New Biocube 32 setup

[Biocube32]

Pretty sure the tank is cycled enough now after 7 weeks now. Ammonia ppm drops from 2-3 ppm to 0 in 24 hrs after dosing.

Work schedule is busy now but. Possible fish being added soon. Have narrowed my list to:
1. Royal gramma
2. White banded possum wrasse.
3. Tailspot blenny.
4. Yellow watchman goby and pistol shrimp combo.
5. Firefish (not sure on type yet)

I am debating ordering from my LFS or LA divers den. Really bummed because just a week or two ago my tank wasn’t quite cycled yet and 4/5 of my fish were on the diver’s den... all except the possum wrasse, and now only the helfrichi firefish is still there. I haven’t bought a fish in nearly ten years, and I’m not 100% on my QT skills and/or desire to setup a QT (cue wife’s rage of another fish tank?!) so I was trying to buy from somewhere that hopefully does some type of QT. Wouldnt mind paying a little bit more of a premium with some type of gaurantee since the fish will be going into a tank that has never had fish and should be disease free.

 

[Biocube32]

Well i got the Hydor Slim Skim Nano in. Kind of a long story, but it does NOT fit in chamber 1 in the stock form. However, i plan on doing some mods to the skimmer tomorrow to get it right. My goal for the skimmer was to get the biggest skimmer possible in chamber 1 without cutting the lid and without a HOB. If i get it right, i will try to post some pics or maybe a video.

 

[Biocube32]

Well it’s a game of quite literally microns, but after a little drilling and sanding, I have the skimmer in chamber in chamber one . There is a slight impact on flow, so I am currently doing a little more sanding on my intank aquatics flow diverter to get more flow through the media rack. When done, i could probably write a book on installing the hydor slim skim nano into chamber one. Work is going slow with toddler help but, i promise pics will come eventually.

 

[Biocube32]

We’ve got bubbles!

Skimmer height is still slightly submaximal/suboptimal but hopefully i will be able to tune it once it breaks in

 

[Biocube32]

Modifications required:
1. You will need to remove the magnet brackets to get clearance. Drill out the magnet brackets with 1/8” drill bit to assist with this. (In retrospect, I went back in and filled these holes in with super glue to theoretically prevent microbubbles from escaping... not sure if it made a difference or not. I still have microbubbles almost two weeks in. hopefully they stop soon.)
2. Partially sand away protruding edge of biocube led light screw mount for added clearance
3. Sand away protuding edge on bottom of biocube hood for added clearance.
4. Drill hole (3/16”) in side of skimmer cup for airhole instead of using the one on top. This is to mount the air regulator on the side vs the top for increased clearance.
5. Pop out 2/4 suction cup magnets.
6. Super glue those two magnets to inside of the front panel/skimmer body.
7. Drill(3/32”) and extend the surface skimming slots slightly higher by a 1/2” or so higher than stock because the skimmer will sit slightly low due to the lid. I did this carefully with a drill using lateral pressure. Theres probably a better way with a file or something.
8. Because the skimmer weight normally sits on the back panel (and we are switching the magnets to the front instead of the back), you will need to hold up the bottom of the back panel with a tiny plastic ziptie threaded through the bottom grate.
9. Assemble and insert into position front facing the front of the biocube.
10. Place other 2/4 magnets inside the front of the overflow to align with the superglued magnets to hold the skimmer in position with the upper lip of the skimmer just a hair below the lip of the biocube overflow.
11. Be thankful you didnt break anything while actively voiding your skimmer warranty.

 

[Biocube32]

Results!

 

[Biocube32]

I’m still having some microbubbles in the display though. I realized i will probably have to fill in those bracket holes and that may help with the escaped bubbles

 

[Biocube32]

First fish in! Small tailspot blenny about an inch long! Was flashing his stress colors during acclimation, hopefully it goes well!

 

[Biocube32]

Here are a few pictures of the installed hydor slim skim nano at the max water height without further modification. I have been flirting with the idea of lowering the wall between chamber 1 and chamber 2 by a couple millimeters to get slightly more skimmer height above the water line.

