vertex 80 or msx 160 ??

[Abbyreefer]

Getting a smaller skimmer footprint for my new sump and need some advice on which of the above skimmers to go with. Sump skimmer section is 12x12. Tank is a 65 gal with 26 gal sump/fuge and I tend to feed slightly heavy. So I need something small that can definatly keep up but not break the bank at the same time :)

Thanks in advance !

Matt.

[Abbyreefer]

anyone ?

[Skimmerking]

Matt IMO/IME dont waste your money on these vertex, I have been hearing alot of Negitive's results on them from my friend in the US. they are cheaply made and if you are serious about your tank take it to the limit and save up and get what you want ,if you are serious a good strong water change will do what you want if you are saving up. I get a kick out of these place making crap and selling them only to see the customer saving up again to buy something that they have wanted in the first place.

I have had pretty much every skimmer on the market, ask any one here they will agree with me.
the big thing is what is your limit on a skimmer?
what size of tank do you have?
what is your bioload?
are you planning on upgrading in thenear future?
At the end of the day like I have stated A good old water change will do wonder's.

answer these questions and if you are serious pm me your number i will call you and talk to you about what I feel is good out there.

[albert_dao]

Errr...

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1588962&perpage=25&pagenumber=15

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1644119

Come again?

[Skimmerking]

yes that is a great show ,however when you have 2 skimmers in one sump they would and will compete against each other. and you cant really compare on two separate systems, due to the fact that each tank would be totally different.
Remember that i well rated skimmer will only pull out what is there and then once its had cleaned that water it wont really pull what it's in there.
a skimmer skimmer will continue to pull crap out making it look like its rocking all the time.

mike

[Skimmerking]

Errr...

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1588962&perpage=25&pagenumber=15

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1644119

Come again?
Errrrrrr, Come again can you elaborate on that ..:question:

[albert_dao]

Errrrrrr, Come again can you elaborate on that ..:question:

Yeah, they're not junk and they're not poorly made, a quick browse through the first link would have made that clear pretty quick...

[Skimmerking]

Well you tell me why they are good then and not the price either, and compare it to a brand name too, Come on albert what skimmer are you running at home its not a vertex....

[albert_dao]

Well you tell me why they are good then and not the price either, and compare it to a brand name too, Come on albert what skimmer are you running at home its not a vertex....

I actually do have a Vertex IN-100, lol.

Anyway, ATB is a brand name, I thought that would have pretty much been an open and shut case right there ($200 vs $800), but just to be sure:

- Well made, coming from the Honya, the same manufacturer who gave us the EuroReef RS series, all the Octopus (Coralvue & SWC) skimmers, the new Hurricone, etc, etc, etc. The bodies are cast acrylic and the design is proven and bullet-proof.

- They're effective, no one is going to argue that.

- They are feature rich and will smash brand name skimmers like ASM's (junk btw), EuroReef's (overpriced now that they're made Stateside again), Octopus (better neck transition = better foam head formation), Precision Marine Redline (better design) and any other skimmer in the same class.

- Not sure why I can't argue the price... It's pretty much unbeatable...

Meh, I deal with Royal Exclusiv's stuff and whatnot everyday. If I was going to sink money into another skimmer, let's not kid ourselves, it would be an Alpha. But for the time being, I'm happy with my IN-100.

[Skimmerking]

IMO the SWC are not that great, i have used the Sicci pumps on the Bubble master skimmer excellent skimmer other then the pumps but we know that the pump is what makes the skimmer Cast or normal acrylic doesnt make the skimmer,the SWC sicci pumps they wouldnt ever fire up unless you gave them a boost when you are paying 150 per pump you should have to boost up ,so that is why i went on the skimmer hunt and used everytype of skimmerthat is out there other then H&S.

Askoll pump are great when you use them on a skimmer thou

[albert_dao]

yes that is a great show ,however when you have 2 skimmers in one sump they would and will compete against each other. and you cant really compare on two separate systems, due to the fact that each tank would be totally different.
Remember that i well rated skimmer will only pull out what is there and then once its had cleaned that water it wont really pull what it's in there.
a skimmer skimmer will continue to pull crap out making it look like its rocking all the time.

mike

If you threw an equivalent SuperMarin in there, it would smash both of those skimmers each and every time. Better design is better design, you're right. But the IN is handily keeping pace with the ATB...

[banditpowdercoat]

Tagging along, because I am thinking maybe an IN-180 for my 150g? Cost is a BIG factor in my decision unfortunately.

[Skimmerking]

well ya the super marin is like the Rolls Royce of skimmers. thou my Deltec isnt to shabby either consider that is that one that i ended up with , However the new cone is fancy thou with the red dragon pump

[fkshiu]

In the best interests of disclosure for this thread it should be pointed out that it is my understanding that Albert is part of Proline Aquatics which distributes both Vertex and Bubble King on a wholesale level.

Just to be clear I am not taking shots at Albert. He is very knowledgeable and I respect his opinions. Further, Proline has made it possible for Canadians to get a hold of many reef products that we wouldn't otherwise have the chance to including making Royal Exclusiv skimmers affordable (relatively speaking). However, I do believe that such insider information should be made disclosed when people are considering putting down their hard earned money for a product.

[albert_dao]

In the best interests of disclosure for this thread it should be pointed out that it is my understanding that Albert is part of Proline Aquatics which distributes both Vertex and Bubble King on a wholesale level.

Just to be clear I am not taking shots at Albert. He is very knowledgeable and I respect his opinions. Further, Proline has made it possible for Canadians to get a hold of many reef products that we wouldn't otherwise have the chance to including making Royal Exclusiv skimmers affordable (relatively speaking). However, I do believe that such insider information should be made disclosed when people are considering putting down their hard earned money for a product.


Meh, I deal with Royal Exclusiv's stuff and whatnot everyday.

My bad, I thought it was common knowledge amongst some of the longer standing residents of the board.

[Abbyreefer]

So... Vertex 80 or MSX 160 or even maybe a vertex 100 if I can squeeze it in there :) For me price is a factor. My tank is not heavily stocked however I do tend to feed a bit on the heavy side so I just want to make sure I have a skimmer that can keep up. I did have a MSX 200 and really liked it other than the start ups sometimes not starting up right away and have never used a vertex but have heard the pumps are on the louder side. My objective is to try and keep it to a minimal sound. SOmething close or quieter than the sedra 5000 I had before.
BTW - sorry this stirred up a bit of a heated debate.

[Ian]

AS a relative newb take what I have to say for what it is worth. I spent around 3 months reading and looking at skimmers before I picked up a vertex for my 90 gal system. Initially I did have a few issues with it but they were as much from my inexperience as anything. Now that it has been running a couple months or so I have no problems with it. Are better skimmers out there, for sure, But for the $ these seem to be the best bang for your buck IMO.

BtW pump has quieted down a bunch with break in time and some adjusting( I can no longer hear it from more than a few feet away) and is starts up on its own every time now...

[Doug]

:pound:


Ack. My POC large CV skimmer will skim the crap out of all those skimmers.

[Abbyreefer]

Ian which vertex do you have ?

[Ian]

pm'd