To all Skimmer and Bubble King owners

Skimmin · #1 06-09-2009, 09:22 PM

Hey there. I'm just setting up a 6ft 210gal and have to ask. Is the Bubble King worth the money? I figure if I'm gonna spend the cash then protein skimming is a good place to spend it, but I've been getting a lot of mixed opinions on the BK(mainly based on price, bang for buck and a lot of new high tech and cone skimmers coming out recently). If the way to go is with the Bubble King then which model do you suggest for a moderately to heavy stocked system with a total volume of approx 300gal?

Advice from all appreciated
Thanks

banditpowdercoat · #2 06-09-2009, 09:45 PM

Tagging along for ideas for my 150g

marie · #3 06-09-2009, 10:20 PM

I have no idea if a BK is worth the money or not, but I have no regrets about buying mine

If you do get a BubbleKing though I wouldn't go any smaller then the supermarin 250 for a 300g system

fishay · #4 06-09-2009, 10:39 PM

You could get a bubble magus skimmer I think they are based on the bubble king skimmers but they are waaay cheaper. Theres a thread over on reef central and they are getting great reviews. I have a BM100+ (copy of bubbleking mini) and it works great

Madreefer · #5 06-10-2009, 12:51 AM

I have BK Mini 180. Awesome skimmer! It pulls about 2-3 cups of nasty skim mate per day on a overstocked approximetely 170G system. I've had it since Aug of last year and my tank has never looked better. I do not regret buying it and highly recommend them. Not the size your after but just commenting on the brand. Royal Exclusive has put out a new cone skimmer for Vertex that is supposedly gonna be kick ass. Will post results and pics in a few weeks when mine arrives. They are in demand and hard to get but if you give Dan a call at Aquatic Addictions he'll be able to help you out.

subman · #6 06-10-2009, 02:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madreefer

I have BK Mini 180. Awesome skimmer! It pulls about 2-3 cups of nasty skim mate per day on a overstocked approximetely 170G system. I've had it since Aug of last year and my tank has never looked better. I do not regret buying it and highly recommend them. Not the size your after but just commenting on the brand. Royal Exclusive has put out a new cone skimmer for Vertex that is supposedly gonna be kick ass. Will post results and pics in a few weeks when mine arrives. They are in demand and hard to get but if you give Dan a call at Aquatic Addictions he'll be able to help you out.

and then maybe the BK is in my house!

Josh at Marine Aquaria said that they have a cone skimmer on the way as well.

fkshiu · #7 06-10-2009, 04:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skimmin

Hey there. I'm just setting up a 6ft 210gal and have to ask. Is the Bubble King worth the money? I figure if I'm gonna spend the cash then protein skimming is a good place to spend it, but I've been getting a lot of mixed opinions on the BK(mainly based on price, bang for buck and a lot of new high tech and cone skimmers coming out recently). If the way to go is with the Bubble King then which model do you suggest for a moderately to heavy stocked system with a total volume of approx 300gal?

Advice from all appreciated
Thanks

It's the same as asking "Do I need a Mercedes?". Nobody NEEDS a Mercedes for their existence and the Japanese brands have the Germans beat when it comes to bang for your buck in terms of features, but Mercs still sell really well. By the same token, why do certain women pay through the nose for a Louis Vuitton handbag when a burlap sack fulfills the same function just as well?

Like Mercedes and LV, BK is a luxury brand that many people get, in part at least, to show off a bit (and i mean this in the most positive sort of way

). There are many skimmers that probably do just as good a job pulling crap out of the water as BK, but they don't do it with the same Teutonic aesthetic and engineering snob appeal as BK: titanium screws, half cm thick CNC laser cut cell cast acrylic, flux capacitor etc.

You get BK because you want to, not because you need to.

P.S. I'm perfectly happy with my current skimmer but I'd get a BK if it wouldn't cost me my marriage

Borderjumper · #8 06-10-2009, 04:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fkshiu

It's the same as asking "Do I need a Mercedes?". Nobody NEEDS a Mercedes for their existence and the Japanese brands have the Germans beat when it comes to bang for your buck in terms of features, but Mercs still sell really well. By the same token, why do certain women pay through the nose for a Louis Vuitton handbag when a burlap sack fulfills the same function just as well?

Like Mercedes and LV, BK is a luxury brand that many people get, in part at least, to show off a bit (and i mean this in the most positive sort of way

). There are many skimmers that probably do just as good a job pulling crap out of the water as BK, but they don't do it with the same Teutonic aesthetic and engineering snob appeal as BK: titanium screws, half cm thick CNC laser cut cell cast acrylic, flux capacitor etc.

You get BK because you want to, not because you need to.

P.S. I'm perfectly happy with my current skimmer but I'd get a BK if it wouldn't cost me my marriage

you forgot the most important thing.. its sexy!

J/k aside, I have a mini180 and love it. Its totally silent and has worked flawlessly. Is it worth it? After spending as much as I did for one.. no way would I answer no

Jason McK · #9 06-10-2009, 05:33 AM

I have a 300 external and Love it. The ease of cleaning, the quality of construction and the materials used make it number 1 in my opinion. I have a 400G system so when you look at skimmer prices that handle 400G the BK really isn't that much higher in price. Look at H&S, deltec, Euroreef they are all around the same price as BK.

marie · #10 06-10-2009, 05:43 AM

I opted to spend a bunch of money on a skimmer because I was tired of cheap ones that I spent more time fiddling with then they did skimming.
It consistently produces the same amount of skimmate day in and day out and not once in the year I've had it, have I been tempted to throw it off the sundeck....