Which skimmer for my new 180g?

gpodio · #1 12/27/2006, 04:12 PM

Hi all, I'm having a hard time choosing a skimmer! I am about to pick up a 180g tank to replace my current 40g. Somehow I don't think my existing CPR backpack will do the job...

This will be a lightly stocked SPS tank.

I'm trying to stay in the $200-300 range and would consider a used skimmer too. The tank will sit on a regular 6' All-Glass stand and the sump will likely be a 12" tall tank. I'm uncertain which skimmers will fit without removing the sump so I'm thinking of going external...

The ones I'm considering are:
1. Octopus NW200
2. MRC MR-2
3. Coralife SS220

I know the MR2 "should" be the superior model but it doesn't come with pump and also uses a beckett. The others come with NW pumps... And the Coralife can be hung on the sup itself...

What's the main deciding factor between needle wheel and beckett skimmers?

I just want to see what you guys think about this before I make a decision. I have not seen any of the above skimmers in action so I cannot rely on my own opinion here...

Obviously if there are other skimmers in the price range, specially one that would fit in and out of the sump without much trouble please let me know.

Thanks!

192clark · #2 12/27/2006, 04:18 PM

I have been looking at the NW200 and the Pacific Coast ps 3000

frank2926 · #3 12/27/2006, 04:52 PM

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...ht=ati+skimmer

RichConley · #4 12/27/2006, 04:53 PM

Take the Coralife out of the decision, the octopus is a better skimmer in pretty much every way. That being said, you still have to make a decision on beckett vs nw.

Generally, NW skimmers pull less air, use WAY less electricity, and make smaller bubbles than Becketts. The NW200 pulls about 10-15 scfh (standard cubic feet /hour), while a fully driven single beckett will pull 40ish. That being said, a single beckett is going to take you 120+ watts to drive, while a NW200 will run around 60.

If you're going to run them stock, the MRC is probably the better performer, but if you're willing to do some really small mods, you can get the NW200 pulling as much air as the beckett, making smaller bubbles, and using half the electricity.

BBoley24 · #5 12/27/2006, 07:39 PM

ASM G3... hands down in my opinion... i am bias simply because i had a css220 on my 100g and now i have the G3 on my 140... dang thing is unbelievable!

kodyboy · #6 12/27/2006, 07:50 PM

ASM G3 or Tunze 9010.

ridetheducati · #7 12/27/2006, 08:08 PM

Quote:

ASM G3... hands down in my opinion... i am bias simply because i had a css220 on my 100g and now i have the G3 on my 140... dang thing is unbelievable!

Please put this in perspective for me. If G3 is "unbelievable", what adjective would you use for a Bubble King, H&S, or Deltec? Grant it you never owned one; I would like to know how you describe one.

frank2926 · #8 12/27/2006, 09:40 PM

supercalifragilisticexpealidoshis?

jamison74 · #9 12/27/2006, 09:40 PM

agreed the coralife is junk

8BALL_99 · #10 12/27/2006, 10:01 PM

I would also say look into ASM.. I've got a G2 and a G4 great skimmers.. The coralife is ok if your on a very tight budget, but I'd look for something better..

The Octopus NW200 seems to be a pretty good skimmer. I have heard though that it only skims very wet. That could mean its a little underpowered. It was enough to make me back out of buying one.

stdreb27 · #11 12/27/2006, 10:35 PM

Check out the lifereef.com stuff, he makes awesome stuff! But you'll have to get it used to get it in that price range.

ridetheducati · #12 12/27/2006, 10:59 PM

Dont buy the ASM or Octopus skimmer unless your willing to modify them. Out of the box these skimmers do not meet the latest standard.

mg426 · #13 12/28/2006, 02:12 AM

CSS 220 = JUNK!! The RO nw 200 is the best bargain.

gpodio · #14 12/28/2006, 02:56 PM

Thanks for the quick feedback everyone!

OK so the CSS is out and at this point I think I'm sold on the NW design.

Sounds like these would make a better list for me:

- NW200
- ASM G3
- Tunze 9010

The NW200 and G3 seem similar, the 9010 is only 16.8" high which could make life easier... I'm not getting anywhere am I?

Would pretty much any of these be a good choice?

Ridetheducati, I'm a DIY nut so I don't mind modifying things, but I'm likely not going to do a recirc mod or anything like that on the NW200 as I've been reading. I don't mind modifying the pump and impeller if it helps... When you say they don't meet the latest standards, which model does in this price range? I looked up Bubble King and the only ones I was able to find cost more than my entire tank :-) Which models do you have in mind?

Thanks again everyone, I really appreciate it.

ridetheducati · #15 12/28/2006, 03:10 PM

If you want to stay in the $200-$300 price range, I strongly encourage you to get either the NW200 or G3 and implement the impeller mod. Anything less and you will not be happy with the performance. The impeller mod will increase performance by at least 50%. That is why I say that these units in their stock configs are not up to standard.

Get the G3 or NW200 to pull 12-15 liters per hour and you will be more than happy.

Trust us.

RichConley · #16 12/28/2006, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by gpodio
The NW200 and G3 seem similar, the 9010 is only 16.8" high which could make life easier... I'm not getting anywhere am I?

They are pretty similar if you ignore:
1) The NW200 has twice the reaction chamber. (8" vs 6")
2) The NW200 is significanly better built
3) The NW200 costs roughly 2/3 of the G3

as to the 9010, smaller skimmers are worse. If you have a certain space, get the biggest skimmer you can fit in it.

