AquaEuro 265 First Take

[Cameron]

Well here it is... Big dual recirc skimmer with a true union ball valve already attached. The unit is extremely well built and very solid. Seems cast as well or possibly better than my Octopus. The collection cup is plenty big and includes a drain already built in. Packing was excellent and no noticable damage.

I haven't tested it yet, but it is a horse of a skimmer. The pumps are GenX knock offs that are apparently not as good based on some testing over at reefcentral. For the price (about $280 including shipping) I can throw on a couple GenXs with the mesh mod and blow it out. For now, I am going to stick to stock and see what she can do.

Design elements I don't like and knew about going in:

• Too much plumbing on the recirc side, would have been better to mount the pumps right to the chamber rather than plumb them away from the unit. Looks cool though.
• Should have used a gate valve rather than a ball valve.
• Smaller neck size than I like. Going to make cleaning the chamber a real bear. I would have liked the ability to detach the neck from the body.
• The pumps as stated above have me concerned. Good news is they are virtual direct rips from the GenX line so I can always throw another $100 at it solve that problem without doing any hacking.
• Metric plumbing. Not a huge deal but makes some future mods troublesome.
• Couple people have commented the acrylic composition isn't the best, but it is very thick and to my knowledge nobody has ever damaged a unit from AquaEuro

I will post more once I clean it and get it installed on my system. Might as well start lining up now to buy this thing off of me since I know I still have the itch to move up and test an Orca Systems skimmer.

There is a paper towel roll in a couple of the pics to give some scale.

[wbholwell]

What a cool-looking skimmer! What's the retail?

[Cameron]

Currently about $270, but they are supposed to go about another $100 in a month or two.

[wbholwell]

sounds like a steal- wish I had room for it in my sum :-(

[Big D]

Cameron, is the footprint on the website accurate?... I was going to order one, but it's looking like it's too big. Do you think you'll have any more luck modding the pumps than Hahns did?.. I think maybe if the impellor is trimmed down and mesh modded, it would pull a lot more air.


David

[Big D]

Originally Posted by Cameron

Might as well start lining up now to buy this thing off of me since I know I still have the itch to move up and test an Orca Systems skimmer.

If this one would fit, he'd already be making mine... But I'd have to do some major replumbing to get it under the stand which is really the only option. You gotta love that flanged neck!!!










David

[Dakota]

I've got some modelling files you can borrow if you decide to port and polish the impeller housing.

If you are going to mesh it, you might as well open up the choke. I'm sensing a Dwyer Air Meter in your near future. LOL

McMaster-Carr sells metric to standard adapters if you need any.

Are you planning on running it external and gravity fed?

Looks like you got a great deal on a very nice skimmer. Congrats!

[Xyzpdq0121]

Originally Posted by Big D

Something tells me this thing is just a penis extension for a reef geek!

[Big D]

Originally Posted by Xyzpdq0121

Something tells me this thing is just a penis extension for a reef geek!

Ohhhh yeah... just imagine the chicks you could pull with one.

Better yet, you could have Spazz build you one of these and you'd see some major action:










David

[Cameron]

Originally Posted by Big D

Cameron, is the footprint on the website accurate?... I was going to order one, but it's looking like it's too big. Do you think you'll have any more luck modding the pumps than Hahns did?.. I think maybe if the impellor is trimmed down and mesh modded, it would pull a lot more air.


David

I would say that you need about 19.75 x 11.25 inches to fit this into a space. The height is 30", but about 30.75 to remove the collection cup.

I doubt it since Hahn is really good with this kind of thing. However after seeing the bubble size and output in other samples from the stock pumps, it appears that it will work for me without a problem since it is on a 120 with about 15-20 gallons in a sump. If I wanted more, two GenX 4100 pumps meshed would make for a monster skimmer in sheer output and I believe the pumps would go on without modifying the plumbing. Might have to go with a 2400, but still a big step up for around $100. That would bring the skimmer to around $380 including shipping and while not the deal of the century it is still a great deal for such a large skimmer.

[Cameron]

Originally Posted by Big D

If this one would fit, he'd already be making mine... But I'd have to do some major replumbing to get it under the stand which is really the only option. You gotta love that flanged neck!!!

The Orca skimmers are apparently really well built and use the H3 pumps which are OR pumps I believe. Great deal for what it is. I think the one you showed was using the Aquabee pumps and it was $1500 I think. A flanged neck is a better design without a doubt.

[Cameron]

Originally Posted by Dakota

I've got some modelling files you can borrow if you decide to port and polish the impeller housing.

I'll just hack it up. I have some brute force kind of tools that will work for this sort of thing. From other testing it seems that no changes including using EuroReef venturis improve performance on the pump. Looking at it, it seems the pumps already have a pretty good sized opening. Looks bigger than my Octopus NW150 opening.

