Royal Exclusiv

[dragoncube]

I have been reading up again on the skimmers and although there are considerable number of new brands that were not around previously, I still see the Bubble King as one of the top end skimmers.

My question is are there any LFS that carry this brand, I recall there were a few previously, but they no longer carry them on their website.

I am keen to try one, perhaps some kind forumer can pm me the contact/info.

[Guest]

Reef depot used to carry those but not anymore. Maybe you can also check out the range of vertex skimmer which is also manufactured by royal exclusive.

[tofubox]

+1 , haven't seen bubbleking in a while at any LFS. As Harlequin mentioned, the vertex skimmers i.e the omega 150 is a beast. I dont use it personally as my tank is undersized for it. But i've read alot of reviews and watched many videos. All very good positive feedback with crazy good skimate right of the start. Will definitely be my choice of skimmer if i plan on an upgrade. Worth considering. Cheers.

[dragoncube]

Thanks for the info. I definitely will check that out.

[SunkistC]

Hi bro if really getting Vertex need to take note of the following issue when buying:

Some users encountered alignment problems...

[dragoncube]

Thanks for the heads up.

[Guest]

Hi bro if really getting Vertex need to take note of the following issue when buying:

 

 

Some users encountered alignment problems...

I think that was a batch problem, I saw in RC all the pump come with an additional holder now to avoid such issue.

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[dragoncube]

well I am not advertising for anyone, but I tried to contact Royal Exclusive. They responded: currently in the region they only have dealers in HK and Taiwan, or considering getting from them direct.

I am concerned about the GST and checking with them if they can declare the value during postal at a lower value. Plus shipping probably take months...

[tofubox]

Erm, which models are u looking for? Still bubblekings? If its the vertex, check out our sponsor

[dragoncube]

currently still short listing potential models and brands. Now fretting over home loans and renovation contractors.....

[youdontnowm]

Double post*

[youdontnowm]

Just sharing , Ever looked into skimz skimmer ? Sg brand but using eden pump (italy) and also heard its same manufacturer as eheim pumps. Rc have goodGood reviews. V.silent and strong. plus AquaMarin have the replacement pump, no need worry that cannot find replacement pump if spoil one day lol. Since pump is the workhorse of the skimmer hahaha . Post #8 : http://www.3reef.com/forums/filters-pumps-etc/quietest-compact-return-pumps-around-400gph-143641.html#.U0frNtPmjFo'>http://www.3reef.com/forums/filters-pumps-etc/quietest-compact-return-pumps-around-400gph-143641.html#.U0frNtPmjFo

[james72]

For venturi can check out life reef with mazzei 1" venturi.

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[LittleBurger]

currently still short listing potential models and brands. Now fretting over home loans and renovation contractors.....

my bk skimmer pump failed on me after 2yrs 4 mths. Prior to buying a bk, I was told by a local seller that motor block failure is a common problem. I also found out from reef central that this is true. Why I proceed to buy online the bk is I never expect I would be so "lucky" n indeed I am.

If I buy a new identical pump from bk, it would be 512euros. Well after emailing to makers of bk, I decided to look at other brands of skimmer pumps.

The bk skimmer body built quality is awesome but when u get a skimmer, it is important to have a reliable pump as well.

Take note of how the skimmer body is made. U can easily distinguish cheap plastics n quality acrylic. Those body that dun have glued lines, meaning single piece moulded are more expensive.

Cheap looking skimmers still performs. It's only a feel good factor when u look at a quality skimmer sitting in your sump.

So when u r choosing a skimmer, u can look at these features. Reef octopus skimmers are good too. I like their new Prime series though no one has buy it yet so u need to decide if u r willing to take the risk.

The few brands recommended by reefers are also good.

Lastly, dun forget the skimmer footprint and the height required so u can remove the collection cup easily.

[dragoncube]

I am reading the Vertex 130 review in reefcentral, seems like the folks are having some issues with it.

I don't think I can run a 150 for a 2 footer.

[tofubox]

Hey bro, just curious, what kind of issues are they having? Close to getting one for new project. So far what i read had good reviews, maybe i should dig further.

[dragoncube]

Several users say that the skimmer overflows and the setting was not consistent. The good reviews you heard are first hand? Sometimes these forum also cannot trust 100%. You know what I mean.

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[tofubox]

Nah bro, mainly from forums too. Or maybe that was when it was first released and with all the hype things may have gotten exaggerated. I guess, its back to deltec. lol. Only a few brands i can trust really.

[dragoncube]

Any former with first hand experience with the 130?

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[angmoh]

are deltec skimmers too cheap for you to consider ? otherwise personally i think they are good skimmers with great local support.

