Just ordered a new H&S skimmer

[Tom Berry]

I have come to the conclusion that my old ER CS6-1 (non-recirculating) just isn't cutting it on my 75. I bit the bullet, and ordered an H&S A150 external from Brian. It should handle my 75 nicely, and even a 120 or 125, should I upgrade in the future. He is drilling a cup drain for me, since it isn't a factory option. Thanks Brian

He'll be shipping it next Wednesday. I just hope I can survive the 10 days or so, until it gets here

Tom

[invincible569]

Why did you choose H&S over others? what were your last options?

[Tom Berry]

I looked at Euroreef, Deltec and H&S.

Euroreef is supposed to be coming out with an improved pump, but it'll be 4 or 5 months, and I can't upgrade to the new pump, if I buy a skimmer now. Plus, ER seems to have some problems with ordering and customer service.

The Deltec and H&S use the same pump (AquaBee 2001), and look to be very similar in terms of quality. The H&S A150 has a larger diameter (6" vs. 5"), and is $164 cheaper than the equivalent Deltec (APF600).

Brian has a good reputation for customer service, and people who have purchased H&Ss from him are very happy with them.

Tom

[adobo]

Huh.. sounds like you and I are on the same boat. I placed my order with finsreef a week ago.

Personally, I picked H&S because I felt it was equal to any other of the best skimmers at the price point. In fact, I think it is a better value than the deltec offering. I would consider the apf600 to be the equivalent deltec offering and that goes for over $800 U.S.

My short list was:
- Deltec APF600
- H&S a150
- Euro-reef CS 6-2+rc
- Barr aquatics SK1620

I didn't go with the euro reef as I really have a bad taste in my mouth when it comes to their attitude about customers. I didn't go with the Barr aquatic skimmer since it needs a huge pump to work optimally. I think the Barr aquatic skimmer would have been more powerful but for my system, it wasn't worth the extra expense I would wind up paying for 'tricity. That left the deltec and the H&S.

[invincible569]

I didn't go with the euro reef as I really have a bad taste in my mouth when it comes to their attitude about customers. .

Thats the first time I have heard this.

[Aged Salt]

Tom, excellent choice These are top-drawer skimmers + they're available from a ZEOvit.com sponsorBob

[adobo]

Thats the first time I have heard this.

I own a euro reef cs 6-1. I consider it to be an above average product. I feel that it is a better skimmer than the comparable ETS for example. When I did my research for a more powerful skimmer, this is about what I found:

H&S has been doing recirculating needle wheel skimmers for a longer period of time (or so I am told) and seems to have figured out the optimal pump/reaction chamber combinations. As I have not used an H&S skimmer, I am taking that on faith.

Euro reef, on the other hand, has gone from sedra pumps to dolphin pumps to a new beta pump which is presumably a modified gen-x submersible (it's not really a gen-x, it is a chinese made powerhead bought and labled by gen-x). They have a confusing array of skimmers/pump combinations. This tells me that they are still trying to work out what combinations work the best and what customers are willing to buy.

Unfortunately, I tend to look beyond the product itself when I consider making a purchase. This is where I feel that euro reef is completely out done by both H&S and Deltec. Give Brian at finsreef (U.S. distrubitor for H&S products) a call and spend 5 minutes getting to know him. Nobody in the business tries harder to provide good service. If you talk to Doug at DeltecUSA, you will be impressed as well.

Then try contacting euro reef to talk to a live body to get advice as far as the best skimmer for your system. (Sure, you can get this advice from a retailer who sells euro reef, red sea, ETS and so on. But retailers rarely know a product intimately. For example, a retailer would be hard pressed to tell you the amount of air injected in a CS 6-2+ rc)

Everybody has an opinion, this is mine (for what it's worth).

[invincible569]

Everyone has an opinion. And not all of them are the same.

I hear you. Everyone has a different experience.

[adobo]

Sorry invicible, I edited my post to express in detail why I made my choice.

[Tom Berry]

I got the skimmer on Tuesday. Thanks Brian

Here are a couple of pics





So far I am very pleased. I really like the layout and design, and the overall quality is very high.

Tom

[Aged Salt]

Hi Tom, looks to be doing a fine job, already, thnx. for the F/UBob

[Fins Reef]

Tom,
Glad it's doing good for you. There is a thread on RC asking about were you got to, You are missed there. I pm'd someone where you hung out at and it seems that Zoevit.com is censored just like all the other profanity .
Anyway, thinks again and if you need any help, just PM.

[Tom Berry]

After almost 3 months, I am very happy with my H&S. It just produces lots of nasty skimmate. Thanks again Brian

After the initial tuning in, it needs very little adjustment. I did add a gate valve to the output. The standard wedge pipe works pretty well, but I like the wider range of fine adjustment that the gate valve gives me (Brian, you should consider offering one as an option.).

I have the A150 external (recirculating) model. It is rated for 225g. It works great on my 75, and I would confidently recommend it for anything up to a 120 or 125.

If you can't swing a Bubble King, H&S is a fine choice that won't disappoint.

Tom

[GTR]

Thanks for the update Tom. Are the pictures from May still accurate from the standpoint of skum color? About how much is it producing daily, weekly or whichever ever.
Any episodes of going crazy and overflowing for no known reason?

SteveU

[adobo]

I have an A150 also. I set it up when I first got it several months ago. The only thing I have changed since the original set up is that the feed pump now pulls water directly from the overflow line. The skimmate is now a dark brown instead of light brown/dark green.

What I can say is that this thing is definitely set it and forget it. Once it is tuned, you won't have to do anything to it other than empty out the cup whenever it is filled. It takes about 2 weeks to fill the collection cup with skimmate. I think this has a lot to do with the lack of nutrients in the tank. The last time I checked, the tank had undetectable nitrates and phosphates (salifert and deltec test kits respectively).

For a while, I was kicking myself for not getting the a200-1260 (still do sometimes) but honestly, on my 120+ gallons, the a200 would have been a complete waste of money.

Ted

P.S. I personally think the pipes work fine but I would have paid extra if a gate valve was offered as an option. Also, a drain on the bottom seems like a good idea though I suspect it would only work if the skimmer is somewhat elevated off the ground.