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Guide to Installing an Aquaticlife 115 Skimmer into a Biocube 29, Chamber 1


EvoKnvl

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I built a little raiser out of egg crate and put in chamber 1. That contraption with suction cups and included hanging kit did not work well for me.

Cant believe this thread is still going strong. There are some pics on my BC29 HQI thread about this skimmer if anyone is interested.

 

Your avatar is funny as hell. LOL!

Edited by pschom
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Just wanted to post and say thanks for the write-up and pics. I set up my Biocube 29g this past weekend and went ahead and installed this skimmer while I could move the tank around and see what I was doing. The pics helped tremendously. Working on cycling my tank, so I'm not expecting to see much of anything collected by the skimmer for a while, but it's there when I need it.

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  • 7 months later...
PeregrinTook

I just wanted to personally thank you for this post. I just got mine in the mail today and I was excited to set it up. I have been trying to fit this thing in for what feels like at least an hour. What doesn't help is I am the type that when I get frustrated I want to break the cause of the frustration. Which ofcourse doesn't help anything. Your post has helped me not ruin this skimmer. I couldn't find a youtube video for the BC 29 that wasn't and HQI. Over all the skimmer is already pulling some foam. Other than the install this skimmer seems great.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I want to ask those who brought this... i want to know if there is a significant increase in temperature. During the summer months, my tank can run throughout the day without the heater and can run relatively on the upper ends of 26 degrees Celsius / 79 degrees Fahrenheit. Would it be okay to get this?

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PeregrinTook

I want to ask those who brought this... i want to know if there is a significant increase in temperature. During the summer months, my tank can run throughout the day without the heater and can run relatively on the upper ends of 26 degrees Celsius / 79 degrees Fahrenheit. Would it be okay to get this?

 

I haven't noticed anything significant. However I do live in Michigan but the pump is quit small and I cant see it producing much heat.

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I haven't noticed anything significant. However I do live in Michigan but the pump is quit small and I cant see it producing much heat.

 

Thanks! I don't see other nano skimmers, do you recommend this skimmer?

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PeregrinTook

Thanks! I don't see other nano skimmers, do you recommend this skimmer?

It was a little tough to squeeze in but after doing a lot of research for what I wanted( a skimmer to fit in the first chamber), it is the best if not one of the only practical options. I have only had it for a few weeks and it is pulling great skimmate. Yes I think I would recommend it.

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It was a little tough to squeeze in but after doing a lot of research for what I wanted( a skimmer to fit in the first chamber), it is the best if not one of the only practical options. I have only had it for a few weeks and it is pulling great skimmate. Yes I think I would recommend it.

 

Great! Looks like i m going to have a fun time removing the chamber 1 false floor and sliding it through. I just ordered it :D

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FishWrangler

Unfortunately this install doesn't work on the newer 29g biocubes. The hinges are in the way now. I was stuck installing mine in the second chamber. Anyone know a way around this and still install it in chamber 1 without too much modification to the plastic?

 

skimmerloc_zps35ab0c33.jpg

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PeregrinTook

Unfortunately this install doesn't work on the newer 29g biocubes. The hinges are in the way now. I was stuck installing mine in the second chamber. Anyone know a way around this and still install it in chamber 1 without too much modification to the plastic?

 

skimmerloc_zps35ab0c33.jpg

 

Looks similar to mine but I'm not sure if mine is the new one or the old one I bought mine off a fellow reefer. I fit my skimmer in the first chamber and it was tough to get in. What do you mean by hinges?

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PeregrinTook

The hinges for the lid are in the way now, you can't hang the bracket on the back.

You mean the bracket to hold the skimmer up. If so I cut a small slot out of mine I pretty much extended the small spot for cords that was already there by a half inch to an inch, in the end you will probably need that space for extra cords anyways depending on hardware you choose. Hope I could hep when I purchased everything I know I really wanted to get that skimmer in the first chamber.

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FishWrangler

On the new biocubes a hinge is directly behind the first chamber making it impossible to use the bracket on the back now. There is no place to cut out that slot any more. The chamber is a little bigger now and it's easy to fit the 115 in the chamber but now way to keep it secure and at the right height. The suction cups are worthless. I think the only remedy might be to build a stand to put under it so it's high enough to work properly given the water level in that chamber and still be able to close the lid. I'm just wondering if anyone has tried that or come up with something I haven't thought of.

