Bubble Magus Curve 5 a review.

[atoll]

Bubble Magus Curve 5 by Les Melling.

 

Background
I have had a number of skimmers in my time (around 35 years in the hobby) From various Tunze’s to my first Sander air driven skimmers so when it came to choosing a new skimmer for my new 2’2 cube reef tank with sump I took my time evaluating all the web advice on skimmers. I already had a Tunze 9002 nano skimmer and I could have used this at a push but I was never fully happy with this skimmer although I had been with previous Tunze skimmers. I soon found out there had been an explosion in protein skimmers over the last few years each proclaiming to be the best in their class.

Many of the skimmers I had purchased in the past had been secondhand models and all served me well. You can nearly always get your money back with a good secondhand skimmer if you s choose to sell it at some point however for this tank I wanted something new and a different from what I had used in the past. During my frequent searches on the net I regularly came upon skimmers well outside my budget as I didn’t want to spend much more than £150 (approx $225) on a skimmer so that ruled a good few out including the Tunze’s.

I saw a number of recommendations for a brand I had little knowledge about Bubble Magus. Most of the reports I read on various forums were very complimentary so I set about investigating their various models of which there are many. Lots of people were singing the praises of the BM Nac range and in particular the Nac 6s and 7s. I was already to send for the Nac6 when I heard of a new BM skimmer called the Curve 5. This skimmer had a new very efficient pump of just 8watts and the skimmer had what I will describe as a milk bottle style body hence the curve name. Although this was new on the market a few people had them and all were extremely pleased with its performance so far. The skimmer was quiet and very efficient plus well made to boot people reported. So it was I sent off for one and a few days later it arrived as promised.

First Impressions and assembly.
The first thing I noticed when the package arrived was that it was very well packed and it would have taken a gorilla to have broken it in transit. On unpacking it I examined each and every part and yes it was very well made indeed. Nice thick acrylic with neat acrylic welded joints. The down side was the instructions which were in Chinese but it didn’t take me long to have it assembled going off the diagram provided. The only thing to note is that you could easily assemble the bubble baffle plate the wrong way round. This needs to be assembled with the holes away from the pump outlet rather than the way most would think with the bubbles immediately under it. That apart it was easy enough to assemble.

Once assembled the next thing you need to get right is the water depth to sit it in within the sump. This skimmer is only designed for a sump type situation. The recommended water depth for the skimmer to sit in is around 9” to 10” according to those who already had this skimmer. However the manufacturer recommends from 9.1/2” to 11”. However for whatever reason I have found my skimmer performs best in a depth of water of just 7.1/2”. The water depth in the compartment for my skimmer was 10.1/2” so I made a platform for it to sit on out of heavy duty eggcrate to bring the skimmer to the optimum depth for my particular skimmer.

More on the skimmer.
The Skimmer cup is sealed to the skimmer body with an “O” ring unlike many which have a kind of twist and lock mechanism. No doubt it was cheaper to make it with an “O” ring than a more complicated twist and lock style mechanism. On the plus side the cup is easy to remove and at no time gets stuck on the skimmer body plus it does seal the skimmer cup to the skimmer body well. The other thing to note about the skimmer cup apart from it’s quite large size is that is comes with a drain built in to which you attached a length of white rubber type tube to it. The idea is you drain the skimmate off into another receptacle which most find rather odd including me.

It seems rather strange having quite a large cup that as soon as it collects anything it exits out the bottom via the drain. You could of course block this off and just allow the cup to fill with skimmate as with most skimmer cups. I would like to have seen Bubble Magus provide a cap of sorts to block the drain off as an alternative. However I decided to add a small tap to the end of the rubber pipe to drain the cup when needed while the cup is still in place on the skimmer.

The Pump.
The pump supplied is a Rock SP-1000 rated at just 8watts. The NAC6 Atman pump I considered at first is rated at 28watts so the SP-1000 is far more efficient in operation. The SP-1000 uses a pin wheel impellor as opposed to the mesh wheel used by the Atman pump. I can only wait and see how reliable the pump and impellor will turn out to be however a replacement pump is not as expensive compared too many others in this area. The pump is very quiet however unlike many I could name.

Some Measurements and requirements.
The measurements for the skimmer cup are as follows. The collection part of the cup is 4” tall with an extra 1.3/8” neck protruding below the cup. The diameter of the cup is 4.3/4” and will hold ½ liter of skimmate so it will take quite some time to fill the cup under normal operation and circumstances. I drain my cup weekly although I could let it run a couple of weeks before needing to drain/empty the cup. With a lot of sump systems the clearance above the skimmer is at a minimum and people often have difficulty removing the cup of their skimmer due to height restrictions.