You will see the intank media and refugium baskets. Refugium is lit by JBJ nano glow magnet led light, no chaeto yet, still waiting on bioload to increase. No media is added yet, just filter floss, again just waiting on the tank to mature some before adding media. You will also see the plastic ridges that i sanded to add clearance. You will also see the airline that i attached to the side instead of the top. The skimmer is jam packed in there, but flow is not quite perfect. There is still room for improvement. But the skimmer is producing somewhat decent wet skimmate i suppose.

 

[jabberwock]

Looks good, how is Lenny the Blenny doing?

 

[Biocube32]

Looks good, how is Lenny the Blenny doing?

His name is Boudreaux haha and he is doing well. He was eating by the second day, when dropping it right in front of him with a long dropper. Now he eats broadcast frozen and pellets when he can get them down. Now he hangs out by the powerhead alot and sometimes out in front of the rocks. Alot of times he is really tiny and hard to find perched in and on the rocks.

I have two more fish on the way which i may observe only quarantine for a little bit.

 

[jim 2720]

Looks pretty good. I cut that section out also maybe 1 or 2 mil. For my intank adapter out flow, mostly for level in the display, when i first put it in there it raised it and caused a lot of salt creep. I don't run a skimmer any more l must of messed with it for a year never could get it right. Problem with small skimmers their inefficient, mine would produce wet skimmate or nothing and the wet skim scared me to off balance salinity.
5 gal. Week w.c.
1.25 salt
165 ppm alk.
450 cal.
Seems to work.

 

[Hemmdog]

Here are a few pictures of the installed hydor slim skim nano at the max water height without further modification. I have been flirting with the idea of lowering the wall between chamber 1 and chamber 2 by a couple millimeters to get slightly more skimmer height above the water line.

You will see the intank media and refugium baskets. Refugium is lit by JBJ nano glow magnet led light, no chaeto yet, still waiting on bioload to increase. No media is added yet, just filter floss, again just waiting on the tank to mature some before adding media. You will also see the plastic ridges that i sanded to add clearance. You will also see the airline that i attached to the side instead of the top. The skimmer is jam packed in there, but flow is not quite perfect. There is still room for improvement. But the skimmer is producing somewhat decent wet skimmate i suppose.

Looks pretty wet, anyway to dial it down more? I had to raise mine way up in my biocube 32. It works great now, thick skim dump once a week.
Build looks good !

 

[Biocube32]

Looks pretty wet, anyway to dial it down more? I had to raise mine way up in my biocube 32. It works great now, thick skim dump once a week.
Build looks good !

Thanks, i think the key to getting it drier is lowering the water line a little bit more by a few mm. The combination of skimmer and intank media flow diverter thing conspired to raise the water level by a couple mm, which is leading to salt creep and wet skim. When i have some time i think the key will be to lower the divider between chamber 1 and 2 slightly by a couple mm in order to get the desired level for both the skimmer and to decrease salt creep

 

[Hemmdog]

Thanks, i think the key to getting it drier is lowering the water line a little bit more by a few mm. The combination of skimmer and intank media flow diverter thing sonspired to raise the water level by a couple mm, which is leading to salt creep and wet skim. When i have some time i think the key will be to lower the divider between chamber 1 and 2 slightly by a couple mm in order to get the desired level for both the skimmer and to decrease salt creep

Yea. I have the inTank stuff too. Had the same issue. Raising the skimmer helped me a ton.

 

[Biocube32]

Not sure what happened but the tailspot blenny didn’t come out to eat today :( he was always kind of skinny but he didn’t look too thin to me considering tailspots are normally kind if small usually swimming or perching even out in front sometimes. Other times would hide in a rock hole but i could always find him. Just wish i knew what happened so i could learn from it. Happened so fast, normal yesterday evening gone when i get back from work today.

 

[jabberwock]

bummer, maybe he is just on vacation...