 

See what I mean:

 

firstchamber_zps3c2352e2.jpg

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  • 3 months later...

Just got this skimmer and have the newer Coralife BC29 with the hinge where the original instructions show. I was able to put the unit in sideways so it hooked over the side instead of the back. Just had to cut a little notch in the lid to let it shut.

 

 

20130723_155213_zpsd7777b5d.jpg

 

20130723_155102_zps2039ce9e.jpg

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drill_meister

Thats what I was thinking. On the side. Great, it works. I just set up my tank and will install this thing on the side.

 

What height did you set the skimmer at from the top of the water?

 

How open is the your adjustment knob? I have no idea how open or closed it should be. Seems like Im getting lots of bubbles in the tank.

 

Thanks.

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I have the top just above the water line, like they suggest. I did the airline mod so the height is not as critical. I'm not sure how open the adjustment is. Going to have to pull it back out to see how it is set. I am only getting the microbubbles out of the skimmer. From there, it flows through an inTank media basket with floss, purigen, and chem-pure and then takes a trip through a reactor and the chiller before getting back out to the tank. By then, all the bubbles are pretty much gone.

 

Airline Mod

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Thanks Elmo. I did the airline mod. A bit noisy so I think Ill try with longer tubing to see if that lowers the noise.

 

What type of noise are you getting? The airline mod will stop the gurgling sound that happens if water gets in the air passage. As long as the end of your tube is out of the water, shouldn't be a problem. Did you replace the entire tube or just connect onto the existing one? I replaced the entire tube.

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drill_meister

Some gurgling sounds. I just hooked it up to the existing, slightly larger black tubing.

 

Maybe Ill try the whole thing.

 

What did you use to cut the slot in the tank cover?

 

Thanks!

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Some gurgling sounds. I just hooked it up to the existing, slightly larger black tubing.

 

Maybe Ill try the whole thing.

 

What did you use to cut the slot in the tank cover?

 

Thanks!

 

I am getting some gurgling sounds too, but didn't notice it much. I went down to PetsMart and got an air control valve (kit of 5 values, some y connectors and suction cups was like $4) and put that on the end. Let's me adjusts the amount of air going in and controls the bubbles more. Also dampens the sounds some. I saw someone refer to a pill bottle muffler with the mod but hadn't seen anything. Will have to do some searching on that.

 

I used all the proper tools for cutting that slot. In other words, what ever I had at hand. :) I marked the location with a box cutter. Did an initial cut with a pair of scissors. And then used a pair of pliers to break the chunk off. I was surprised at how clean the break was doing it that way.

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drill_meister

Cool. I was able to cut the hole in the side of the hood using a hacksaw. The skimmer seems to be working. The pic is just from two days of using it. Yellow water. Thanks again for the great ideas!

 

Next step, adding fish!

post-80917-0-65709800-1375666121_thumb.jpg

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  • 1 year later...

This will bump the thread. I have been running my BC29 (Oceanic) for over 3 years now. First reef since 1990, when I had been live rock reef building for just about 4 years, thanks Dutch Trickle filter article in FAMA. I have the media basket mod (floss, chemi-pure elite, and purigen, then the refugium. I keep the water level at the height of the bottom of the floss, I had been running my heater in chamber 1. I am running a Rio sump return pump and I have an internal pump for flow in the tank as well. I modified the hood and have 6 current trueLumen 12 inch led strips. I had replaced the fans in the hood. I run a dsb of 5 inches mix of sugar fine and agrolite (65/35). 5 gallon water changes once a week (was using Red Sea pro salt, now using Tropic Marin pro reef about 6 months).

 

Algae is an issue from time to time. I have the usual clean up crew, and light feed the fish and corals/nemes. I just was given one of these skimmers. I have not used a skimmer since 1987, when I used to make them myself with gravel vacuums and a solo cocktail cup.

 

I knew that I needed to use one, just been putting it off. My friend gave me a Aquatic Life 115, I have placed it in chamber 1, put the heater in the tank, real left corner (the coraline algae hides it pretty good. So lets see what happens with this skimmer. Pretty stoked for a new toy in the cube.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Been installed just over a week. Took a few days to get the air-mix level right, I noted that it really gets productive when I feed mysis shrimp. May shut off when I feed that for now on, just concerned that I may forget to put it back on. I have noted that that algae growth is way down and I do not see the cyno that I have been battling.

 

So far so good.

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  • 1 year later...

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