AquaC Skimmers- opinions????
- Thread starter Markstr
- Start date
This has been discussed many times. If you do a search on "AquaC", you should be able to find a ton of opinions.
The short answer is: "Great skimmer, but some people prefer Precision Marine, or EuroReef."
You can't really go too wrong with any of those three.
The short answer is: "Great skimmer, but some people prefer Precision Marine, or EuroReef."
You can't really go too wrong with any of those three.
Dood i would give this page a look if i were you.
http://www.myreefcreations.com/
I was told that the AquaC skimmers use a hose barb for an injector,I dont know because i own a Precision Marine Bullet 2,But i can tell you with the Precision Marine I have a busted Lid due to lack of glue under the handle.When i contacted PM about the warranty they said they would replace it,however after Emailing them again to make arrangements to have it replaced PM will not respond to my Emails.The skimmers at MY REEF are the same thing as the Bullet and they use the same injector as the Bullet,Yet they cost less,they even cost less than the AquaC.
http://www.myreefcreations.com/
I was told that the AquaC skimmers use a hose barb for an injector,I dont know because i own a Precision Marine Bullet 2,But i can tell you with the Precision Marine I have a busted Lid due to lack of glue under the handle.When i contacted PM about the warranty they said they would replace it,however after Emailing them again to make arrangements to have it replaced PM will not respond to my Emails.The skimmers at MY REEF are the same thing as the Bullet and they use the same injector as the Bullet,Yet they cost less,they even cost less than the AquaC.
I disagree with your statement about Precision Marine.I own the PM Bullet 2,when i attempted to remove the lid from my Bullet to clean it i found the lid was stuck,in an attempt to free it i loosend all the thum screws then gently tapped the handle on the top of the lid and WAH-LAH it busted in half.However when you look at the lid you can see exactly what the problem was,LACK of Adhesive under the handle.3/4 of what broke off was not even glued in place.
Precision Marine to date has not responded to my Email after they told me they would replace it.
You can see the lid here..http://members.cox.net/smokie/
Precision Marine to date has not responded to my Email after they told me they would replace it.
You can see the lid here..http://members.cox.net/smokie/
smokie -
According to the chronology at the bottom of the link you posted, you've sent several emails, called them, gotten upset, and decided you will never buy another PM product.
Yet the total time between your first email and today is only 7 days!.
Relax a bit and give them a chance. It's possible they have a few things in the priority queue higher than a broken part on your skimmer which has no effect on it's perfonmance or usability.
According to the chronology at the bottom of the link you posted, you've sent several emails, called them, gotten upset, and decided you will never buy another PM product.
Yet the total time between your first email and today is only 7 days!.
Relax a bit and give them a chance. It's possible they have a few things in the priority queue higher than a broken part on your skimmer which has no effect on it's perfonmance or usability.
Matt perhaps you should look at it again,Did i say i have called them several times?,Did i say i have Emailed them several times?That is 7 days since my last attempt at Emailing them.Thats 7 days with no responce,funny thing is they Emailed me a reply within 10 minutes of my first mail stating they would be happy to replace it.
When i Emailed them to find out how to go about getting it done and to ask if they could ship out the new lid then i could send mine back i got no responce.
However since this is my only skimmer i cant just shut it down and ship the lid off for an undetemined period of time.
Im just thankful it isnt something that required shutting the skimmer completely off until a replacement arrived because then i would be in trouble.
7 days is sufficient time to Email some type of responce.Obviously your one of the store owners who sits on here and trys to do what i like to call "DAMAGE CONTROL".
If a retailer cant take care of a problem in a timely fashion then others have a right to know about it.In fact in this case it hasnt been taken care of at all.Words and promises are meaningless without action.
Most everyone i know is full of good intentions but very few carry threw.
When i Emailed them to find out how to go about getting it done and to ask if they could ship out the new lid then i could send mine back i got no responce.
However since this is my only skimmer i cant just shut it down and ship the lid off for an undetemined period of time.
Im just thankful it isnt something that required shutting the skimmer completely off until a replacement arrived because then i would be in trouble.
7 days is sufficient time to Email some type of responce.Obviously your one of the store owners who sits on here and trys to do what i like to call "DAMAGE CONTROL".
If a retailer cant take care of a problem in a timely fashion then others have a right to know about it.In fact in this case it hasnt been taken care of at all.Words and promises are meaningless without action.
Most everyone i know is full of good intentions but very few carry threw.
