Here at Saltwater Smarts, we’re not, generally speaking, in the business of writing product reviews. But when we have positive personal experiences with products that we think can make your life easier—and are available at a reasonable cost—we want to pass that information along. Such has been my experience with the Coral Vue Octopus AC20287 (aka NWB 150) needle-wheel protein skimmer I recently purchased and added to my 125-gallon system.
在购买此次购买之前，我已经很久了，早就应该protein skimmer升级。我在这个系统中使用的撇渣器几乎不足，产生最小的撇渣器和经常堵塞。定期拆除和vinegar soaks需要保持组件清洁钙碳酸钙的积聚，这样我就可以在反应室中得到一些近似于良好的空气/水混合物的东西。
The low-cash conundrum
那么，为什么我忍受了这么长时间的低标准撇渣器表现呢？简单：现金 - 我和我的妻子通常的数量非常有限。我敢肯定，当您是一个中产阶级家庭争夺中时，购买新的蛋白质脱脂器的人会在优先事项列表中落在3,278左右的位置。因此，基本上，我缺乏蛋白质粉的效率，我必须以更大的频率弥补water changes.
Lighting upgrade and algae issues
I was finally forced to move on the skimmer purchase after tearing down my 75-gallon reef tank and upgrading the lighting on my 125-gallon so it could house some of the displaced corals. As I fully anticipated, the new, far more intense lighting—a 72-inch Current USA fixture, containing three 150-watt metal halides, 8 39-watt T5s, and 4 clusters of LEDs (courtesy of Caribbean Chris)—kicked the growth of algae into high gear in the 125.
每天（有时每天两次）我必须将藻类磁铁运到整个水箱内部，以防止藻类构建到完全遮盖窗格的地步。我知道我必须加紧营养出口in a major way before things really spiraled out of control.
我的妻子,认识到的困境I was in and not wanting 125 gallons of pea soup in the middle of her living room, finally gave the go ahead for the new skimmer. She felt the purchase was justified since the 75-gallon was no longer in operation and siphoning money out of our budget. Not to mention, she enjoys a nice-looking aquarium as much as I do!
易于设置和组装
撇渣器几周前到达，所有组件都占了所有组件 - 始终是加号。设置非常简单且直观。（作为参考，如果我发现一些容易组装的东西，那么训练有素的黑猩猩可能会在更少的时间内将其放在一起。）我唯一的抱怨是，该单元随附的方向遗漏了组装水出口管系统的实际步骤。步骤3只是读：“设置水出口管系统。”不过，不用担心。我在公司网站上找到了一套完整的集会说明。另外，很容易就可以通过查看盒子上的照片来弄清楚如何组装撇渣器的那部分。
A different sump solution
I’d originally intended to put the skimmer in my existing sump (a small acrylic sump from an old wet-dry system) inside the cabinet-style tank stand, but that would have been a pretty tight fit. With the skimmer being 22 inches tall, the top of the collection cup would have come almost to the bottom of the tank, making it very difficult to remove for emptying and cleaning. Also, the skimmer’s 12.2” x 8.7” footprint would have made it difficult to fit the system’s return pump in the same sump.
My solution was to use an old 29-gallon tank for the sump and place it on the floor just behind the tank. While I would have preferred to have it completely hidden from sight, I really love the ready access the setup affords and I was able to fit the skimmer, return pump, and heater down in the sump with room to spare.
Skimming along most satisfactorily!
就撇渣器的表现而言，到目前为止，我感到非常高兴。制造商建议允许三到四个星期的设备中断，但是它在几天之内开始产生相当数量的泡沫和脱脂，现在，在设置后仅几周后，它确实开始拔出gunk。仅通过门阀的转弯即可轻松调整腔室中的水位，而带有设备的消音器可以使其以相当适度的分贝水平运行。
Even more encouraging is the fact that the algae buildup on the tank glass has declined steadily. From a heavy buildup developing over just a matter of hours, it quickly dropped down to a light buildup over the course of a day, and now it’s down to what I would consider a more reasonable rate of growth, requiring moderate cleaning once every several days. Not bad, I’d say, for a budget-friendly skimmer costing only $240!
