Agree with that. from experience the sicci pumps don't really have a good track record.

Frizzo Im not going to argue with you on your skimmer However, a lot of people will say they skimmer is a beast because I can't keep up with the nog it produces. Maybe because the skimmer can't keep up with the tank. Im not bashing your skimmer just making a observation WRT you stating that it pulls out some nasty stuff. Like how much are we talking that it pulls out.
Steve has pretty much hit the nail on the head WRT the skimmer Sicci, Sedra caused a lot of headaches the ay they mounted there pumps on the skimmer as Sphelps stated. it seems that Ehiem as per the older Deltec's like the 701,702, 902 ,851 have had some great success with their pumps mounting it that way, Now that Deltec has their own line of pumps they continue to run the pumps that way and are having problems with their impeller prematurely wearing out.

I'm with Steve if you are not going to pull the trigger on a BK being a high end skimmer and a Alpha Vertex being the low end but beast of a skimmer. I would go with the DC pump skimmer as Steve pointed out. Im curious to here that how people think that BK parts are hard to get. If I need a piece I can call Jermey on RC and have a pump sent to me with in a week.

With Doug's skimmer the 300 its a beast, if you have seen it maybe take a look why not. Like our discuss last night I have a line on a EXT BK 300 for my 250 gal tank. Personally is that to much of a skimmer for that tank. It might be considering that Jason McK who had the 370 gal tank had one running on his tank.

over all opinion
DELTEC 902, with the self cleaning head. 2 nd hand thou
BK 300 if you can
ALpha 300
diablo with the DC pump.


WRT to the BK line the only thing that is impacting the Skimmer line is the PROLINE is pulling out of Royal Exclusive.

SO these are my opinions and experience that is it. please don't come on here and bask me due to a opinion I have. Remember this is Greg's thread. not a skimmer Bitching session.

Greg you are more then welcome to chat skimmers with me you long hair freak.. love ya bro.:mrgreen:

Well if you consider changing your cup once every 2 weeks a lot I guess so but last time I checked that is just regular routine maintenance!!! With the new controllable pump and the simple fact that it is not sicce that is a huge cost saving. I cant even tell you how many sicce pumps have been replaced on skimmers. And im sorry to say this but typically all product that are made in Germany will always stand the test of time. Although BK skimmers are in fact extreamly good skimmers god help your wallet if you ever have to replace any pieces in that pump. If you compare pricepoint to say deltec bk this skimmer will compete and probably out perform.

I personally hate the SM300, the 250 is a much more stable skimmer. I swear the 300 was originally designed for one pump but later discovered it needed more punch so they threw on a second dinky pump help out. The result seems to be inconsistent water level probably relating to the smaller pump not handling the head pressure from the large skimmer. Three people I know personally with this skimmer had this issue. It's footprint is also pretty ridiculous.

Any skimmer with two or more pumps is simply a shortcut around producing the right pump for the body.

The way the market is trending I personally wouldn't invest in a new skimmer that doesn't use a DC pump.

good answer
However Steve look at the Deltec like the 701 with a single pump,
702 with a dual pump a amazing skimmer too.

the BK 300 Ext uses the 2500 pump I believe and has only the 1 pumps the internal one has 2 pumps doesn't make sense.
any of the deluxe models uses the RD 2000 and the RD 2500 200,300 ,400 Deluxe Int and EXt

I was referring to the super marine 300 which is an internal. I assumed that's the model you were referring to as that's what Doug was using last time I checked. The deluxe models are different but these days a little outdated to be purchased new for that kind of money.

I don't want to say too much on the deltecs but personally don't have the same feelings for them as you. The 702 breaks two of the rules I already mentioned as well as uses an outdated design. My hands on experience with the deltecs is the build quality lacks, supporting large pumps on the thin extruded plastic shell is a failure waiting to happen. I repaired a few units back in my aquarium biz days. Not sure if much has changed since then.

not much has changed. their new pumps are total garbage. build quality of any bk and also my low end vertex omega are leaps and bounds beyond the old and also the new 'high end' deltecs. same extruded materials i had on my very first skimmer (asm)

Holy HELLicopter batman!! Can I unsubscribe from this thread!!

I didn't ask for a debate on BUBBLE KING, VERTEX or DELTEC.

I will never pay what I think is a stupid amount of money for a BK. I had a friend of mines BK 250 for 9 months and could never get is set right. He used it for another 6 month and also could not get it right so he switch out to an old Reef Octopus & has never looked back.

I currently am running the Deltec 702A skimmer and my main dislike is the pumps are a bit noisier then I like as they are out in the open in my living room. That is why I would like to get something using the DC pumps as there are very silent running.

I have decided that the XS model is not an option now after doing some research on the Sicci pumps that are on it.

So I'm down to just 2, the Diablo or the Pro SSS. So if anyone has some GOOD INFO ON THESE 2 skimmers lets hear it & and if you don't take the debate else where.


Stay clear..... this Bear bites off limbs!!

I have the Diablo and love it dead quite fully adjustable DC pump and easy to adjust outlet also the soft start after a power outage allows the main return pump to get most of the water out of the sump before it is up to full speed

I bought a Reef Octopus Diablo DC170 from Reef Supplies a couple of months ago. It is the best skimmer I have ever had! Admittedly my skimmer history isn't extensive... only Deltec MC600, SWC 160, and Vertex IN-80, but so far the DC170 blows them all away. I have never owned a BK so I'm not commenting at all on that brand.

1) It is quiet. I have mine on full blast and I can only hear the sound of it bubbling. If you listen inside the stand there is a slight humming sound. I do have my own silencer on the output... Reef Octopus skimmers tend to make splashing noises, but that is easy fixed.

2) It is my first "set and forget" skimmer. Very stable. It reliably skims all day without needing adjustments. Only the SWC 160 comes close in terms of consistency (in my experience).

3) Big skimmer cup.

4) The gate valve is so easy to adjust in small increments. The SWC's gate valve wasn't as easily adjustable (harder to turn)... and I won't even discuss how big of a pain it was to adjust the IN-80 and MC-600.

Hope that helps you make a decision. Personally I don't think the Reef Octopus POV skimmers are worth the extra money if space is not an issue.

I'll be the first to admit the controllability feature of the DC pump isn't highly useful however :) don't think I have touched the controller for weeks now.

I vote for the xs350 - just cause it looks badass !!!