Coralife products??
 

Hi
I'm just in the early stages of setting up my first Marine aquarium, so I'm new to the hobby. I found a 180 gal set up with most of the equipment I think I need. I spent this weekend making my sump out of a 40 gal tank and it all seems to work quite well. My set up will be FOWLR, probably about 180 - 200 bls of LR, stock list
2 Volitan Lions
2 Eels (Snowflake and Zebra or similar)
1 Emperor Angel or similar
1 Cherry Grouper
Possibly 1 Puffer of some description.
My question is, will I be OK with a Coralife 220 as my skimmer? Anyone familiar with the 220? Whats it like? Should I be investing in something better, I've heard quite a bit about Precision Marine and their Bullet series skimmers, but there bloody expensive!! and I'm really trying to do this on a tight budget...
Any help / ideas would be very much appreciated
Thanks in advance

Hi uksub. I'm a fan of Coralife in general, I've used a Coralife light fixture and a Coralife RO/DI unit for quite a while now, and they've both been great. However, I have heard sub-par reviews of their skimmers (I've never used a Coralife skimmer myself, so I'm not speaking from experience).

You might consider trying an Aqua-C EV-180 or -240, I've also heard good things about Euro-reef and ASM skimmers. They're more expensive, but it'd be better to get a skimmer that will do a good job, than to spend less and be disappointed in your purchase, worst-case having to go out and buy a new skimmer anyways thus wasting that money you spent at first. But again, I'm not speaking from experience with the Coralife, so maybe it would do fine for you. Anyways, a good skimmer is extremely valuable, probably one of the most important pieces of equipment that you're going to get for your tank, so a really good one is very-much worth it.

If you haven't set your tank up yet, go ahead and get it set up and let it start cycling, you won't need to run a skimmer right off the bat anyways. Use the extra month or so to save a little more money and buy a better one... food for thought anyways. If you do end up going with the Coralife, do come back and let us know how it works for you!

I second that. Coralife skimmers are not very good, i've personally have never used them, but all that i know who have always up grade in the end.
Great recommendations from conger!

What about a Red Sea Berlin X2...Anyone got any experience of these?

I have not used either unit. However, I have seen the Coralife in action and was not impressed with the design.

The Red Sea Berlin X2 has an awesome reputation. I am highly considering this unit for my 180.

Thanks for the input guys...
I just went on the net to get a look at the manuals for the Coralife 220 and it appears that the gentleman who sold me my setup including the used 220 unit managed to leave out the needle-wheel pump and the bubble-protection diffuser, all I have is the main chamber, collection cup assemblies and a small submersible pump, but nothing else, so I don't have the strainer, venturi chamber, adjustment valve or any of the bubble-production diffuser setup....
I do however have the option to buy another used Red Sea Berlin X2, this time I'll take the maintenance manual with me and check it's all there BEFORE I hand over any chash!
Any more comments on the X2 skimmer would be much appreciated...
Thanks

i dont have personal experience with the skimmer but ive only heard good things.


when it comes to salt water tanks the absolute minimum 2 things you dont want to go cheap on are lighting and skimming. since this is going to be a FOWLR lighting doesnt so much come into play, but skimming still does.

it wouldnt hurt to do an online search of reviews as well.