With the Bubble Magus Curve 5 one only needs a half inch or so of clearance above the cup to remove it. With the total length of the cup including the neck 5.3/8” you only need around 6” clearance above the sump top/edge to take the cup out of the cabinet. Given that the pump is inboard of the skimmer the footprint for such a rated skimmer is quite small at around 5”x6”. You can also locate the body of the skimmer on the footplate in 4 different positions to suit the layout of your sump and where you want the control knob to be situated for ease of adjustment. The skimmer body it locked onto the base plate by 4 small locking arms which goes to make assembly and disassembly nice and easy.

Adjusting the skimmer in the sump.
Once installed this skimmer is the simplest of any skimmer I have owned to adjust and set. There is but one control that of the water flow through the skimmer body. The pump with its air venturi is set automatically for you and it only remains to set the water flow through the skimmer. Water flow is achieved via a red knob situated on the top of a hard plastic white tube that goes down to the skimmer. Near the top of the tube just below the red knob are some numbered segments.Turning the knonb towards the higher numbers restricts more of the water from the pump entering the skimmer.

 

You turn the knob to set the water from the pump which in turn sets the level of the water and foam within the skimmers riser tube within the skimmer cup. You set the water level to rise approximately half way up the skimmer cups inner riser tube and allow it to settle before making any fine tuning adjustments with the water control knob to achieve the colour of skimmate desired..

There is one other quirk with this which I am told is peculiar to the Chinese in that the higher the number you dial in the water flow the more you RESTRICT the water going in to the skimmer. As you restrict the water entering the skimmer from the pump so the bubbles and foam created rise within the riser tube. This does take a little getting used to and is the reverse thinking of most European skimmers. One would normally expect the lower the number dialed in the less water would enter the skimmer not the other way round as is the case here. Still once you get used to it it’s no problem at all but it has caught a number of people out when first trying to adjust the skimmer. Adjustments are very easy to make no matter if you want a very dark skimmate or a lighter one.

Performance.
So just how does the Curve 5 perform and does it live up the few reports I had read before purchase? You bet it does. In no time at all the skimmer was starting to produce skimmate and within 24 hours it had collected around ¾” of skimmate in the cup. I had my pump flow dialed in at around number 1 allowing only a slight restriction of water into the skimmer pump. The colour of the skimmate was similar to strong tea (light coffee to most on here) but the smell is something else. You won’t be wanting to sniff the skimmate too often and I would suggest you empty the cup after removal or after you have drained it ASAP or you could be in trouble with your other half.

The skimmer is rated for systems up to 500ltrs and I would suggest unlike many other manufacturers’ skimmers this is quite accurate depending on bio-load and stocking levels. Certainly the Curve 5 will handle heavily well stocked systems of around 400ltrs and would not be a problem at all for it .

Conclusion.
After being set up and running for the last 2 months I have to admit I am extremely pleased with just how well this skimmer is performing. The skimmer is extremely quite along with the pump. With the pump rated at just 8 watts is also extremely efficient. Best price I have found bought and supplied from within the UK is £93.76p (approx $140) delivered to your door and at that price it’s got to be one if not the best value for money skimmers out there rated for a tank up to 500ltrs.

Manufacturers Specifications.
Needlewheel protein skimmer
Capability: 500L (140G)
Pump: ROCK - SP1000
Pump power: 8W, 220V 50Hz /110V 60Hz
Dimensions: 185×180×470mm (7.28" * 7.08" * 18.5")
Water Level: 9.5"-11"

Skimmer assembled ready to be installed in the sump.

Bubble baffle plate showing correct installation on the pump.

Close up of skimmer cup.

.Water flow adjusting knob showing the increment numbers around the pipe holding collar.

Skimmer installed in the sump.

Dark skimmate collected in the cup.

Drain off pipe with my tap fitted.
Skimmate drained off.

Manufacturers supplied pic.

Hope the above has been of some help to those considering the purchase of one of these excellent skimmers.

Les.

[zooman72]

Very interesting - thanks for the review. This skimmer was at the top of my list for my upcoming 40B anemone/ clownfish tank build. The only thing I don't like is the lack of a plug for the collection cup drain, but that should be easy enough to remedy...

