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biocube 14 protein skimmer?


stevens421

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So just curious if there's a quality skimmer that will fit in chamber 1 of the biocube 14. I've looked and found a few posts but nothing current. Thanks in advance.

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With a tank that small weekly water changes will take care of all your needs and save you money and time. Skimmers like the pic0 2.0 will have you spending nothing but a ton of unnecessary time in maintaining and adjusting just to keep it at peak performance. I as many others with < 20g tanks don't bother with mechanical filtration as replenishing 2 - 5 Gallons weekly takes less than 15 min and replenishes all your levels and removes more than sufficient amount of waist.

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I am just going to toss it out there, the Coralife Biocube Skimmer is an option. For $30, it does its job and does it well IMO. I have no experience with other skimmers, or larger tanks with more high-performance skimmers, but for $30 and a monthly or every other month air stone change, I think it is worth it for the extra piece of mind. I still do water changes at least every other week (although I am thinking of switching from 5gal every other week to 3gal every week) but also every 2 or 3 days I empty out that cup and it is nothing but brown crud.

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kush'sreef

auto top, and skimmer > once a week water changes is just half ass, been down that road. Your tank parameters fluctuate more often, random algae blooms. auto top off makes the skimmer work perfect, no auto top off no skimmer is what (I) LEARNED with previous tanks.

 

unless you own a fish store with ro/di and mixed nitrate free water on hand or the gaper who lives at the fish store.

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I run an ATO and no mechanical filtration APEX with PM1 & PM2 module, a Media basket with Filter Floss, Purigen, and Cheato, test kits include Red Sea Pro, API, Cal, KH, P04 Hanna Checkers, 12G going for over 4 years now and have had no serious issues, a couple algae outbreaks here and there but nothing serious in those cases I simply swapped out the filter floss with phosphate pads and things cleared up. My parameters have always stayed consistent other than mistakes I made and a bad batch of salt both in either case a skimmer wouldn't have saved me.

 

If you wanna drop the money and spend the time to upkeep and maintain it, it's your money put it where you want, it won't hurt anything but just be aware there are several of us who have done just fine without one, I know several others who don't have any sort of filtration, don't do water changes and simply dose weekly. There are several ways to be successful in this hobby and not every way is right for everyone, you need to find what works for you.

 

Though to answer your question the only skimmer I could think of that has a lot of good reviews is the "CAD Lights PLS-50 Elite" Its Dimensions: 3.25 x 3.25" x 15" (That should fit)

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  • 5 weeks later...

I have been running my Biocube 14 for over a year now without a skimmer. Have 3 fish. A Clown, Purple Firefish and a Green Mandarin. I do a 2-2/12 gallon water change once a week.

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stevens421

auto top, and skimmer > once a week water changes is just half ass, been down that road. Your tank parameters fluctuate more often, random algae blooms. auto top off makes the skimmer work perfect, no auto top off no skimmer is what (I) LEARNED with previous tanks.

 

unless you own a fish store with ro/di and mixed nitrate free water on hand or the gaper who lives at the fish store.

nailed it. This tank was upgraded from a standard 10g, has been up for almost 3 years. Right now I run chaeto chamber 1, filter floss, purigen, chemipure elite chamber 2. Try to do at least a 2 gallon water change a week but with mixing my own water it most definitely takes more then 15 mins and even with those water changes my levels fluctuate regularly. I took the hood off and threw on a nanobox duo and now with the evaporation the levels fluctuate even more. Don't get me wrong, this works for what I have stocked (2 designer clowns, sunburst bubbletip, duncans, two acans, multiple zoas and polyps, two monti caps and a birdsnest.) Alot of which seem to really enjoy it when I get lazy and don't do water changes (sometimes I'll go a month without one) and even when im on my wc game ive still dealt with algae outbreaks etc..but I really wanna try some acros and other sps and in order to do so I feel like a completely stable system is necessary. And I've definitely tried and failed with a few very nice acro frags. So the solution is an ato, skimmer, and to start dosing. I'll check out the skimmers you've all recommended, the only reason I haven't considered the coralife is it has bad reviews and is cheap. I try n run quality products from my salt mix (reef crystals), to my filtration and flow (vortech mp10), to my light. I'm far from wealthy and have to work my balls off for every piece of equipment I own and am not willing to waste my time with a product that doesn't do exactly what it is supposed to do all the time. I also believe you get what you pay for.

I have been running my Biocube 14 for over a year now without a skimmer. Have 3 fish. A Clown, Purple Firefish and a Green Mandarin. I do a 2-2/12 gallon water change once a week.

get that mandarin out
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Why?? He is doing great. Actually is the easiest fish to care for. My LFS got him to eat frozen bloodworms before I bought him.

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stevens421

The only skimmer I would consider is a Super Reef Octopus BH1000 (HOB) or possibly the new cad-light HOB150

can't run a hob with the biocube unless I setup a sump.
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Cencalfishguy56

can't run a hob with the biocube unless I setup a sump.

Yea and if you setup a sump it would be pointless to have a biocube haha

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stevens421

Yea and if you setup a sump it would be pointless to have a biocube haha

and even if I wanted to I wouldn't then be worried about space for a skimmer lol
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Cencalfishguy56

and even if I wanted to I wouldn't then be worried about space for a skimmer lol

True shit might as well get a bigger tank and run a sump lol

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With a tank that small weekly water changes will take care of all your needs and save you money and time. Skimmers like the pic0 2.0 will have you spending nothing but a ton of unnecessary time in maintaining and adjusting just to keep it at peak performance. I as many others with < 20g tanks don't bother with mechanical filtration as replenishing 2 - 5 Gallons weekly takes less than 15 min and replenishes all your levels and removes more than sufficient amount of waist.

+1

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