Why Diss the Aqua C Remora?

[The Saltwater Kid]

On the "Reef Discussion" forum everyone seems to love this skimmer, calling it by far the best HOB skimmer for the money (in the $150 price range). Over here I see a lot of threads calling it marginal at best...what's up with that? I realize that everybody has their own opinion and experiences but to go from one forum where it's the concensus best skimmer to another forum where people are dumping on it and barely giving it a passing grade...ON THE SAME WEB SITE...is very confusing. Almost everybody I've spoken to or who have replied to my earlier posts about which skimmer to get for my 29g have tried to steer me towards the Aqua C Remora and now i start seeing the "haters" on this forum...which am I supposed to believe as i don't have a lot of money to begin with and certainly don't have it to throw away? I need a very good, reliable skimmer that will make a big difference in my tank!!!

 

[RichConley]

Because there are a lot more newbies who havent used a good skimmer hanging around on Reef Talk than in here. In here tends to be the people who have used a lot of equipment.


Basically, there Remora isnt a very good skimmer, unfortunately, most of the people who are using them and satisfied, have never used a well designed skimmer.

(I particularly hate the Remora, because the build quality is so inconsistent. Injector height varies, neck height varies, some of the cups fit snug, some dont, etc. You can get one that works moderately well, or get one that no matter what you do, it'll never skim)


Remember, to be a decent buy, its gotta be able to compete with the other skimmers in its price range: The Octopus NW200, the Coralife SS 220, the ER CS80, ASM G3, etc, and it doesnt even come close to any of those.

 

[HBtank]

I spent a long time researching that price range of skimmers and I pretty much agree with Rich.

All the good reviews were from current owners that have not seen the new and improved skimmers that have been released since it was the best.

Yes there have always been better top end skimmers, but not HOB, and from what I read it WAS the best HOB not to long ago..

Time passed it by. I personally chose the CSS 220 about a year ago. If the octopus had been out then I probably would have picked it, as it seems to be the best bang for the buck ATM.

Basically it is is comparable to saying a Pentium 3 is "not good" when it can still work fine. The truth is that it is just outdated compared to better and newer chips on the market..

 

[dippin61]

for a price tag of generally $150+ for a remora, especially with only a mj1200 .. its ludicris. there are many other skimmers for the same price that do way better. even other HOB skimmers in tha price range. I would go with a CSS over a remora any day. and the beauty about the CSS's is that they can also be used as in sump, unlike the remora.

My CSS out does my old remora by leaps and bounds. I mean, i cant even compare the two. Weeks on the lowest setting (wetest skimming) on the remora would finally fill the cup half way.. 1 week on my CSS and its full.

 

[Obi-dad]

I currently use a remora on my 30g softies tank, but only because I have no room for sump and better skimmer. I had an urchin (in sump version of remora) on my 75g, thought it was doing well, but then put in a Euro-reef skimmer - it made a HUGE difference in the amount of stuff extracted. The remora/urchin works better than some hang-ons (like sea-clone, etc), but definitely is not as good as bigger skimmers. Real-world experience here, not repeating opinions of others like some threads I see out there.

 

[The Saltwater Kid]

I've heardd so many conflicting stories it's very hard to discern whats true and what's brand predjudice. I've heard many people say how many problems they've had with their CSS...especially overflowing and here are some people who say they'd take one over the Remora any day of the week. On the other forum it's the opposite, Remora hands down over the CSS skimmers. Well, if somebody bought me the Remora for Christmas should i just wait and keep it as it will certainly be better then my Seaclone or should i convince them to return it if possible in exchange for a different one? I want the simplest, most reliable and quality performance plug and play HOB skimmer I can get for around $150.

 

[daveverdo]

Firs let me say I am not trying to insult anyone but I have to ask how many people who say the AquaC is NOT GOOD actually used one?

RichConley,
You say the build quality is inconsistent, is this from first hand experience. How many did you have that you can judge inconsistances?

I guess I am just trying to find out if people are making statements based on first hand experience.

I bought an AguaC Remora because people here said it was good compared to other skimmers in the price range. It is also NOT an eyesore hanging on the tank in my living room (I do not have a sump).

I empty the cup every two days or so and it is full of thick, brown, smelly gunk. It seems to do the job I expected. I did not expect it to perform like a $300 skimmer but I did expect it to perform better than something like a Prizm or a SeaClone. I never used any other skimmer in recent years so I cannot directly compare. I think I got what I paid for and I feel it is working well. Maybe a Coralife SS would work just as well as a HOB skimmer for half the price but it is big and ugly to sit between my TV and the fireplace and my tank would have to another 2inches away form the wall.

Dave

 

[ralphie16]

Step back for a second. You can't see the answer to your question without looking at the whole picture.

We all know there are x, y, and z HOB skimmers available at the present time.
(some examples are Remora, CSS, etc)

We have all heard both positive and negative remarks on them. Which can only lead to one decisive, conclusive, no other way final answer......

THERE IS POSITIVELY NO CORRECT ANSWER FOR WHICH IS THE "BEST".

Once you understand this very important concept, you will see the light.

The only thing you may want to decide is which features fit right for you. For example, the CSS is big and bulky to me on the outside of the tank. The Remora is ugly to me because it forces you to have a pump in the tank. Personally, that is why I picked the Tunze Nano Skimmer. It was the most attractive package to me. Plus Tunze is known for good quality, as far as my experience. This particulate skimmer also produces less bubbles then the Remora and I know that because I saw the two side by side today.