[disaster999]

There is one other quirk with this which I am told is peculiar to the Chinese in that the higher the number you dial in the water flow the more you RESTRICT the water going in to the skimmer. As you restrict the water entering the skimmer so the bubbles and foam created rise within the riser tube. This does take a little getting used to and is the reverse thinking of most European skimmers. One would normally expect the lower the number dialed in the less water would enter the skimmer not the other way round as is the case here. Still once you get used to it it’s no problem at all but it has caught a number of people out when first trying to adjust the skimmer. Adjustments are very easy to make no matter if you want a very dark skimmate or a lighter one.

I think you are mistaken here. The adjustment knob doesnt restrict the flow going into the skimmer. The flow going in and out of the skimmer is pretty much constant at all time. the adjustment knob opens or closes an opening which allows water to escape the skimmer. Close up the hole and water level goes up. Open it up and the water level falls.

 

 

 

The other thing to note about the skimmer cup apart from it’s quite large size is that is comes with a drain built in to which you attached a length of white rubber type tube to it. The idea is you drain the skimmate off into another receptacle which most find rather odd including me.

 

It seems rather strange having quite a large cup that as soon as it collects anything it exits out the bottom via the drain. You could of course block this off and just allow the cup to fill with skimmate as with most skimmer cups. I would like to have seen Bubble Magus provide a cap of sorts to block the drain off as an alternative. However I decided to add a small tap to the end of the rubber pipe to drain the cup when needed while the cup is still in place on the skimmer.

 

You must be new to skimmers, having drain plugs in the collection cup have been the norm for most skimmer manufactures for a while. Its called flexibility. It gives people the choice of either draining it to a larger receptacle so they do not need to take the skimmer cup off that frequently to empty the skimmate, or hold it in the collection up and clean it once a week.

[duoc9119]

Nice write up. Hoping people see this and follow suit.

 

I've been looking at a Bubble Magus NAC 3+. Seems like they would almost perform the same.

[atoll]

I think you are mistaken here. The adjustment knob doesnt restrict the flow going into the skimmer. The flow going in and out of the skimmer is pretty much constant at all time. the adjustment knob opens or closes an opening which allows water to escape the skimmer. Close up the hole and water level goes up. Open it up and the water level falls.

 

Yes that may well be the case as I am new to this type of skimmer I will have to investigate further and amend my review. Thanks.

 

 

You must be new to skimmers,

From my opening line "I have had a number of skimmers in my time (around 35 years in the hobby) From various Tunze’s to my first Sander air driven skimmers" Not new to skimmers at all just new to this type of skimmer and the Tunze's, Sanders and the like I have used never had one. perhaps in fact you are new to skimmers so have only seen the newer ones with drain offs. There are more manufacturers who's skimmers do not come with drain off on the cups. Aqua Medic and Deltec are others with most of their smaller skimmers not being provided with a drain off on their cups. Hardly most then as you state below.

 

having drain plugs in the collection cup have been the norm for most skimmer manufactures for a while. Its called flexibility. It gives people the choice of either draining it to a larger receptacle so they do not need to take the skimmer cup off that frequently to empty the skimmate, or hold it in the collection up and clean it once a week.

From my review above "The idea is you drain the skimmate off into another receptacle which most find rather odd including me" Perhaps you missed my opening line. Many people I know prefer the old fashioned way (if that's what you would like to call it) of simply emptying the cup. I understand BM now supply a plug to blank theirs off if needed. You have to remove the cup to clean it so its no big deal with most skimmers not to have a drain off and I know of many who prefer not to have such.

 

I should have examined the skimmer more closely as to how the adjusting knob worked in relation to the pump and I thank you for that correction.

[albertthiel]

I should have examined the skimmer more closely as to how the adjusting knob worked in relation to the pump and I thank you for that correction.

 

You are definitely NOT new to skimmers ! But since I do not have one the comment on the adjustment may need to be corrected if it is indeed so. If it is can you post the clarification to my thread as well please. Thanks

[atoll]

You are definitely NOT new to skimmers ! But since I do not have one the comment on the adjustment may need to be corrected if it is indeed so. If it is can you post the clarification to my thread as well please. Thanks

 

Yes most certainly Albert.

[albertthiel]

Yes most certainly Albert.

 

Thanks Les ... I appreciate it ... as always

[albertthiel]

I think you are mistaken here. The adjustment knob doesnt restrict the flow going into the skimmer. The flow going in and out of the skimmer is pretty much constant at all time. the adjustment knob opens or closes an opening which allows water to escape the skimmer. Close up the hole and water level goes up. Open it up and the water level falls.

