If I understand it correctly, H&S (and Deltec for that matter) has been making needle wheel based skimmers for quite some time. Some have even suggested that the the inspiration for Euroreef and ASM were the german makes.
From a practical perspective, the difference in the german brands vs. the american brands have to do with the pumps, needlewheels, reaction chamber construction, system effectiveness and most importantly, customer support.
Pumps
H&S uses german made pumps, Aquabee and Eheim. I have only been following the german skimmers for a year but as I understand it, they have been using these pumps (same model) for several years. Euroreef and ASM currently use chinese made pumps. In the past, Euro reef has used Eheim pumps also. They are now beta testing a new chinese pump. And they are looking to bring back eheim pumps for special configurations.
Needlewheels
I have no idea who has a better needle wheel. Euroreef claims to be playing with a new needlewheel that will outpeform their current needlewheel design. But just to point out, needlewheel impellers are not items that can be purchased by any skimmer manufacturere. Each one seems to build their own.
Reaction chambers
Euro reef uses what seems to be high quality cast acrylic to build their CS and RS line of skimmers. In most cases, the plastic feels quite robust. ASM uses a cheaper material called extruded acrylic. Extruded acrylic as known in the U.S. is not quite as aesthetically pleasing nor is it as strong as cast acrylic. H&S uses a high grade acrylic which looks a lot like the cast acrylic used by Euro reef. For some reason, the terminology used to describe the material is extruded acrylic. However, acrylic experts in this forum have described the german extruded acrylic to have little in common with american extruded acylic. Perhaps the description of the level of acrylic used is "lost in translation".
H&S uses quite a bit of PVC bracing to reinforce potential weak spots such as the area where the pump attaches to the skimmer. Euroreef uses a loose fitting with a rubber seal. H&S uses a PVC stand so that the skimmer stands on it's own when it is empty. Euroreef does not and in some models the skimmer does not stand up by itself. This is not necessarily an issue as the skimmer retains better balance once it is filled with water.
System performance
With extensive experience building skimmers, H&S has come up with a product line of exceptional performers. I would guess that they have learned quite a bit about matching pumps with reaction chambers. Euro reef has several very good performers and several that are a little on the "shy" side. The difficulty is working out which skimmers from their product line is the performers and which ones are the dogs. Euroreef is said to be simplifying their product line and is considering eliminating some of the models from the product line. This should help a lot.
Customer Support
The U.S. distributor (
www.finsreef.com) for H&S provides all the support for H&S products (in addition to the support you would get from your local retailer of course). Support for Euroreef is a little less straightforward. (And even less clear for ASM). Within RC, the Euroreef forum is supported by Premium Aquatics, Marine Depot and occassionally, Euro Reef.
In each of these categories, I give the advantage to the H&S. The only exception might be in the quality of the acrylic where it would be a tie. My ownership experience with H&S has been far superior to my ownership experience with my old Euro reef.
Ted
