Aqua C Remora Urchin

[ReefyCane]

Hi All,

So my order for my Octopus skimmer was cancelled because the guy was going out of business due to some lawsuit or something so I am back in the market for a skimmer for my 30 gallon reef setup. I have had 3 ASM skimmers and they are having issues with the new design of the pumps so I was wondering what people thought of the Aqua C Remora Urchin?

Thanks in advance!

~RC

 

[jcegt87]

well me I'm using the aquac remora pro and after just 2 days it was taking out so much skimmate it was incredible now I just clean it ever other day and wow its filthy

As for the urchin well well its a remora so it does have a name behind it
if u buy ,buy from a reputable company someonethat will stand behind their product

 

[reeffreak]

The Urchin is just the sump version of the Remora Pro.It should be just as good as the Pro or even better since it wll be pulling raw water from the sump.I haven't own either but they mostly get good reviews.

Why not get an Octopus skimmer elsewhere or online?

 

[Bifferwine]

Are you talking about Octopus itself going out of business? My LFS knows the owner of Reef Octopus. When I ordered mine from my LFS he said to be careful ordering Octopus skimmers online, as there was a Chinese company that was making Reef Octopus knock offs and calling them and selling them by the same name. That company was being sued by the real Reef Octopus company. So you should be able to still get an Octopus skimmer online, but just from a authorized dealer.

 

[fatman]

The Aqua C Remora and Urchin are great skimmers for small tanks. I am not up on Octopus small skimmers, but I did not realize they had skimmers rated for small tanks. I look at Octopus as I do a lot of the other skimmers, over priced for the materials used in manafacture. I find the Aqua C skimmers are of better manafacturing quality, but not neccessarily better in operation. Octopus larger skimmers are pretty comparible to all the other needle wheel skimmers. All of them are just a little different to avoid lawsuits, but really not any different from each other in efficiency. but materials used in manafacture get better as the price goes up, especially in the pumps provided or recommended.

 

[jcegt87]

The Urchin is just the sump version of the Remora Pro.It should be just as good as the Pro or even better since it wll be pulling raw water from the sump.I haven't own either but they mostly get good reviews.

Why not get an Octopus skimmer elsewhere or online?

so having the protein skimmer in the sump is better???:shock:

 

[reeffreak]

so having the protein skimmer in the sump is better???:shock:

Yes sir.

 

[fatman]

so having the protein skimmer in the sump is better???:shock:

What is best is to be able to skim the top 1/4 inch or so of the tanks water to feed a skimmer. A lot of the hang on back skimmers have their pump several inches below the water surface therefore it is not getting theoretically as many of the dissolved organic compounds and detritus as is drawn to the air water interface where a skimmer overflow draws its water that it feed the sump. However people with "reef ready" tanks are not getting that skimmed water neccessarily either as there overflow towers typically are fed from more places than the top of the water (for best filtration those lower slots should be blocked off). Ideally one would use an over the back skimmer type overfow box or a back wall skimmer overflow box and feed directly to a skimmer, then feed the excess water to the sump along with the skimmers retutn water. If you are also using an overflow box to feed a sump then the simplest method of high effectiveness would be to use an insump skimmer, as your second most effective choice is to put your skimmer feed pump inside of an overflow feeding a sump.

 

[ReefyCane]

Are you talking about Octopus itself going out of business? My LFS knows the owner of Reef Octopus. When I ordered mine from my LFS he said to be careful ordering Octopus skimmers online, as there was a Chinese company that was making Reef Octopus knock offs and calling them and selling them by the same name. That company was being sued by the real Reef Octopus company. So you should be able to still get an Octopus skimmer online, but just from a authorized dealer.

No, not Octopus going out of business.

I have looked, but what online dealer is an "authorized" dealer.

I have also read where people are having to make a ton of modifications to the Octopus NW skimmers to get them to skim right. Is this true?

Basically at this point, after the ASM skimmer debacle, I'd just like to have a skimmer that works well. That's why I was asking about the Aqua C Urchin. I can't find a lot of info on them though. It is usually the bigger Aqua Cs or the HOBs.

What skimmer would you guys buy and where?

Thanks,
~RC

 

[fatman]

I personally spend a little more money on a skimmer, but that is due to the fact that I buy larger capacity skimmers. I own a lot of TurboFlotors 1000"s. The Coralife sump models very comparable but with a lees impressive pump. Same goes for the Octopus skimmers in the 100 to 150 gallon range. Good skimmers but lesser quality pumps. But as pointed out before your skimmer can only remove what it has access to. The easier the access to the top layer of water the less efficient skimmer that is needed. The more dilute the water then the more efficient the skimmer must be and the more times the water volume must be skimmed to remove the same amount of material from the tanks water. Meaning with a good skimmer overflow a lesser quality skimmer can do the job just fine.

 

[reeffreak]

I believe Premium Aquatics is an authorize dealer.I haven't read anything where the Octopus HAD to be modified to work well.

I would buy an Octopus if I was looking for a second skimmer and use Premium Aquatics.

 

[Reefgyrl]

I have the urchin on my 55. Works wonderfully.

 

[fatman]

Comparing different needle wheel skimmers to each other is sorta a waste of time. They all work well, some have larger pumps and therfore larger capacities, some have better mateials and cost more accordingly, all are just different enough to be different. Either compare parts and peices or forget making comparisons. Aqua C skimmers are not needle wheels so they should not really be compared with needle wheels as they do not have the same downsides of needle wheels , such as the wearing out of the needle wheel. Buy the cheapest that works well enough or the more expensive with better materials that has a higher resale value and that is a bragging point amongst reefers ot get one with a bigger and better pump which performs better, possibly better than your needs. Or get onethat doesn't wear out its needle wheels like an Aqua C. I went with the bigger and better pump, again and again and again etc.