Octopus bh-90 vs bh-1000

[novass]

im sure this had been done before but I didnt find it on this forum. I just order the bh-90 and I hope I made the right move. I plan to have fowlr trank. its a 55 gallon and im wanting to do a predator/tangs tank. I paid $30 more for the bh-90 over the bh-1000 and the bh-2000 would have been $50 more. heres some pic of my tank. 50 lbs of key largo dry rock looked like alot before the sand. But I put about a 4" sand bed and makes it look like alot less rock and added about 5lbs of live rock.

 

[mr llimpid]

I hate to burst your bulb but a 55 isn't big enough for most predators and tangs require a 6' long tank. Make sure your rocks rest on bottom of tank you don't want any thing digging under them, it will cause damage to the tank and to the creature. as for the skimmer very good skimmer and going bigger is never wrong. Some people claim over skimming is bad, I ask why. If zero ammonia, nitrates and nitrites are great, then 0 organics is great. Plus a skimmer will only skim what it can and stop skimming when there is nothing to skim. Skim on my friend.

 

[novass]

I was told by my local aquarium saltwater shop that they have small tangs that dont get big. I was thinking of getting a couple not a lot. Also I was only wanting to ad one or two dwarf lions and maybe a smaller eel. Thats what I had in mind. Im also working on a 500-700 gallon plywood tank. I have unlimited supply of sand and wood to start it. Now I have to get my glass window and huge chiller. I have been researching it for a few years. I just thought if I could run a small 55 for a year I would use my 500-700 gallon instead of trading it to a friend. I thing im going to be building it 700 I want a blacktip. but that is another thread

 

[mr llimpid]

First, don't believe everything LFS tells you, they want to sell you fish. I only would like to see your fish live a long and happy life. The only tang that will survive in a smller tank is a kole tang, but still needs a 90gal and only 1.

 

[novass]

Thats fine how would you stock this tank must have lion fish because I have over $1000 in the tank and my wife wants a lion.

 

[deejeff442]

imo lions dont need a whole lot of room they dont move around much.they are messy so a good skimmer is a must in a smaller tank.i love the wood on the cabinet,all tangs swim like crazy so i wouldnt get one for that tank.i would watch what you put in the tank with a lion alot of fish like to nip at their fins

 

[jay0705]

Dwarf lions are cool fish. W mine I kept a few damsels and a puffer

 

[novass]

Thanks on cab I made it cost around $40 to build it and was easy to build. When I built it i was planing on freshwater tank for bluegills, but change my mind. So I didnt get to build it with enough room for a sump.
As for the skimmer I should have the bh-90 here thursday. It seems to be the best bang for the buck hob skimmer I could find. Every place I called had been out of stock on that skimmer for months. But I guess last week everyone got a new shipment in.
I have been searching around and looking at tank setups with lions.

 

[mr llimpid]

Ya there are several lion's that will work in your tank, check out this site all 3 on bottom will work, but not the sale one.

 

[deejeff442]

i had a 90 reef for 15 years with just a rubbermaid tote as a sump. some rock rubble ,heater and return pump. sumps add a ton of oxygen to the tank is another good reason to have one. just find a tote you can squeeze in the stand.

 

[acrylic51]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr LLimpid http:///t/395876/octopus-bh-90-vs-bh-1000#post_3526279
I hate to burst your bulb but a 55 isn't big enough for most predators and tangs require a 6' long tank. Make sure your rocks rest on bottom of tank you don't want any thing digging under them, it will cause damage to the tank and to the creature. as for the skimmer very good skimmer and going bigger is never wrong. Some people claim over skimming is bad, I ask why. If zero ammonia, nitrates and nitrites are great, then 0 organics is great. Plus a skimmer will only skim what it can and stop skimming when there is nothing to skim. Skim on my friend.
I'm not arguing the fact of overskimming because I agree a skimmer will only skim what's there, but on the same line the theory of to much skimmer is true.....a skimmer overly big will be inconsistent in it's skimming performance and you also run into issues where the skimmate never really makes it into the collection cup as it should. What happens is the foam head collapses on itself and therefore fouling the neck prematurely and not allowing the foam head to rise correctly. So yes there is an issue with going to big. Seth would attest to that situation!!!!!