P.S...The broken lid does indeed effect the performance of this skimmer.Perhaps you should do some research prior to posting.Underneath the handle is a hole approx 3/8" diameter.Had you done your homework you would find that this skimmer is intended to produce pressure internally forceing the foam out of the collection cup into the overflow container,once the container is full the back pressure(due to the fact that this skimmer is air tight)forces the foam down in the reation tube preventing futher overflow.
P.S.S..If customers arent the number 1 priorty in a retail business then that business wont be around for long.
P.S.S..If customers arent the number 1 priorty in a retail business then that business wont be around for long.
Markstr,
There are a lot of posts about AquaC skimmers to be found in the search area. I have a EV-150, the earlier model of the new 180's. Mine runs on a Rio 3100 and skims a 150 gal system.
My EV-150 works great. Recently it has been pulling out Southdown silt from the water due to my DSb conversion. The collection cup looks like a cement mixer.
This skimmer will not give you the dryest foam or the kind of milky micro bubbles that other skimmer may produce. However it does skim well (a full cup of dark skimmate every couple days) and doesn't take up much space.
As far as customer service on AquaC, it has been great. My spray inductor seemed to be malfunctioning so I emailed Jason Kim the owner. Jason emailed me immediately and gave me several options as to what the cause may be and offered to ship me out a replacement nozzle. Less than a week later I had a new nozzle that worked like a charm. In short he was proactive and prompt with his replies.
As with everything do as much research as you can before buying.
There are a lot of posts about AquaC skimmers to be found in the search area. I have a EV-150, the earlier model of the new 180's. Mine runs on a Rio 3100 and skims a 150 gal system.
My EV-150 works great. Recently it has been pulling out Southdown silt from the water due to my DSb conversion. The collection cup looks like a cement mixer.
This skimmer will not give you the dryest foam or the kind of milky micro bubbles that other skimmer may produce. However it does skim well (a full cup of dark skimmate every couple days) and doesn't take up much space.
As far as customer service on AquaC, it has been great. My spray inductor seemed to be malfunctioning so I emailed Jason Kim the owner. Jason emailed me immediately and gave me several options as to what the cause may be and offered to ship me out a replacement nozzle. Less than a week later I had a new nozzle that worked like a charm. In short he was proactive and prompt with his replies.
As with everything do as much research as you can before buying.
Thanks for getting this thread back on topic, Tangy.
I really like my EV-150. My roomate has an EV-90 that he really likes too. They produce lots of foam with relatively small pumps which is why I think I like them. The only problem I have with mine is that it seems to get alot of salt creep up the sides of the reactor chamber. My roomates is fine though, so its not a product-wide phenomenon.
I'm sure the Bullets and MyReef skimmers have more potential but they also require big pumps and for the most part they take up alot of space.
As far as EuroReef skimmers, I just can't figure out why someone would want to spend so much money for a skimmer that isn't drastically superior to the others. Thats not to say they aren't good, but for that much money they should be really good.
[ March 18, 2002: Message edited by: Enkidu ]</p>
I really like my EV-150. My roomate has an EV-90 that he really likes too. They produce lots of foam with relatively small pumps which is why I think I like them. The only problem I have with mine is that it seems to get alot of salt creep up the sides of the reactor chamber. My roomates is fine though, so its not a product-wide phenomenon.
I'm sure the Bullets and MyReef skimmers have more potential but they also require big pumps and for the most part they take up alot of space.
As far as EuroReef skimmers, I just can't figure out why someone would want to spend so much money for a skimmer that isn't drastically superior to the others. Thats not to say they aren't good, but for that much money they should be really good.
[ March 18, 2002: Message edited by: Enkidu ]</p>
Lets put it this way! You won't be unhappy with the Aqua-C. It's a great skimmer. It's among the high end skimmers. I've never had a problem with mine. It does not require much attention. In fact, I clean the collection cup about once a week. Thats it. The only time it needs readjusting is when I take the whole skimmer out every few months to give it a good cleaning. Then I set it and forget it. No problem.
About the salt creep, Mine gets that too but the skimmer is plastic, so it just wipes right off. It doesn't "stain" it like on glass.
[ March 18, 2002: Message edited by: mariner ]</p>
About the salt creep, Mine gets that too but the skimmer is plastic, so it just wipes right off. It doesn't "stain" it like on glass.
[ March 18, 2002: Message edited by: mariner ]</p>
I just purchased (last week) an EV-180 for my 125g fowlr tank. The directions said it would take up to a week for it to start skimming properly, but after two days it is performing great. They have made some changes from the old EV series. So far I really like it.
