Well, I gave a few examples of counter currents that are out there now. Dont get me wrong Bean... you are right... its a small market, and most people may still resort to what fits under their stand. There is little R&D... true. Klaus and Co. are perhaps some of the few that actually spend the time to perfect a design.
I was just thinking that if an independent test were done that clarified, sort of a 'once and for all' comparison between various methods of skimming, that mfg's might take that into consideration... as I know at least some consumers would.
There is a market though... as small as it may be. ORCA will build a 6" diameter, 6-8' tall skimmer if you like, and then you can power it with a single Aquabee and a small linear pump for 700-800lph of air. That would be about 50 watts, and skim like a dog even when the DOC levels are low. H&S can do custom heights, and so can Klaus. The T5000 single and twin models do sell... perhaps better in the EU than here.
But there is something else to consider here. Larger and larger home reefs are getting more common these days. Years ago, a 300g system would have been very rare. Now, there are a few members in every club it seems that are well into the 500g+ range. And there are very few skimmers when you get into this size that will do what they claim. The skimmers are often rated well above their actual capacity, and often just not designed as well as they could be... and why would the companies bother up until now? There has been little demand in the past. But Spazz's Volcano, the ReefFlo... er, rather the Dart Needlewheel, Quad becketts, etc... all signs that there is a market out there that makers havent tapped into yet. Small... oh yeah... but high margins are a given, and if you can afford a 1000g reef, the skimmer is a drop in the bucket. And these people often dont have height restrictions... they have whole rooms or basement sumps where a taller skimmer would be just fine. One guy I know was asking me about drilling a 10" diameter hole in his floor so he could try a 16' tall skimmer body.... from the 9' basement to the overflow level of the tank on the first floor... so he could direct feed the skimmer from the overflow, have a wicked tall skimmer, and be able to change the cup regularly without having to run to the basement. He just wanted to know which Alita he should pick up...lol.
Whats the main reason we would want to do such an experiment? Well... this is a hobby after all.
Another thing to consider: This market, as small as it may be... creates its own demand. You make it, and people will want to try it at least... if not own one. There are guys like Flinger who might as well just be 'high-end skimmer collectors'... lol, and we love 'em for it. You go building some new bubble plate, make some wild claims, improve efficiency, and put a price tag on it... someone will buy it. If it works... then you might have a hard time keeping it in stock. Look at Klaus's operation. Like you said... is it $3000 better...??? Yet somehow people still buy them. The KZ skimmer is a prime example. They took a beckett skimmer, put it into a cone shape body and oriented the injector a bit differently, make up some wild marketing claims, and put a $600 markup on the smallest model... and people are lined up to buy. So if we do the comparison... the demand for results will be there waiting. I mean... years ago, did you ever think people would be lining up to buy '$400 a pop' propeller driven pumps for their tanks? But they made it, and the demand followed. Paying $5000-6000 for a skimmer? Well... if you dont make it, nobody will buy it... but if you do...
