skimmer

[brandon0350]

would you do a bullet 2 with a pcx 55 or a 12" diameter dual ricurculating needlewheel skimmer? for a 120-180?

[Weatherman]

Given those two choices, I’d go with the Bullet 2.

Recirculating skimmers just don’t make any sense to me. I want the skimmer to get stuff out quickly. I don’t want it to just roll stuff around and around and around in the chamber.

If I were looking for an easy, efficient, needle-wheel skimmer, I’d go with a Euro-Reef CS180. Probably have to add an extension to the riser pipe to ensure it skims wet.

If my tank was around 180g+, I’d, probably, choose a Bullet 3 over a Bullet 2. Once the tank size got to 250g+, I’d upgrade the pump to something equivalent to an Iwaki 70RLT.

[Gmoney]

sorry to hijack, but if you skim wet, how do you guys control salinity in your tanks?? Don't tell me I would need a salinity meter and then be able to top of fresh AND saltwater?

G

[Weatherman]

I check specific gravity a couple of times a week (with a refractometer) just to make sure, but otherwise I just add just enough new saltwater back into the tank to match the amount of skimmate I take out.

[Gmoney]

hmmm... I suppose if I take some good measurements...I could actually top off low salinty RODI instead of just freshwater RODI couldnt I?

Again, sorry to hijack... I have no opinion on the skimmers, other than I use a needlewheel to save on electricity

[NoSchwag]

I personally feel that a bullet2 with pcx 55 will keep a 300g tank low nutrient and crystal clear if you skim wet, have enough flow to keep crap suspended, make sure your flow pattern gets crap to the sump, and have enough flow thru sump. I have seen tanks 3x's the size of mine full of acros and fish running skimmers that mine would eat for breakfast.

Like weatherman, I also never understood recirc skimmers. I want my skimmer to process all of the water it can, as fast as it can.

Gmoney skimmate is the same salinity as your tank so I just dump a 3 gallon bucket of ASW to replace what I skim out every 5 days, and keep up on evap to control salinity.