A new cone based skimmer is coming to the U.S… from China via Salt Water Connection, SWC. Conical designs are the new craze in skimmers right now, and for a reason. The gentle slope when combined with a bubble plate significantly reduces turbulence, burping, and creates a gentle foam that other skimmers are not able [...]
A new cone based skimmer is coming to the U.S… from China via Salt Water Connection, SWC. Conical designs are the new craze in skimmers right now, and for a reason. The gentle slope when combined with a bubble plate significantly reduces turbulence, burping, and creates a gentle foam that other skimmers are not able to mimic. The cone shape also reduces back pressure on Needle Wheel pumps, or in the case of KZ Beckets, to allow even more air draw for increased performance.
Cones + Bubble Plate = Great skimmer body. And for the most part that is true, so it was only a matter of time until Honya or another Chinese manufacturer started to create a cone, or conical, skimmer.
The biggest hurdle to overcome with a mass produced cone skimmer is the mold. A mold enables the manufacturer to make an acrylic cast of the conical shape. It is quite expensive at first, but will significantly speed up the manufacturing process and reduce marginal costs. This also eliminates the seam from bending and welding a cone from a sheet.
The SWC cone skimmer shown above is 11″ in diameter and 24″ tall. As you can see the model shown will be powered by two Sicce PSK pumps for 60-100 scfh (MSRP: $850). They will also be available with a single Sicce PSK for 30-50 scfh (MSRP: $750) or a Laguna/Askoll 1500 pump for 80 scfh of air draw (MSRP: $1000). Given the pumps that will be used and the skimmers proportions, the skimmer will likely perform very well… The only thing is it looks strikingly similar to a popular skimmer already on the market and imported from Austria–ATB.
Not to say that this SWC Chinese skimmer is bad… but it looks nearly identical. From the cone to the removable bubble plate to the white acrylic, the only real difference is the output and slight change in dimensions. I won’t stand on a soap box and preach, make your own opinion. Here’s the proven, well made original:
It will be interesting to see how these new SWC Cone skimmers fare. Once you break past the $500 mark it is a completely different customer. However rational or irrational it may be, most of these customers want the best… so what’s another few hundred dollars?
Now that these are being mass produced in China I would not be surprised if conical designs become as commonplace as bubble plates currently are.
