Skimmer Recommedation for 210 Aggressive Tank for ~$1000

[ralphie16]

I would like to purchase a skimmer for my 210 gallon aggressive fish tank. I have about $1000 to spend (give or take a couple of hundred). Which skimmer would be my best bet in your opinion?

[mavgi]

there is a lot of good skimmer that you can get in this price ...

personal i think the ATI BM250 will be a very good skimmer for that tank size and also less then $1000 .

[wolfpack]

as above

ATI Bubble Master 250 $750
H&S A200-1260 $1099
Euro Reef RC250 $990
Deltec 701 $1079
DAS EX3 $629.99

Or you can order something from ORCA www.protein-skimmer.com and save a few hundred bucks.

Many options for $1k budget!

[DirtySouth056]

H&S A200-1260 $1099 - I had one custom made it fit under my 210 AGA stand

[kodyboy]

Orca skimmers, bermuda skimmers both have had rave reviews on this board. Orca can make a custom skimmer that fits with your system.
aerofoamer becket: I have a used one and it works very very well, amazing amount of foam and skimmate, but like all beckets it requires a good (read powerful) pump. I am running a smaller one (600 series) with a genx8500, a pressure rated pump works better though. Great construction, great customer service (even for a used skimmer!).

[ralphie16]

internal or external generally better?

for example, H&S sells there 1260 both internal and external. i can do either but is one setup better then the other?

[wolfpack]

you will get performance from either... It normally is what fits better. There are pros and cons for both

if there is a leak on an internal you are ok. External, may not be so good. But all these ones mentioned. I wouldnt be worried...

Heat could be another concern. But again the ATI example is low watts so less heat. Likely not an issue for that either.

Up to you what FITS best. Both internal and external will perform well for all of those models. Deltec, H&S, DAS have both models, internal and external. Orca will build either

ATI currently only internal.

[klam114]

Since your tank is a fish only, agressive, the best built and engineered IMO out of the entire list above is the recirculating H&S A200-1260 that uses a quieter Eheim pump and draws relatively low energy usage. If you want to go with an in sump non-recirculatin skimmer and not too concerned about built, I would suggest the BM200 $549 since this is a non coral tank. But you need to remember that built is night & day difference from the H&S skimmer. The BM200 performs very similar to the Deltec AP701.

[ralphie16]

Originally posted by wolfpack
as above

ATI Bubble Master 250 $750
H&S A200-1260 $1099
Euro Reef RC250 $990
Deltec 701 $1079
DAS EX3 $629.99

Or you can order something from ORCA www.protein-skimmer.com and save a few hundred bucks.

Many options for $1k budget!

Those are all great skimmers. Are any of them easier to maintain/clean then others? It would seem that would be the only way to pick one, no? Also, are those the final prices or does each skimmer need to spend extra money to get a drain kit, etc. etc.?

[klam114]

I'm partial to H&S on that list as it is easy to adjust and can kick in fully within 2 days to 2 weeks. It's pretty much a set it and forget it type of skimmer once you have it dialed in.

edit - Just wanted to add one more fact to the pool. H&S doesn't have mixed reviews on their skimmers except for one model, the original A200-2x1260 which was updated to A250-2x1260. Otherwise, there are no mixed reviews or complaints on H&S skimmers. All others have mixed reviews or complaints about workmanship, performance or customer service. Good luck in your search, I'm sure if you pick anything from the list would work just fine.

[RBU1]

Ralphie....If you want to wait I just purchased a LifeReef 48" skimmer for the 180. I will have in running in the next couple weeks. If you want some feedback I can let you know about it. BILL

[outy]

you dont need to spend that much for that tank size

i just got the ddnw 250 octopus [dual pump recirc] 509$ at marine solutions and its a monster. yes it needs a few small easy mods that are no brainers but it can hang with the best without breaking the bank.

[McCrary]

Either the H&S A200-1260 or the ATI BM250 would do well on your tank, I'm partial to the H&S simply because of the build quality.

[ralphie16]

when you guys say build quality do you mean the BM will break and fall apart? of just that the H&S looks nicer with smoother lines, etc.?

for instance, lets say we are comparing a Honda S2000 with an Elise Lotus. The Honda is a Honda and is well put together with honda reliability. The Elise is more of a pieced together car that has quite a few quality issues and may fall apart. But the Elise beats the pants off the S2000 in performance, even though both are excellant sports cars.

