Canreef Aquatics Bulletin Board  

Go Back   Canreef Aquatics Bulletin Board > General > Reef

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 03-09-2013, 04:00 AM
stellarfly stellarfly is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Edmonton, AB
Posts: 57
stellarfly is on a distinguished road
Default Is the SWC 160 Cone Skimmer a worthy Skimmer?

Hey guys,

I have seen Mark Callahan (Mr. Saltwater Tank) use and review this skimmer on his show. I have seen both great reviews and some negative reviews of this skimmer. What do actual owners of this skimmer think? worth getting this skimmer? Is it as reliable as everyone says it is? I have personally seen this skimmer running at the LFS and it looks great. I could barely hear it running.

I have read that sometimes the pump does not turn on after turning the skimmer off and sometimes the venturi can get clogged. Any experiences? Let me know. Floor is open to anyone running the SWC 160 cone extreme.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 03-09-2013, 04:37 AM
lpsreefer's Avatar
lpsreefer lpsreefer is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Calgary (NE Country hills)
Posts: 513
lpsreefer is on a distinguished road
Default

I personally love mine. My air hose did get clogged but it was my fault. I was gluing frags underwater beside it.
From all the skimmers I have had its is one of my favourite.
Csc skimmers are pretty much the same skimmer. Minus the big red maple leaf on the top.
__________________
I have a little tank and little fishes!
Hmmm..... Fishies
That is what I keep telling myself.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 03-09-2013, 04:41 AM
ensquire's Avatar
ensquire ensquire is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Yellowknife
Posts: 669
ensquire is on a distinguished road
Default

I have had mine running for a year and a half. Have never had a restart problem in that time and my power is very unreliable. My only issue and it's a minor one is that you really have to keep the water at a fairly consistent level. I think that that's common for most skimmers though. It will overflow if the water rises more than a couple inches. I am very happy with mine. I have a Skimz 120 for back up and have never felt the urge to try it out yet.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 03-09-2013, 04:43 AM
frd72's Avatar
frd72 frd72 is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: cloverdale BC
Posts: 129
frd72 is on a distinguished road
Default

I am using this skimmer for almost 2 years now and somehow satisfied.
All your research is correct. If they changed the Atman pump maybe it is better, mine stall sometimes when first plug in.

Quote:
Originally Posted by stellarfly View Post
Hey guys,

I have seen Mark Callahan (Mr. Saltwater Tank) use and review this skimmer on his show. I have seen both great reviews and some negative reviews of this skimmer. What do actual owners of this skimmer think? worth getting this skimmer? Is it as reliable as everyone says it is? I have personally seen this skimmer running at the LFS and it looks great. I could barely hear it running.

I have read that sometimes the pump does not turn on after turning the skimmer off and sometimes the venturi can get clogged. Any experiences? Let me know. Floor is open to anyone running the SWC 160 cone extreme.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 03-09-2013, 05:31 AM
stellarfly stellarfly is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Edmonton, AB
Posts: 57
stellarfly is on a distinguished road
Default

Thanks guys for the quick and honest answers to my question. I really like this skimmer and these few answers only solidify my liking of this skimmer
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 03-09-2013, 06:30 AM
Jakegr's Avatar
Jakegr Jakegr is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Saskatoon, SK
Posts: 264
Jakegr is on a distinguished road
Default

I owned this skimmer for a year. Never had a restart problem. Great bubble density and it is easy to maintain. I really like having a gate valve too. Noise level was reasonable for a skimmer that size... don't let anyone tell you it is silent!

In terms of build quality (e.g. acrylic thickness) I would give it a 7/10. I now use a Vertex IN skimmer and despite being the same price, it is made of far higher quality materials.

I still think it is one of the best value skimmers available.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 03-09-2013, 12:58 PM
Evilweevil's Avatar
Evilweevil Evilweevil is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Sylvan lake
Posts: 130
Evilweevil is on a distinguished road
Default

I have had mine 6 months its been great no issues at all and if you order right from the company website it's about 279$ before shipping I believe
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 03-09-2013, 01:02 PM
Evilweevil's Avatar
Evilweevil Evilweevil is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Sylvan lake
Posts: 130
Evilweevil is on a distinguished road
Default

It's 274.99 + 36.18 for shipping so its still a pretty good deal I though I think I seen it for 370$ in a store
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 03-09-2013, 03:10 PM
AquaPin AquaPin is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Abbotsford
Posts: 78
AquaPin is on a distinguished road
Default

I own the SWC180 and am very happy with it. Yes, pump is different, but otherwise it is identical in design, just bigger. Removes tons of crap, easy to clean. I would suggest instead of turning it off every time you want to empty the cup, just dial it down, empty and then turn the flow back up to your desired level.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 06-04-2013, 01:07 AM
spit.fire's Avatar
spit.fire spit.fire is offline
Second Best
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Abbotsford
Posts: 1,571
spit.fire is on a distinguished road
Default

The atman 2500 is a pump worthy of a garbage can, they have a high failure rate and tend to electrocute me
__________________
Guide to building super awesome rock structures / my tank journal
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/sho...d.php?t=116410
Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 12:57 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.3
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.