Too much skimmer?

I am thinking about a new skimmer for my 90 gallon sps tank. Do you think that the new reef octopus extreme xs-200 would be too much skimmer or should I drop down to the xs-160. Reefspecialty is taking preorders on both. They both use the new sicce pro series pumps that should eliminate start up issues and noise problems.
There is only a 20 dollar difference in price between the 2 I just dont want to hurt performance by getting an oversized skimmer.

 

IMO, for most SPS/LPS corals, you cannot overskim. For some of the soft corals, they like a little bit of nutes' in the water.
So depends on your stocking, IMO.

 

My current stocking is
Purple tang
Yellow eye kole tang
5 chromies
6line wrasse
2 pink skunk clowns
Average size cuc
Several zoa colonies
Around 20 different sps corals

 

IMO if you have that much SPS in there , you would have to go WAYYYY overboard before you have a negative effect.

This will help you maintain Ultra Low Nutrients in there!

 

I was thinking the same thanks for the help. K+

 

You can't overskim, but you can have too big of a skimmer on your system.

 

Would you say that the 200 would be too big of a skimmer?
Or do you think I would be ok with this choice.

 

I would say a skimmer rated for a 200 gallon tank is PERFECT for you 90 gallon. I have seen many people recommend that the skimmer should be rated for twice the tank you have as the skimmer manuf. tend to "over rate" their own product (much how a car company tells you that you get better gas mileage than you actually observe on the road!)

 

You're border line. I was looking for numbers for those new pumps but couldn't find any. Yes most folks say 2 times volume... but it is unecessary it you are not planning on going bigger anytime soon.

So... it isn't that you can overskim, that is a myth. But a skimmer rated for twice your tank will basically only produce half the time... the other half it has nothing to work with. I had a K2 n my system (for sale awesome skimmer) and it ran half the time. Now I like a skimmer at 1.5 times just to give me some head room if a fish dies. You will be fine at 2.... but make no mistake.... the bigger skimmer will not perform any better.

The problem is people putting HUGE skimmer thinking it is better. In fact, it is worse cause the skimmer has nothing to work with and the bigger neck will make it perform worse than a properly sized skimmer.

So no bad going with the 200, but it takes more room, uses more power, and cost more money and will not pull out any more than the 160 on your 90g. Does that make sense?

 

Well said!!!

makes total sense!!!