[dragoncube]

I am just curious on the skimmers I have not tried before.

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[xiggie]

What's the difference between a china brand skimmer to a more expensive euro/us made ones?

I've noticed that bubble magus don't have a valve to control air .. Which is easily solved ,that's what I did and it's skimming better compared to without an air valve .. Always skimming wet even at max water output.

That's the diff from an expensive skimmer to cheap ones rite an air valve? Or is there other factors like reliability? Well ,expensive pumps do breakdown.

[tofubox]

Hey xiggie, its not only the design when its comes to good quality skimmers. A badly designed skimmer can come with a control air valve too.

A good quality skimmer, in this case we talking about euro/us made, are actually manufactured with higher quality standards. I.e Good polishing, better quality acrylic, hand wielded, titanium screws, ease of use, high quality pump. Overall, a good quality skimmer can be considered more reliable i.e Most of these skimmer offer longer warrenty. As always any equipment can be prone to breaking down, therefore paying a high price does not necessarily mean its 100% fail proof. You still have to keep up with maintenance, such as washing out the skimmer, cleaning the pump, removing built up calcium deposits, fine tuning the skimmer to match the tank.

A china skimmer is just as good, reliable brands are like Bubble magus, SWC, Reef octopus. These guys are comparable on many levels with the US/Euro skimmers. These are affordable for many reasons, such as cheaper cost of labor to manufacture, Mass production of a single product, Cheaper materials. etc etc. Concept of a skimmer is the same end of the day. You pay for what u get.

[Jamie @ Vertex]

When choosing your skimmer, consider what you require volume-wise and tank type (FOWLR is not the same as a reef). Then start looking at skimmers for their construction and ease of cleaning. Many skimmers are very difficult to properly clean (if you cannot completely disassemble it, don't bother with it), some are built of materials that easily crack and break. Small items can be important, such as nylon screws versus titanium. Nylon strips very easily, then try to get them out! As there are a few different types of skimmers, one may have developed a preference. I prefer venturi-types skimmers with an adjustable volute and standpipe. Very easy to tune and maintain. Tuning skimmers is a bit of an art form. The final setting will depend on how you wish to skim. Dry or wet. A wet skim requires a higher water level in the skimmer and finer bubbles pushing out. For a dryer skim, the level should be lower and the bubbles a bit larger. Too large bubbles and the skimm action will be too weak. In a volute-type venturi (such as the Vertex Alpha and Omega series) one needs to find the correct air/water mix by screwing the inner piece out. If it is completely closed, this will pull too much air in most cases and the skimmer may overflow or even cavitate (pulsing of the engine due to too much air going in). This is where useres often get confused and desperate. A good starting point is to open the volute about 2 full turns and then adjust the standpipe of the skimmer and get a good water height (typically in the neck window). The water height is important as this defines the general pressure inside the skimmer blody, as well as the water flow rate. The third factor in setting-up a skimmer is the water depth in the sump. Normally one is recommended, but this is not written in stone! If a skimmer tends to overflow in your situation, raising it a centimeter may well solve the problem. To summarise, we have three factors which we can easily adjust; water depth, flow-though rate and air/water mix. If we start with the last first by setting the volute, while the stand pipe is fully open, we can get the correct bubble size. Next we adjust the standpipe to play with the pressure/flow rate. Once this is set, we simply wait and see how it runs. It it overflows after a while and is otherwise showing the kind of foam we prefer, one may adjust the water level by raising the skimmer. Normally, this is not required, but it is a possibility. often one can get the same result by opening the stand pipe a bit to reduce the flow rate/pressure. Something to remember is, changes in skimmer settings need about 15-60 mins to become obvious. The reason is the relatively slow flow through a skimmer. Changing the bubblesize, changes the foam density, which changes its ability to rise. For this chain of events to become clear takes time. Patience is a must. A skimmer is one of the most important (and usefull!) parts of the modern reef aquarium. Getting to know how one functions is always a good idea. The more you understand your particular skimmer, the more work you can get out of it. Most of the questions I receive concerning our skimmers are based on a lack of understanding as to what happens in a skimmer and why they are different on different systems. At Vertex Aquaristik we pride ourselve on our skimmers, which are the result of decades of use and research. Foam-fractionation is a science of its own. Using the priciple of foam on a beach to clean an aquarium was quite a jump in thought. If you have questions, just let me know. Jamie

[dragoncube]

Thank you for the extensive write up. Right now my plans are still changing. I am keen to start a small tank first but there is also the issue of moving it later when my place is ready. If I start small I may have to look at hang on skimmers. But I am not too fond of hang on skimmers. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk