Product Review: AquaEuro 135 Protein Skimmer

What if I told you that you could get a simply designed, high quality in-sump protein skimmer rated for 135 gallons (and possibly under-rated by the manufacturer) that skimmed incredibly well with both wet and dry foam for under $200, and was easy to clean to boot? I wouldn't believe me, either, but that was before I was lucky enough to review AquaEuro USA's Classic 135 protein skimmer!

I had never used an AquaEuro skimmer before I was sent the 135 for review, something that I now regret! The 135 is designed for in-sump use only, and is very well constructed with a robust acrylic body and collection cup.

Setup was as easy as pushing the pump output into the skimmer, sliding the foam bubble trap over the return pipe that also doubles as the water level adjustment.

Getting the 135 to skim, however, wasn't so easy as its installation. After a three day break-in period (a bit long) it took me a week of tweaking to really get some effective skimming action. By "tweaking" I mean adjusting the water level inside the skimmer, by adjusting the height of the return pipe. Check it out when I did get it working, though:

Once I was finally able to get nice skimmate, the skimmer would quickly stop producing after a day or two. I finally realized that for consistent skimmate, the collection cup and neck need to be cleaned at least every other day, preferably daily. This could deter those who don't like to perform daily maintenance, but unlike other skimmers, the 135 will skim like a champ right after cleaning.

Luckily, the collection design is great - the 135, like all of AquaEuro's skimmers uses a 'wet-neck' (a sort of inverted funnel) to direct foam into the collection cup. This means the collection cup comes on and off effortlessly rather than a twist-lock (don't worry, you can't knock it off with a bump!). The wet-neck + water level adjuster allows for a wide variety of foam production, from wet to (very) dry, and believe me, it pulls out some serious gunk!

Most of the credit for the AquaEuro 135's awesome skimming power goes to the pump: AquaEuro's own brand, the pump consumes only 40 watts, while still pushing tons of air. Also included is an air silencer, a nice addition.

Pros: dirt cheap price, great performance, wet-neck design, quality construction, excellent pump, and did I mention cheap?
Cons: frequent cleanings required to achieve maximum performance, tough to adjust at first

Captive Aquatics blog rating: Editor's Choice Award. I highly recommend this skimmer, especially to those on a budget.

$179, www.aquaeurousa.com

Test system: 175 gallon fish only aquarium with a 60 gallon wet-dry/sump, 6" deep sand bed, and a medium bioload. To view the Captive Aquatics blog rating guidelines, or to submit a product for review visit the aquarium products review page.

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