Spotlight on Somatic sumps 60, 90 and 120 | BRStv

[randyBRS]

Hey R2R's!

Another Spotlight for you today and in this one, Ryan introduces the latest sumps from Somatic; the Somatic 60, 90, 120! For this Spotlight, we'll show you what each one does, how to set them up and what you can do to accessorize them.

 

[kevantheman35]

With the somatic60 it appears that the skimmer is in the same chamber as the return pump leading to water level changes which will will inevitably lead to unpredictable skimmer performance. Even with an ato in place the change will be enough. Unfortunate design

 

[randyBRS]

With the somatic60 it appears that the skimmer is in the same chamber as the return pump leading to water level changes which will will inevitably lead to unpredictable skimmer performance. Even with an ato in place the change will be enough. Unfortunate design

It looks like that could be a potential issue. They do have the return pump box accessory that might help to resolve that.

 

[Clayton Jessup]

Either way theses Sumps look really great [emoji1303].. I am considering saving up for the 120 sump .. for room for me to have my potential upgrade tank . So that way the sump can handle it .

 

[Crabs McJones]

I like that its basically a blank canvas and you can "accessorize" it to your liking. And having a skimmer matched to it really helps take out the "which skimmer should I get and will it fit" I'm torn between these or the trigger sapphire sump when I finally decide to upgrade great video randy, thank you!

 

[gcarroll]

Kind of like, buy a skimmer get a free sump! After having an up close with the 90 and 120 sumps that our club raffled off, I am even more impressed at the skimmer and sump quality. Buy what you need, don't buy what you don't. Hard to not like the product especially when price is a factor. Best bang for the buck!

 

[maldenreefer]

It looks like that could be a potential issue. They do have the return pump box accessory that might help to resolve that.

@randyBRS Where in this diagram of the Somatic 60 would a refugium be possible? Do you think doing so is even worthwhile in that narrow overflow area? I've read that small refugiums have a negligible nutrient export benefit if their footprints are too small.

 

[randyBRS]

@randyBRS Where in this diagram of the Somatic 60 would a refugium be possible? Do you think doing so is even worthwhile in that narrow overflow area? I've read that small refugiums have a negligible nutrient export benefit if their footprints are too small.

I'm not aware of an actual diagram for a setup that utilizes a refugium with this sump. I think when Ryan mentioned it, he was just stating the possibility may be there to implement a refugium somehow. Maybe you could use an external skimmer and convert the larger chamber into a refugium?

I think the size of a refugium and how it directly relates to nutrient reduction is a great topic for further experimentation! Logically, to me, it seems that a smaller fuge would be limited in its ability to effectively remove nutrients. However, we were pretty surprised at how much was removed during from the HOB refugium during our cheatomorpha test. I think if a smaller fuge utilized a light that was more specifically designed to grow algae/plants, we'd probably be even more impressed with what it can do.

Hopefully we, or another hobbyist, can test this further to provide more definitive evidence and finally get a solid answer!

-Randy

 

[siggy]

@randyBRS am I seeing a prelude to week 3 of the ULM series ? If I was starting a new system especially a CUBE I would be looking real hard at this one

 

[Somatic Aquaristik]

Thank you BRS for this great feature on our products. Just a couple of notes here, the 60-90 and 120 designations are for FULLY stocked SPS tanks that require pristine water conditions. That's how we like to rate our skimmers. The 60 has a 6 inch body, the 90 a 7 inch body and 120 an 8 inch body.

In comparison, we see other 6 inch skimmers rated up to 150 gallons, 7 inch at up to 240 gallons etc. We could have rated these similarly but we wanted to simplify the ratings to a fully stocked tank.

For more information you can go to our website at www.somaticaquaristik.com

 

[Clayton Jessup]

Thank you BRS for this great feature on our products. Just a couple of notes here, the 60-90 and 120 designations are for FULLY stocked SPS tanks that require pristine water conditions. That's how we like to rate our skimmers. The 60 has a 6 inch body, the 90 a 7 inch body and 120 an 8 inch body.

In comparison, we see other 6 inch skimmers rated up to 150 gallons, 7 inch at up to 240 gallons etc. We could have rated these similarly but we wanted to simplify the ratings to a fully stocked tank.

For more information you can go to our website at www.somaticaquaristik.com

Thank you very much that’s great to know about the Skimmers .. cuz I was thinking of getting a 120 sump/skimmer and maybe putting it on my dream 150-180g tank set up ! Thank you so much for being honest on your products !

 

[maldenreefer]

How do folks feel about noise level on the Somatic skimmers? I had to first fashion my own silencer for the air intake but still am experiencing sound levels of ~65db when I open my cabinet and then ~45db with the doors closed. It's noticeable given my tank location is in a common area.

@Somatic Aquaristik do you all recommend any other sound dampening techniques? Here's a picture of my sump for context:

 

[Fence13]

How do these skimmers compare to the other vertex series? Same maker right?

 

[Somatic Aquaristik]

@maidenreefer that's very unusual we've run several of these without the noise issues. Looks like you have the skimmer dialed in, but have you tried using the included air valve on the intake line? that should help too

@Fence13 they utilize the same body shape and Sicce pumps as the Omega skimmers do. The pumps have a great reputation for dependability and effectiveness in skimmers. The Somatic line is comprised of all acrylic in the build while the omega has both acrylic and PVC