thanks scott,
you've touched on a selling point that i had mentioned earlier, about the NW being easier to maintain. in saying that the needle wheels are more efficient, are you talking about the skimming quality per watt consumed?
the general consensus that i've heard so far is that becketts will out skim a needle wheel any day.
p.s. i apologize if my typing is all fubar, our friends at new belgium brewery released a new seasonal beer in my area this week. just tried it today, it's damn good... and i'm feeling it/
chris
Well at least I hope you drank one for me :lol:
Now as far as where I was going, I have never had a Beckett produce the quality of skim mate that the NW produces. As you touched on, the power vs a Beckett and power vs NW, the power vs the beckett is typically a HUGE pump that sucks down power, usually a loud pump, lots of extra plumbing, vs. NW using very little to no power at least with the skimmers I use, zero extra plumbing, and a super quiet pump that adds no heat to the tank.
Becketts vs other style skimmers (other then NW) they are the best, but with technology, you just can't compete with at NW designed skimmer. I mean look at all the DIY guys now, they had Sequence build them a NW style pump so they can run there large skimmers. If becketts were still the top skimmers, I don't think Sequence would waste their time, for just some DIY guys, they are seeing the change in the times, and NW is the way to go.
I hope this helps you out some, the one area of reef keeping I know about more then other areas is skimmers, I have tested a lot of skimmer from MRC, Deltec, ER, GroTech, ETSS, Bermuda, PM, GEO, to Bubble King. Hands down the NW just can't be touched. That is why you see all of these companies switching to NW style; even Eheim is now making a NW, vs. their old pinwheel design.
One thing nobody can argue with is, beckett’s are Power Hogs, Clean weekly or they don’t work, and typically use HUGE pumps that are way too loud, vs. NW, quiet pumps, no heat to the tank, need a cleaning once every few months, energy efficient and produce much finer bubbles. If Beckett’s were still the top type of skimmer, every company would offer one, not just a couple. NW is defiantly the present and future of skimming.
scott