 

 

You must be new to skimmers, having drain plugs in the collection cup have been the norm for most skimmer manufactures for a while. Its called flexibility. It gives people the choice of either draining it to a larger receptacle so they do not need to take the skimmer cup off that frequently to empty the skimmate, or hold it in the collection up and clean it once a week.

 

Do you actually own one of those skimmers and how many others have you owned if I may ask ?

 

Thanks for your response

[zooman72]

Good to hear that BM is now supplying a plug for the skimmer drain - I am one of those who prefer to drain and clean the cup regularly...

[atoll]

But you remove the cup to clean it with whatever skimmate is in it right? I tend to drain the cup a couple of times maybe then the next time remove the cup and clean it. However if I have my skimmer to produce very dark skimmate I will clean the cup each time and remove the skimmate both at the same time.

 

Good to hear that BM is now supplying a plug for the skimmer drain - I am one of those who prefer to drain and clean the cup regularly...

[zooman72]

But you remove the cup to clean it with whatever skimmate is in it right? I tend to drain the cup a couple of times maybe then the next time remove the cup and clean it. However if I have my skimmer to produce very dark skimmate I will clean the cup each time and remove the skimmate both at the same time.

 

I tend to end up with rather dark, thick skimmate, and the plug might get clogged, but if one where producing thinner skimmate then I could see doing it your way. Either way, I just wanted them to supply the plug so that I could decide on my own which direction I would like to go!

[disaster999]

Do you actually own one of those skimmers and how many others have you owned if I may ask ?

 

Thanks for your response

i dont own a this exact skimmer, but Ive owned 2 other Bubble Magus before. In total Ive experience with 4 different skimmers.

[atoll]

3 Tunze. 2 Deltec. 2 TMC .2 Sander. 1 Aqua Medic. 2 Home made skimmers and now1 Bubble Magus. I have played around with a few commercial size skimmers which did have drains and even flushing heads on them. That might be all I have owned or have direct experience of In my limited time so perhaps I am new to skimmers. Only the BM of the ones that I have owned ever came with a drain off.

[albertthiel]

3 Tunze. 2 Deltec. 2 TMC .2 Sander. 1 Aqua Medic. 2 Home made skimmers and now1 Bubble Magus. I have played around with a few commercial size skimmers which did have drains and even flushing heads on them. That might be all I have owned or have direct experience of In my limited time so perhaps I am new to skimmers. Only the BM of the ones that I have owned ever came with a drain off.

 

I guess bot of us have owned so many Les that we kind of know the ins and outs of all of them. And like me you probably built some yourself, at least I did, and sold small and large ones when running Thiel Aqua Tech in the 80's and onwards.

 

Gee, I remember building some of the first "venturi" operated ones in this country using Mazzei injectors, and that was in the early 80's, using powerful Grundfos Inc. pumps on them, and even had one running on 2 pumps and 2 1" venturi valves, a skimmer that was 8 feet tall and sat in my basement together with all the filters, and reactors, I also built in those days, all of which are described and shown in my first book "The Marine Fish and Invert Reef Aquarium" and also of course in the ones that followed.

 

And then there were the smaller ones that are meant to go inside the Platinum trickle filters that we sold at TAT of course, first sold under the Biozone name and then under the TAT one, after we bought out Biozone (Matt Cammarata's company).

 

After that we moved on to having them built by MTC out of NJ, a company that is still around and build real high quality devices of all kinds as Leo, the owner, is a real perfectionist and will only put out "the best".

 

Of course I used most of the ones you mention too :-0 before we built our own and before TAT came into existence, Tunze, Sander, and other German ones, and you may have used some of those too IMO.

 

Guess we kind of know skimmers in and out :-)

[spoonnz]

Good to hear that BM is now supplying a plug for the skimmer drain - I am one of those who prefer to drain and clean the cup regularly...

that is strange my nac6 came with a little plastic cap for the drain hose

[Velvet Red]

Likewise, my Curve 5 had a cap, as did my NAC3 that I had a few years ago.

[atoll]

Likewise, my Curve 5 had a cap, as did my NAC3 that I had a few years ago.

 

Sounds like mine was missing this plug then maybe because I imported it myself. However giving I have fitted a drain off tap to the end of the drain pipe I don't need it and it's no big deal. Adding the drain off tap makes it so much easier to drain the cup without removing it. I do of course remove the cup to give it a thorough clean as and when needed.

[Vic Fazio]

I had narrowed my options down to a SC-302 or the Magus 5. I purchased the Magus and couldn't be happier. I put it in the sump in 8 inches of water. It never overflowed as some have commented and was skimming heavy after 24 hours. Awesome skimmer. Glad I made the choice.