Comments: I think the "Expert" from Chicago who couldn't get this to work and threw it in the trash (instead of selling it or giving it to someone else) has greatly overstated his "qualifications". Hey, if you can throw $200 away out of anger, I guess you're an "expert" at something!
<br />
<br />Thick, green tea from the two that I have used. Very little fiddling with it to get it set, too. Far less adjustments required than my Super Reef Octopus INT-1000.
<br />
<br />This is a fantastic design that works very well. In the year that I ran them, I didn't even have to clean the injection nozzle.
<br />
<br />Very recommended!

Comments: Setup is very simple, but if you're new to protein skimmers it might take some thought. The skimmer seems to work as described, but to be frank both the manual and web site provide very little information for users; many of the links on the web site are non-functional. From reading other users' comments I have an idea of what I'm looking for, or what I should want ( a dry foam or skim, rather than liquid), but this is very much a learn as I go process. I would say the unit does do a good job of pulling particles out of the water, and it's easy to use.

Comments: well i wasnt sure about the urchin,i checked around on line and with this website and reviews were very good,so i got one and all i have to say is its the bomb,best skimmer yet,dont listen to the negative,you will like it.If you want a great product and service,this website is the place,these guys go the extra mile to help you out,that does not happen very often,you cant go wrong with these folks,the skimmer is producing some nasty form. BUY the aqua c urchin.

Comments: Best.skimmer.eveerrr. Silent, fills with fithy doo doo, easy to own. Bubbles in the display went away after several weeks..

Comments: I am not in the habit of writing product reviews, but the Aqua C Urchin was one of the bigger disappointments from my 20 years of reef-keeping experience. Obviously the Urchin is a well reviewed entity -- and I made my purchase based upon research from independent sources, as well as consumer reviewers. Perhaps I received a faulty unit. I am very tuned in to the quirks associated with skimmers, the need for patience during the break in period etc. I have never before met a skimmer that I couldn't get to function satisfactorily. This product, however, was a giant migraine from day one. Following instructions to the letter, it was still impossible to adjust the water chamber in order to get an appropriate bubble column. And the overflow of wet foam resulted in a massive quantity of micro-bubbles in my tank. AND, the unit is unduly NOISY. I am very very happy for the many fine people who have been satisfied that the Aqua C Urchin in-sump does a good job for them in the all-important protein-skimming department. As for me, I go back to the "fool me once/shame on you... fool me twice/shame on me" dictum ... and would decline to ever again purchase a product from this manufacturer. My Aqua C Urchin is currently residing in the trash. R.I.P.

Comments: Very pleased so far. Easy installation.

Comments: It is built very well and is quiet, efficient, compact, and essentially maintenance free. I am sure this rivals more expensive skimmers. I empty the cup nearly everyday and am sure that I will start using the drain fitting soon. I don't think you can beat the value of this skimmer.

Comments: I needed a small in-sump refugium for my 65gal mixed reef tank. Its only been running overnight and its pulling out gunk already. It seems to be put together well and adjusting the neck for a thicker foam is easy and its quiet. I've had several skimmers over my 15 yrs of reef keeping and this one is among the better ones, definitley for the size and price. Buyers note the exit port is a waterfall type and is on the right side of the skimmer as you look at the pump, the drain fitting is also on the right side.

Comments: The skimmer is very easy setup. I did not have the problems others have with lots of wet foam needing to be emptied every hour or less. I feel that is a water chemistry/balance issue. It started creating a good foam the next day. I would change the location of the drain plug since it hampers the o-ring, there is an inch of space less to adjust for drier foam. You will need 1/2" ID hose to connect to the drain plug. I used the Coralife SS in the sump and the constant adjusting of the water level is not a problem with the Urchin. Check your clearence space for cup removal I would give a few extra inches than they state. The water discharge and drip valve are located on the right side of skimmer so keep that in mind.

Comments: This skimmer is great for small compact sumps. The foam generated by the spray nozzle is excellent. It keeps the water very clean and is easy to use. The cup height can be adjusted easily by moving the o-ring up or down. No fiddling with gate valves and multiple pumps. Great and simple product.

Comments: The product quality is great and it is very easy to setup. It is very compact, which is good as my tank is a 2 foot cube, which does not leave me a lot of room. The skimmer has been running for 5 days and the cup is about half full of nasty wet skimmate. (My tank is still only 4 weeks old) I am currently running it with the skim box all the way down but I plan on raising it to get a more dry foam. The spray injection is a little louder than my built-in overflow. Overall, it is still pretty quite. I am running the Urchin In-Sump with the drain fitting and a Maxi-Jet 1200.

