Protein Skimmer Recommendations for Biocube 32?

[ReefPodd]

I've had my Biocube 32 up and running for 7 months.

I've never ran a skimmer and instead have the intank media basket (running poly and chemi pure blue) and an intank fuge basket with a grow light that comes on at night. I do monthly 10% water changes. I've isolated the chaeto to the bottom of the fuge basket (where flow is highest) by siliconing plastic cross-stitch material about 7 inches from the bottom. I then blacked out the rest of the clear glass of the back compartment with black vinyl decal material (to avoid the light shining anywhere but the chaeto).

The chaeto grows very fast this way and I have never tested above trace for phosphate and nitrates.

I have been able to keep parameters very stable during this time with a lot of SPS growing well. Just letting you know the option is there if you choose to go skimmer-less!

Do you have a Fuge grow light that you like? Would you mind sharing a picture of your sump setup? I have a new biocube32 (since 10/31) and have stable, but elevated nitrates (5-10ppm) and phosphates (0.08-0.12ppm RedSea kit for both) and lots of diatoms and algae with no improvement after adding chemipure blue a couple of weeks ago. I do weekly 20% water changes. I haven’t added any new CUC and have 4 fish so my bio load is stable. I would like to go without a skimmer (and would like to leave my biocube32 lid intact for now). Your setup sounds great.

 

[CavalierReef]

I am not sure what you mean?? The skimmer goes in the first chamber.... there has been NO filtration yet.... the InTank media rack and other rack for macro algae or whatever you want is in the second chamber..... the skimmer isn’t after any filtration.... it’s before it..:: no matter which skimmer you use... or if you do their mod for their suggested skimmer..... in no video I ever saw from them suggested putting the skimmer after the filtration..... maybe you are mixed up or confused??

Please watch the InTank video. They recommend the Tunze 901 AFTER their media basket modification. I also found it strange and decided to do something more "normal".

 

[CavalierReef]

Did the same.

I actually followed a youtube video(forget who it was now as this was years ago) that showed how to modify it for the magnet mount, as well as a few other helpful mods.

That video was by ReefThuz.

 

[Jvf93]

I've had my Biocube 32 up and running for 7 months.

I've never ran a skimmer and instead have the intank media basket (running poly and chemi pure blue) and an intank fuge basket with a grow light that comes on at night. I do monthly 10% water changes. I've isolated the chaeto to the bottom of the fuge basket (where flow is highest) by siliconing plastic cross-stitch material about 7 inches from the bottom. I then blacked out the rest of the clear glass of the back compartment with black vinyl decal material (to avoid the light shining anywhere but the chaeto).

The chaeto grows very fast this way and I have never tested above trace for phosphate and nitrates.

I have been able to keep parameters very stable during this time with a lot of SPS growing well. Just letting you know the option is there if you choose to go skimmer-less!

What do you run in your in tank media basket. I have a floss, ceramic media, chemi blue, purigen. With a chaeto ball. My Return pump chamber seems full of bubbles and some white specs not animals though. How do I get my tank clearer?

 

[Tim Rudisill]

I'm following this thread closely. I, too, have a 32g Biocube and I'm having nutrient issues.

My biocube has been up and running since early December 2018 and I've had green hair algae since probably February. I was told that the biocubes water flow was kind of weak, so I added in a second pump to help with water flow and very shortly thereafter now have a cyanobacteria outbreak. *sigh* At least the cyanobacteria is smothering the green hair algae... lol

As such, I'm interested in getting a protein skimmer. Or setting up my middle chamber to take out some of the excess nutrients. My main struggle is the lingo. I would absolutely love it if you guys could include links (one guy did that earlier and it was VERY appreciated!) to what you're talking about. I'm still such a newbie to this and don't know what most of the abbreviations are. And googling "protein skimmer for biocube 32" pretty much just brings up the coralife one which everyone says is garbage. Google is not your friend in this hobby when your working knowledge is minimal, unfortunately.

 

[tjweber79]

What chamber

I have bigger tanks now, but on my biocube 32. I use https://www.chewy.com/aquatic-life-protein-mini-skimmer-30/dp/146150?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=hg&utm_content=Aquatic Life&utm_term=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpbb_8qyI4AIVkMDACh3iYQ9qEAQYAyABEgL7AvD_BwE
It really is insanely good. I tried tunze, RO, everything before and this actually works best for the biocube IMO.

And the price is right, can’t beat that.

What chamber are you running it in on your 32? Can you post pics of it?

 

[Hemmdog]

What chamber

1

 

[tjweber79]

1

Are you running the stock LED hood and if so did you have to modify the hood to fit that skimmer?

 

[Hemmdog]

Are you running the stock LED hood and if so did you have to modify the hood to fit that skimmer?

I don’t have that tank anymore. But I ran it without a top for the majority of the time. With a kessil 360 as the light mounted by a gooseneck. I would rest the top on at night to prevent jumping deaths. I didn’t have the top mounted on the tank though, just resting on top.

