RollaJase's Trip Off the Deep End - Custom Rimless 55G

[RollaJase]

Alk still dropping , I upped the dose a few ml and called it a day. The Cal and Mag are rising ever so slightly so it should be safe enough for me to leave for 10 days.

 

Catch you all on the flip side !

[4x5]

Have a good time. Don't stress the Alk, mine dropped to 5.6 a while back with no issues.

[RollaJase]

Have a good time. Don't stress the Alk, mine dropped to 5.6 a while back with no issues.

Thanks Shaun . I'm not overly concerned, it is something I can rectify when I return .

 

Sitting at the airport now, flight to Singapore leaves in about an hour to start the first leg of my flights.

[RollaJase]

Flew back in from Thailand yesterday morning. Tank was fine with the exception of cyano across the entire sandbed (I was expecting this as it was starting to develop before I left). SPS have lost some colour with the exception of the green stag which is still crazy bright. I did a water change and cleaned the glass yesterday but that was the extent of my maintenance.

 

Now that I am home my big project is to finish off my light. It may take a slight back seat though as I think I may need to pick up this new skimmer sooner rather than later.

[ninjamyst]

welcome back! glad the tank is doing well and hope you had a blast in thailand.

[markalot]

Flew back in from Thailand yesterday morning. Tank was fine with the exception of cyano across the entire sandbed (I was expecting this as it was starting to develop before I left). SPS have lost some colour with the exception of the green stag which is still crazy bright. I did a water change and cleaned the glass yesterday but that was the extent of my maintenance.

 

Now that I am home my big project is to finish off my light. It may take a slight back seat though as I think I may need to pick up this new skimmer sooner rather than later.

 

What a relief, welcome back.

[RollaJase]

welcome back! glad the tank is doing well and hope you had a blast in thailand.

Thanks . I had fantastic time in Thailand. When I get a chance to go through my pictures I will post up a few.

 

 

What a relief, welcome back.

Thanks Mark . It's always nice to go away for a while but it's also nice to be back home.

[Felicia]

Glad to hear the tank fared well while you were gone. I hope you had an amazing trip!

[RollaJase]

Glad to hear the tank fared well while you were gone. I hope you had an amazing trip!

Thanks Felicia . The trip was fantastic! Unfortunately I didn't get to go diving like I wanted to but saw a heap of cool stuff. I'm planning on going through my photos over the weekend and will post up a few if I have time.

[RollaJase]

So, I'm in need of ordering my new skimmer. My Tunze 9004 that I bought over from my 30G just can't keep up as it is at the upper end of its maximum volume rating (250L).

 

I have had my heart set on a Bubble Magus Curve 5 for a while now but have recently been looking at other options. My skimmer chamber is roughly 260mm x 215mm (10"x8.5") so it gives me a bit of space to work with. My total water volume (display and sump) is around 230-240L (around 63G) once you factor in equipment, rock, sand etc.

 

The models I have been looking at are as follows:

-Bubble Magus Curve 5 (rated up to 500L, AC pump)

-Bubble Magus C5.5 (rated up to 500L, has a more powerful pump over the Curve 5, AC pump)

-Skimz SN123 (rated up to 500L, more similar to Curve 5 but have not heard great things about build quality, DC pump)

-Bubble Magus Curve 7 (rated up to 900L, uses same pump as C5.5, AC pump)

-Coral Box D500 (rated up to 500L, DC pump)

 

*EDIT*

Found a few more suitable models at a reasonable price.

-Reef Octopus Classic 500 SSS (rated up to 500L, AC pump)

-Reef Octopus Classic 800 SSS (rated up to 800L, AC pump)

(Think these two may be a discontinued model.)

-Reef Octopus Cone Sump Saver 1000 (rated up to 500L, AC pump)

-Reef Octopus Classic 500L OTP (rated up to 500L, AC pump, may not fit)

 

 

Of the above models the D500 is the most expensive as the exchange rate to USD is rubbish, it costs roughly $320AUD shipped with an AUD plug. The Curve 5 is the cheapest at $190AUD shipped. Personally I'm leaning towards the C5.5 as it has a higher capacity pump over the Curve 5 (the Curve 7 uses the same pump) but it does have a shorter body so I'm not sure how that will effect skimming. The Coral Box skimmer is great and uses a Jebao DC pump but really it is pretty much 150% of the budget I have set aside for a skimmer so I'm reluctant to take the plunge.

 

I'm open to other suggestions when it comes to skimmers. I have checked out Nyos, Deltec, Vertex and a few others but even entry level models cost 2-3 times more than the Coral Box over here.

[Sancho]

Man they hose you guys down under. The d500 can be had here for $180 I found this http://www.fish-street.com/bfont_color_inch_red_inch_australia_warehousefontbI always get free shipping when I order from them.

[ninjamyst]

You would think it will cheaper to get Chinese product by you...

