[Arwen]

So my stupid Seaclone skimmer seams to have finnally bite the dust. The pump gave out about 3 weeks ago, and I replaced it. Now it does less than nothing - no foam of any kind. I'm trying to decide between the Octopus BH100 with filter chamber and the BH1000. I have a hang on filter that I use to run cabon and phosban - so the BH100 would elimanite a lot of junk hanging on my tank, but the BH1000 has a more powerful pump. Has any one ahd any experince with either of these.

Oh - my tank: 55 tub that is 36 wide, 24 tall, and 18 deep. Right now I only have a 6 line and a small sailfin. When the sailfin gets too large I want to add a clown and a royal gramma - so not too many fish. The rest are inverts.

Thanks for any help

 

[Crazy_About_Salt]

BH-1000 all the way!!!!! I have it on my 55 reef tank and it is amazing! I cannot belive how much it skimms! The only thing I have a problem with is the 1000 is that the "surface skimmer" is too low... but that is an easy fix with a saw... And you dont really need bio filtering if you have live rock...

 

[Crazy_About_Salt]

I have posted a review on it, but it hasnt been posted yet... I hope it will in the near future..

 

[Arwen]

Cool

I don't need any more bio filtering (I took out the bioballs and filter pads), but I do need a way to run carbon - as I am insane about zoas and have a mixed reef situation. If go with the BH1000, I will still need to keep the hang on for carbon and phosban. Did you have a hard time setting it up?

Thanks

 

[Crazy_About_Salt]

No, Although the only istructions that come with it is a simple 1 page diagram of where everything fits together.... But it was easy enough to follow. And aslo expect alot of micro bubbles to come out for the first couple of weeks.... But to solve the problem, I just cut a hole, about a centimeter down the blue bubble catcher they give you and put it on the end of the outtake tube. (the holes that it comes with hardly work) But after those first 2 weeks, I Hardly have any bubbles at all.

 

[Crazy_About_Salt]

comming out

 

[Arwen]

Yeah, the Seaclone had a lot of micro bubbles at first too, which is why I'm not convenced that it is just breaking in again - it isn't doing anything :-(

 

[Crazy_About_Salt]

ya. But the Bh-1000 will be breaking in... and seaclones havnt had a great track record in the first place... and a new pump just makes it seem like it will work... but you never know.... I would devanetly throw out the SC and get the BH-1000

 

[joejoe104]

BOO! not a fan of octos at all, and i think i deserve and opinion having had four different models.... im a huge fan of ASM

 

[Crazy_About_Salt]

they are a good brand too, and yes you can have an opinion... that is why this a forum....

 

[Arwen]

I've got a week to make a descion (or I have to wait a week depending on how you look at it) but I don't hold much hope of the Seaclone coming back to life. Of course it would wait until we are broke to break - stupid seaclone skimmer

Thanks so much for the advise

 

[Crazy_About_Salt]

but they cost about 100 bucks more than the BH-1000

 

[Arwen]

I havn't heard of ASM. What are your cons for the Octpus? and does ASM stand for - I'll look at them. I don't want to make another bad choice.

I am on a real tight buget - the $170 for the BH100/1000 is a stretch for us right now, but I havn't come across any good used ones and I'm afraid of my tank crashing.

 

[Crazy_About_Salt]

got to aquacave.com and search ASM in the search box... or just follow this site....

ASM

http://www.aquacave.com/SearchResult.aspx?KeyWords=ASM

Octopus

http://www.aquacave.com/SearchResult.aspx?KeyWords=Octopus

all their skimmers

http://www.aquacave.com/ProteinSkimmers.aspx

there is alot to choose from.....

 

[joejoe104]

my beef with octo is that they beef up what they are really rated to, by far..... not to mention ive had a pump go out less than a week after getting it, gaskets leak, leaking power into my sump, etc.... the ASM, granted its the only one ive owned and its over rated for my tank by about 20g, was pretty much plug and play, at least in comparison to other skimmers ive had, and with this one i think it works better cause its simple and the sicce pumps are loved by alot of people, the thing reallly blasts bubbles like no octo ive ever had, ive heard of people having sicce's last over ten years.....

 

[joejoe104]

could just be my luck with octo, but after a handful of disappointments i give up on them, the ASM, i was literally instantly satisfied..... well maybe not instantly, lol, but within a few minutes i had skimmate....

 

[FutureDoc]

Ok, here is the deal...

The octopus is normally the skimmer that works well for those who refuse to spend "proper" amounts on better skimmer. (I own an MSX with a Bubbleblaster pump) They work but are not always the best. Now there are exceptions as new Super-reef octopus with bubble blaster pumps as they are actually better than many high priced skimmers. Still, the 100 and 1000 skimmers are low end skimmers at best. Functional, yes, but not what I normally recommend.

ASM, when pared with the old Sedra pumps are good solid skimmers... but they are old technology and they do not warrant the price they ask. Sedra pumps while often indestructible (except for the 5000 for some reason) are no where as near as competitive in air/water flow; however, they out perform many of the stock basic Octo pumps but not sicce or BB. As I remember, ASM is primary insump and insump will almost always outperform hang-on.

When buying a skimmer always buy the best pump you can afford. So if it is the 100 or 1000, go with the 1000. Don't worry about any media capacity since that normally hurts a skimmer's performance and you will likely still have to run another media reactor/filter. Now, I would recommend going with a sump and an insump skimmer but if now, get the best HOB with the best pump. When you upgrade to a sump, you might be able to find a skimmer body which you can use the HOB pump for, it makes it cheaper in the long run.

 

[Crazy_About_Salt]

Ya... I did not have a substancial amount of money when I started the tank, and the BH-1000 was all i could afford... I may add a sump to my tank next year, but right now, my Bh-1000 is doing great. I just cleaned out the collection cup 3 hours ago, and it alredy has a centimeter of nasty stuff.

 

[FutureDoc]

Im telling ya, in-sump is the way to go...

 

[Crazy_About_Salt]

I know... I just wish I had enough to buy a sump!!