While roaming the vendor hall of MACNA 2011, we stopped by the ReefGeek booth and got to chat with George about the all new ATI PowerCone 250i protein skimmer. This is a product we’ve been impatiently waiting to see for quite some time, and it looks like its US release is just around the corner. This completely revolutionary protein skimmer didn’t just change one or two things, but completely tossed the book out of the window when they came up with the design. The PowerCone doesn’t feature the typical needlewheel impeller and venturi intake. Instead, it has a wild looking gridwheel impeller and a venturi that draws in air and water in a way not seen in any other protein skimmer. And the feature list doesn’t stop there. The PowerCone also uses a controllable pump that lets hobbyist turn up or down the air intake of the skimmer, effectively increasing or decreasing the water level within the skimmer. The last feature to discuss is probably one that will save a number of aquarium keepers a lot of headache. If the pump encounters any blockage in the air line, it will automatically shut off to prevent any damage to the pump. When the blockage is removed, the skimmer pump will automatically restart, resuming skimmer activities.
A photo of the controller is available after the page break, and we’ll get a video of the PowerCone in action up later this weekend.
