The Japanese manufacturer Aqua Design Amano regularly passes on useful knowledge and product information on how to set up or maintain nature aquariums or aquaterrariums. This time we will cover the new surface skimmer VUPPA-II which will hit stores in January 2018 and the improvements in relation to its predecessor, the VUPPA-I, in detail.

For even more beautiful aquascapes. The motivation behind the development of the new surface skimmer.

The fascination of nature aquariums is the creation of an aquascape with vigorous, well-growing aquatic plants. In order to emphasize the beauty of these aquascapes to the last grain, we have deliberately kept the design of the glass tanks and equipment very simple. During the lifetime of a nature aquarium, however, the aesthetics may be impaired, either by algae or by a film on the water surface. Algae can be removed mechanically by e.g. scraping them off with the Pro-Razor or Pro-Brush or keeping them under control with predators such as Amano shrimp (Caridina multidentata) or Otocinclus. However, there was no properly suitable method to remove the film on the surface of the water. That's why we developed the VUPPA-I surface extractor. Before the VUPPA-I, this oily film had to be laboriously syphoned off with the hose during the water change or directed into the flow of the Lily Pipe during nightly ventilation - neither of which was particularly efficient, and the film quickly formed anew. Thanks to the patented VUPPA-I, it was easy to keep the surface clean all the time because it drew the film into a filter sponge using a small submersible pump. The surface skimmer VUPPA-II is the advanced version of the VUPPA-I.

Features and improvements in the new, simpler and more efficient VUPPA-II.

The VUPPA-I already efficiently removed surface scum, but the water level still had to be adjusted manually. This surface skimmer worked best, when the water outlet from the submersible pump ejected the same amount of water as the inlet took in. If this is not the case, problems can arise: a too low water level leads to air bubbles forming in the pump and a too high water level leads to losses in performance. The water supply needs to be taken care of at all times to keep the Vuaap-I working correctly. We have solved this problem with the new VUPPA-II by installing a float switch. Since the new model automatically compensates for the water intake and outlet, there is no need to make constant corrections after installation. The new mechanism prevents air from accumulating in the pump, even if the water level in the aquarium falls due to e.g. evaporation. Since in addition a monoblock filter sponge is installed and the internal structures have been simplified, the VUPPA-II is significantly easier - and better - to clean than the VUPPA-I. The submersible pump installed in the VUPPA-II has a higher flow rate and a better filter performance than the previous model, so the VUPPA-II skimmer shows a significantly higher performance when removing surface scum and other films. It can even be used as an internal filter for a nano tank. Enjoy your beautiful aquascapes in various sizes with the new VUPPA-II, without surface scum.

Just like its predecessor, the VUPPA-II is made of stainless steel. The predecessor model had a cylindrical shape, while the new version is almost rectangular. Thanks to the simple design, the aesthetics of the aquascape are not compromised.

The operation of the submersible pump is controlled by the float switch, thus eliminating air bubbles in the filter.

Source and copyright of the article/photo - Aqua Design Amano - ADA