Review: Bubble Magus Curve 180 Skimmer

[peacemaker]

I bought the above skimmer recently, and decided to share a simple review. Do pardon me on the bluish pics as they were taken pretty near my tank when the lights were switched on.

The Bubble Magus Curve 180 is an in-sump skimmer that runs on an AquaBee 2000 needle wheel pump. This is the only difference compared to the Curve 7, which runs on the Rock pump, most likely a house brand.

Below are some shots during un-boxing. Basic packing requirements like foam to keep the product from knocking all over, and individual plastic wraps for every part. Comes with a one page assembly manual and a QA certificate of approval.

[peacemaker]

A display of all the parts. The skimmer body is very well built and feels solid. It wasn't as curvy as expected (you know, having the name of Curve 180, you tend to expect something very shapely... ), but in general, you could say that a slight curve is present.

The next thing that caught my attention was the base plate. It has 4 'shark fin" looking catches that locks the skimmer body in place, making it a whole lot easier to remove and clean. Looks pretty neat in white and red, like a fat shuriken.

[peacemaker]

The pump is secured to the base plate, followed by a leading box (or some may call it, a bubble plate) with nylon screws. They provided an option to switch the location for the air intake kit by making 2 holes 90^o of each other on the skimmer body.

Instead of a rubber seal for previous models, the Curve 180 uses an 'O' ring for the skimmer cup. It was a little dry, so I had to coat it with a bit of grease, in this case, Vaseline.

[peacemaker]

I liked how the model of the skimmer is etched onto the cover instead of some cheap sticker. They added a button at the bottom of the skimmer cup cover, which helps in the displacement of the organic waste into the skimmer cup. The usual drain elbow is present at the bottom of the waste collection cup.

They added a red cap on the water output adjustment tube for better grip. Muffler is secured just beside it.

[peacemaker]

Full shot of the skimmer. Placed side-by-side with the Bubble Magus NAC 7.

[peacemaker]

Now, for performance. First 2 photos are taken in less than an hour of starting the skimmer. The next 2 photos are taken 3 days later. (I actually wanted to take a photo the next day after starting the skimmer, but silly me, forgotten to seal the drain outlet, so wasted skimming for a day )

[peacemaker]

My tank is approx. the volume of a 2ft cube, and there are 6 nano fishes, 2 crabs and a fire shrimp. I feed them about 5 times a week with a mix of mysis, pellets and cycopeeze, so this gives you a rough idea of the bio load.

In summary, I'm satisfied with the performance so far, and hope that it will continue to serve me well. Pls feel free to post any questions here, and I'll try my best to answer them.

Cheers!

[Ah-lim]

Nice review dude, may I know how high is the water level for this skimmer?

[peacemaker]

The recommended water level should be approx. half of the height of the skimmer body, which is about 9.5 - 11". Here's the link from the manufacturer's website.

[tunicate]

Thanks for the review. Love the clear pics.

[william_choo]

Can pm me the price.tks

[peacemaker]

Thanks for the review. Love the clear pics.

Glad you liked it. Cheers!

Can pm me the price.tks

I bought this skimmer from DE Lightings, so pls kindly check their sponsor thread for pricing.

[mjck]

Nice review! i have the poor mans version curve 7 and my skimmate look more like pee rather than the kopi-O that you get. Cheers

[peacemaker]

I was actually afraid that it will turn out like that, that's why I opted for a reputable pump instead. Looks like the choice paid off. There must be a reason why Deltec skimmers chose AquaBee pumps before they came out with their own.

[qiang]

naise review bro whats the diameter of the base har..

thinking of getting one but cabinet design abit fail scared cannot go into my sump haiz

[peacemaker]

As per website, dimensions are 235 x 200 x 530 mm (9.25" x 7.87" x 20.8").