Originally Posted by Dakota

If you are going to mesh it, you might as well open up the choke. I'm sensing a Dwyer Air Meter in your near future. LOL

Wouldn't mind borrowing someones just to try it.

Originally Posted by Dakota

Are you planning on running it external and gravity fed?

External and pump fed to start. If I am happy with the performance, I will likely alter my plumbing. I am just not sold on any one skimmer yet.

Originally Posted by Dakota

Looks like you got a great deal on a very nice skimmer. Congrats!

Thanks.

[mufret]

Originally Posted by Cameron

The Orca skimmers are apparently really well built and use the H3 pumps which are OR pumps I believe. Great deal for what it is. I think the one you showed was using the Aquabee pumps and it was $1500 I think. A flanged neck is a better design without a doubt.

They are using the Hialea pumps on most of their skimmers. It's the same company that manufactures the OR pumps for AquaMedic but I believe there are some slight differences. Hialea manufactures all the Octopus/Coralvue/PCI pumps, as well.

[Cameron]

Normally I think they use the H3 pumps, but they also will put Aquabee or GenX pumps on anything you want. A guy just bought an Orca with three Aquabee pumps for just over $1500.

[Big D]

Originally Posted by Cameron

Normally I think they use the H3 pumps, but they also will put Aquabee or GenX pumps on anything you want. A guy just bought an Orca with three Aquabee pumps for just over $1500.

I thought he said it was compareable in price to the D.A.S. EX3. That puts the Orca way out of the picture for me. Cameron, looks like your gonna have to help me put a GenX4100 or a H3 pump on a Aquaeuro. With one pump, I could make it work no problem, not sure if one will pull enough air though. Do you know what a mesh modded H3 will pull as far as air volume?

[Cameron]

The easy pick for a skimmer is the stock Orca which uses the H3 and runs $420. He will mesh mod if for you for about $10 from what I understand. That is one hell of a skimmer, but will come in at around $470 after shipping.

If you go with the AE and decide to go with stock, you will be getting about 20scfh which is pretty good just not for the wattage it is pulling. If you switch to GenX 2400 with mesh mod you will be pulling around 50scfh. Drill out the venturis, and that could easily jack you up to 65scfh on a couple pumps that draw around 70watts total. You can do better with bigger GenX 4100 pumps with some minor plumping mods which get around 35scfh maybe 40-45scfh with bigger venturis. Another option which could be extremely impressive is the Sedra 3500 pumps which should fit on this skimmer without mods. Don't know what they pull but it is supposed to be slightly higher than the GenXs.

At any rate, stock the skimmer will likely handle your system. Change out the pumps for those GenX and I am sure it will. The skimmer is only $230 with another $45 in shipping. That price won't last long from what I have been told as AE is going to raise the price of the skimmers by about $50 to start and another $50 shortly after that.

Pretty much everyone except Hahn has been really happy with these skimmers.

[mufret]

Cameron, are the fittings standard US PVC? I've heard that there's been some frustration "modding" these because of the different size PVC used. There was some discussion that this might be changing. AquaEuro is very interested in getting feedback and is actually making changes to the skimmers based on suggestions and input from the hobbyist.

[Bleedingthought]

What's the highest size tank do you think the AEs will handle, though?

[Cameron]

Originally Posted by mufret

Cameron, are the fittings standard US PVC? I've heard that there's been some frustration "modding" these because of the different size PVC used. There was some discussion that this might be changing. AquaEuro is very interested in getting feedback and is actually making changes to the skimmers based on suggestions and input from the hobbyist.

I will have to pull out a screw fitting and see. It looks pretty close to 1/2", but metrics always do.

As for the size, that would depend on who you ask. Its body says it can handle a very large system probably nearing or passing 200g. The dual needlewheel recirc part supports this as well, but if the pumps really do pull in a combined 20scfh that would put it in the 120g + sump neck of the woods. IMO, stock it is still better than a NW200 which is a good skimmer for the initial buck (AE pulls near 80w though) and probably as good as the Recirc NW200. The Recirc NW200 gets the nod IMO since a simple change to mesh wheel makes it a much better skimmer and pulls less watts. Now throw another 100 or so at the AE bringing its current cost to $330 and I think it hangs between the Recirc NW200 and the the dual recirc NW250.

Is it worth $230 + $45 shipping... I would say very much yes. Will it skim my 120g well, I would say yes. If I had 200g system would I consider it, yes but with mods. So far this thing is skimming in other tanks VERY well.

What are your opinions Mike? You are more a skimmer expert than I am.

[Cameron]

Update: As of now the pumps are getting a really bad rap. Several people have reported rust problems with the pumps. I will have to read more and I believe this is for submerged running only, but still a quality control issue.