Good Skimmer for 180gallon

[euphoria]

Hi,
What's a very good quality skimmer to use for a 180 gallon reef tank? I alraedy have a G1 skimmer on my 60 gallon that I plan to use on the 180, but I want to have another good skimmer as well. I believe the G1 is good for upto 300 gallons, based on what the LFS told me, but they could have been exaggerating.
Money is not an issue here. I want to buy it once, buy it good.

 

[cadbury]

Money not an issue? Do you have your own business, are you hiring? I wish I had that problem. Just harrassing you, good luck to you. I have a 180 as well and here is one I been looking at......... Actually I'm not supposed to post it here so email me and I'll send you the info.
catalanoj@yahoo.com

 

[robchuck]

From what I've seen with the ASM skimmer line, the G1 would struggle on anything larger than a moderately stocked 90g reef.
If money is really no issue, a Bubble King skimmer would be really nice on a 180g. Otherwise Deltec and H&S skimmers make for nice and efficient needlewheel skimmers. And Barr Aquatic Systems makes a very nice Beckett-injected skimmer.

 

[euphoria]

I have heard Deltec mentioned a lot here.
What's this needlewheel spinner thing we are talking about? Also what does BECKET INJECTED mean as well?
And how much would this deltec cost?

 

[robchuck]

Needlewheels are a type of impeller that are used in the pumps of needlewheel skimmers (ASM, ER, Geo's Reef, Deltec, etc. are some examples). The pump takes air in along with water and the needlewheel chops it into very fine bubbles.
Beckett-injection is just another way to mix air and water into a skimmer. A large pump is used to push lots of water through a Beckett injector (kind of like a venturi) very quickly, mixing air with the water and creating bubbles.
These methods are just two ways to skin the same cat. There's even a small movement going on now where DIY reefers are building monster-sized retro-airstone skimmers.
A Deltec skimmer can run you anywhere from a grand to $6,000. But some of the models can be fitted with self-cleaning heads and other gadgets.

 

[euphoria]

Originally Posted by RobChuck
Needlewheels are a type of impeller that are used in the pumps of needlewheel skimmers (ASM, ER, Geo's Reef, Deltec, etc. are some examples). The pump takes air in along with water and the needlewheel chops it into very fine bubbles.
Beckett-injection is just another way to mix air and water into a skimmer. A large pump is used to push lots of water through a Beckett injector (kind of like a venturi) very quickly, mixing air with the water and creating bubbles.
These methods are just two ways to skin the same cat. There's even a small movement going on now where DIY reefers are building monster-sized retro-airstone skimmers.
A Deltec skimmer can run you anywhere from a grand to $6,000. But some of the models can be fitted with self-cleaning heads and other gadgets.
WO WO WO, I said $ is not an issue, but I didn't just win the lottery. There's no way I can afford a $1000 skimmer, let alone a $6000 one. I'm willing to spend upto $600 on a good skimmer, not more than that.
Are Deltec's for very large tank sizes? Cuz why would there be such a big jump from your average skimmer price of a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars for a deltec?
As much as I"d like to have the Ferrari of all skimmers, I'd have to say no to the deltec then

 

[robchuck]

For about $450 or $500, I would say that the ASM G4X would make a great skimmer for a 180. The least expensive Deltec I know of is $600 or so and would likely be outdueled by the aforementioned ASM.
Or a My Reef Creations MR-2 (rated to 300 gallons) Beckett skimmer with a Gen-X PCX55 pump can be had for $425; that's a solid skimmer/pump combo for a close to unbeatable price.

 

[euphoria]

How about any of the G brands, like G4, G4x and G5 and such. I think I've also heard of a brand called Nautilus or something, is there such a brand? Is it any good?
Oh and will it be ok to run 2 skimmers? I already have a G1 which is doing a great job on my 60 gallon. I don't want to sell it for a loss or throw it away and would love to use it w/ another skimmer, but of higher power. Would I put both skimmers in the same area of the sump or maybe on opposite corners?

 

[acrylic51]

I agree with both you and Rob on skimmer selections. The ASM are nice, but would look at the Barrs' before deciding on the MRC. Price is mainly my reasoning on that issue. Barrs' skimmer are exactly the same as the MRC, but IMO I think the Barrs' look a little better built and with little extras. With the MRC you have to pay for the ozone injection port where with Barrs you don't, and Barrs' also has the flow meters to help adjust the skimmer as well.
Big draw back with Beckett skimmers is the big pump you need to push them, but I debate the bigger needle wheels needing several pumps to run them, meaning are they any more energy efficient than 1 big pump?