110-f2000 vs. A110

[Capt. Nemo]

Hi everyone,

I posted some questions to Eric of FinsReef at the H&S forum as part of my ongoing research / decision process on which H&S skimmer to get for my 70 gal. FOWLR including 15 gal. sump. The 2 choices are the insump 110- f2000 or the A110. I like that the 110 -f2000 doesnt require any plumbing, but it also seems that most every review I come across says that the A110 and recircs in general will outperform the insump models. The recircs are also suppose to require less adjustments and are more plug and play than the insump models. However, Eric has assured me that the 110-f2000 which is rated for up to 100 gal. would be more than enough to handle my system. Here is my post at the H&S forum:

Still trying to decide which skimmer to get. Can you tell me how much clearance I would need to remove the collection cup on the A110. I have 24" H of cabinet space for the skimmer so this would leave me with about 1.5" of clearance since the A110 is 22.5"H. I probably would prefer to have the A110 located in my sump in the event of an overflow or leaking. The section of the sump that would house the A100 has dimensions of
16"L x 10" W. The other thing is I will also have my return pump, a Mag 7 in this section along with the skimmer. I dont know if this arrangement would work and if I have enough space for everything in the sump. Would the Mag 7 produce enough GPH for the A110 to get optimal performance or would I need more flow. Ofcourse if 1.5" clearance is not enough to remove the collection cup on the A110 then all the questions I have are really moot. Thanks again for your excellent assistance. I will definitely buy one of these skimmers in the next couple of days. I hope you wont be out of stock by the time I decide to make a purchase. : )

Thanks,

Gary

[MattG]

I have an a110 and love it. You need very little clearance to remove the collection cup, maybe 1/2".

I run my a110 in my sump and feed it ~100 gph from the drain line. The skimmer runs like a champ and the folks at finsreef provide awesome support.

[Reef Sponger]

First, you only need 1/2" clearance to remove the cup. 1.5" is very generous. Second, you will have problems with the in sump 110 model if you put into the same chamber as the return pump, unless you install a good top off unit. The flucuation in sump waterlevel will disturb the performance of the 110. I would highly recommend the A110 as it is immune to sump water level changes because it is a recirculating skimmer that is self-contained. I would agree with you that it is great to put into the sump and this is how I installed my A150, next model bigger. The Mag7 isn't very big, you can easily slip in the same compartment, somewhere. The Mag7 is more than enough. You only need about 100gph feeding the skimmer, so the rest can be T-off. This is assuming you are feeding your skimmer from the overflow. If not, you need a separate pump to feed the A110, something like a Maxijet600. HTH

[Capt. Nemo]

Thanks to you guys I will be ordering an A110. Now all I have to do is figure out how to plumb this baby. What would be the best and easiest way to plumb the A110 in my sump? I dont want anything to fancy smancy since I'm not the world's greatest plumber. Should I feed the skimmer from the overflow? Is this what is called gravity feeding? Would I just need to run some flexible tubing from the drain line to the A110? Do I need to T-off or will this be too much flow for the skimmer? Maybe you guys can give me the plumbing your A110 for dummies explanation. Thanks!

[MattG]

Feeding from the overflow is drain feeding.

Plumbing made easy courtesy of 'UCanDoIt'

http://usera.imagecave.com/winner/GravityFeedPlumbing.jpg

[Reef Sponger]

http://usera.imagecave.com/Reef-Sponger/Skimmers/GravityFeedSketch.jpg

This is a good thread on setup, adjustment and gravity feed. The above drawing is also within the thread.
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=818119

[MattG]

Feed the a110 about 100 gph. Divert the rest of the flow to the sump somewhere. You will know if you are getting too much flow because the bubbles in the neck will be large instead of super fine.

Keep the ball valve close to the skimmer and don't downsize the plumbing until right before the skimmer. I used 1" on mine and it works great.

[Capt. Nemo]

Thanks guys for the very helpful diagrams and drawings. Now all I need to know is how to assemble the PVC . As far as the PVC, what sizes in diameter and length should I be looking for? I have a 1" bulkhead with hose barb for my drain pipe. Will I need to use something like Oatey's PVC cement and primer to attach all the PVC? Thanks for helping this newbie out. Your assistance is very appreciated!

Gary

[Capt. Nemo]

Would I get bettter performance out of the A110, gravity fed or pump fed? Would one way be advantageous over the other and how? Would it be okay to have the A110, Maxijet600 and the return pump in the same chamber of the sump?

Thanks,
Gary

[CruzinKim]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10976863#post10976863 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Capt. Nemo
Would I get bettter performance out of the A110, gravity fed or pump fed? Would one way be advantageous over the other and how? Would it be okay to have the A110, Maxijet600 and the return pump in the same chamber of the sump?

Thanks,
Gary

From everything I've read, yes, you would get better performance by feeding the skimmer directly from your overflow. But for simple plug & play, the MJ600 s/b great.