JBJ introduces the newest innovation for the popular 28g Nano Cube Series. Our high intensity LED illumination system delivers the power of halides and the broad coverage of T5 lighting with over 10x the lifespan. It requires less energy consumption, is cool running and offers beautifulshimmering while being eco-friendly.
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aquarium, biocube, jbj, nano aquarium, Nano Reef, nanocube, Saltwater Fish Hide

 Ok so I finally threw in the towel on the oceanic biocube skimmer.  That thing was just not helping me at all.  So I bought a refurb of the CPR SR3 on ebay a couple weeks ago for 89 bucks.  It finally came and I hooked it up.  It took a little messing with to get it going but its been running for a week now and it is definitely pulling out more gunk from my water than the oceanic one was.  The oceanic skimmer cup usually looked like it had light tea colored water in it.  I emptied out the cup of the SR3 the other day after about 3 days and there was about a half inch worth of this very very dark green water.  I was amazed. 

As far as the setup goes I didn’t follow the directions exactly because when I did my tank filled up with bubbles.  Instead of taking the false floor out of chamber 2 I put the skimmer on top of it.  This way I can keep the water level higher in chamber2 and the flow of the water coming out of skimmer is must less crazy because the water coming in from chamber 1 is not pounding on it anymore.

 The only issue I have with it so far is the noise.  It is pretty loud and I cant seem to find a way to quiet it down without drastically losing the amount of bubbles it produces. 

Either way for about 30 bucks more than the oceanic skimmer it was a great buy.  I think you can grab one new for around 150-200 bucks.  I would check ebay.  I lucked out on this one.

If anyone has one too please let us know your experience with it.

Here are some of the spec on this skimmer:

• Includes side mounted venturi pump to fit into confined spaces.
• Dual return chamber and underwater return to effectively remove excess bubbles.
• Simple skimmer adjustment using CPR’s collection cup assembly and O-ring support.
•  Easily slides inside of the Oceanic BioCube 29 sump area; fits in the middle chamber of the sump section of the BioCube 29 without any modifications. The lid closes as originally manufactured and the collection cup can be easily removed for cleaning through the rear access hatch.
• -Dimensions 8 5/8″L x 2 7/8″W x 14 3/8″H
  -19″H needed to remove collection cup.

more at www.cpraquatic.com

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What’s the best nano reef aquarium? Many people always ask that question. There are so many to choose from. So many different brands, so many different prices. What should I buy?

We are going to talk about a few of the top players in the nano reef aquarium industry. But the first thing you need to do is decide a couple things. What do you want in an aquarium? A fish only tank, a fish only with live rock tank or a reef tank. The reason I start off with this question is because all the new nano tanks out today have various lighting configurations. If you want a fish only or fish only with live rock then compact flourescent lighting will definitely be sufficient. If you want a reef but you only want to do soft corals then compact flourescent lighting will be sufficient. But if you want a reef with hard corals then you are going to need the stronger stuff. Either a T5 or a metal halide lighting system. Which leads to the second question. How much do you want to spend? The big price differences start to apply when you are picking out your lighting. A 29 gallon oceanic biocube with compact flourescents will run you about 300 bucks. A 28 jbj nano cube with metal halide lighting will cost about 500 bucks.

The top players in the nano aquarium industry are Oceanic. They make the biocube which comes in 8, 14 and 29 gallon versions. JBJ makes the nano-cube which comes in 12, 24 and 28 gallon versions, RedSea makes the RedSea MAX which comes in a 34 gallon version and Current-USA makes the Aquapod, the Cardiff and the Solana which all vary in sizes from 12 to 37 gallons.

You really can not go wrong with any of these aquariums. They are all well constructed and will suit your nano aquarium just fine. Some of these models also include protein skimmers which if you are doing a reef is ideal.

If you are in the market for a new nano aquarium I would check out these 4 brands. I personally think the 28 gallon HQI Nano Cube is the most bang for your buck. You can get it at marine depot with a stand for around 500 bucks. There you will have a built in protein skimmer and the metal halide lighting which would basically set you up for anything you want to do whether it be reef or fish only.

The Current-USA solana tanks are geogeous but expensive. Cheapest start around 750 bucks.

All in all if you stick with these brands you will be good to go. You just have to decide what you ultimately want to do. If you think there’s a chance you are going to want to start a reef with some hard corals then shell out for the metal halide so you dont have to upgrade 6 months from now.

If you already have your nano then cast your vote here in our “Best Nano Aquarium” Poll.

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aquapod, aquarium industry, aquariums, biocube, Cardiff, compact flourescent lighting, compact flourescents, hard corals, jbj nano cube, lighting system, metal halide lighting, nano aquarium, nano reef aquarium, protein skimmers, redsea max, reef tank, rock tank, solana, t5 Hide

I have a 29gallon Biocube and I was thining about putting a small refugium in my display tank.  Reason being that I want to try and lower my nitrates using some Chaeto.  If i put a refugium in one of the back compartments I have to light it and figure out a way to do that.  I have read of others using a soap dish in their main tank with a clump of chaeto in it.  Then you just light it with your main lights on the tank.  Has anyone done that with success?  Any ideas would be great.

biocube, chaeto, main tank, Nano Reef, nitrates, refugium Hide

I have been using chemi-pure elite in my biocube for about month now in conjunction with seachem’s purigen.  I basically emptied out the back of my biocube by getting rid of the sponges, the bioballs and the filter cartridge.  Now I am running 1 bag of purigen in the first chamber and 1 bag of chemi-pure elite in the 2nd chamber. 

I have to say that since I added the chemi-pure elite my water parameters have not fluctuated at all in the last month.  All my water tests are perfect and my water is crystal clear. 

It’s taken me almost a year of battling with nitrates, fluctuating pH levels and cloudy water but I think I have finally nailed down how to keep this nano tank running with good water parameters and clear water.  Chemi-pure elite cost me about 17 bucks from my LFS but it is supposed to last 6 months so buying 2 bags of this stuff a year is really not a bank breaker in my opinion.

 
Here are some of Chemi-Pure’s claims. So far I can’t argue with any of them.

LONGER LIFE – Fish often live three to four times longer than in any other closed system, fresh or marine.
NECESSARY ORGANISMS – Allowed growth with no danger of pollution.
REMOVES OFFENSIVE ODORS
REAL SEA WATER OR ARTIFICIAL
REMOVES TOXIC ELEMENTS – Including Copper & Phenol
IMMEDIATE ACCLIMATION – with ravenous appetite
QUICKER RESPONSES – Neurological reactions like fishes in natural habitat
FRESHWATER FISHES – of all species thrive
ESPECIALLY GOOD FOR AFRICAN CICHLIDS & DISCUS
NO WATER CHANGE NECESSARY – for at least 5 years (length of test only) PERHAPS NEVER!
CRYSTAL CLEAR WATER – Always sparkling blue-white water
NO CLEANING – Necessary for health of fish.
CONSTANT pH – Always within the safe range
NO OSMOTIC SHOCK – 90% eliminated
NO ION ANTAGONISM
ECONOMICAL – Replacement only every six to eight months makes initial cost very low – eliminates expensive water changes – fewer losses.

acclimation, african cichlids, aquarium, bioballs, biocube, chemi-pure elite, cloudy water, crystal clear water, filter cartridge, fish tank, marine fish, nano tank, ph, ph levels, phosphate remover, Saltwater Fish, seachem, water change, water changes, water parameters, water tests Hide