reef octo. nwb150 or SWC x-treme 160?

It's not a Sicce pump. the cones use Atman. The SWC Extremes use the old Sicce PSK2500. I used them and a ton of skimmers had them, great pump, but they can and do start backwards. With Sicce putting out a new pump that does not have those issues, there simply is no reason to buy an old one.

 

I didn't say the cones used a sicce.

I did not know sicce was coming out with a more reliable pump.

 

They have two new pumps.. the 600 and 1000 that has new electronics and do not stop backwards. That pretty much makes the PSK2500 irrelevant. If I still had my 2500 I would have already switched it out. But new buyers should not have to figure in switching out a $120 pump.

 

Would you recommend the new sicce over the bubble blaster?

Would you recommend switching the atman out for a new sicce on the xtreme 160 cone?

 

I'm not sure. The hook ups can be different and I don't have first hand knowledge playing with them. A lot of SWC guys are switching out their pumps for Bubble Blasters.

Sicce is a quality pump from Italy (read not China). Real simply reliable and not very expensive. So with the new pumps they are very good choices... however, they are only really good for the medium range. 90-180g. Now that is a huge part of aquariums out there... but not real small or large.

The Bubble Blasters are from China, but are quality pumps and not cheap. Octopus really hit this one out of the park because the entire line from 1000 to 8000 can do pretty much any tank out there. They have some nice features. Not quite as refined as European stuff... but not bad at all.

To answer your question.. if hook up was not an issue... I probably would go for a new Sicce over a BB in that narrow range just because they are quiet efficient and cost effective. BB are a bit more and while not "noisy" they are not "quiet". But for larger stuff I would not have any problem looking at BBs.

A sicce for a Atman with simple hook up... definitely... but not if it's new. Just keep it in the back of your mind that if your pump goes out you have choices or you could upgrade and have a spare. I mean seriously... if it's not broke no need to fix it. Buy some coral instead.

 

Thank you for the info. Do you happen to have any links to diy threads about switching over to the BB pumps?

 

after some concideration I do belive I will get the octo. Extreme 160 and for the money I was going to spend on it any ways It looks as if the octo has a little better review on it or Until I fine a skimmer thats equivelnt and is cheeper ;D

 

Any thought to getting an NAC7? That was my choice for my 90gal. Awesome skimmer!

 

The old SWC 160s and 200 (even when MSX was importing them)... they used the 2500 and those bodies were pretty big for the PSK. So a lot of those guys are switching over to BB 3000. Bigger pump without any mods and hooks right up. So for those guys (there is a lot of them) that had those big bodies and were trying to get more out of the sicce... it makes perfect sense.... some of the other SWC cylinders used multiple 2500 and those guys are using single BBs too. So it makes sense in some things... but not across their whole line.

SWC really did a good job with the Cone 120 and 160. It was a part of the market that needed to be adressed. Atman pumps are cheap.... but that is what people wanted. So really they have been a big hit. For the big stuff SWC has their Askoll pump and that is a better pump than BB.

 

There really is no difference between SWC and Octo as far as performance or build materials and craftsmanship. So really it just comes down to little specific differences between specific skimmers you are looking at. I don't mean to disparage SWC skimmers at all cause they put out solid quality products. There are just little things that sway the decision.