actually no complaints at all about the skimmer, which is why I want a bigger one for my reef.

FWIW, in my research I have been hearing if a person puts the AquaMaxx Large Red Devil Needle Wheel on the Sicce 2500 pump that it restarts with no issues. I'm going to continue this research, and it if is consistent then I will just buy the SWC 180 Cone.

[Smudge]

I am running the SWC mini S with the Sicce 2500 with no start up issues since new (8 months). The skimmer came with the white lightning pinwheel and the standard one. I have been using the white lightning one.

[globaldesigns]

I have the SWC 160... running with my Hydor 1000. The SWC is a nice skimmer, pulls good skimmate. I am on my second pump though, first one gave out and blew my GFC's... Jayson in Winnipeg replaced it under warranty and the second pump is running just fine.

The only complaint I have is that if the power goes out, or you unplug it, then when powering back up, it won't restart. I have to blow into the air tube to force the restart. No biggie, unless power goes out and I am not there, then most likely it will blow up!

[phi delt reefer]

i always wanted to see if you could swap out the atman for a different pump (Aquabee or better yet an eheim)

[Doug]

Never had a problem with the Attman on my 160. Runs smooth as silk. Never cavitated or failed to restart. Besides for the price, easily replaced if there was a problem.