upgrade my msx200 to a vertex 170 cone?

[tangtang clown]

Originally Posted by Txcowboy22

so, the pinwheel will not work with my pump?

Oh, it will definitely fit right in the sicce and work, but it is matched for the WM reducer and they say it is the best combo for a sicce, though I have not tried it. I email Jon at WM many times and never got a response.

[PowermanKW]

I just PM him at clay-boa. Or better yet, just call him. 80% of the time he is the one that answers the phone.

[SHOmuchFUN]

Keep the MSX and save yourself a few hundred bucks. Spend it on something that will actually make a difference.

[PowermanKW]

Originally Posted by Poorcollegereef

I have a BB3000 on my MSX200 and it becomes a different skimmer altogether. Even on my small system, the sicce is underpowered for a 8" body with a 4" neck. I am happy with the BB on the MSX.

I really have to disagree. The Sicce is matched just fine to a 4" neck. Perhaps not a 8" body. The water and air mixing is nothing but contact time. Collecting the foam and removing it to a cup is what the neck is for. Too big of a neck (too small of a pump) is not any worse that too small of a neck (too big of a pump).

The Sicce, using volutes, pin wheels, mesh mods... performs well on a 4" neck. Just look at the vast majority of them on the market. Putting a honking big pump on a skimmer does not make it perform equally better and is the reason most big pump upgrades require extended necks for best performance.




..... There is a very valid point to putting BB 3000 on a 200 and many people are quite happy (hell, even thought of putting one on my K2, but I just don't need it).... but many of them are looking to increase performance on a skimmer matched to their tank. I do not believe putting a bigger pump on your skimmer will produce any more skimmate on your tank.

The 200 I had on my 90g produced a little less that the K2 I use. I attribute that to the fact that the K2 is one of the best balanced skimmers on the market and is very efficient. And the Sicce on that is running a red wheel and is matched very well to the 4.25 neck. My K2 only produces about half the time. My tank just does not have a big enough bio load to make it break a sweat.