upgrade skimmer or stay the course? a new build dilemma...

[Devaji]

I am setting up a 200/275 with sump IM tank for a FOWLR
tank will focus on butterflies and angels. with a few small wrasses and maybe a tang...

anyway I have the reef octo. 150 classic. rated at BRS req. 120 gals.
I will also have ozone controlled via orp probe /apex
will also have a nice size fuge

on paper the skimmer is pretty undersized but with the ozone and fuge i * think I am OK.
what are your thoughts?

with BF/CM coming around the corner its the best time of the year to get new reefing gear. of course i would rather not buy a new skimmer and sp I have money for Qted fish....

 

[blaxsun]

Maybe. Hard to say as it's a new tank and you probably won't know for a few months whether it's cutting it or not. I think you'd probably be good until Black Friday, though (no guarantee there will be any super deals for skimmers, though).

 

[Devaji]

Maybe. Hard to say as it's a new tank and you probably won't know for a few months whether it's cutting it or not. I think you'd probably be good until Black Friday, though (no guarantee there will be any super deals for skimmers, though).

true i should be ordering the pluming and making the scape instead to skimmer shopping/ planning.

one of the skimmer at the top of my list a am pretty sure there is no sales. IDK have to dbl check that anyway.

 

[Pickle_soup]

Personally, if you are going with FOWLR and are never planning on adding corals, I would go with an oversized skimmer.

 

[Devaji]

Personally, if you are going with FOWLR and are never planning on adding corals, I would go with an oversized skimmer.

my thoughts too.
just a matter of when to add it.
but then again I have never used ozone not sure how that will effect things?

 

[00W]

Whatever the skimmer says it's rated for, I cut that in half.
Fowler maybe a third since you are going to actually feed.
As @blaxsun mentioned above, you won't know for a bit.
You can go with what you got and see how it goes but I see an upgrade in the foreseeable future.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Maybe. Hard to say as it's a new tank and you probably won't know for a few months whether it's cutting it or not. I think you'd probably be good until Black Friday, though (no guarantee there will be any super deals for skimmers, though).

This. Deals arent and wont be what they used to be, thus I wouldn't hold your breath. You can either run two undersized skimmers (imho a pita) or drop the coin now for one properly sized skimmer and be done with it. As already said above, ratings are fairly garbage on skimmers, meaning cut rating in half, especially on a FOWLR as we tend to stuff more fish to 'fill in' the tank.

Also the ozone wont mean anything outside of making sure your new skimmer is designed to take on ozone. I just decided to try out ozone on my larger tank, wow... I should of done it sooner!

 

[Pickle_soup]

oops

 

[Devaji]

This. Deals arent and wont be what they used to be, thus I wouldn't hold your breath. You can either run two undersized skimmers (imho a pita) or drop the coin now for one properly sized skimmer and be done with it. As already said above, ratings are fairly garbage on skimmers, meaning cut rating in half, especially on a FOWLR as we tend to stuff more fish to 'fill in' the tank.

Also the ozone wont mean anything outside of making sure your new skimmer is designed to take on ozone. I just decided to try out ozone on my larger tank, wow... I should of done it sooner!

yeah I am excited to run ozone on this tank. something I have wanted to try for a while now.

who knows on BF/CM deals could be some nice ones then again there could not be. but if there is a chance it would likely be this time of year.

skimmer will 100% be ozone safe for sure. will either be a reef octo or lifereef

the question now is start off with the skimmer or while till i need it. might as wel get it from the get go so I can get the ozone going on it.

 

[Devaji]

Whatever the skimmer says it's rated for, I cut that in half.
Fowler maybe a third since you are going to actually feed.
As @blaxsun mentioned above, you won't know for a bit.
You can go with what you got and see how it goes but I see an upgrade in the foreseeable future.

100% upgrade for sure its just a matter of when.
I will not have big messy eater like puffers and triggers but will still be feeding. so yeah bigger skimmer will be needed at some point.

 

[Pickle_soup]

I am restarting a new tank, and I just ran an oversized skimmer from the start. If you're planning on adding any beneficial bacteria, just turn it off for 4-5 hours or so. Checkout Aquacave, they often have deals throughout the year.