AquaC Urchin with Maxi Jet 1200
By Elizabeth M. Lukan to Reviews on Monday, March 3rd, 2008.Review by rudeanduncouth, 03-02-2006, edited by Elizabeth M. Lukan.
Excellent skimmer, for a affordable price.
The AquaC Urchin is the in-sump model of the ever popular Remora. The footprint of the skimmer is minimal with it being only 6" x 2.75". However, what they fail to mention is there is a leg that sticks out the front and takes up another two inches. The total height of the unit is 18", but you need about 3" of clearance to actually remove the cup. The Urchin is rated for 20-75 gallon tanks. The maximum height of water the skimmer is supposed to be used in is 12".
I purchased this at a LFS, and the total price was $169.99, which is about $6 more than internet prices.
AquaC protein skimmers utilize a patented "spray induction" system which processes massive quantities of air and water and the Urchin is no different. The way it works is it has a small valve at the top of a spray nozzle that it sucks air in through and then sprays it into the chamber. The contact time of the bubbles is impressive because the whole skimmer is chambered off and is essentially a big bubble trap. Consequently I have not seen a single bubble leave the skimmer. It also comes with a small brush to clean out the nozzle if something gets in there or for periodic maintenance.
There are two adjustments that you can make to the Urchin. The first is you can adjust the air-injector nozzle to control how much air is flowing into the system. I have not touched this one yet, but I am sure I will as it gets used more. To adjust the air-injector all you do is turn a screw on top of the nozzle. You do not need to even remove the skimmer from the sump to do this. AquaC warns however, when adjusting the air-flow screw not to over turn it or it will fall into the nozzle itself. The second adjustment is the cup height. This will ultimately adjust how much and what type of foam you get in the cup. Upon arrival, I immediately raised the cup about an inch higher, because it was really low, probably due to shipping. To adjust the cup height there is just a rubber O-ring that goes around the outside of the cup and you move that up and down to adjust the height.
Overall, I am quite happy with the Urchin. It is extremely quiet. I never hear it. Within 12 hours of continuous use, it started skimming, and has produced a nice dark foam since. The only potential problem I foresee is clogging the spray nozzle but that doesn’t seem like it would be too difficult to clean.
Liz’s Notes: Editing was limited to spelling and grammar corrections and formatting. No other editing was done, what you read was exactly what was posted on the Saltcreep web site. More information and an image of the product can be found at http://www.proteinskimmer.com/Product%20Pages/Urchin.htm. Please visit Saltcreep at http://www.saltcreep.com/cmps_index.php for this review, forums, and much more.