Skimmer rec for Red Sea Reefer 250?

[skim]

I found that the Bubble Magus skimmers seem to work best at the 8 to 8.5 inch. The other thing I wanted to mention is if you can fit a skimmer with the pump outside of the body go with it as it will preform better then with pump inside. Its hard to believe how much water is displaced by the pump and plate assembly.

 

[Branespikin]

This would work. Vertex makes some solid stuff.
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/vertex-omega-130-protein-skimmer.html

I used to have the Vertex 130 before the Nyos. Its very solid built skimmer thats for sure. Worked well but took some time to dial in. The thing about this one is that it has pump on the outside and took up alot of room in my sump and had no room for reactor. With the Nyos i wss able to fit a Avast spyglass

 

[GoVols]

I know...and then I found threads on other boards saying the water level was over estimated by manufacturer and it does actually work well in this sump. I need a website tool where I can enter my needs and it will give me just one option. (I need this for everything in my life. I suck at decisions.)

lol

Skimmers are always a hard decision.

Exciting and at the same time you want to be happy after your purchase too.

Bubble Magus is known for solid skimmers and that's a great price. I'd just be sure with other 250 users with the water height on it.

You could also start a thread on the Red Sea sponsor forum for their skimmer input for your 250.

 

[GoVols]

I used to have the Vertex 130 before the Nyos. Its very solid built skimmer thats for sure. Worked well but took some time to dial in. The thing about this one is that it has pump on the outside and took up alot of room in my sump and had no room for reactor. With the Nyos i wss able to fit a Avast spyglass

Once the 130 was dialed in would it hold or were you always tweaking?

 

[Branespikin]

Once the 130 was dialed in would it hold or were you always tweaking?

It was always finicky like when id do water change or a feeding. Id have Apex shutoff for an hour etc but still I would find myself always tweaking it. Idk maybe it was me and i didnt find sweet spot. But on the Nyos after a vinegar bath i literally put it in the sump and it was pulling gunk fro day 1. A day or two of fine tuning i havent touched it in months.

 

[GoVols]

It was always finicky like when id do water change or a feeding. Id have Apex shutoff for an hour etc but still I would find myself always tweaking it. Idk maybe it was me and i didnt find sweet spot. But on the Nyos after a vinegar bath i literally put it in the sump and it was pulling gunk fro day 1. A day or two of fine tuning i havent touched it in months.

I hear ya!
Broke the bank for my Bubble King but talk about set a forget. It's like setting your home AC thermostat on "auto" and walking away.
Sounds like you've had the same experience with your Nyos.

 

[FrankiePuffer]

He set it up for me mid October and I transferred every thing over then. I like it but wish the back of the stand was more open for air flow. It's kind of hard to fill the ato reservoir without using a very small container. My biggest "complaint" is that my tunze skimmer won't work and most of the ones I find for the lower water level are underrated for the size tank.

GoVols and Branespikin I'll look into your suggestions!

My quandary is a refuge. I have seen people convert the ATO to a refuge but you lose the ATo which most believe is too small anyway. Looking at a maybe using a HOB give on the sump itself but not sure about room in the cabinet. It seems like it would work. Also the sump being glass adds to the weight and seems unnecessary. How do you feel about the underneath? I think the rest is great but don't have one yet.

 

[Gopi]

My quandary is a refuge. I have seen people convert the ATO to a refuge but you lose the ATo which most believe is too small anyway. Looking at a maybe using a HOB give on the sump itself but not sure about room in the cabinet. It seems like it would work. Also the sump being glass adds to the weight and seems unnecessary. How do you feel about the underneath? I think the rest is great but don't have one yet.

The sump has to be placed very specifically for the plumbing to align. You would only be able to add a HOB on the side where the ATO goes, which on the 250 has the intake from the tank and the filter socks. Adding a hob would work only if you had something small enough to somehow fit on the intake section or if you removed the sock holder. You still wouldn't be able to use the ATO so kind of makes it a moot point. No room for HOB anything on the other 3 sides.

 

[Scurvy]

I tried the HOB Fuge on my sump. I also have a 250. I removed the front filter sock and attached the pump via. 6" piece of tubing then modified the drain a bit so it flowed into the return compartment. It can work.
That said, I pulled mine out after a couple of months. Just needed the space back. I did turn a golf ball sized clump of chaeto into a soccer ball size clump pretty quickly.

 

[FrankiePuffer]

Thanks
I have decided to try something else. Looking at a smaller skimmer and placing a modified in sump refuge above the skimmer compartment. We'll see if that works

 

[jordimex]

@FelipeReefer
Here you can find some help