I've been doing some researching and all of the threads over this topic are 1-2 years old, and talk about a newer sapphire model coming out. So which is better for a Biocube 29 gallon? The Sapphire or the Tunze 9002 DOC?

Thanks!

I've recently picked up a Sapphire from my local fish store (Ottawa Inverts) who have many of the new models.

After a week of break in, I'm very impressed.

This new unit has two pumps, a small injector pump and a larger recirculating with external plumbing. Be prepared to give up all of your second chamber.

Thanks for the input... I was expecting it to take up the whole second chamber anyways. I just heard that it didn't pull out much compared to the Tunze.

I got the sapphire skimmer for my BC29 last week, by day 2 i have nice fluffy green/brown skimmate, it takes afew min for the pump to pull the water from the air line, but if you blow a puff of air through the hose (to push out any water) it clears the line and the skimmer start up time is much less.

How quiet is the Sapphire?
The Tunze is virtually silent.

The Sapphire is silent as well, my coolonig fans make more noise.

BTW, Sapphire no longer makes the re-circulating model. The new one now has a single Sicce pump on the bottom. Plus the size of the skimmer is smaller. I am now able to have the skimmer + an InTank media basket in the second chamber together.

I didn't know that...and here I thought I had the 'latest and greatest'.

Is your new model an improvement?

THREAD RESURRECTION!!

More opinions please.

Tunze has a well established history of exceptional customer service and quality equipment. If your pump goes bad, problems arise, call Roger and he'll find a solution.

I tested both a Sapphire and a 9002 on my 20g. Fwiw, the 9002 is now well on it's way to it's new owner. IMHO, the Sapphire is a much better skimmer.

Also, the Sapphire is actually quiter than the 9002 as well. I didn't think that was even possible!!

I had the opposite experience on my cadlights 22. Had a tunze, sold it for a sapphire, wished I hadn't sold the tunze, bought an eshopps psk-75H and the production of skimmate blew them both away but the water level in the cadlights is too high for it and it overflows every now and then so I may be back to the 9002.

May just depend on the type of tank you have vs what the skimmer was meant to work with- at least in my case it did.

Just curious if the 9002 you had was the one with the new pump or the older one? Thanks!

Justin

im very intersted in this topic as I have a very old school sapphire skimmer that i think is the biggest piece of junk ive ever seen. it works like 15% of the time then either stops skimming or over flows. Even with constant water levls it craps out so I might be looking at a switch. I have placed an email to sapphire aquaitcs but I still havent gotten a response.

When I was dealing with sapphire aquatics I found that it was best to call as Kyle was always very busy.

How does the Sapphire mount?

It just sits in the bottom of the second chamber. Be sure to remove the false floor.

Just add a couple of pieces of eggcrate plastic underneath the eshopps until the level is where you want it.

Which one works best in the event of skim overflow. Will one cause it to flood the floor or will one cause it to go back into the tank (BC29)?