Power head or skimmer

Hey guys, I have 3 fish, and xenia and a zoa. Today I have $40 to spend money on. And I was unsure what to get first. Eventually i will have both later on. But anyway the question is...

Today should I get koralia powerhead 1?
OR
Oceanic Skimmer?

What should I get first?

 

Do you have any flow in your tank currently? If not, the power head should be your 1st priority. I've heard the K1s are petty weak. You may want to consider a K2 for a 29G tank. Also I don't think you'll find a skimmer for $40 unless you come across a great deal on CL.

 

Power head is a MUST if you dont already have one. If you dont have any you might want to invest in two mj1200s to start with to really increase the flow. WIth out power heads theres no way to get teh gas exchange that the tank needs.

 

+1 with both above. You need that water moving in your DT

 

+1 on the MJ 1200's. They are awesome pumps and will work really good in your reef.

$40 for a skimmer doesn't sound like much of a skimmer. I wouldn't skimp on this. Trust me, I made the same mistake twice. Find a skimmer that has good ratings and is worth buying. That may cost $100 or more for reef your size..

 

The K1 would move some water in maybe a 10g. It really is weak..I know..I have one and its now in the box of memories in my closet. For the money..I'd go with Maxi-Jets all the way.

 

Well, id take any other hydors over a maxijet due to the spread of water BUT in this case i think 2 mj1200s are better fit for the budget and the needs. One hydor probably wont be enough movement for the take while two mj1200s would be awsome and create a lot of movement. Then when you get the spare cash buy the deflectors for them that cause even more random water movement!!

 

hey if you ever come up to the sacramento area (like a 2.5 hour drive) i have so much reef stuff i need to sell and corals...i have upgraded too many times. but if you ever do hit me up!

 

Agreed... powerheads keep your stuff up in the water column so your skimmer can suck it out etc. So.. skimmer before powerhead would defeat most of the purpose. It will work and still suck crap, but powerheads are much more important first.

I have a modded mj1200 on my 125g.... for $30 in a pump.. its nuts..

 

Yea i have two modded mj1200s in my 180 and its awsome