best high end skimmer

[ejrabekoff]

I am looking for a high end skimmer for my 150g, which will become a reef tank. I am considering the following options

Deltec AP 702
http://www.deltecusa.us/proteinskimmers/ap702.php

Reeflo Orca 250
http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merch...y_Code=reefflo

ATI Bubblemaster 250
http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/cat...oducts_id=1530

H and S 200-3xf2001

http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/cat...roducts_id=466

Bubble King Supermarin 250 internal
http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/cat...oducts_id=2197

Tunze DOC 9440
http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/cat...oducts_id=1082

Which of these is the best? Is there any skimmer that you would add to this list? I also noticed that Bubble King makes a model similar to the Supermarin 250 called the DeLuxe 250. It is rated at the same tank volume as the Supermarin 250. What is the difference between these 2 models? On the Aquarium Specialty website, it does not say what the Tunze DOC 9440 is rated to in terms of water volume. Does anyone know its rating?

[GSMguy]

Internal Supermarin

External spazz with wetneck

for your 150g i think both are overkill,

Reeflo 200 would be my choice.

[Jeff]

ATI Bubble master 200 is outstanding and the best value in my opinion. I did a ton of research and own one and can not be happier. You do not need the 250 for a 150 gallon tank. I use the 200 on a heavily stocked and very heavily fed 220 with a lot of corals and large fish and the 200 more then keeps up.

[kdblove_99]

I would add a ATB conical skimmmer. Never used one but they seem like they are top notch fr4om the threads i have seen

[ejrabekoff]

Are these skimmers really overkill? They are all rated at 3x my tank volume, even not including a sump. Can you have too powerful a protein skimmer?

[BreadmanMike]

I had a Deltec 851, and the exact H&S you listed above and I vote for the reeflo 200. I'm running the reeflo 250 and IMO it's a bit much for a 150.

[JRaquatics]

If money was not an option I would get the Bubble King Supermarin 250. If your an average hobbiest like myself, I would go with the Reeflo 200. I get supprised every day on how much crap the 200 pulls out. Even with a very small bioload for a 225 total gal system.

Here's the thread on it
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...readid=1274301

[ejrabekoff]

Nice skimmer. I was a little put off by the prototype thing, so I was leaning towards the Reeflo Orca 250. The skimmate on that 200 looks great. Could skimmer overkill be bad? The only reason that I can think of in terms of why it would is that it might wipe ot copepod population. I am still leaning towards the 250.

[rishma]

It is not really a pod population issue.

if your skimmer is too large for your system, it will not skim well. A smaller skimmer appropriately sized skimmer will often pull much more waste than an oversized skimmer. The problem occurs when there is not enough waste to form a nice foam head. Larger skimmers with larger necks need more waste to foam properly. I have experienced this.

Do not think of it as just the concentration of waste. You can get the same concentration of waste in a 20 gallon as you can in a 300 gallon, but if there is not enough total waste in the system (call it the total waste mass), then a severly oversized skimmer will not function properly.

This is why I prefer two smaller skimmers to one large skimmer. I believe you can skim down to a lower concentration with two smaller skimmers.

[stony_corals]

BK mini 200. Yes if your skimmer is too big you won't be happy with the 'performance'... BK is accurate for sizing better than most.

[ejrabekoff]

Is the Reeflo Orca 200 too big? On the theory that I should get 2 small skimmers, then it looks like the best option would be 2 Mini Bubbleking 200s, but this is more money than I would like to spend.

[BreadmanMike]

The Orca 200 is perfect for your application.