Are Top Fathom's junk?!?

hiya, I really like my Euro Reef skimmer-- it skims a good thick brown crud and needs to be emptied about every 7 days and has been solid for me the past 2 yrs.

I just bought a larger sump (used) at my LFS and they sold me the Top Fathom-200A for an extra $50 so i said why not (its not like we are in a recession here). I havnt read much (anything) here about TF and wanted to get some feedback and see if i should make the change or not. I kinda like it b/c i can run it outside of my sump which will give me more room to fool around with... :
thanks!

 

well im hooking it up to my sump anyways since i got nothing :/ im just going to break it in and continue to run my Euro. hopefully i wont over skim.
the weekend is here!!! what should i break on my tank this time?!

 

hey fischkid2

it would be really cool , if you could do a review of this skimmer for us
its not a brand I am familiar with, so I would enjoy reading about its performance etc
hope it works out for you.

Steve

 

Not junk Top Fathom's are a good skimmer but they are not to be messed with once you dial them it . Thats the problem most have is they want to see the skimmer foaming like a mad dog 24/7 and T/P skimmers just do not like to be messed with .
I use them and have ran them for more yr then many guys here have yet lived they have gong through several design changes and such but all in all they will hold their own with about any skimmer on the market in the same price and design range or style . A properly sized to system Top F and the proper flow trough it and the correct amount of water turn over through the sump they do a good job .
But newer guys tend to want to push to much water through their sumps for these old skimmer to do their job. I have a 300A in a closet and just pulled a 500A out to run on the coral grow out systems I'm installing here at home .I trust them just fine and I like them .

 

Thanks much tangster.
Im ganna gradually fool around with different pumps after the skimmer is broken in to see what kind of GPH is needed it came with a rio that pushes about 900 gph but the online site shows these skimmers using 300-500gph.
but when all is broken in im going to have a little race between my euro and TF and report back.

 

No need to fool around with pumps a 200A needs 400 GPH and they do best with a high pressure pump I myself would go with a ocean runner or a mag 9.5 Its a very high pressure skimmer like ETSS and when I say High pressure you want about 4 PSI at the injector . I find they run best when I put a real pump on my sump and then feed the skimmer with the main pump like a Iwakie or Pan world or reef dart a good strong external pump other then a power head . But the Mag and ocean runner's will do

 

Soooo the TF skimmer is working real well with only a couple of weeks of use. I'm currently using the Rio 3100 it came with and its producing about the same goo as my Euro but running slightly more wet... getting better daily. im ganna look into an iwakie/good external but i think the overpowered Rio may make up for the PSI of a lesser gph Power head. but if its working this well with a Rio then i rly want to see what it can do with a good pump. overall im ganna stick with the TF skimmer as i can run it outside my sump so i just gained lots of room to maybe extend my fuge. so yippy, and now i have an extra skimmer which will no doubt lead to the milk and cookie effect errrr... (too much milk leads to getting more cookies, too many cookies leads to pouring more milk) errr IM GANNA END UP STARTING A NEW TANK BC I HAVE AN EXTRA SKIMMER... JUST WATCH.

 

Yes I have set them up with Mag 1200 and a 1800 the RIO 31000 was alright just at the bottom range of acceptable really. But if its skimming wet ? then its just getting what the other skimmer left or missed ? remember about 4x's tanks water volume through the sump and set it and forget it . You have to get a good collection container for them or it will flood you when it gets crazy they have to shut down sometimes thats Why I always plug that vent hole in the top and force all the air through the collector then that fills and shout off all air and skimming . Till you are around to fix the problem-Trust me it will happen! hell I have seen them run great for months then a little to much food and baaam its gone nuts like a ETSS or Bullet even they all do this when you get to larger skimmers.