Bubble King skimmer question

[Thoax]

Hey guys,

Looking for some help here i am about to buy a new skimmer for my tank and wanted to see what everyone thought or suggested.

Right now the tank will be a custom tank 72" x 24" x 24" so roughly 170g + 70g sump = 240g full system.

The 2 bubble king skimmers i am looking at getting are the,

BUBBLE KING SUPERMARIN 250 + RD3 SPEEDY rated for 264 - 792 gallons
Bubble King Supermarin 200 Skimmer W/ RD3 Speedy DC Pump rated for 210 G Light - 530 G Heavy

My main question is right now its a 240g system and the supermarin 200 will work great, but down the road when i move i would like to get a bigger tank and then i would prob be over the 530g mark would it be worth getting the supermarin 250 instead i have heard from 2 people tho its not good going under the recommend G's with these skimmers.

Any help would be great from people that have used them before or have them now.

 

[Antics]

I think it's true for most high quality skimmers that there is a point of diminishing and even negative returns when you oversize.

Bubble King and Royal Exclusiv products in general retain excellent used value. Take care of the skimmer and pump and regularly clean it and you can get 50-70% of cost when you re-sell it depending on age. I'd recommend buying for what is certain (your current tank volume) and worry about upgrading when that is the new reality.

 

[Thoax]

I think it's true for most high quality skimmers that there is a point of diminishing and even negative returns when you oversize.

Bubble King and Royal Exclusiv products in general retain excellent used value. Take care of the skimmer and pump and regularly clean it and you can get 50-70% of cost when you re-sell it depending on age. I'd recommend buying for what is certain (your current tank volume) and worry about upgrading when that is the new reality.

Thanks Antics

 

[biecacka]

Thoax,
I think you are making a great decision on the Bk skimmmers! They rock!! However I think you are looking at skimmers too big for your tank. BK is very conservative for their ratings. I bounced back and forth between sizes before I made my decision. I asked their rep and some other honest people I know in the industry.
I went with the double cone 200. My tank is 240 gallons, has about 25-30 fish in it and I feed pellets 5 times a day, frozen food once and nori when I remember. The skimmer doesn’t even sweat to try to keep up what that load. Which I and many others could call a heavy bio load. This skimmer is rated for 250 gallons and a heavy bioload so in theory I’m at its limits and it isn’t even working hard. Some days I feel like it sits idle because it is an over achiever!


Corey

 

[SneakyTortuga]

I agree. Get the slimmer for the tank you Have now. You don’t want to get something too big when you really don’t know what size tank you may want in the future.

I have a question. Do you think bubble king is worth the investment over a comprobable reef Octopus?

 

[biecacka]

Do I think the value is worth it? Yes. The build quality is a huge factor. The BK skimmer is just built better. Better materials, better pump. Heavier duty if you will. Not to mention the controller makes it crazy simple to tune it in.
However, I once read an article (maybe 10-15yrs ago) that stated the best any skimmer can do is remove about 30% of dissolved organics in a tank. Now maybe currently with technology changes they are more efficient or what not. But I don’t think one brand can outskim another so to speak. I think a lot of the skimmers performance is based on us sizing the skimmer to the DT(only) size and going from there.

Corey

 

[Antics]

I agree. Get the slimmer for the tank you Have now. You don’t want to get something too big when you really don’t know what size tank you may want in the future.

I have a question. Do you think bubble king is worth the investment over a comprobable reef Octopus?

On my 80 gallon tank I had a Reef Octopus Regal 200 SSS running for over a year. It did a great job and for the price I wasn't complaining at all. However, I love the Bubble King brand so when a Double Cone 180 became available locally at a deep discount I picked it up. Below is a picture 48 hours after I switched from the Reef Octopus (that was having a problem pulling reliability unless wetskimming) compared to the Bubble King Double Cone 180.

 

[SneakyTortuga]

Do I think the value is worth it? Yes. The build quality is a huge factor. The BK skimmer is just built better. Better materials, better pump. Heavier duty if you will. Not to mention the controller makes it crazy simple to tune it in.
However, I once read an article (maybe 10-15yrs ago) that stated the best any skimmer can do is remove about 30% of dissolved organics in a tank. Now maybe currently with technology changes they are more efficient or what not. But I don’t think one brand can outskim another so to speak. I think a lot of the skimmers performance is based on us sizing the skimmer to the DT(only) size and going from there.

Corey

Not like i run either or but I am upgrading tanks and have been considering a new skimmer. I was considering a bk 180 or buying a reef octopus with a auto neck cleaner.

Currently I run a vertex 180i on my 100 gallon tankZ

 

[biecacka]

No doubt they are a pricy investment. It took some saving for me to get it. But I don’t regret it one bit. I forget it’s back there except to clean it from time to time. It’s a beast. In fact, I’ve thought about adding 10 more fish or so to the tank to maybe make the thing work more!

Corey

 

[Thoax]

Thanks guys for all the help looks like ill be placing my order for the Bubble King Supermarin 200 Skimmer W/ RD3 Speedy DC Pump

 

[biecacka]

The 180 you have will work as well. If your breaking that tank down


Corey

 

[Blue Spot Octopus]

I believe that you are oversizing your skimmer, and with BK that is not so good, I would go with the 180 model. I nearly bought a 180 for my 225 build but missed out.

 

[Thoax]

I believe that you are oversizing your skimmer, and with BK that is not so good, I would go with the 180 model. I nearly bought a 180 for my 225 build but missed out.

The 200 calls for 210 G Light - 530 G if my tank is 260 would that not fit?

 

[Blue Spot Octopus]

Usually I only count the volume of the DT only, if anything the sump is diluting the DT. I was speaking with the BK rep and he stated for my 225 DT only he would recommend the classic 180 model.

 

[biecacka]

Only go on DT size. As stated my display is 240 and have a 75 gallon sump with about 45 gallons in it. But the DT is all that matters. I honestly think the 180 would work just fine.
Sure you could go up to the DC200 but you might have to run it In deeper water and at a higher pump speed as well as a little more wet of a skim to keep it producing on a regular.

Corey

 

[Thoax]

Looks like i got a few PM's and also got in contact with RE and was told to go with a Deluxe 200 so that is what i will be running.

 

[AiKkz]

I have a BK 250 deluxe internal and absolutely love it!!!

 

[kennytze]

I have a 180 gallon mixed reef with 25 fish which I feed heavily twice a day with frozen food. I am running a BK supermarin 200 w/RD3 Speedy pump. it runs very good as the RD3 pump allows for real fine tuning and will be able to handle a larger tank in future if your wish for a larger tank comes true, These skimmers are outstanding, but it is extremely important to clean these pumps at least every 3 months as these quality pumps are manufactured to very close tolerances. I am sure you will love the Supermarin skimmers,