d.a.s. skimmers are grrrrrr8!!! i have a bx2 and it is a monster, but the ex line is much better. i really doubt you need a whole new skimmer though.. if you switch pumps, you will be happy.
as far as doing a meshwheel on a mag.. the answer is yes.. its not hard at all, and i would be willing to bet it would do quite well. if you decide you wanna do it, let me know. my octopus pumps were regular (non needlewheel) water pumps when i started. i did the meshmod, and made a venturi out of pvc. worked like a charm. to be honest, i think it works better when you start with a paddle impeller instead of a nw impeller.