Product review - AquaC Remora Pro

[Clown Monarch]

$270 with optional pre-skimmer. I opted for the Mag3 pump.


My first reaction was that I just paid $300 for a plastic box and powerhead. Hey, I'm all about simplicity so if it works, I'm fine.

The unit is a quality construction and a simplistic overflow cup adjusted with a rubber ring. I like this method of adjustment.

Initially, I was miffed that the powerhead has no clearance or ability to screw into the inlet tube even though the threads match. How did they overlook this? It relies on questionable rubber clamps and a hose that I was pretty sure would fail eventually.

Placing the unit on the tank, I realized that the powerhead outlet nozzle would be just an inch from the surface and spraying upwards. With the weak little rubber clamps, this was quite concerning. It wasn't a matter of "if" but "when" it came loose and started spraying water into the hood and lights. That question was answered on the 5th day when the pump came loose (luckily at night when the lights were off) and sprayed about 5 gallons of water on the hood, walls, and floor. In it's stock configuration, this is a recipe for burning your house to the ground. The flimsy clamps were replaced with automtoive metal hose clamps.

The prefilter basket doesn't rise and fall with the water level - another disappointment. I found the Mag running dry a couple times when the prefilter shifted. The prefilter is also held in place with plastic screws that tighten to the hanging Mag pump. This is embarrassingly poor design. I'd settle for suction cups on the side of the box.

As far as skimming, it's pulling yellow water at a fast rate. I haven't been able to adjust it any lower yet and still pull skimmate. It still hasn't fully broken in so I'm lenient here.

In short, I expected much more ingenious engineering for $300. It is pretty much what my initial observations were - a very expensive plastic box.

[austinsdad]

I didn't like mine much either for similar reasons. Had to top off virutally every day in my 36g to keep it running right. Went bak to the Bak Pak HOB.

[lmw80]

This is wonderful feedback.

Please take a moment to write an official review here in the product review section.

[Clown Monarch]

Originally Posted by austinsdad

I didn't like mine much either for similar reasons. Had to top off virutally every day in my 36g to keep it running right. Went bak to the Bak Pak HOB.

Agreed. Luckily I have a 30 gallon reservoir in the next room that refills the tank everyday on a timer. If I didn't have this, the prefilter would have been a complete waste of money.

The only way I would suggest this product is without the prefilter box and using metal hose clamps in place of the plastic/rubber ones.

[Kurt_Nelson]

I've got the same skimmer on a 46 gallon. First fish are going in this weekend, so over the last month or two it hasn't had much to skim, but I've been amazed at the junk it's pulling out from just a couple shrimp, a cleanup crew, and minor feeding of the shrimp every once in a while. Once it's broken in, it's fairly quiet and does seem to pull a lot of smelly gunk out of the tank, so I'm happy with it so far.

A few comments to add...

1. It is loud and very frothy until it breaks in. Mine only took a couple days to calm down. Plan to dump the collection box several times a day, even at the highest setting, until it breaks in.

2. The skimmer prefilter box was a waste of money for me. I'd seen the skimmer before I ordered it, but not the prefilter box. Wish I had or I wouldn't have blown the money. It's huge for what it does (especially in my 46 gallon!), and like previously said, has a less than appealing method of attaching to the powerhead. I really didn't like that design: prefilter box hanging from the pump by a couple thumbscrews, and the pump hanging from the skimmer by a goofy flexible tube and one plastic clamp. They need to rethink this design. It can, and should, be better for the price paid.

3. The original shipped configuration of the Mag pump puts the center of gravity of the pump in a weird position and the pump hangs crooked off the flexible tube coming from the skimmer. I ended up taking off the input housing of the pump, rotating it into a better position, and reattaching it. Depending on how you want to hang this unit in your own setup, you might want to consider this option to get the pump to hang a little straighter.

4. While trying to reposition the skimmer, I had the pump work its way out of the skimmer inlet tube also. Luckily, because of the way I'd hung the unit and where the power cord was coming up, the pump outlet swung down so that it was blowing horizontal across the back of my tank - and I was there anyway since I was monkeying with it. No damage done, but I did go clean out my shorts after I got everything hooked back up. I cranked that clamp pretty tight when I assembled it, but I think as it got warmer and wet I should've double checked the tightness. It's tight now but was not brave enough to put stainless (which will corrode given time) clamps on it. (Another good reason to avoid the prefilter box... with it, the pump will shoot water straight up when that clamp goes, as Clown Monarch unfortunately found out.)

5. Put some rubber or felt bumpers on the little leveling screws that are on skimmer box itself. I couldn't believe I had to do this myself and they didn't come with. Yeah... hard acrylic thumbscrews bearing directly on my aquarium glass is just the perfect recipe for an annoying rattle. Granted... it was easily fixed, but again - I guess I would've thought this would be an obvious thing to do.

Don't get me wrong - I love this skimmer. I looked at a lot of others in action at the fish stores, and this was one of the quieter ones I found. It also gets great reviews, for obvious reasons - it does it's job very well. I guess I'm just a little disappointed at some fairly obvious things that could've been improved on long ago, and the design of that goofy prefilter box. This is NOT a cheap skimmer, so I guess I just expected more.

[austinsdad]

Both of you seem to have a real good handle on this skimmer. I didn't use mine long enuf to really get a good understanding of it. All I remember is that it didn't make me happy because of the top off needs.

So.... both of you gonna do that "thing" Lori suggested above?

[Kurt_Nelson]

Originally Posted by austinsdad

So.... both of you gonna do that "thing" Lori suggested above?

Once I get another month or two under my belt with my current setup, I was going to submit some reviews on the equipment I'm using. It's all brand spanking new so I figured I'd give it some time to show it's warts and all!

[austinsdad]

Cool. Thanks!

[Clown Monarch]

Originally Posted by austinsdad

So.... both of you gonna do that "thing" Lori suggested above?

Already did.

[FishFrik]

I hated mine and went back to CSS125