Which skimmer should I get?

Ok first off my tank is a 4X2X2 120g tank and I am wanting it to be a mostly sps/sps with a few softies. My current fish list is

1blue hippo tang
1royal gramma
1leopard wrasse
1foxface rabbitfish
1pajama cardinal
1chromii
2clowns

I plan on putting in an achilles tang so it will have a decent bioload.
what I am basically wondering is if the reefdynamics 180 recirculating model is the best for the money I will end up spending($1100) or if there is a different skimmer that is cheaper and would be better to run.

 

I got a reef octopus DNW-150, which is very similar to that one for around $250... I'm heavily stocked and keeping sps, see my thread below... It does a great job and I can't imagine needing a better skimmer..

I think spending over $500 on a skimmer for a 120g is crazy! it is just WAY to much to invest into a skimmer, there are lots more practical things to put your money into...

I believe the days of "over-sized skimmers" are over.

 

So why do you want a recirc? Do you have a sump. That much money for that skimmer is crazy. There are much better for that kind of money. Get an ATB 840 or a Bubble King mini 180 for that kind of dough. Best out there period.

You could get an ATB 840 for ~$600, a 8.5 delux for $1000 or a BK Mini 180 for 1K.

 

yes, I have a 40g sump with built in refugium I should have mentioned that. I think I am going to go with the bubble magus, they seem to have an incredible rating. And I heard they got the rights to the atb bodies.

 

I have heard wonder reviews for the SWC skimmers. I have been heavily contemplating dumping my c-skim1200 for one in my 155. Very nicely priced too.

 

Not hardly. A cone from BM does not a ATB make. Not even in the same universe. BMs make good econo skimmers, but there is better and then there is much much better.

To buy equipment you usually have some physical constraints like size and rating... what type you want like internal or external... and then we come to price and what budget you have to work with.

I'm not sure what it is you want cause you went from a $1100 recirc to a $200 BM.

 

Well, Internal would be the best for my design and my budget is around $350 the rest is going towards leds.

 

Your skimmer is about the most important filter you buy. If you have the money for it, then you should spend it there. That being said... you do not need to get a Rolls Royce Bubble King to get a good skimmer. there are plenty of good skimmers out there and it gets harder to justify shelling out a lot.

ATB is about the best out there. $600 for a 840 is a great price and is perfect for your tank. Octo XP2000 would be another good one. SWC has some good stuff but not in your range. They use the old Sicce pump and there is better. Skimz and Aquamaxx are other good ones.

Bubble Magus puts out good skimmers for the money. They give pretty good performance for the price. But they are cheap Chinnesse knock offs of what is out there. They are econo skimmers close to the bottom of the price range. Good performance to be sure and they fill a need and a price point, but a bit more money will get you better materials and pump and better performance.

Personally I would not get another Bubble King unless it was used for a good price. But I would get a good mid level skimmer no problems. Plenty of companies offer good equipment at competitive prices.

 

I have a DNW-150 great skimmer it does a great job never had a problem with it. Very ajustable, Very easy to Clean and runs pretty quiet too

good luck

 

Just picked up the SWC 160 cone skimmer for my new 90gallon. Heard great things