 

[Jstok176]

I was looking into this one for my biocube 32. Everything I am reading says this will not fit with the hood. Did your hood close

 

[FrancineJ]

I was looking into this one for my biocube 32. Everything I am reading says this will not fit with the hood. Did your hood close

Plain and simple for a Biocube 32 you DO NOT need a skimmer.... they don’t do “a lot” for these nano tanks.... sure they may “help” some but they certainly are not needed....

Also, the ONLY skimmer you will be able to use WITHOUT doing any mods is the Coralife one...
People claim it’s “crappy” however I have found a fix for it to make it “worthwhile” let’s say....

It’s a very simple and cheap fix.... change out the air pump for a Tetra Whisper 10.... it works MUCH better then the one that comes with it!
This is what I have done and now the skimmer does “work” but again it’s certainly not a necessity on a nano tank so save your money for some better upgrades like... lights, (although there is a trick to make these work better as well if you set the schedule properly and don’t follow their suggested steps), also, InTanks boxes for the back chambers are PRICELESS.... they make water changes MUCH easier and then you can just toss that stupid cartridge thing and not have to waste your money on replacing them as they are a waste also....Instead use Floss then your choice of Purigen, Carbon, anything like that and then some kind of Chemipure or add some extra biomedia like Biomax in a bag so you have seeded stuff if you need to get a hospital tank up and running ASAP without needing to cycle it.....

Also a good purchase is the AutoAqua AWC- it changes your water and then also keeps your DT topped off.... doesn’t take up a lot of space and works great! I just do a manual water change every like 2-3 months to vacuum the sand now.... (my tank is 2 +yrs old so it’s pretty stable now)

So there are lots of better things to spend your money on....

 

[ReefPodd]

Do you have advice on that quick hospital tank setup? My clowns have both had worms coming off of/out of them this week (both in the tank for 4 months), Also I like the intank upgrade but have found that it slows my return pump flow significantly.

 

[Cdeg]

The V2 biocube/coralife skimmer is solid, have it currently. I got tired of changing the wood blocks out on the air pump version for their original model.

 

[FrancineJ]

Do you have advice on that quick hospital tank setup? My clowns have both had worms coming off of/out of them this week (both in the tank for 4 months), Also I like the intank upgrade but have found that it slows my return pump flow significantly.
[/QUOTE

Absolutely!
First what are you using for a return pump? Stock? If so, I suggest switching it to an MJ1200 (NOT the maxi jet Chinese crap one.... but the actual MJ Italian made one)
There are some other upgrades too but this one will help the most...

As for the hospital tank set up... what I do is keep a baggie of Biomax or similar in the InTank Basket made for the Chaeto.... then for my hospital tank I use a 20g or 40g tank (depending on what I need to use it for- IE: how many fish) and then I use a HOB Aqua Clear filter.... Stock the filter with the baggies of biomax (it’s already cycled because it’s been in your DT cycling this whole time... (could be months or even years) Then a layer of filter floss (I personally love the filter floss from InTank... it’s both cheap and quality).... just be sure if you are medicating that’s you skip the carbon or purigen bag as it will take out the meds.... I usually throw in a small bottle of Biospira but it’s not needed it’s just for Good measure and because I am slightly over paranoid lol
But it’s as simple as that.... then when your done medicating toss out the bag of Biomax and start a new one seeding in your DT!

Hope that makes sense

 

[FrancineJ]

The V2 biocube/coralife skimmer is solid, have it currently. I got tired of changing the wood blocks out on the air pump version for their original model.

I don’t mind changing the blocks because it’s just once a month so I just do it with my reg maintenance.... takes 2 seconds

 

[Cdeg]

I don’t mind changing the blocks because it’s just once a month so I just do it with my reg maintenance.... takes 2 seconds

Yeah it's not even just that, I was getting tired of inconsistent skimming. The new version is 10x better

 

[FrancineJ]

Yeah it's not even just that, I was getting tired of inconsistent skimming. The new version is 10x better

I bet it is..... but in a 32g protein skimming is not even a necessity IMO.... I use the one I have because I got it for free with about 15+ blocks so now it’s more habit then anything haha But I could just as easily pull it and I doubt there would be any significant changes... but I’m glad that this one works for you.... which model is it? And it fits the 32g with no mods? And the pump is sufficient? That’s great if they have changed it that much to make it worth while!

 

[vetteguy53081]

IceCap K-50. Looks and works like a full size protein skimmer and very effective

 

[CavalierReef]

Will the Ice Cap K-50 fit in chamber 1 of the 32 gallon Biocube with the lid closed?

 

[FrancineJ]

IceCap K-50. Looks and works like a full size protein skimmer and very effective

And it fits in the biocube 32 without mods??

I know there are quite a few that fit in the OLD biocubes but they do not fit in the newer models... (32g’s)