Is it like that kinda? Sorry for the weird analogy but im a car guy and i guess it helps me understand it.

[ralphie16]

Originally posted by klam114
Since your tank is a fish only, agressive, the best built and engineered IMO out of the entire list above is the recirculating H&S A200-1260 that uses a quieter Eheim pump and draws relatively low energy usage. If you want to go with an in sump non-recirculatin skimmer and not too concerned about built, I would suggest the BM200 $549 since this is a non coral tank. But you need to remember that built is night & day difference from the H&S skimmer. The BM200 performs very similar to the Deltec AP701.

I would consider the purchase of the BM250 instead of the BM200 because it is still relatively cheap compared to the others on the list.

[ralphie16]

nobody mentioned the Tunze Master DOC line. Is it because they are not sold yet or because they are not as good?

[wolfpack]

Bad bad Ralphie... ha ha ha ha.... I would still take the Elise it is cooler!

The H&S is a super skimmer that has welded joints, etc. Just really well put together. if you are looking to spend that $1k. I would go for that one no doubt. Probably the most plug and play version and no doubt best built.

Everyone mentioned the other skimmers as good value options meaning you can get good skimmer for less Money.

Maybe a comparison could be Sears craftsmen skill saw vs a Industral Dewalt. They both cut wood, they will both last a long time. ahh... Maybe that is a bad comparison too.

[ralphie16]

H&S sells the A200 with a 1260 pump or 2-f2001....both same price and both rated the same...which one is better?

[McCrary]

The H&S is just made better, you will be able to tell if you get the two skimmers next to each other.

[McCrary]

The Eheim version tends to be better.

[honda2sk]

Originally posted by ralphie16
when you guys say build quality do you mean the BM will break and fall apart? of just that the H&S looks nicer with smoother lines, etc.?

for instance, lets say we are comparing a Honda S2000 with an Elise Lotus. The Honda is a Honda and is well put together with honda reliability. The Elise is more of a pieced together car that has quite a few quality issues and may fall apart. But the Elise beats the pants off the S2000 in performance, even though both are excellant sports cars.

Is it like that kinda? Sorry for the weird analogy but im a car guy and i guess it helps me understand it.

whoa whoa whoa hold up a second there.....beat the pants off an S2000? get out of here! LOL

sorry I have no advice, just saw my car being talked about had to step up

[wolfpack]

Ralphie.

I see you have another thread about tanks... Be sure you are certain about the height requirements of the stand if you are limited to keeping your skimmer inside the stand. Some stands for those 200 range systems are 30inches or less. The H&S external for example is 30 inches heigh In that case, you may not have enough room to remove the cup.

[Reef Sponger]

I would also recommend the H&S A200-1260 with the Eheim pump. This was the exact model I was planning to buy until my skimmer dealer talked me out of it and says I don't need it. I'm really happy with my H&S A150 and it broke in on the 3rd or 4th day and I adjusted for a couple more days after that because I had set it too high and haven't had to touch that skimmer since. I get a full collection cup of skimmate weekly, even though the skimmer has already caught up with my tank. I would agree with everyone, it is the nicest built skimmer I've purchased to date and definitely "plug n play" once it is dialed in correctly. From what I have learned from my most recent skimmer dealer, I believe if you go with ATi, you really only need the BM200 too. He has a whole philosophy about sizing correctly and one must really know the skimmers well to know which skimmer in a particular skimmer line fits which system. But of course, I don't own a BM skimmer, so I can't really advise. Best to discuss with someone who really knows all the skimmers that you're considering and I know that my skimmer dealer certainly has several dozen skimmers that they've used, tested, installed & evaluated under their belt.

[DirtySouth056]

Originally posted by wolfpack
Ralphie.

I see you have another thread about tanks... Be sure you are certain about the height requirements of the stand if you are limited to keeping your skimmer inside the stand. Some stands for those 200 range systems are 30inches or less. The H&S external for example is 30 inches heigh In that case, you may not have enough room to remove the cup.

I purchased my H&S A200-1260 from Ed check here for others feedback on his company: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1121532

He had mine custom made to fit under my stand, and be able to remove the top. Again he contacted me many times to update me with what was happening with my skimmer. Did you plan on keeping skimmer under tank? If so how tall is the inside of stand?

[honda2sk]

oh me?