 

[deejeff442]

i agree . but keep in mind a skimmer can be rated for a 250 gallon.but if you keep small fish it will be overskimming on a 250. but if you keep lion fish,puffers and eels it will be good. you have to keep this in mind when you plan the tank. i would underskim and do my water changes weekly or bi-weekley

 

[mr llimpid]

Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///t/395876/octopus-bh-90-vs-bh-1000#post_3526780
I'm not arguing the fact of overskimming because I agree a skimmer will only skim what's there, but on the same line the theory of to much skimmer is true.....a skimmer overly big will be inconsistent in it's skimming performance and you also run into issues where the skimmate never really makes it into the collection cup as it should. What happens is the foam head collapses on itself and therefore fouling the neck prematurely and not allowing the foam head to rise correctly. So yes there is an issue with going to big. Seth would attest to that situation!!!!!
Good to know never had that issue. I have only owned 2 skimmers both were adjustable so that the foaming water was raised or lowered to allow optimum skimming.

 

[novass]

The bh-90 says its adjustable, I thought i was going to get it today but ups suck new driver lie. they need to invest in gps for there trucks. But I chose the bh-90 incase I make sump it looks like I could make it work in a sump if had to. also I want to get a bigger tank In a year or two. I wish I would have bought the 75 gallon or 100g because I only use the hob filter that came with it for more water flow and a 55 gallon cant be drilled on topfin tanks.

 

[deejeff442]

i have bought so many tanks through craigslist . got my 250 for $300. people give this hobby up so much you can find a steel all the time just keep an eye on that site.heck i will sell you my 250 with a custom stand my friend made for $300.its drilled. lol.i plan a 390 gallon 8 foot tank in about 6 months

 

[acrylic51]

MrLLimpid raising and lowering the water height inside the skimmer body will not do anything for a skimmer that is truly oversized. Even in Seths case he would tune the skimmer only to find it drops off.... You have to be in the target range for them to be efficient and to skim efficiently and continually.

 

[mr llimpid]

Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///t/395876/octopus-bh-90-vs-bh-1000#post_3526833
MrLLimpid raising and lowering the water height inside the skimmer body will not do anything for a skimmer that is truly oversized. Even in Seths case he would tune the skimmer only to find it drops off.... You have to be in the target range for them to be efficient and to skim efficiently and continually.
So what I'm getting from this its better to be under sized than over sized?

 

[novass]

Im confused as i didnt even see a skimmer for under 75 gallons. I also see alot of people using bh-90 bh-1000 and the bh-2000 on tanks as small as 30 gallons

 

[mr llimpid]

Quote:
Originally Posted by NovaSS http:///t/395876/octopus-bh-90-vs-bh-1000#post_3526860
Im confused as i didnt even see a skimmer for under 75 gallons. I also see alot of people using bh-90 bh-1000 and the bh-2000 on tanks as small as 30 gallons
There are a lot of skimmers for under 75gal tanks, they call them nano skimmers. I have a Red Sea prizim skimmer on my 20gal. rated for 40gal.

 

[acrylic51]

What I'm saying is that most skimmer manufacturers over rate their products. Skimmers being a big culprit. I'm not saying to undersize but what I'm suggesting is before buying looke extensiely at people that are currently running them and compare systems. Someone running a slightly larger skimmer on a same size tank as yours but theirs is heavily stocked and yours isn't could be the difference between it skimming consistently or occasionally. As I pointed outSeth ran Iinto this issue and with a little investigation RO was conservative with their numbers.
Slightly small or undersized wouldn't be a bad thing but putting something like my Vertex 300 on a 55 gallon would be insane. It would be productive even if you overstocked the tank. The shear volume of water it wouldn't produce a strong enough foam head consistently to force the foam over and into a collection cup.