Aqua C skimmer

[ddboy]

Anyone has used or using this skimmer? I am thinking about getting one, any pictures & pros and cons.

[Yinger]

here's a pic of my ev-180. I love it. pulls out all sorts of gunk

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h177/ying9680/120%20setup/skimmate004.jpg

[hahnmeister]

Some love em, many hate em. They are what I would consider 'old tech'. Needlewheel skimmers dominate now (next is most likely becketts) because they use smaller pumps (18-30 watts is all most needlewheels need vs 100watts for many venturi/beckett/downdraft/injector style skimmers of the same size)

The things people dont like about AquaC's...

1. no control over the bubble production other than the amount (they tend to give off a fair amount of larger bubbles as well as smaller). The technology they patented is pretty much the same as what you get when you aim a garden hose nozzle into a bucket of water... there just isnt alot of control. At least becketts and venturis give you that control.

2. noise

3. wattage

I only use needlewheels myself. look at the www.octopusskimmer.com website >>> great stuff.

[Waxxiemann]

I agree with the above poster. I am using an EV 240 on my 90 gallon. I like it but would not buy one again. Recirculating needle wheels are the way to go.

The thing that I like least about my skimmer is that the foam colapses on a sneeze and takes about 2 hours to rise again. Other than that it does work rather well. I don't regret buying my skimmer (it's a mighty good skimmer) but more research would have led me down a different path.

Good luck!

[Waxxiemann]

also, I don't know about others, but I don't have any problems with noise. The only sound is the hum of the pump. It took a few easy tweaks to arrive here.

[mg426]

I got to agree, I had a remora and it worked well but the NWs are the hot item now a days.

[Waxxiemann]

It's like anything, there will be some new super duper tech coming out sooner or later.

Make sure you do all of your reasearch. I'm going with H&S for my new system. Check them out, they make some great stuff.

Again, good luck.

[cbashaw]

I have an EV-180 and it is a good skimmer but the pump they reccomended (Mag 7) was too small. I use a Mag 9 now and it works great, but I got mine used for a very good price and if I had bought a new skimmer I would have gone with an ASM or some other needlewheel skimmer.

[ddboy]

thnaks for all your comments, I have an ASM G3, but hate it, not because of performance, it is because, the connections always leaks bubbles and if I stop it to clean, many times the pump doesn't restart, then I have to take it apart and put it back again. I have the recir- model and gate valve. I love the gate valve. but don't know about the recir mod. since I can only plumb in 200gph to skim. I want higher flow thru rate than that. I am considering another skimmer, but don't really want to get the H&S since it is pretty much the same thing, but better build. So people like the needle wheel better than pinwheel?

[CapnKick]

I love my EV-180. It is very quite, requires very little tinkering, and produces a ton of gunk. It's also perfect for my situation because I had limited head room (under my tank, in the sump). I'm using the recommended Rio pump (1700, I think), although when it breaks down I'll probably switch to a Mag 9 because of reputation.

[hahnmeister]

"So people like the needle wheel better than pinwheel?"

They are one in the same really... the pinwheel is what the octopus, coralife, and aquamedic skimmers use. the pinwheel doesnt have the throughput of air that the needlewheel does... maybe 20-30% lower... but it performs better with height. This is why you can see Aquamedic Turboflotors that are 6' tall using a pinwheel... needlewheels wouldnt be able to draw air at that height.

Needlewheels produce more bubble (draw more air) than pinwheels usually, but you wont find them much more than 24" from the water surface (about a 30" tall skimmer at most). Euroreefs, H&S, Deltec, ASM, Royal-Exclusive Bubble Kings.... etc... use these.

Its really the same 'shredder' or 'asperating venturi' idea... the impeller is just made slightly different.

But just to compare... that AquaC EV180 needs about a 70-90 watt pump. A needlewheel driven skimmer by octopus/H&S, etc should use no more than 30 watts to handle the same tank.