Bubble King Skimmers

[Anonymous]

I have been reading up on the Bubble King skimmers lately. Actually, I have been reading up on most of the better skimmers. Some of you may have followed my threads where I was having problems with my beckett getting clogged. I also have a thread where I converted the beckett to a penductor skimmer. It's still skimming pretty well. It might even be an excellent skimmer, but I have only used it for a week and have had it dialed in good, and had it dailed out completely. Even flooded it a time or too. But somehow along the way, I have fallen in love with the Bubble King. So much so that I don't think I can stop myself from going ahead and ordering a 300 EXT model. I have one in my cart as we speak.

Help me stop.....

Can't stop myself.......

As long as the wife never finds out how much it costs...

Must have it.....

Louey

 

[Len]

What in particular do you like about the Bubble King? It's twice the price as a comparable Deltec, and Deltecs are already very pricey

 

[Anonymous]

What Len said. If you want that kind of skimmer get an ER. If you really want to spend the $$ get the deltec.

 

[Anonymous]

Len wrote:

What in particular do you like about the Bubble King?

What's not to like about them...

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

Look at this skimmate. Even the picture smells horrible! :lol:

 

[Len]

Ya, but my Deltec and my old Euroreef can do that kind of skimmate too It just doesn't use that sexy Red Dragon pump and red PVC. FYI: The Deltec's bubble performance is impressive so far. It is a cut above the Euroreef. I wish the Euroreef could use Eheims.

 

[Anonymous]

Len, is your Deltec new to your new 58G, or have you had it for awhile?

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

Louey wrote:

I have fallen in love with the Bubble King.

Here is the biggest problem. :lol:

Those bubble kings are some seriously impressive pieces of equipment.

The Deltecs look alot like the ER and ASM's. Is there something about Deltec's that makes them clealy better then the other two?

Louey

 

[Len]

Len, is your Deltec new to your new 58G, or have you had it for awhile?

Louey

I don't have a 58G, you ninny It's 52x28x28 (about 180 gallons). I picked the Deltec for two main reasons: compact + recirc. Euroreef has a recirc but it's huge and unwieldly. I want a recirc because the pump is off the floor and thus is a lot quieter.

The reason why the Bubble King and Deltec are more impressive with its foam production is because they use better pumps then the Euroreef. Deltec's bigger skimmers use Eheims, and the Bubble King uses Red Dragons ($$$ pumps). Other then that, the design principle is pasically the same. FWIW, Euroreefs and Bubble Kings have better/sexier build quality. The Deltec performs outstanding, but if I had any small complaint, it's not massively overbuilt like the ER or BK.

FWIW, the performance differences in these top-tier skimmers really isn't going to make or break a tank. They are nice toys/trophies to have though

 

[Anonymous]

Len wrote:

I don't have a 58G, you ninny It's 52x28x28

Well.....I see two 5's and two 8's in the above. I guess that's were my confusion came from.

The Deltec performs outstanding, but if I had any small complaint, it's not massively overbuilt like the ER or BK.

The Deltec's aren't really much cheaper than a BK. An AP702 is $1679 versus $2399 for the BBK 350 EXT.

Deltec seems to give their skimmers a pretty high rating. That AP 702 is rated at 400-530 gallons. That seems kind of high for a 24" tall skimmer with only two recirc pumps. A Euroreef CS12-3 is rated for 500G's, is 36" tall, uses 3 sedra pumps, and is $300 less.

Size and noise are not an issue for me since I have a fish room

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

One thing is for sure, whatever I buy, I don't want to ever have buyers remorse. If I am going to lay out $1300 or $2400, I better be damn happy forever. Both amounts are alot of money, and I don't mind spending it once. But not twice.

Reefkeeping has slowly taught me to go ahead and buy good stuff now, or your junk closet gets full when you buy good stuff later. :lol:

As a matter of fact, I going to start selling some stuff it the For Sale forum soon.

Louey

 

[Len]

I'd argue the two Eheims on the Deltec may produce more foam then the three Sedras on the ER. I'm not sure how the Eheims work so well, but they do. I really wasn't a Deltec believer before. I got the skimmer because it is recirc and a better recirc design then the ER. But having seen the foam it can produce, I'm really impressed.

My main design knock for the BK is it's not a recirc design. For $2k+, I'd want a recirc needle wheel. But it seems the Red Dragon pump provides so much flow/volume that it doesn't really matter.

If the Deltec is overrating their capcity, then so is the BK . THe 300EXT for $2400 is suppose to handle 793 gallons with a 10" diameter (same as the Deltec 702). I don't know about you, but $700 isn't a small difference

 

[Anonymous]

Len wrote:

My main design knock for the BK is it's not a recirc design. For $2k+, I'd want a recirc needle wheel. But it seems the Red Dragon pump provides so much flow/volume that it doesn't really matter.

The BK is a recirc design. That Red Dragon pump has a titanium pin wheel. Granted there is only one recirc pump, but it apprears to work really well.

Why do you say it's not a recirc design?

You do have to provide a seperate pump to feed the skimmer (or gravity feed it).

Here's a picture of their needle wheel

Louey

 

[Len]

My bad. I think only the in-sump model draws water in from the sump. The EXT models look like recircs from what I can tell in the pics. However, there is a small possiblity the feed pump feeds the base box of the EXT models from which the Red Dragon draws from, which could mean it's not a recirc after all. I've never seen an EXT model work.

 

[Anonymous]

In the picture with the bulldog, you can see the fitting where the feed pump line connects too in front of the red dragon pump. I would guess that the feed water and the water from the dragon both go down into the box.

Do you think it is more advantages for the recirc pump to recirc within the cylinder? I don't see where it would make any difference if it goes in the cylinder vs. the box on the BK.

One more question about Deltec: Is the lead time 3 months like the larger Euroreefs, or are they in stock somewhere?

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

If you want my advice Louey, I would lean more towards this model skimmer...


I call it the BK bubble skimmer


Its truly the "KING" of skimmers


Plus you can have it your way.......











:lol:

 

[Anonymous]

I love it Knucklehead! That's great. They should use that pic in their advertisements. :lol:

Louey

 

[Len]

My concern is that the feed water travels into the bottom box and into the Red Dragon needle wheel pump directly, is skimmed, and the exits the skimmer without being recirculated. Also entirely possible is that the base box actually holds no water. The inlet for the feed pump goes down into the box but may be directly plumbed to the intake of the needle wheel pump (and the outlets plumbed through the box in similiar fashion). I really can't tell. Looking at the base box more and more, I actually think my latter scenario is the case. The base box doesn't seem to be immaculately sealed (the corner joinings and the cut out holes for the piping don't look watertight). The plumbing locations also suggest there's no water in the base (the inlet for the feed pump is very close to the inlet for the needle wheel pump and the outlet holes in the reaction chamber are right next to the outlet pipes).

All just speculation, but I don't think BKs are recirculating.

Deltec USA stocks skimmers. I don't know what they have in stock, but Deltecs aren't built to order. I got my skimmer within a week because it was in stock.

 

[Anonymous]

I have been reading Deltec threads here and at other forums and they are definately peaking my interest.

Question: This that self cleaning head option really for a AP902 really an additional $1132? How can that be? The skimmer lists for $1735.

If that is correct, can someone eloborate on how it works and why it is worth so much. That would make the AP902 almost $2900. Ouch, now that makes the Bubble King seem cheap.

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

Go to ASMSKIMMER.com and get the G5 and turn it into the recirculating model on your own. You can position it anyway you want.