(upbeat music) - Hey, it's Thomas here,
and today, we're gonna be checking out
the Curve Elite line of skimmers from Bubble Magus,
so if you've been looking for a more modern looking skimmer
with some of those nicer bells and whistles,
but with a more budget-friendly price tag,
then stick around because this thing's pretty sweet.
But this one's mine, don't touch this one.
I'm takin' this one, this one's for me.
Don't you come anywhere close.
Many reefers out there are on the hunt
for a great budget skimmer to provide copious amounts
of gas exchange and the removal of organic waste
from their reef tanks,
but finding a quality skimmer on a budget isn't always easy,
especially if you're looking for something
with more of a modern touch.
Thankfully, Bubble Magus is making higher-end
skimmer styling and features available
to budget-conscious reefers with their curved Elite series.
Not only do you get a compact protein skimmer
with a small footprint and a wine bottle body,
you also get a gear-driven gate
for water height adjustments,
quick access locking clips to remove the base,
a maintainable air silencer,
a skimmer cup with an inverted cone and drain port
and a super-reliable Italian-made Sicce Syncra Needle
wheel pump plus, I gotta say, the black and red looks
pretty slick, so let's get this one outta the box
and take a closer look.
In the box, you'll find the Curve Elite skimmer body,
the skimmer cup, the Sicce Syncra skimmer pump,
the bubble diffuser plate,
the Venturi, as well as the air silencer
and drain port plug already attached
to the respective tubing.
There are three models available,
the Curve Elite Five, Seven, and Nine
rated for well-stocked 75, 100,
and 150 gallon aquariums respectively.
All three models are quite compact
and a great option for those who are tight on space
or just wanna take up as little real estate
in their sump as possible.
The Model Five I have here is only 7.3 by 7.1 inches,
and the largest, the Nine, comes in at 9.25 by 11.6 inches,
and all three models share the exact same
water depth reading of 9.5 to 11 inches.
One of the bigger upgrades on the Elites
is the move from their typical level Magus pumps
to those Italian made Sicce pumps.
Sicce is an aquarium pump focused company
whose pumps are used widely in our hobby
in a whole slew of different products.
They're built very well, carry one of the absolute best
pump warranties in the industry,
and they're trusted by reefers worldwide
and a great reason to take that step up
from the standard Curve skimmers to the Elite line.
Another great upgrade on the Elites
is the gear-driven gate for controlling the water height
in the skimmer body.
You turn the knob at the top left of right
to open or close it, which will raise and lower
the water level to control the collection
of that grungy foam skimmate.
The knob for the gate turns very smoothly
but also has a nice, firm feel to it
and stays in place, even if you bump it by accident.
Bubble Magus also included max and min markings
with graduated increments
so you can keep track of the setting
that works best for your tank,
which is always a nice touch.
While air control is also nice to have,
Bubble Magus did a really good job
of matching the Sicce pump sizes to the skimmers
so that they produce a usable ratio of air to organics
for a great skim based on the tank size
that they rate these skimmers for.
However, if you do wanna fine-tune air as well,
it's as simple as grabbing an inexpensive ball valve
to the air intake tube for making those adjustments.
When it comes time for that eventual maintenance,
these skimmers are a breeze to work with.
The collection cup is easy to remove
and take to a sink to dump out.
Bubble Magus also included a drain port for those
who prefer to use a waste collector
to extend the time between cup cleanings.
For that eventual full skimmer cleaning,
the locking clips I mentioned earlier
make getting inside the skimmer body
to access the pump very, very easy,
and the other components like the air silencer
also come apart for cleaning so you can easily remove
any buildup of silt or precipitate
and keep the skimmer working like new.
If this compact curvaceous Elite skimmer
that's priced for the masses matches your reefing mantra
and budget, you can pick one up for yourself
by clicking right here.