Bigger is not allways better
Do not automatically go big. I made that mistake and while not fatal, i wish I took the time to research the issue more. You need to find out a couple of things. Are the ratings for your skimmer conservative or aggressive (basically are they accurate or not). You will see countless hobbyist make the same mistake. When I was starting up my 180 I went with as big a skimmer that would fit in the sump (royal alpha vertex 250 - I have a 180 display, a 40 gallon sump and 30 gallon frag tank all plumbed together). whilet the Vertex worked fine, it is not as efficient at removing waste as it should be. By this I mean, at the end of the day, i have 180 gallon tank which is where 95% of my bio load comes from. that is what you need to size for. After two years, I just switched to a BK SM200, and within hours, I could see a huge difference in the efficiency of the skimmer. No more having to tweak the darn thing all the time. I have a super nice thick head of foam, and gunk galore in the cup.
The neck on my Vertex 250 was just too big for the bio load I have, and my 180 is jammed, its 95 percent sps, with probably close to 30 fish (chromis, anthias, 3 tangs, wrasses, blennies, gobies, on and on...), but, like i said, at the end of the day, its still only 180 Gallons. I was told and believed go big, as big as you can fit. Now, I see that is not allways the best.
Do your self a favor, invest in a quality skimmer that is sized properly for your system. Speak to someone who is well versed and know about the skimmer you are looking into. Read, google, do whatever you have to, but just be informed.
And yes, I will be posting my vertex 250 for sale shortly if anyone is interested in a killer deal..
