Help me pick a skimmer..

A

Ashlar

Okay, I've distilled it down to two.

ASM G4-x w/ sedra 9k or AquaC EV-240 w/ mag12.

The ASM is rated at asmskimmer for 300g, has a gate valve mod, is 30" tall, and the pump is rated at 900gph.

The AquaC 240 is rated at 80-360g, has a gate valve, is 26" tall, and the pump is rated at 1200gph.

Am I comparing apples to apples here? I haven't used either of these skimmers, so I have very little to go on. Help a brother out? Anyone have direct experience with both these mfgrs who could compare the good, the bad, and the ugly for both? Or either?
 
They're both generally reputable companies. I've never personally dealt with ASM, but I've had an AquaC for over 5 years now, and still couldn't be happier with it...

Tough decision... I'd obviously go the AquaC route, but I'm admittedly biased...

Flip a coin? :)
 
Just to keep things "Fair and Balanced"...
I've had my ASM G-3 skimmer for a few weeks now. I'm very happy
with the skimmer so far. I don't think you'd go wrong with either skimmer thugh.
 
Lol, I should have started a poll. I like that the AquaC has guest speed fittings, so that if I ever get a Ca reactor, I can plug the effluent directly into the skimmer.
 
You'll be happy with either. I would say the Aqua C is built more solidly. You might compare the electrical consumption of each pump to figure out what it will cost you to run the skimmer 24/7.
 
I hated my AquaC EV240. Although, like Marc mentioned the Aquac my be built sturdier the ASM would be my choice.
 
First let me say that both are great skimmers. I own one made by each company and they both perform well. The differance in the two is how they create the bubbles. One uses a venturi device on the intake of the pump then chops them up with a needle wheel impeller. The other uses spray injection. They both do a good job at creating a ton of uniform bubbles. I do agree that the Aqua C stuff is a bit sturdier. The acrylic on the ASM has been know to crack if you are not careful (the lid and collection cup on my G-2 are both cracked). The Aqua C requires a little more precise placing as far as the water depth it should sit in to get the best performance. You can do the re-circulation modification on the ASM and increase the number of bubbles, hence increase you skimmer capacity. A spray injection nozzel should be cleaned, but no more often then a venturi/needle wheel impeller. If the needle wheel impeller breaks it is not cheap. Not a ton of moneny but more than $20. Just a few more thing to put into the pot and help you make this easy decision. :D
 
Dispite all my calls to thier customer service dept. (they were always willing to help) the skimmer wouldn't produce a consistant, if any, skimmate. It was to hard to tune. No matter what adjustments were made it just wasn't worth the $$$ when you compared the performance to the hedaches.
 
Well, I pulled the trigger.. and the winner is.. AquaC w/ mag18. It'll be a while before I can get it set up, though. I went ahead and splurged for the waste collection cup that cuts off the air to the skimmer when full.
 
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