Zee's 180 Gallon Reef Build

[zhasan]

SKIMMER

Hi all, having a hard time deciding on which skimmer to buy.

I have been thinking about the Vertex Skimmers, 180i and 200i specifically.

180i is rated for 180 gallons while the 200i is rated for 220 gallon. The price difference is about 200 bucks between the two models. Does anyone have experience here with either of these models.

I'm leaning towards the 200i because I intent to have a heavy bio load with lots of fish. However, I don't know if dishing out the extra $200 is worth it. Will the 180i be able to manage the bio load all by itself?

I was also checking out the Bubble Magus and the Reef Octopus product lines. Looking at the Curve 9 from BM, its rated for 225 - 375 gallons. Thats a lot of gallons for not a lot of bucks. Any thoughts on these? Are they similar to the Vertex line or is that more of an apple to orange comparison?

RETURN PUMP

Looking at the Ecotech Vectra return pump. Read some reviews and it seems like this is the way to go for me as I'm a fan of ecotech vortech pumps for movement in the tank and potential linkage of these along with lighting is the direction I see my reef going.

The only model I see for sale is the M1. I have not been able to find the L1 pump anywhere on a Canadian retailer's website. Is the L1 only sold in the US?