Basically, all these skimmers will pull ROUGHLY the same crap from your tank. So pick whichever you think is packaged for your tastes.

 

[danskim]

What Rich says is true. I mean it'll skim, but there are better ones in its price range.
Octopus is very nice.

 

[The Saltwater Kid]

Rich those skimmers you mentioned...particularly the Octopus NW200 are made to be in sump skimmers only, not HOB skimmers. Another thing to remember is this is a 29g tank it's going on so why would I want/need a skimmer that's rated for 150g+ tanks? I like the looks of the Remora personally, I think they aren't an eyesore hanging off your tank (certainly not as big and bulky as the CSS) and are very space concious (as in they don't take up a lot of space). I just want a simple plug and play skimmmer that will do a good job and i won't have to spend time or $$$ fiddling/modding it to get it to work well.

 

[UCanDoIt]

Since you already received one as a gift, you like they way it looks, and you only have a 29g tank, it will do the job. It will definitely do better than your Seaclone.

 

[mikedege]

My CSS out does my old remora by leaps and bounds. I mean, i cant even compare the two. Weeks on the lowest setting (wetest skimming) on the remora would finally fill the cup half way.. 1 week on my CSS and its full.

Me too, the CSS65 has been Wayyyyyyy better than my old AquaC remora. Also, my old aquaC's "rubberband" that adjusts the collection cup broke 3 times in less than 1 year. Must be due to low humidity where i live. The good thing was, they replaced it no questions asked. But once again, the CSS65 works way better. Im not saying its perfect, but much better. in my expierience.

good luck, Mike

 

[UCanDoIt]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8545857#post8545857 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Saltwater Kid
..... I like the looks of the Remora personally, I think they aren't an eyesore hanging off your tank (certainly not as big and bulky as the CSS) .....

 

[Poorcollegereef]

well my remora pro will out produce... blah blah blah... but my nitrates are <1 in a fairly heavily stocked 40 total gal system. (2 clowns, chromis, wrasse, royal gamma, and a bar goby) and infrequent water changes

I think there are too many varibles to say which is the best skimmer, heck, how many times you hand goes in the tank will effect skimmate production. In addition judging how full the collection cup is a JOKE! First of all collection cups vary in size so anyone who talks about skimmate as a percentage of their collection cup needs a measuring cup...

As for me, my remora pro has removed 110.75oz of skimmate since Oct 2. That is 2.5oz of skimmate per day which means I get a nearly full collection cup (about 16-18oz is what the pro holds) every 6-7 days.

I am very happy with my remora, the build quality is darn good. Others have success with other brands and models and thats fine, because it isnt whats on, hanging or placed in your , it is whether or not the living stuff that is thriving.

 

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8546492#post8546492 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Poorcollegereef

As for me, my remora pro has removed 110.75oz of skimmate since Oct 2. That is 2.5oz of skimmate per day which means I get a nearly full collection cup (about 16-18oz is what the pro holds) every 6-7 days.

Again, my tank is only slightly bigger than yours, and I have less fish, and I'm pulling roughly 18-24 oz of skimmate out a day (and its FOUL, not watery). People just dont realize what a skimmer is supposed to do until they get away from these crappy HOB skimmers.

As to build quality, the quality isnt bad. I've just seen 2 remoras sitting next to each other where the neck lengths were different by 1", the injectors weren't at the same height, etc. One worked fine, one wouldnt.

Another thing to remember is this is a 29g tank it's going on so why would I want/need a skimmer that's rated for 150g+ tanks?

Because they work better.

I'd rate the NW200 at 150g or so. I'd rate a remora at 15-20g. Theyre the same price.

 

[gcarroll]

The NW200 is a better skimmer than an AquaC Remora but it sure would look stupid in a tank that didn't have a sump. That being said makes the Remora a better HOB skimmer than the NW200.

 

[Fig]

People just dont realize what a skimmer is supposed to do until they get away from these crappy HOB skimmers.

I don't think my MCE600 is crappy. And I realize what a skimmer is supposed to do.

 

[dhnguyen]

Real world experience here. I ran an Aqua C Remora (not pro) side by side a cheapo JEBO 180 (modded with a needlewheel) and guess which one performed better

What Rich was trying to say about the build inconsistencies of the Remora is that because these are hand made, the build quality can vary greatly. I too have seen other Remora units that skimmed quite well just not the one I used. They are somewhat a crap shoot IME.


D.

 

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8546858#post8546858 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Fig
I don't think my MCE600 is crappy. And I realize what a skimmer is supposed to do.

Can the MCE600 hang with a $450 in sump skimmer though? Not a chance.

 

[MarineGirl411]

Well, this information sucks big time. I have the Aqua C Remora Pro that I am planning on using in my 40 gallon+29 gallon sump/refugium. I was planning on hanging it on the outside of the sump. It uses the Mag Drive 3. The O ring is supposed to be lubricated with petroleum jelly to keep it's flexibility in place (i hear). I am going to house LPS, SPS, and Clams. The lady I bought it from used it on her 90 gallon heavily stocked reef aquarium. She told me that it skimmed better than her in sump skimmer she had just purchased. I have talked to people that say the CSS is not good because of all the adjustments you have to make, plus for this person the Aqua C did better. They bought both to test it. Maybe it is a designers touch since you say they are hand made. Now this has me worried. Am I not going to get the job done now? She housed LPS and SPS plus a lot of fish in her 90. OYE! =*( Now I don't know what to do.