vertex in-180 vs Bubble King mini 160

[M Woodhill]

i had decided to purchase an in-180 for most of guys voted for it and said it worked quietly. yet my sister persuaded me to get a mini 160 for best performance. and now i am a little bewildered between the two.

so mini 160 really worthy of the 800 bucks more--thats fairly a huge number for me.

any advice is to be appreciated.

[reefermad619]

Gey the vertex. BK customer service sucks! Would you by a lambo for $200K or a nissan skyline? Lambo is a lambo and you pay for the name. But my friends skyline has smoked lambos, ferraris, and maserattis! All for $100K less. I would rather spend that $800 on fish and coral.

[moondoggy4]

You could always upgrade the skimmer pump to say a Tunze and have a great skimmer using less electricity and the pump alone is almost as cheap as an BK impeller and you can get it from a number of Sponsor's and even Roger over at Tunze. Getting the exotic is fun until you need parts or CS and you cannot even get crickets to respond.

[NyReefNoob]

ive owned both skimmers, personally i liked the in180 better, but what size system is it going on

[M Woodhill]

Originally Posted by NyReefNoob

ive owned both skimmers, personally i liked the in180 better, but what size system is it going on

i am going to run a 100 gallon system with 40 gallon sump. where i am going to place the skimmer in the sump is 12" * 17". i guess it is big enough for either in-180 or mini 160.

[M Woodhill]

and as of in-180, it is a must to purchase a gen 3 one, right?

[mojo~]

I have owned them both and the 180 is a great skimmer for sure. But the bk mini is Super nice for sure. I will consider getting a bk mini 160 again for my next build.

[M Woodhill]

Originally Posted by mojo~

I have owned them both and the 180 is a great skimmer for sure. But the bk mini is Super nice for sure. I will consider getting a bk mini 160 again for my next build.

em, yup the price is super too

so which one is quieter? from some videos, the 2 made similar noises

[NyReefNoob]

the bk is quieter, but not enough to make the cost justifiable for me, i know mojo loved that skimmer but i wasnt over impressed with it per cost vs performance, quiet for me doesnt matter, also look into the Skimz line or the new warner marine skimmers which are skimz with a few mods

[M Woodhill]

Originally Posted by NyReefNoob

the bk is quieter, but not enough to make the cost justifiable for me, i know mojo loved that skimmer but i wasnt over impressed with it per cost vs performance, quiet for me doesnt matter, also look into the Skimz line or the new warner marine skimmers which are skimz with a few mods

i am concerned because i have an open frame stand in the living room. though i usually turn on the TV, making it noisy with star war marathon played, i do not want to add more noises.

whatever, if the in 180 is quiet enough or is tolerably quiet, i do not insist on a super quiet effect with super extra, with which i can invest in a better controller system with dosers

[moondoggy4]

Save money where you can and buy more stuff from the savings.

[M Woodhill]

so any more advice?

[coolkidtr]

I think one of the most important considerations when buying Skimmer that most overlook is the availability and cost of replacement parts. Take a look at the availability and cost of the skimmer pump and associated parts when making your decision. The skimmer market has changed. Just because it costs more doesn't mean it's better.

T

[M Woodhill]

then how'bout a middle way---vertex cone skimmer 170

it is more expensive, too, but not as much as mini 160

[96p993]

IMO spending 700-1000 on a skimmer for that size tank is a waste of money. There are plenty of skimmers out there in the 300 range that are quiet and do a great job...Just no point in spending that amount of money...

[NyReefNoob]

the 180 is quiet but look into the Skimz E-Series SM161 , SKIMZ SK181 KONE E SERIES ,

[M Woodhill]

Originally Posted by NyReefNoob

the 180 is quiet but look into the Skimz E-Series SM161 , SKIMZ SK181 KONE E SERIES ,

yup, i am checking. seemingly the brand is from singapore, huh?

eeeer, no judgmental but i personally distrust things from singapore or korea, eeeer, i am sorry if any one is offended. just personal preference.

and i am going to take the advice and go for in-180. most sayings indicate it is cheap but quiet and good

[NyReefNoob]

the skimz line is one of the best built and most efficient skimmers ive owned { ive had around 25 skimmers ), very solid material and the pump it a italian made pump

[96p993]

check out the Avast CS1..cheap, great reviews, and its fun to put together...solid pump too...Swabbie is really cool as well!!

[Tmoriarty]

reef octopus NWB-200, rated at 250 gallons, same cone as the SRO 3000int, only a diffrent pump. premiumaquatics.com has them for 179.00, which qualifies for free shipping. If you did want the bubble blaster pump that is on the 3000INT you can buy the pump for 200, and still spend less then the 400.00 the SRO 300INT costs normally. Also 179.00 is bar far cheaper then the BK skimmers. Just my two cents, I bought one, its a hell of a good deal for the price.

Tyler