[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQsYymURwlk[/youtube]
The CPR Aquatic AeroForce AP is going old school replacing the aspirating pump from the previous AeroForce model with airstones to generate a respectable abundance of fine air bubbles. CPR has always done the hang on back (HOB) skimmers really well and the AeroForce is a nicely built HOB skimmer so taking it efficient and old school with the wooden airstone is a nice touch.
Still using the same counter current protein skimmer design from the AeroForce skimmer the AeroForce AP gets rid of the Hydor aspirating pump used previously and instead uses an air pump and a pair of limewood airstones to produce a dense mass of microbubbles. The AeroForce still utilizes a small feed pump on the intake and the reduction of another water pump should decrease the noise levels slightly.
Using similar dimensions (7.5 x 3.25 x 17 in.) and recommended tank rating (75 gallons but depends on the bio-load), the CPR AeroForce AP is most likely going to ship with the ViaAqua Million Air 400 pump that gives you the flexibility to place the pump wherever you like — sticking it behind the aquarium, in the stand or another out-of-the way location.
Another nice touch is using black plastic on the aquarium side of the skimmer, including the intake and outlet cutting down on excess light that can seep into the skimmer and cause algae growth.
You can still fine tune the skimmer by adjusting the amount of water being fed into the skimmer or by using the air valve adjustments on the air pump to get the right amount of skimming potential for your system.
Pricing should fall in line with the other AeroForce skimmers right around $180 or so and will start shipping soon. We are also hoping the company offers the reverse flow model for situations where you may want the intake and outlet swapped, such as using it on back of the JBJ Nano Cube.
