Anyone use this skimmer?

[lennon]

Someone here was nice enough to suggest this skimmer..but I wanted to see if others have used it. It sounds simple to use and not too expensive at all.
I am possibly going to get it for my 55 tank and put it in the sump..
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!! :joy:
AquaC Urchin Pro Protein Skimmer With Mag-Drive 3 Pump

 

[snipe]

One of the best skimmers ever Def reccomend it.

 

[robchuck]

The Urchin is a decent skimmer (I've used its sister model, the AquaC Remora, a hang-on skimmer), but as far as in-sump skimmers go, there are some other options to look into. The Coralife Super Skimmers are relatively inexpensive and do a decent job. Euro Reef used to market the ES5 series skimmers right around $200, but it doesn't look like they sell them anymore. One of those would be an excellent skimmer to aquire on the used market.

 

[lennon]

Originally Posted by RobChuck
The Urchin is a decent skimmer (I've used its sister model, the AquaC Remora, a hang-on skimmer), but as far as in-sump skimmers go, there are some other options to look into. The Coralife Super Skimmers are relatively inexpensive and do a decent job. Euro Reef used to market the ES5 series skimmers right around $200, but it doesn't look like they sell them anymore. One of those would be an excellent skimmer to aquire on the used market.

thanks Rob. What I liked about the aqua c is that they say that it does not need adjusting in the water level. You basically plug in and voila.
Is the urchin pro a better type of these skimmers?
thanks for the input

 

[snipe]

I think the only diffrence between the urchin and urchin pro is that it comes with a diffrent powerhead for water movement and a overflow cup but not a 100% for sure on that.

 

[robchuck]

When I ran the Remora, I was constantly adjusting the height of the collection cup (the only way to adjust that skimmer, and I assume the Urchin functions the same way).
I can't speak personally about the Urchin vs. the Urchin Pro, but I have heard good things about the Pro.

 

[lennon]

Originally Posted by Snipe
I think the only diffrence between the urchin and urchin pro is that it comes with a diffrent powerhead for water movement and a overflow cup but not a 100% for sure on that.
I think I am going to get that one..thanks

 

[lennon]

Originally Posted by Snipe
One of the best skimmers ever Def reccomend it.
Thanks Snipe. I know one comes with a drain fitting for $20 more. Do you know what that is used for??

 

[jmick]

I have an Aqua-C Remora Pro on my tank and I love it! Once I locked into the sweet spot I haven’t had to do any adjusting and it pulls quite a bit of waste. If the Urchin Pro performs along the same lines you will be very happy! For the money, this is the best line on the market!

 

[lennon]

Originally Posted by Jmick
I have an Aqua-C Remora Pro on my tank and I love it! Once I locked into the sweet spot I haven’t had to do any adjusting and it pulls quite a bit of waste. If the Urchin Pro performs along the same lines you will be very happy! For the money, this is the best line on the market!

Great! I think the Urchin is similar but just for smaller tanks.
Do you know what the optional drain fitting is for?

 

[oceana]

Ditto on the above. I love all the aqua C units. insump or hang on. its a great product to spent your money on. they also have great service. I had one that I cracked and they sent me a new one no cost. no questions asked. I'm sure they won't do that every time but it did show that they want there customers to be happy.
as a side note be sure to get the units with the MAG drives. the rios some come with really stink. the mags help the skimemr give the best performance it can.

 

[oceana]

Originally Posted by Lennon
Great! I think the Urchin is similar but just for smaller tanks.
Do you know what the optional drain fitting is for?

it is so that you dont have to empty your collection cup.
PRO = you never have to empty your cup and canhave a larger container that it drains into
CON= you will neglect your skimmer and not clean it as much as you should. out of site out of mine. its best to get it without the drain so that every time ytou empty your cup you will be reminded to clean the skimmer. which should be done weekly IMO

 

[lennon]

Originally Posted by oceana
it is so that you dont have to empty your collection cup.
PRO = you never have to empty your cup and canhave a larger container that it drains into
CON= you will neglect your skimmer and not clean it as much as you should. out of site out of mine. its best to get it without the drain so that every time ytou empty your cup you will be reminded to clean the skimmer. which should be done weekly IMO

I would be good and clean it..I promise..lol
But where does it drain to??you said a container...so I would need to put another container in the sump area? how big..
Thanks for the help. I am getting ready to go shopping and I am still looking for the ro/di machine and find out about powerheads and such..So confusing for a newbie. But I want to go to lfs prepared so they do not try to sell me everything that I don't need.
any help is greatly appreciated!!! :cheer:

 

[snipe]

The drain is just for that to add a airline hose and stick it into a 2 liter soda bottle. So it collects alot more stuff instead of the small cup full.

 

[lennon]

Originally Posted by Snipe
The drain is just for that to add a airline hose and stick it into a 2 liter soda bottle. So it collects alot more stuff instead of the small cup full.
Snipe, do you know if that is an option? Meaning that should I decide not to use the drain ..then I can just clean the cup out? does it still have a cup?
thanks much..a few hours to go shopping to buy some items..I hope they don't con me into purchasing tons of things. As it is...I am not sure what to do for a sump. Everyone says not to buy the ready made one since it will be about $250 for a 55 gallon tank..they say DIY..but I am not that handy (
Oh well..

 

[oceana]

Originally Posted by Lennon
I would be good and clean it..I promise..lol
But where does it drain to??you said a container...so I would need to put another container in the sump area? how big..
Thanks for the help. I am getting ready to go shopping and I am still looking for the ro/di machine and find out about powerheads and such..So confusing for a newbie. But I want to go to lfs prepared so they do not try to sell me everything that I don't need.
any help is greatly appreciated!!! :cheer:

yes you could just plug it if you want.
but here is why i think the darin is a waste of 20 bucks. you clean your skimmer once a week right. in order to clean the skimmer you must remove the cup. well if your removing the cup anyhow ??? see my point. also skimmate stinks trust me you dont want a big ol bottle of that hanging around.. they use thin drain lines that can and do clog. just one more thing to worry about.

 

[lennon]

Well, being that I am new..I was hoping to avoid having to clean the skimmer once a week..But if I have to, I guess I will. I have just heard it is a pain in the butt. Do you know if that Urchin pro is easy to disassemble and clean?
thanks

 

[oceana]

Originally Posted by Lennon
Well, being that I am new..I was hoping to avoid having to clean the skimmer once a week..But if I have to, I guess I will. I have just heard it is a pain in the butt. Do you know if that Urchin pro is easy to disassemble and clean?
thanks

i fill mine with vinager water and shake the crap out of it once every few months.
I remove the cup and clean it very well. the inlet tube will get VERY grunged up and has a huge effect on the skimmers performance. i do this once a week.
you dont have to clean the entire skimmer one a week.

 

[snipe]

The drain line is still there but it is just plugged and you remove the collection cup instead.
I have thought of installing one on my skimmer for the fact it would be simpler. If I empty my cup its once every few days as were a drain line would be every week. Empty the bottle and clean the cup once a week instead of every few days.
One way is putting a T connection over the bottle and putting carbon in it to absorbe the stink.

 

[murray bmf]

I'm not much of a skimmer expert but I have had a Sea Clone, which I gave away and now I'm using a Euro Reef. I've had it for about 2 years now and it is awesome. I noticed a definate change in my tank after I started using it and really haven't thought much about it since. It's plug and play. Turn it on and clean every once and a while. Just my two-cents.