Let's Discuss the IceCap K1 Nano Protein Skimmer

[nautical_nathaniel]

excellent! I think I am going to switch to these, as my filter socks don't collect much lol.

The filter socks clogged too quickly for me and were a pain to clean. The media racks are probably not as efficient as the filter socks but I only have to clean them once a week and its only cutting out a couple of new pieces of filter floss as opposed to washing each sock by hand.

 

[FredsNJReef]

Good points, definitely looking into them!

Also, K1 Nano is still skimming well

 

[shred5]

Hey guys,
I got this on pre order over a month ago as there are not many skimmers that will fit the back chamber of the IM Fusion Nano and everyone seems to dislike the IM Ghost skimmer.

So, does it fit: yes, but it does stick out above the tank a good 5 inches or so. Also, I can't get it to fit straight, the filter sock frame in the over flow compartment sticks out and hits it.

But I will say, it does seem to work ( I have a 4 month old new tank that is too clean) and to me it is super quiet.

I hope this helps! Good luck with yours!

Fred

What about Hydor s slim-skim skimmers. i have use one before and it didn't work to bad.




It is hard to make a good small skimmer. The cup size is always small and not much contact time. They will never perform like the bigger skimmers they just can not.

They will help with aeration though.

 

[FredsNJReef]

What about Hydor s slim-skim skimmers. i have use one before and it didn't work to bad.




It is hard to make a good small skimmer. The cup size is always small and not much contact time. They will never perform like the bigger skimmers they just can not.

They will help with aeration though.

Unfortunately that wouldn't fit either. The area for this is 4 x 2.97 inches.

 

[shred5]

Unfortunately that wouldn't fit either. The area for this is 4 x 2.97 inches.

Wow that is small.... You might be better with a small air driven skimmer or a hang on the back skimmer.

 

[FredsNJReef]

Wow that is small.... You might be better with a small air driven skimmer or a hang on the back skimmer.

I have the Icecap K1 Nano and the OP just ordered the same. In this tank it's either this one or the IM Ghost which gets terrible reviews. I'm happy with mine so far and hopefully OP has good luck with it too.

 

[JBKReef]

I'm mulling over jumping into a nano and the IM 20 and 25 are my biggest considerations... Cant wait to see how this does... Skimming those tanks seems to be the biggest complaint with available space

 

[FredsNJReef]

They are great tanks, don't let that stop you. many people don't even run a skimmer in some nanos, but the ice cap fits and works.

It's a great little set up for the money, go for it!

 

[JBKReef]

They are great tanks, don't let that stop you. many people don't even run a skimmer in some nanos, but the ice cap fits and works.

It's a great little set up for the money, go for it!

Not to hijack the thread but I couldn't agree more. They tank is very sleek and I went somewhat larger for my fist tank and going a bit backwards with wanting to try a nano now. Really like your build thread, keep it up!

 

[FredsNJReef]

Good luck and be sure to post pics!

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

Update: the skimmer has come in finally and I hooked it up and got it going after having to repair the air intake piece. The part on the piece that connects to the airline was broken off, a little super glue and it was good as new.

As others have said, it is a bit loud but it's about the same as my Innovative Marine Ghost skimmer so that doesn't bother me much.

Quality wise there are some things I'd like to mention:

• The skimmer cup is fitted to the body of the skimmer rather tightly due to the O-ring seal. It is rather hard initially to get the cup on level and if you don't have it on all the way it will pop off after a while and water will flow out from under it.
• The pump is suprisingly small, about the size as a Snickers Mini Candy Bar in fact. It seems to have enough power right now but I can't help but be worried about it quickly losing power the longer it sits in the tank and as detritus/fish tank slime builds up on it.
• The main body is too thin in my opinion, I'm worried I'm going to break it when I have to shove the skimmer cup on.

