Bubble Magus NAC6 review

cveverly · 06/20/2009, 08:06 AM

If any one is looking for a good, not great, cheap skimmer this might work for you. I got it because of the price, small foot print and short stature.

Cut and paste from my post in the lighting and filtration forum.

I recently bought the NAC6. The design and price got the best if my curiosity.

I put it in a 40 breeder with a 20 gallon sump and it has been running a little over a week.

Pros:
Great price
Good construction
Small foot print
Quiet but not silent
Easy to disassemble
Spare impeller
Does the job

Cons:
It needs at least 9" of water and works best in 12"-13"
Skimmer needed to be removed from sump and disassembled to clean the pump.
Not as well constructed as many other skimmers
Drain line for the cup should have a plug for people that do not use it.
There is a little too much turbulence in the reaction chamber

My two biggest complaints are the amount of turbulence in the reaction chamber and the need for a deep sump. I am limited to a 12" sump and I can not get the best efficiency out of the skimmer unless the sump is completely full. That wont work for me since I use the sump as an overflow in case of power failure. If the water level in the sump is low the reaction chamber will not fill with bubbles like it should. Most of the bubbles will be in the top 25% of the reaction chamber. Once the water lever exceeds 9" the reaction chamber starts to fill with a nice milky froth.

I use a EuroReef in my larger tank and feel it is a better skimmer. However, there is a big difference in price. For the money this is a good skimmer that will work on most smaller systems.

It is hard to find a skimmer for $138 that works and this one fills that need.

06/20/2009, 08:06 AM	#1
cveverly Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Port Clinton, Oh Posts: 1,470	Bubble Magus NAC6 review If any one is looking for a good, not great, cheap skimmer this might work for you. I got it because of the price, small foot print and short stature. Cut and paste from my post in the lighting and filtration forum. I recently bought the NAC6. The design and price got the best if my curiosity. I put it in a 40 breeder with a 20 gallon sump and it has been running a little over a week. Pros: Great price Good construction Small foot print Quiet but not silent Easy to disassemble Spare impeller Does the job Cons: It needs at least 9" of water and works best in 12"-13" Skimmer needed to be removed from sump and disassembled to clean the pump. Not as well constructed as many other skimmers Drain line for the cup should have a plug for people that do not use it. There is a little too much turbulence in the reaction chamber My two biggest complaints are the amount of turbulence in the reaction chamber and the need for a deep sump. I am limited to a 12" sump and I can not get the best efficiency out of the skimmer unless the sump is completely full. That wont work for me since I use the sump as an overflow in case of power failure. If the water level in the sump is low the reaction chamber will not fill with bubbles like it should. Most of the bubbles will be in the top 25% of the reaction chamber. Once the water lever exceeds 9" the reaction chamber starts to fill with a nice milky froth. I use a EuroReef in my larger tank and feel it is a better skimmer. However, there is a big difference in price. For the money this is a good skimmer that will work on most smaller systems. It is hard to find a skimmer for $138 that works and this one fills that need.