Protein Skimmer Recommendations for Biocube 32?

Mr. Experience

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I am looking to add a new skimmer after my tank finishes cycling but am not familiar with popular systems and equipment and the maintenance just yet, but I am more than willing to do the research and ask around. Anyone have any suggestions? Nothing to fancy preferably, just something that can fit in the Biocube 32's first chamber and is actually efficient (I've heard some skepticism on the Biocubes Skimmers which is why I'm looking for something more optimal). Many thanks!
 
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I do not own a 32 gallon so not sure what the size of the chambers are but I did own two 29 gallon bio cubes. I did not use their skimmer and in fact ran them without for the longest time. Most if not all after market skimmers would require hood modifications or something there along the lines. If you do not have a hood and the tank is open then you could use a CPR Bak Pak.

I converted one of the 29 gallons into a hoodless tank and put my Bak Pak in the 2nd chamber. Worked very well. Later used the same skimmer on a 40 breeder for about 3 years only recently taking it off line when I upgraded to a 210 gallon. It will stay with the 40 once I set it up for a isolation or emergency type tank. Not sure what other brands are out there but I'm sure others will chime in.
 
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Mr. Experience

Mr. Experience

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I do not own a 32 gallon so not sure what the size of the chambers are but I did own two 29 gallon bio cubes. I did not use their skimmer and in fact ran them without for the longest time. Most if not all after market skimmers would require hood modifications or something there along the lines. If you do not have a hood and the tank is open then you could use a CPR Bak Pak.

I converted one of the 29 gallons into a hoodless tank and put my Bak Pak in the 2nd chamber. Worked very well. Later used the same skimmer on a 40 breeder for about 3 years only recently taking it off line when I upgraded to a 210 gallon. It will stay with the 40 once I set it up for a isolation or emergency type tank. Not sure what other brands are out there but I'm sure others will chime in.

Thankyou! I'll take a look:)
 

clown99

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I have a 3 month-old biocube 29. I have a Tunze 9001 skimmer & InTank Media basket in Chamber 2. It is kind of backward because water flows from Chamber 1 to the Intank Media basket which has a floss filter, then a bag of Phosguard, then a bag of AC w/ resin, then to the Tunze 9001. That's one of the reasons why I'm now considering a HOB overflow and install a sump/refugium in the cabinet. Previously, I had a Coral Life skimmer and it does not work well at all. So save your money and skip this one. The 9001 works great but very, very finicky regarding to water level. It took me days of continuous adjustments before I can get the skimmer to produce not-so-wet bubbles. But once the water is determined, the skimmer works very well. I have to mark the desired water level so that I make sure to top 0ff or refill to that level, otherwise the skimmer will not work properly.
 

Rakie

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I would consider a HOB, like the AquaMaxx HOB 1.5 or something similar.

Most smaller skimmers are, frankly, not great. So much so, that I would encourage everyone to consider a quality HOB skimmer. Today, thankfully, there is such a thing as a quality hob skimmer too! More than a few in fact. I think even Reef Octopus makes one now, as well as Eshopps.

So that's my thought.
 

Hemmdog

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madadium

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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!
20190126105018.jpeg
 

FrancineJ

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The only thing that will fit the 32 (without modifications) is the coralife one.... many people will say it’s crappy but if you replace the original pump with a tetra whisper 10 it works just fine :)
Just takes a bit to get it dialed in :)
 

CavalierReef

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Is it just me or is skimming after the water has gone through 3 levels of chemical filtration such as suggested by inTank a bit strange in a 32 gallon Biocube?
 

MERKEY

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The only thing that will fit the 32 (without modifications) is the coralife one.... many people will say it’s crappy but if you replace the original pump with a tetra whisper 10 it works just fine :)
Just takes a bit to get it dialed in :)
The hydor slim skim nano also works. I use it and it kicks b u t t. I would recomend

I use it without a lid but it fits with the coralife 32 cube lid on.
 

FrancineJ

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Is it just me or is skimming after the water has gone through 3 levels of chemical filtration such as suggested by inTank a bit strange in a 32 gallon Biocube?
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??
 

A.alaffa90

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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??
Not very many skimmers for the biocube actually fit in the first chamber. So he is correct water goes into chamber 1 then into.the intank media basket the into the skimmer and into.chamber 3 to be returned.
 

homer1475

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While I never owned a 32, I did have the 29. Best skimmer that still fits in chamber 1(before any intank media basket that normally goes into chamber 2) is the aquaticlife one posted above. Again though, I'm not sure if it will fit in the 32 as the hood changed a little bit.
 

Mikedawg

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While I never owned a 32, I did have the 29. Best skimmer that still fits in chamber 1(before any intank media basket that normally goes into chamber 2) is the aquaticlife one posted above. Again though, I'm not sure if it will fit in the 32 as the hood changed a little bit.
Yep, and I used magnets to hold it in place and give me the option of moving it up or down to help with fine tuning.
 

homer1475

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Yep, and I used magnets to hold it in place and give me the option of moving it up or down to help with fine tuning.
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.
 

BobbyOtto

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Skimmers on nano tanks are pretty much a waste of money. They are inefficient, poorly designed, and tend to add micro bubbles. They will help with pH which is nice but aside from that you can have all the nutrient export you need from water changes.

Tldr: send me the $150 you'll spend on a skimmer because it's just about as good as buying the skimmer, except if you DM me I'll actually answer your questions
 

Yates273

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No micro bubbles with my AIO tank and it pulls almost black skimmate. Looks like it’s doing it’s job. Maybe with the skimmer installed you can space out your water changes. I have no scientific proof it works but I’m just going by my skimmate and how my tank looks. As far as Ph in believe it will only help if your pulling fresh air or don’t have excess CO2 because since it’s in my basement my ph is stable at 7.8. Skimmer did nothing for my for ph.
 

newbie2014

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Yes, regular weekly WC is a much better way to export nutrients in a small tank (<40G). But a good HOB skimmer can still pull some nasties out of the tank, and may allow one to extend the WC schedule to bi-weekly, monthly or even longer (with dosing).

I've never used the HOB TUNZE comline skimmers, so I can't say how well they work. But they are designed to skim the water surface, where DOS is concentrated. In theory, it's like you have an in-tank overflow and skimmer in the same body.
 
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