ATB Small Cone with Elos 120XL

[steelersfan]

I am planning on purchasing the Elos 120XL (approximately 127 gallons) in the near future. I know that every one has their own opinions on skimmers. I was thinking about going with the ATB small cone for this tank. Would this be a good choice? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[LCN]

small Atb will work fine. I have one on my 120xl and it works perfectly.

[GSMguy]

perfect fit

[steelersfan]

Thank you guys. I am going to go with the ATB small cone. I am looking forward to getting my tank up and running. :)

[uhuru]

Good choice. Steelers FTW!

[lamarine23]

The best skimmer around you won't go wrong.

[brianbigoats]

Great choice I am setting up an elos 160 with a medium

[victor90]

Brian did you move yet?

[steelersfan]

Thanks guys for the help.

From a Bulldog alumni, I love your avatar Brian. :)

[brianbigoats]

Victor
I am moving at the end of the month I will set the tank up next weekend I am going to start a build thread over on the Elos fourm next week. I Will be sure to send you some pics when it is setup. Also thanks for the goodies you sent with Jim

Steelersfan
Thank Just supporting the NO ;)

[steelersfan]

Very Cool!!!

[CeeGee]

maybe not the right place to ask but how do you adjust these skimmers for the best performance? I simply can't tell from the pics I have been able to find.

I would be looking at the ATB small for the size tank I am setting up. I use a ehiem 1260 as a return pump and I have never used a more reliable piece of equipment in the 20 years I have been in this hobby.

[GSMguy]

cee gee there is only one adjustment, that is the wedge pipe, all you do is adjust it so the bubbles are breaking around the base of the collection cup and wait.

you would love the ATB.

[GSMguy]

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q45/GSMguy/c74723d8.jpg

it depends what sump water height and pump you use for adjusting it, but here is where mine is with the sicce.

[jdg]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13823239#post13823239 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GSMguy
cee gee there is only one adjustment, that is the wedge pipe, all you do is adjust it so the bubbles are breaking around the base of the collection cup and wait.

you would love the ATB.

ATB's are adjusted with a wedge pipe? They don't have a ball valve?

[CeeGee]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13823239#post13823239 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GSMguy
cee gee there is only one adjustment, that is the wedge pipe, all you do is adjust it so the bubbles are breaking around the base of the collection cup and wait.

you would love the ATB.

I don't understand what you mean. Is this a difficult adjustment to make? I know on my ASM G3 with gatevalve mod I am constantly having to adjust the damn thing and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't and sometimes it is working well and then it overflows. I am really tired of it and just want a skimmer that kicks some a**.

Could you elaborate a little more on how this skimmer adjusts?

[GSMguy]

see the lil red things on my standpipe when they are lined up its wide open you just turn the pipe until the water is at the right level in the skimmer.

[GSMguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13828081#post13828081 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jdg
ATB's are adjusted with a wedge pipe? They don't have a ball valve?

the externals have a ball valve.

[CeeGee]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13835924#post13835924 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GSMguy
see the lil red things on my standpipe when they are lined up its wide open you just turn the pipe until the water is at the right level in the skimmer.

That seems pretty rudimentary for such an expensive skimmer and is one of the things making me wonder if these are worth the money. On the Deltecs and H&S skimmers the 1260's are held on with fittings that screw together and looks very well made. These ATB's have a hose that connects the pump that just kinda sits there it looks very homemade.

One of the main things I can't stand about my ASM G3 is how the pump connects (or doesn't) to the skimmer body. It is a real PITA. I wouldn't want to run into the same thing after dropping a grand on a skimmer.

Is the wedge pipe adjustment easy to make or will you wind up having to put your hands into to tank to make the adjustment? For this kind of money I want something that is well made, easy to adjust (and clean), and work extremely well.

[GSMguy]

silicone works best for quiet operation, Bubble king uses the same silicone hose, its very easy to make the adjustment, anything more complicated would be overkill, all you need is to set the water level.

it is real easy to clean as the whole skimmer comes apart.

the wedge pipe is pretty standard from Bubble king to MSX for adjustment.