Pros:

• IT FITS IN THE INNOVATIVE MARINE NUVO FUSION 20
• The skimmer is working well so far and I like the adjustment nob and gate on the skimmer itself. It's essentially a shrunken in-sump skimmer built for nano tanks, which is a lot better in my opinion than all of the other nano tank skimmers I have tried on my tank.
• It already produces more skimmate than my ghost skimmer which is a huge plus for me.
• Not as many micro bubbles right now, a few every now and then but much better than the Ghost Skimmer

Cons:

• I've already had to repair it, albeit an easy repair, the packaging was not up to par in my opinion to prevent things from breaking.
• Thin acrylic main body, all of the other pieces on the skimmer are thicker and seem sturdier but the main body tube feels fragile.
• The power adapter is a brick style so it doesn't go well on power strips which I feel like is a big deal for nano tank owners since space is tight to begin with.

Overall, my initial reaction to this skimmer is good and it was cheaper than a lot of other nano skimmers out there. I didn't expect much better performance than my old Ghost Skimmer, but it has suprised me as of today. I'll give another update in a month or so once it's gone through a full tank maintenance cycle on my aquarium.

 

[Whipples]

I had the K2 variant and was really happy with it, hopefully this one works out! As far as the tight O-ring goes, get some keg lube (food grade, safe to use) and put that on the ring. Will make it MUCH easier to remove and if you do it right, never contact the water.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

I had the K2 variant and was really happy with it, hopefully this one works out! As far as the tight O-ring goes, get some keg lube (food grade, safe to use) and put that on the ring. Will make it MUCH easier to remove and if you do it right, never contact the water.

I'll have to look into that, thanks for the tip

 

[Kyl]

That actually doesn't protrude as much as I thought it would. Most definitely a huge improvement over the IM skimmers, which are somewhat average at best performance and very over-priced. Nice work!

 

[Justfebreezeit]

Update?

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

Update?

It definitely works better than the Ghost skimmer so it's got that going for it. It is kind of finnicky with the adjustments so I'm still figuring that out. I've managed to get good colored skimmate out of it. I think after some more fine tune adjustments I'll have it working well

 

[Justfebreezeit]

It definitely works better than the Ghost skimmer so it's got that going for it. It is kind of finnicky with the adjustments so I'm still figuring that out. I've managed to get good colored skimmate out of it. I think after some more fine tune adjustments I'll have it working well

Roger that, I think i'm going to pull the trigger on one soon. Hows the micro bubble situation?

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

Roger that, I think i'm going to pull the trigger on one soon. Hows the micro bubble situation?

It will produce a few micro bubbles when you first get it going and I've had it happen for a few minutes after a water change but that may have been air in my return pump line.

 

[bcarl77]

Few questions here. I am using a standard rimless tank. Could I mount on the inside edge of the tank. Also can I extend the airline to incorporate a Co2 scrubber?

 

[lmarlowe]

Afternoon Fellas and Lady Fellas,

I was doing my usual monthly maintenance supply order on saltwateraquarium.com when I noticed this little guy: https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/k1-nano-protein-skimmer-10-30-gallons-icecap/

This new skimmer excites me as a Innovative Marine Nuvo Fusion 20 owner with skimmer woes, especially this part:

By my reckoning, it will fit in the accessory chamber of the Nuvo 20 with no issues, here are the dimensions of the back of the tank:

My only worry is the height, the bottom of the chamber from the back of the tank is 8.25 inches deep at the water line (in my tank) and the skimmer in question is 13 inches tall.

What do you guys think? I've been looking for a new skimmer and I am trying to avoid hang on back styles as hard as I can. This skimmer is so new that there are no videos on YouTube as well.

PS: If enough of you guys say go for it, I WILL GO FOR IT because my subconscious is telling me...

Got one 2 weeks ago, fits caddy corner in the first chamber of my Bio Cube 29 with a little wiggling. Once in stable and doesn't move. Produces decent amount of skim-mate, still tweaking that a bit. Works great compared to my Aquatic Life 115 I had been using. Would definitely buy again. Downside, kinda finicky. Anything added to tank wipes out foam/skim column and takes 15-20 to re-build back up. Quiet, decent price, and very well made.