[RollaJase]

Man they hose you guys down under. The d500 can be had here for $180 I found this http://www.fish-street.com/bfont_color_inch_red_inch_australia_warehousefontbI always get free shipping when I order from them.

Yeah that's where I was looking at it, note the top right hand corner where the drop down is set to US Dollars? Change that to Australian Dollars and you see my predicament lol, the current exchange rate is roughly $1AUD = $0.70USD. Skimmer is $252AUD plus $15AUD for power plug and $40AUD freight from Hong Kong. Bit of a joke really lol. If I could get it sub $300AUD shipped I would probably buy it.

You would think it will cheaper to get Chinese product by you...

Yeah you would, but China tends to trade in the strongest most stable western currency which always seems to be USD, Unless they have a warehouse in Europe then they also trade in Euro.

[Sancho]

This is the country that people pay $100 for a cleaner shrimp.

[RollaJase]

This is the country that people pay $100 for a cleaner shrimp.

If I could get a cleaner fro $100 I would buy one lol, I have never seen them for less than $130-$140 each in store. Then again, I can get an SPS colony the size of a softball for about $30 .

[Sancho]

Yeah that's where I was looking at it, note the top right hand corner where the drop down is set to US Dollars? Change that to Australian Dollars and you see my predicament lol, the current exchange rate is roughly $1AUD = $0.70USD. Skimmer is $252AUD plus $15AUD for power plug and $40AUD freight from Hong Kong. Bit of a joke really lol. If I could get it sub $300AUD shipped I would probably buy it.

Yeah you would, but China tends to trade in the strongest most stable western currency which always seems to be USD, Unless they have a warehouse in Europe then they also trade in Euro.

It was in stock in the Australian warehouse. Should ship from Australia. Looks like it $252 AUD + $14 AUD for the plug. I would send them an email. Unless you want expedited shipping they are usually good for free shipping. Fish Street is an odd company. If you order from the Australian warehouse sometimes you need to tell them to also ship from that warehouse. I dont get it. Its worth sending them an email.

[RollaJase]

It was in stock in the Australian warehouse. Should ship from Australia. Looks like it $252 AUD + $14 AUD for the plug. I would send them an email. Unless you want expedited shipping they are usually good for free shipping. Fish Street is an odd company. If you order from the Australian warehouse sometimes you need to tell them to also ship from that warehouse. I dont get it. Its worth sending them an email.

Funny thing about Australia, a lot of the time when something is 'In Stock' it is actually drop shipped from China to Australia before being shipped to the end user. This way they pay less on floor space and can cater to a larger global market. This is why I would have to pay for an AUD power cable as all Australian delivered Jebao DC pumps come with AUD plugs. Then again, from memory the Jebao DC pumps use a standard IEC/Kettle plug on the power supply, I have tons of those cables anyway lol.

 

I will send them an email though, $40 shipping within Australia is a joke, for something that ships pretty much flat pack and is fairly light. If it is coming from Hong Kong I can understand the freight cost but it shouldn't be that high. The Curve 5 I can get comes from Hong Kong and has included freight for $190AUD.

[Felicia]

I love my Reef Octopus skimmer! I have to say that this is my first "big" skimmer and I just love it compared to any of the nano skimmers or even the SCA skimmer that I had. My big recommendation would be to make sure you get a skimmer with a gate valve adjustment and not one with the rotating pipe adjustment. I hated the adjustment on the SCA skimmer (even though it was a good skimmer otherwise). It would get moved out of place constantly and it was hard to dial it in exactly. The gate valve on my Reef Octopus skimmer is soooo much better. You can really fine tune it and then once its where you want it, its never going to move unless you make the choice to adjust it. I bought mine used and I haven't had to clean the pump or anything since I got it. Its super reliable and quite the work horse.

[RollaJase]

I love my Reef Octopus skimmer! I have to say that this is my first "big" skimmer and I just love it compared to any of the nano skimmers or even the SCA skimmer that I had. My big recommendation would be to make sure you get a skimmer with a gate valve adjustment and not one with the rotating pipe adjustment. I hated the adjustment on the SCA skimmer (even though it was a good skimmer otherwise). It would get moved out of place constantly and it was hard to dial it in exactly. The gate valve on my Reef Octopus skimmer is soooo much better. You can really fine tune it and then once its where you want it, its never going to move unless you make the choice to adjust it. I bought mine used and I haven't had to clean the pump or anything since I got it. Its super reliable and quite the work horse.

A friend of mine has used nothing but Reef Octopus skimmers since he started the hobby over a decade ago and swares by them. I have never had a 'proper' skimmer either, the closest I have come to that was an airstone skimmer that I bought on eBay lol. Thanks for the tip on the gate valve adjustment, it definitely looks more reliable than the tube style. Which Reef Octopus are you using Felicia?