[CeeGee]

I guess I am looking at the price tag and expecting something that can't be improved on in any form or fashion. I just remember dropping around $500 on this ASM (which is a chunk of change for me) and thinking that it was a waste of money once I saw the build quality of the skimmer. Not to mention the decent at best performance (when properly adjusted which is a daily battle itself).

I just want something that works and if you say these are good and easy to adjust and use some of the same technology that Bubble Kings use I think I will give one of these a shot once I can save up a few bucks. If these don't work as advertised I will be SOL cause there is no way the wife will let me buy something else after dropping $900+ on a skimmer.

[Jim_S]

for a 78 gallon total system any ATB you buy will be oversized and you will probably not be happy with the results.

So many people in this community have been brain washed into thinking a large/grossly oversized skimmer will work best. Not true. Your skimmer can only do so much. On 78 gallons, even a small will strip the available organics very quickly then be left to run and collect minimal amounts of DOC's for the rest of the time. This is the primary reason most people think their skimmer is no longer "working" properly when really the skimmer is working too well because its designed to function on a system with a much higher concentration of DOC's.

The small is rated for up to 250 gallons. As I gain more and more experience in this hobby I have come to the realization that high-end companies tend to rate their skimmers pretty effectively. A skimmer rated for a 250 gallon tank on a 78 gallon system is grossly oversized.

Just my $.02.

[Jim_S]

Now that I think about it, the HOB model will be coming out soon. That may be a better size for your system :)

[GSMguy]

The multi would probobly work more consistantly under 100g, the multi will run in sump just like the rest of them. however an oversized skimmer can have hidden benifits, like saving your butt in a coral spawning, or something like an anemone getting chopped up, or a large spa colony rtn.

I really don't see a problem with it.

[Jim_S]

IMHO his ASM being too big is his problem. I just don't want him to spend a G on a new skimmer and have the same issue. Sure the ATB small will be more efficient than the G3, but the G3 is already too big thus giving him mediocre results. I mean, if owning an ATB will make him happy, then by all means buy one :) (I did, and it made me VERY happy). I just have a feeling that about a month after he hooks up his new skimmer he'll find the cup filling about as much as it did on his ASM.

I see what you're saying Nick. I don't really agree that it will save your butt... It may or may not. But the root of his problem isn't the brand of skimmer. Its the size.

[CeeGee]

I am setting up a 75 gallon with a 40 breeder sump in a couple of weeks. Trying to finish the stand now (literally just came up from the garage for a break).

I bought the ASM with the assumption that I would be upgrading to a larger tank which is what I am in the process of doing now. It is funny that even though this skimmer is oversized (I agree totally) I have a nasty nasty algae issue that I am running a bac/carb system to try and remedy and it isn't working as well as I would have hoped. If nutrients were so low in this system due to a oversized skimmer why on earth would I have this algae problem? There are pics if you do a search or I could locate it and post a link. I am constantly on top of the tank and I probably have one of the worst tanks on this site. I want to remedy that and I have been working my butt off to try and make that happen.

I am also very very displeased with the build quality of the ASM. It is a total piece of junk especially when trying to clean it and getting it to stay together long enough to get it working again. Most of the tanks I see that blow me away run a skimmer that is a little larger than necessary.

That being said I want a skimmer that employs the eheim pump as I run one for a return and it is hands down the most durable piece of equipment I have ever used in a aquarium. I cleaned mine for the first time in over two years a couple of months ago (wasn't necessary but I cleaned it anyway) and it just keeps running while my $800 Tunzes clog with calcium every couple of months. The eheim is a workhorse. Don't get me started on the piece of junk sedra that came with the ASM. If you look at it wrong it stops working.

[lamarine23]

You probably have a lot more going on than just a junk skimmer....water chemistry, flow, etc....

I hate ASM skimmers they don't seem to remove organics that may require a longer contact time inside the chamber of skimmer.

[CeeGee]

Water chemistry is good always has been. I don't know how much more flow my current tank could handle without breaking apart. The Tunzes really put out the flow.