Need a new skimmer

[Ram3500]

So I am thinking of a new skimmer to help keep my nitrates in check and cut down on noise . I have about 180 g total system . I have a naso tang, powder blue , yellow tang , coral beauty , flame hawk, Mandarin , five green Chromis two small clowns and a cleaner wrasse . I am not sure if that is medium or heave bio load. I have a limited budget and tight 24" of hight and a foot print of 13"x13" . My main goal is to keep sps in my tank from this point on after a recent tank crash . I have a few skimmers in mind , I am thinking about the Vertex Omega 150 the CAD Lights 220 Gallon TIA-1220 or the Bubble Magus Curve9 Cone Skimmer. Any one out there with feed back on these skimmers would be cool. Also is there any other skimmers I should be considering? I want to keep it under four bills if possible . I also started running bio pellets in the cad light bio reactor about two week ago. I am impressed with the quality of the reactor so I am leaning towards the cad light skimmer.

[lpsreefer]

Originally Posted by Ram3500

So I am thinking of a new skimmer to help keep my nitrates in check and cut down on noise . I have about 180 g total system . I have a naso tang, powder blue , yellow tang , coral beauty , flame hawk, Mandarin , five green Chromis two small clowns and a cleaner wrasse . I am not sure if that is medium or heave bio load. I have a limited budget and tight 24" of hight and a foot print of 13"x13" . My main goal is to keep sps in my tank from this point on after a recent tank crash . I have a few skimmers in mind , I am thinking about the Vertex Omega 150 the CAD Lights 220 Gallon TIA-1220 or the Bubble Magus Curve9 Cone Skimmer. Any one out there with feed back on these skimmers would be cool. Also is there any other skimmers I should be considering? I want to keep it under four bills if possible . I also started running bio pellets in the cad light bio reactor about two week ago. I am impressed with the quality of the reactor so I am leaning towards the cad light skimmer.

another good skimmer that i know that isnt to costly is the csc-150.
from what i have seen lately the curve9 cone skimmer work wonders.

[Magickiwi]

Thought of trying Tunze?

[subnet88]

+1 the CSC-150

[blennie]

lots of buzz about the aquamaxx skimmers on reef central

http://www.reefsupplies.ca/online-store/AquaMaxx/

[BowedFloor]

I have a Super Reef Octopus 3000 internal. It's got the water blaster pump on it, not the newer diablo DC motor.

It's completely silent. I don't hear air sucking in, I don't hear water moving around, it skims really really well, and pulls tons of junk out of the water.

I've only owned SRO skimmers, so I can't comment on others... but I really like mine.

I know SRO is spendy, but imo this was worth it.

[michika]

2.5 days after cleaning:

[michika]

Originally Posted by BowedFloor

WOW that is a lot of skimmate. especially after 2.5 days.

They service a lot of water; about 550g right now actually.

That photo is about two weeks old. The skimmers are slowly starting to settle into about 1/2 collection cup every 7 days now.

[Jakegr]

After having bought a Diablo DC skimmer 6 months ago, I will never go back to a non-DC brand (well maybe other than BK). My Diablo 170 is not audible outside the stand, is very consistent and stable, and produces some great skimmate.

[Ram3500]

Thanks for all the feed back . It turns out that all the skimmers I was thinking about are going to be underpowered for my system . I have been advised to think big I like the Diablo Octopi 300 and the other Reef Octopus Skimmer but they have a very large footprint . I think I need to find a skimmer with an internal pump to save space in my sump. Most likely a cone skimmer of some kind so I can through my budget out the window . I have been recommend a alpha cone or a bubble king mini . I also was thinking about a skimz