 

Taking another look, the Reef Octopus Classic 500L OTP looks like a good contender, but it is a tad large for my skimmer chamber. I could probably make it fit if I positioned it diagonally in my chamber though. I really like the look of the Ikstrakt Space Saving 1 also but they are around $500AUD which is double my budget lol, again, it may not fit. The Cone Sump Saver 1000 will fit also but I can't find it for sale in Australia . Looks like the LFS that built my tank is a local reseller though, may give them a call for some pricing.

[Felicia]

A friend of mine has used nothing but Reef Octopus skimmers since he started the hobby over a decade ago and swares by them. I have never had a 'proper' skimmer either, the closest I have come to that was an airstone skimmer that I bought on eBay lol. Thanks for the tip on the gate valve adjustment, it definitely looks more reliable than the tube style. Which Reef Octopus are you using Felicia?

 

Taking another look, the Reef Octopus Classic 500L OTP looks like a good contender, but it is a tad large for my skimmer chamber. I could probably make it fit if I positioned it diagonally in my chamber though. I really like the look of the Ikstrakt Space Saving 1 also but they are around $500AUD which is double my budget lol, again, it may not fit. The Cone Sump Saver 1000 will fit also but I can't find it for sale in Australia .

I can't really compare to the other "real" skimmer since I've only had the Reef Octopus, but I love it! I have the 110 INT. The only issue with it is that the version I have takes up a lot of sump space because the pump is off to the side of the skimmer. However, I personally prefer that because I had enough space and this way if I need to clean the pump, I just unscrew a fitting real quick and I can pull out the pump without moving the skimmer body at all. I had to clean the SCA skimmer pump a couple times when it would stop starting back up and it was a pain to have to lift the whole skimmer out of the sump to get to the pump. However, if space is tight, then the pumps under the skimmer are the way to go.

[RollaJase]

I can't really compare to the other "real" skimmer since I've only had the Reef Octopus, but I love it! I have the 110 INT. The only issue with it is that the version I have takes up a lot of sump space because the pump is off to the side of the skimmer. However, I personally prefer that because I had enough space and this way if I need to clean the pump, I just unscrew a fitting real quick and I can pull out the pump without moving the skimmer body at all. I had to clean the SCA skimmer pump a couple times when it would stop starting back up and it was a pain to have to lift the whole skimmer out of the sump to get to the pump. However, if space is tight, then the pumps under the skimmer are the way to go.

Ah ok, looks like the 110 INT is the older model of the newer Classic OTP series. That's the issue I am having, with the pump external to the body most options wont fit in the space I have. I do like the idea of just removing the pump when I need to service the skimmer, saves a lot of hassle and mess. I may do a bit of research towards Reef Octopus again and see if I can find one that fits my budget and space restraints. Thanks for your input Felicia! .

[Felicia]

Ah ok, looks like the 110 INT is the older model of the newer Classic OTP series. That's the issue I am having, with the pump external to the body most options wont fit in the space I have. I do like the idea of just removing the pump when I need to service the skimmer, saves a lot of hassle and mess. I may do a bit of research towards Reef Octopus again and see if I can find one that fits my budget and space restraints. Thanks for your input Felicia! .

Yep no problem! Like I said, I bought mine used so its an old model and they change the models all the time. If you can find one that fits space and budget, I'd just go for one of the ones with the gate valve adjustment if possible. That really made the difference to me when I upgraded, but maybe the pipe adjustment ones don't bother other people as much.

[RollaJase]

Yep no problem! Like I said, I bought mine used so its an old model and they change the models all the time. If you can find one that fits space and budget, I'd just go for one of the ones with the gate valve adjustment if possible. That really made the difference to me when I upgraded, but maybe the pipe adjustment ones don't bother other people as much.

You definitely have me looking at a gate valved one now lol. I did take a look at some local classified and where there are a few skimmers available, most seem to be 1000-2000L rated models for huge tanks and the ones that fit my volume are HOB Style. Oh well, I planned on buying new anyway.

[RollaJase]

Re-measured my skimmer chamber last night. I definitely have 260mm x 215mm to play with which puts some of the above options out of contention. Some of the options above measure 265-270mm x 180-200mm, something like this I should be able to make fit by positioning it diagonally but I don't really want to risk it. The Reef Octopus Classic 500 OTP for example is 270mm long with the pump but only 170mm wide so diagonal placement should allow it to fit. Skimmers with internal pumps from the above options wont be a problem as most of them measure 180mm x 180mm or 200m x 200mm. I have my LFS looking at a few of the Reef Octopus options for me but told me that parts are getting harder to come by within Australia so also recommended a Deltec DC option as well as the Nyos 12. While they are great skimmers, they are twice what I budgeted for the upgrade.

[Sancho]

Have you looked on Ali express? Most brand name skimmers are made in China and there are plenty of knock offs probably made by the same company. I saw some nice no name skimmers with Jebao DC pumps that were affordable.