As to the above skimmers not being "up to the latest standard" ridetheducati, I honestly dont think anything but the BK, and ATI are up to a decent standard. Even Deltec, etc, dont pull nearly the air they should. Buy the NW200, put the meshwheel on it, add fish. You're not going to get a better skimmer than that for ANYWHERE near the cash.

kodyboy · #17 12/28/2006, 03:52 PM

The nw200 is not better built than a tunze 9010
just because it is smaller, does not make it a poor performer, Tunze makes excellent quality products and the 9010 is just as good if not better than a nw200 or an asmg3, but it is more expensive.
I have an ASM G3 and it is great! You cant go wrong with it for the price!
I have heard that octopus is better built than ASMs, neve had an octopus so don't know, but I can believe it.

gpodio · #18 12/28/2006, 04:34 PM

Sweat, nw200 it is. Thanks everyone!

bergzy · #19 12/28/2006, 04:46 PM

here is my fav pic of beckett vs nw.

albeit that the becket is large and the nw is small...there really is an extraction difference.

the gallon jug shows (i think) 6 hours or so of beckett skimming (aerofoamer 830 on an iwaki 55rlt). the quantity and quality is excellent.

the small nw is an er es5-2. smal yes but should be extracting like a mother as well. the cup shows about 48 hous of skimming. yes, the skimmate is dark but the quantity isnt there.

when i upgraded my pump on the beckett to an iwaki 70rlt...this was when skimmate quantity took off. i was pulling TWO gallons of skimmate a day that is pretty dark and still icky!

yes, the iwaki pulls more electricity than a needlewheen BUT i also pull more skimmate out AND i only power the skimmer 15 hours a day as i do not need to run it 24/7.

beckett skimming and nw skimming are two totally different beasts imo...and are hard to compare fairly. a nw is efficient using little electricity while a beckett is effective using more electricity...plus they are pretty noise and need more space.

skimmer choice is best done on sme of these factors.

if i want a quiet, fairly compact skimmer that is electrically efficient...nw all the way. if i want pure brute skimming where electrical cost, space and noise is not even a factor (my situation as all my equipment is remotely located in the garage) then a beckett is a great choice!

good luck in reaching your decision.

RichConley · #20 12/28/2006, 04:55 PM

so you're comparing a NW skimmer that draws 12 scfh to a becket that draws 40+? Try a real needlewheel.

Mine pulls 60 scfh, at 60w.

"the small nw is an er es5-2. smal yes but should be extracting like a mother as well. the cup shows about 48 hous of skimming. yes, the skimmate is dark but the quantity isnt there."

C'mon, you're comparing a skimmer thats skimming wet to one thats skimming dry.

RichConley · #21 12/28/2006, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kodyboy
The nw200 is not better built than a tunze 9010
just because it is smaller, does not make it a poor performer, Tunze makes excellent quality products and the 9010 is just as good if not better than a nw200 or an asmg3, but it is more expensive.
I have an ASM G3 and it is great! You cant go wrong with it for the price!
I have heard that octopus is better built than ASMs, neve had an octopus so don't know, but I can believe it.

KodyBoy, none of my comments above really should go towards the 9010, they were relaly meant for the G3.

"I have an ASM G3 and it is great! You cant go wrong with it for the price! "

Again, I completely disagree. The G3 is an absurd waste of cash. Its a $149 skimmer that costs $300. If you're gonna drop that cash, buy an ER RS135, which costs the same, and is a much better skimmer. If you want to compare a reef octopus to the G3, the NW150 is exactly the same size, better made, and less than half the cost. The G3 doesnt hang with the NW200 in any area, and is 50% more.

Dont buy an ASM now. They've jacked up thier prices to basically the same as ER, and can't even come close to competing. If you want to spend $300, buy the ER. If you dont, buy the RO.

The ASM skimmers were a great value a year or so ago, theyre not anymore. They've basically priced themselves out of their market.

frank2926 · #22 12/28/2006, 05:33 PM

why buy the nw200 when you can get an ati that is already fit with the mesh wheel?

RichConley · #23 12/28/2006, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by frank2926
why buy the nw200 when you can get an ati that is already fit with the mesh wheel?

Because it costs 189, as opposed to 400+

ridetheducati · #24 12/28/2006, 06:12 PM

Quote:

why buy the nw200 when you can get an ati that is already fit with the mesh wheel?

Dude, his budget is $200-$300.

Quote:

ridetheducati, I honestly dont think anything but the BK, and ATI are up to a decent standard. Even Deltec, etc, dont pull nearly the air they should. Buy the NW200, put the meshwheel on it, add fish.

BK is in a class by itself, the Red Dragon alone demands it. ATI has raised the bar a bit, but the jury is still out on the non-tangibles. Give the U.S. version another 12-24 months to make a fair assessment. Also, keep in mind, raw power (liters per hour) is not the only variable to making a "Best of Breed" skimmer.

IMO, I think the skimmer world looks like this. Based on customer support, quality assurance, performance, build quality, and longevity, all which are traits of a good company/product:

Top Tier

1. Bubble King
2. H&S and Deltec
3. ER
4. ATI (quickly climbing the chart)

Middle Tier, most of these require modifications

5.
6. Octopus
7. ASM
etc

Bottom Tier

99. Red Sea
100.

192clark · #25 12/28/2006, 08:22 PM

What is ATI stand for where do you get one . Also are there instructions somewhere for the mod on an NW.