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by smokie:
<strong>I own the PM Bullet 2,when i attempted to remove the lid from my Bullet to clean it i found the lid was stuck,in an attempt to free it i loosend all the thum screws then gently tapped the handle on the top of the lid and WAH-LAH it busted in half.http://members.cox.net/smokie/</strong><hr></blockquote>
LMAO...gentle tapping huh? I own a PM bullet2 and there's no way you busted the top with gentle tapping! If it was a lack of adhesive, then the entire handle would have come off in one piece. You abused the skimmer, and now want someone else to pay for your mistake. Nice try!
<strong>I own the PM Bullet 2,when i attempted to remove the lid from my Bullet to clean it i found the lid was stuck,in an attempt to free it i loosend all the thum screws then gently tapped the handle on the top of the lid and WAH-LAH it busted in half.http://members.cox.net/smokie/</strong><hr></blockquote>
LMAO...gentle tapping huh? I own a PM bullet2 and there's no way you busted the top with gentle tapping! If it was a lack of adhesive, then the entire handle would have come off in one piece. You abused the skimmer, and now want someone else to pay for your mistake. Nice try!
gotta agree with minderasr and dragon0121 here. There's a gasket under the lid, if its stuck you've got to pry it up before trying to twist it, try using a screwdriver or your nails next time. If you broke that handle of, you've really abused the skimmer and the fact that they offered to fix it is pretty nice. Maybe you should try calling them instead of emailing them. Some companies don't check their email very often, nothing to get too upset about, imo.
Sorry it took me so long to reply to your remarks ive been at work for 2 days.Anyway if you had a Bullet you would know that once the lid is stuckdue to the gasket that you cant twist the lid,and number 2 you better have some some %$#$ing armour plated finger nails if you think your going to pry it loose with your fingers.
Last but not least this skimmer wasnt abused at all in anyway,and yes all it took was 2 light taps to bust it off.
I really dont care if they replace it or not,its their option,i can buy a new skimmer from someone else and share this experience with others if they choose not to.I also purchased a 365.00 JBJ power compact lighting system,when JBJ wanted to be difficult about honering their warranty i simply told them to forget it,that i would get more satisfaction from sharing my experience with others than i would get from leaving my fish with no light for a month while i shipped the lights to them and they repaired or replaced whatever was bad with something that was of no better quality than what they had originally sold me.
So i went out and purchased PFO ballasts and still have the junk JBJ lights here at the house and whenever someone asks about them i tell them the story.
I will do the same thing with the Precision Marine Bullet skimmer if thats what it comes to.
P.S.. the dummy who thinks the entire handle would have busted off,try doing some research on leverage,if one end is glued securely and the other end is not and you tap on the end that isnt glued down properly you have created a leverage situation,and the point at which the break is going to occur is the point of least resistance.In this case thats right at the spot where there is no glue.
Seems like we must have a couple of guys posting who are attempting to do DAMAGE CONTROL for thier buddies.
Last but not least this skimmer wasnt abused at all in anyway,and yes all it took was 2 light taps to bust it off.
I really dont care if they replace it or not,its their option,i can buy a new skimmer from someone else and share this experience with others if they choose not to.I also purchased a 365.00 JBJ power compact lighting system,when JBJ wanted to be difficult about honering their warranty i simply told them to forget it,that i would get more satisfaction from sharing my experience with others than i would get from leaving my fish with no light for a month while i shipped the lights to them and they repaired or replaced whatever was bad with something that was of no better quality than what they had originally sold me.
So i went out and purchased PFO ballasts and still have the junk JBJ lights here at the house and whenever someone asks about them i tell them the story.
I will do the same thing with the Precision Marine Bullet skimmer if thats what it comes to.
P.S.. the dummy who thinks the entire handle would have busted off,try doing some research on leverage,if one end is glued securely and the other end is not and you tap on the end that isnt glued down properly you have created a leverage situation,and the point at which the break is going to occur is the point of least resistance.In this case thats right at the spot where there is no glue.
Seems like we must have a couple of guys posting who are attempting to do DAMAGE CONTROL for thier buddies.
Regardless of whether the handle was glued well or not, you don't appear to have a full understanding of the mechanics at play here You are trying to overcome a frictional force that is located roughly 1/2" below the surface at which the handle's glue seam lies. By hitting the handle above the joint with a hammer, you are causing a moment on the system that is enough to cause the glue seam to break but not the gasket. The reason for this is because the friction created by that gasket covers a significantly larger area than the glue that is within the seam of the handle. Despite the fact that it may just be frictional forces, the force that is associated with neoprene covering this amount of area is incredibly large, as i'm sure you know having tried to pull up on the lid. Even if the joint were perfect, you'd probably still break it. What i'm trying to say is that you made a mistake; and please don't call other people dummies.
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