Via Aqua Multi Skimmer?

[TomV]

I was just pawing through my Marine Depot catalog and came across this contraption. It looks... interesting.. but it gives me Skilter vibes. Anyone have one? Know of someone with it? Know where I can find some reviews of it?

Just curious.

[BoomerD]

Do a Google search on them...
Your ESP is pretty much right on the money whem comparing it to a skilter... multi-function equipment like this usually ends up being a serious compromise in quality of any of the features, in order to provide the many...and FYI, none of the Via-Aqua equipment I've ever seen impressed me as to quality or functionality...
PASS!!

[wooddood]

ditto boomerD ditto.

[fidojoe]

I have been using a via aqua multi skimmer on my 50 for a year now, and with great success might I add, thank you very much!

Here are 6 reasons why I like it:
1- They're inexpensive!

2- My collection cup, which is a quite large btw, fills weekly.

3- Pumps out nasty greenish brown sludge.

4- Incredibly easy to set up. Hang it on, fill it up, plug it in, pump the primer a couple times, and let it go. There are only 2 adjustments, 1 air intake, and collection cup height adjustment.

5- Several compartments to put other stuff in. I took out the filter pads, put my heater in one compartment, and carbon in the other. I don't have the uv add on, but it could be helpful, I wish I had spent the extra $20 for it.

6- The unit itself is shorter than the aquaC, so it can fit on a 10 gallon height without hanging below the tank bottom.

There are only 2 downsides to it that I can think of:
1- Kinda noisy, only cause the pump is external.

2- Needs to be primed, however, it takes only a few seconds of squeezing the little accordion thing.

[fidojoe]

Originally posted by BoomerD
Do a Google search on them...
Your ESP is pretty much right on the money whem comparing it to a skilter...

No offense, but don't speak for or against something if you haven't tried one. I can't stand it when people totaly bash a less expensive item when they have never even given it a chance just cause its cheaper, ya never know, it could be better than a euroreef, can't tell you tho, cause I've never had a euroreef.

I can tell you tho, it is better than the visi-jet skimmer, and the lee's skimmer that I have used for 2 months each, much more gunk in a lot less time, plus more astheticly (sp?) pleasing cause its not in the tank.

[wooddood]

i was'nt bashing them fido, my reply with boomer was to do a search and reshearch them first. i would never bash a piece of equipment i have never tried. i get the same thing about seaclone skimmers, i have 2 only running one at the moment though but they have always worked great for me. sorry if you took offense.[dave].

[BoomerD]

it is better than the visi-jet skimmer, and the lee's skimme

Gee Joe, that's like saying that your Ford Pinto is better than a
Chevette or a Yugo...

While the skimmer might work, if you compare them to good skimmers, they fall way short...
While I have never tried one myself, I know a few people who work in the business, from LFS owners to salespeople for the distributors, and many hobbyists...No one has ever said good to about these, except that they might be better than no skimmer...

[fidojoe]

Wood, I wasn't saying anything about you, 's all good...

However, BoomerD, Have you tried a lees, or a visijet? My guess is no, so don't speak for them either! Btw, I did compare it to good skimmers, just not good skimmers for a larger tank. Both of the others DID work for me, just not very well, they are good for smaller tanks, just not on something larger than 30 gallons. I'm speaking from experience, not what I've heard through the oh so misleading grapevine of whats good and whats not, the LFS could just be saying that to get you to buy the biggest baddest most epensive one they've got. The via aqua has worked 10x better than the other two, I won't lie to you, there are some things I don't like about em, I've already stated why, but if I had to buy another skimmer tomorrow, I wouldn't think twice about putting the $130 in the hands of the guy at the lfs for another via aqua. My lfs uses the in-sump versions on 2 of his displays, and also a euro reef on another, and he likes the via aqua in-sump the same, if not more just because of the price difference. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, theres a point that you can cross where you have too much, like lighting, skimmers etc...

[BoomerD]

Have you tried a lees, or a visijet?

Bud, I've been in this hobby for 30 years. I had one of the first run batches of the Visi-Jet skimmer back in the very early 90's...Birthday present from some well meaning friends...Wow, what a POS even back then! Lee used to make a fairly good co-current skimmer, that worked pretty well for small tanks. Sanders too. Not high tech like todays needle-wheel skimmers or beckett skimmers, but still they did a good job. I used one on a 20 gallon reef for 4 years. Just a simple airstone powered skimmer...Emptied the cup out several times per week...Maybe not as thick & heavy a skimmate as the newer skimmers, but a whole lot better than nothing...They certainly are not as good as the Remora's of today, nor even the (koff) Bak-Pak...
You can buy all the cheap Chinese built Via Aqua stuff you want, and if it works to YOUR satisfaction, then you have different standards than I do...I've looked at it in the LFS, and IMO, Via Aqua's "Multi-Skimmer" and canister filters were poorly constructed of cheap materials...Their in-sump skimmers looked pretty decent though...I'll give them that...no reports on how well those hold up or how well they do for the long haul...
I agree that there are not too many well built skimmers for nano tanks...that's an area that the manufacturers should address. Someone making a great LITTLE skimmer could clean-up!

[fidojoe]

I kinda agree on the visi jet, it was a PITA, in that it required almost constant adjusting, but it did work. Its was also very unsightly inside the tank. The lees was a very simple skimmer, but did better than I expected the little $30 peice of plastic to do.

I have seen one of the bakpaks working on a tank before, not sure how long it took, but the cup was almost half full. It was however quite noisy, and also quite pricey.

I have stated this already, the via aqua could use a few improvements, but still, it works, and yes, their canister filters do look cheasy. Another thing I will give you is that the via aqua plastic is worse quality, but when was the last time you played football with your skimmer?