Comments: This is a great in-sump skimmer. It is easy to set-up in literally just a few minutes. It is a simply, yet effective design that is quiet and has a small footprint in the sump. The instructions are simple and easy to follow. As indicated, the first 12 hours or so did not produce much foam, but afterwards, it produced a nice foam that pulled a lot of waste out of the water. I purchased the model with the drain fitting which only requires a small additional 8-10 inches of 1/2 inch tubing. Otherwise, this skimmer is ready to use out of the box.

Comments: Give it a few days or so to break in and this thing goes to town. The cup height is very easy to adjust to get the desired skimmate. I would suggest getting the drain fitting if you plan to wet skim as the collection cup will fill very quickly. I keep my cup almost all of the way up and it produces a nice thick (dry) foam. Great skimmer with very easy set up, adjusting, and cleaning.

Comments: This thing works like a charm. I would suggest not getting the drain fitting unless you are sure you want to use it. You could always just drill a hole in the side of the cup and attach a hose yourself later. The downside to the drain fitting when not in use is that the cup can only fill up about a 1/2 inch before skimmate flows back into your tank. I didn't have to mess with raising or lowering the cup, it just started working 3 days after I threw it in my tank. Very easy set up, works better than my bigger skimmer.

Comments: I am quite new to this hobby.So i sifted through countless reviews to find a good skimmer for my tank. This web site had really good reviews and descriptions. It made the decision to pick this skimmer easy. After 2 days this thing has removed some seriously nasty stuff. I highly recommend this product. It is as simple as plug in and go as you can get for a in sump skimmer. I will be using this web site and aqua c products for a long time.

Comments: I am relatively new to the hobby and had a lot trouble with all the fine adjustments needed on my old skimmer. This skimmer is working extremely well without the need for constant fine tuning adjustments. It looks good, worked immediately as promised, and is skimming lots of gunk from my 55 gallon tank. And a question I had about installation was answered with quick, helpful service from the manufacturer (you call them and they actually call you back!!). Highly recommend this skimmer.

Comments: I have set up this skimmer about a week ago.it started producing foam after three days.now I cant keep up with it! I had to keep upsising the drain bottles! after using and fixing the Amiracle skimmer I have been using for the fifteen years I cant belive what this thing is taking out of my tank. Thank you AquaC for this.I love this thing!

Comments: This is very simple to set up. I replaced an old marine land that was top of the line back in the day venturi type. I researched skimmers out the yang cause I didn't want to pay for junk and didn't want more than I needed. It does what it says, perfectly. Hooked up for a couple of weeks now. I don't know how it will perform a year from now or how much maintenance is required yet but it ROCKS!!! from the start. Takes a couple of days to kick in. I think it's nearly impossible to beat this thing for the money. Had tanks for 20+ years.

Comments: I'm new to this hobby but it does'nt take a scientist to figure out that the skimmer was pulling out a brownish liquid/froth withing 4-5 hours of installation. That's the goal to get the gunk out. Fit in my sump perfectly. Really easy to set up & clean the drain out. Very happy so far.

Comments: I bought this pump because of the reviews of the Remora. All this skimmer is is a in sump version of the very popular Remora Protein Skimmer.
<br />
<br />Please go with the maxi-jet 1200 upgrade as the rio pump will work but for larger tanks the maxi works much better.
<br />
<br />Setup was easy, just connect the pump, drop the skimmer in the sump and off you go.
<br />
<br />Finding the exact footprint of this model was hard, as many sites list it as a 6x6 inch square. Not true. My own measurement is 6x5 inch including the maxijet pump. You can get creative and possibly get it down to 6x4 with rotating the pump in a different direction.
<br />
<br />Also note that the water exit level is 12 1/4 inch high from the base of the unit. I had to build a platform for the skimmer to sit on so the water could exit properly.
<br />
<br />All in all this is just one awesome protein skimmer.

Comments: I have had my AquaC Urchin skimmer for about 2 years now and it has performed flawlessly! It is so easy to use...all I do is empty the skimmate from the drainage bottle several times a week , then once a week I wash the cup and lid out. So far I have not needed to do any fiddling or adjusting...it just runs like a dream! Alot of "serious reefers" cant believe the great water qualityI get with this "little" skimmer.
<br />I recently got a bigger tank and I need a skimmer for a larger tank....I'm definitely going to get an AquaC Urchin pro!

Comments: I just got my skimmer today. It took not even 5 minutes to set up and start. This skimmer started pulling gunk immediately! AquaC Urchin is a very well built skimmer, it's slim design fits perfectly in my already tight sump. My old skimmer had to be set up outside the stand which proved to be very risky not to mention that it wasn't hardly pulling anything out. This skimmer definitely out performs my old skimmer.