Review on AquaMaxx CO-1 In-Sump Protein Skimmer with Cone Shape by Tanika Spencer

This skimmer has been running in my personal 90 gallon reef tank for a month. It replaced my large AquaC EV-120 which never seemed to pull what I was hoping for with my heavy fish/coral bioload. I figured the recommended pump just wasn't strong enough for the old unit, but instead of just upgrading the pump I decided to look for a new cone skimmer that wasn't as bulky. This device is thin, easy to clean, very quiet and creates a nice dark layer of foam. My only complaint came during the break-in period when I noticed the foam/slag seeping through the o-ring into the channels that the cup itself connected to and then down the skimmer body into the tank. Not much but it was annoying because I had heard a lot of good things about this make/model and felt it was just a design oversight. I contacted support within a week and while they were nice via email, they weren't much help on their own. They suggested that I shouldn't turn the cup all the way in the channels. In the end, I think the problem was an incorrectly installed o-ring that left enough room for the scrub to seep through, and since the design of this system has open channels, the degreaser falls onto the body and not back down the cone or neck. Anyway, I fixed it and haven't had any problems since. However, I wish the rep would just offer to mail me a new O-ring back and forth after our first few emails because I'm almost back in business. for a return. Hopefully the neck-to-cup connection will be redesigned in the next-gen design to eliminate that possibility. As for the fancy little bubble plate that produces more foam. I was expecting something really crazy I guess based on all the hype I've heard/read. So it was probably my own unrealistic expectations. Skimmate is reliable in its manufacture. He's very consistent with some minor adjustments throughout the week. To be honest I'm still gaining altitude this block has in my sanctuary. It improves with each subsequent change. The dial itself is very easy to use and unlike some devices I've supported it's not overly sensitive, which can lead to possible overflows if I turn it on and can't see it for fifteen minutes afterwards. So far I'm very happy with the ease of setup. It lasts well on my system for about four days. As the cup fills up and dirt builds up on the neck, another minor adjustment or dial cleaning is required. As long as it's easy to clean. I'm curious to see how those tiny cones on the bubble plate will clear up over time if coralline algae ever start encrusting them. But so far it has been a lot easier to clean than AquaC, SWC cones, Remora Suspension, Bubble Magus NAC3.5 and maybe even Corallife Super Skimmer. In many ways it is comparable to the EShopps e-200. Finally, the mug has a quirky little curved piece of acrylic that might just be a novelty. I'm still thinking about the actual design purpose and if it would improve the collecting process or even be necessary. It's there and doesn't seem to cause any negative results. The only complaint I have about the mug is that there was a vent in the lid. On one particularly chaotic day the skimmer went haywire as they do and instead of foam collecting in the cup, quite a few bubbles came home through that vent, clinging to the top of the lid and then off the skimmer down the body dripped back into the palette. However, this only happened once. The mug has a drain hose, but it's easy to short circuit it to be useful from what I've found so far. Eventually I plan to find out what diameter it is and buy a longer silicone hose so I can upgrade to a real waste bin. When you design a drain pipe, it has to be long enough to go somewhere, even if you have to add $2 to the cost of each unit. Now cost me 2 bucks as I need to find the right tube and waste my time. Despite all the small flaws, I will probably buy it again. It comes close to the EShopp cone skimmer in production, has a low noise level and is easy to clean in a much smaller package. And the price is competitive. However, I would recommend that they iron out some shortcomings of this first generation, include a longer tube and provide replacement o-rings as this could become a wear issue later on.