Skimmer for 150g

pirate · #1 09-08-2011, 03:46 AM

Well my old used skimmer has finially died. I fixed it and it ran for a day and quit again. So now I'm in the market for a new skimmer. Was looking at doing used but so far with used I'm not having any luck. ( broken/ died right away) So I think I'm going with new.
So I'm just starting to look but what is a good skimmer with a reasonable price?
Right now I have a med to high bio load, with a 150g display and a 30g sump ( actual water ) I have a mix of Lps and sps.
I would like to be in the 400 and less price range if at all possible.
Thanks inadvance

fishytime · #2 09-08-2011, 05:05 AM

vertex.....in180 may do, or you could go bigger too for around that price range

freezetyle · #3 09-08-2011, 03:05 PM

SWC makes great skimmer for around that price.

RDNanoGuy · #4 09-09-2011, 03:13 AM

Get an SWC 180 cone skimmer. Easy to setup, no muss no fuss! They work great! Call Paul at Oceanic Corals (site sponsor) he'll hook you up!

pirate · #5 09-09-2011, 04:36 AM

Well it's gonna have to wait now. Work is sending me out of town for a few weeks. But I'm still gonna be looking for one so please keep up the suggestion. I'm leaning towards the in-180, but I've not made up my mind. Witch ones have good pumps on them? I don't want starting issues or anything else?
Thanks

RDNanoGuy · #6 09-09-2011, 07:09 AM

If you want to have no starting issues stick to needlewheels and avoid the meshwheel designs.... You might have to go up a skimmer size to get equal performance though. Jm2c

fishytime · #7 09-09-2011, 12:34 PM

just throwing this out there......My Girly runs an SWC that is three years old, the pump literally just died last week.....she said this is the second pump that has died on the skimmer (though she cant remember what happened to the first pump (she thinks her ex may have broken it when cleaning it)

Myka · #8 09-09-2011, 02:55 PM

I have two SWC cone skimmers and they skim very well. The skimmer itself is well-designed.

The pumps on them are cheap, can't argue that. The Sicce PSK-2500 has restart issues which can be fixed by using a White Lightening or Red Devil needlewheel instead of the stock purple one. The way I see it is when the pump eventually dies, replace it with a better one. I find it is easier to spend $350 now, and $150 in a year or two for a replacement pump than spend $500-600 all in one go. Plus you got a year or two out of the first pump "for free".

The Vertex skimmers and EuroReef are good too. I have a couple of those as well. They are noisier than the SWC, but come with better pumps. You could mod the Vertex with a silencer on the air intake maybe..? Never tried it.

Palmer · #9 09-09-2011, 04:19 PM

I have an SWC EXTREME 200 skimmer and am very happy with it. For me it is at the right ratio of price point and performance.

I know when I do eventually want to replace this skimmer I will be going with SWC again and using the money I saved on lighting and flow.

Palmer

freezetyle · #10 09-09-2011, 04:31 PM

does vertex still use resun pumps?