tank upgrade

[lzrlvr]

hi i have a jbj 12 gallon nano cube.it is ok but adding components such as a protien skimmer and other equipment is almost impossible.i was thinking of drilling two holes in the back of the unit. the unit has three compartments. i was thinking of drilling one hole in the middle compartment and one hole in the return compartment about two inches below the water level then i want to put some bulkhead fittings on and some valves since the tank has been running for two and a half weeks i would like to do this before i am ready to add live stock.i want to do it for possible future use.i want to know if you could advise me on some of the basic connection sizes for most standard units (protien skimmers etc.) thank you.

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no set up yet. starting a 12 gallon nano reef.

[sadielynn]

wow I really cant help you on this one ...This is why I went with a basic 10
I know they make skimmers for those AIO tanks but you would need to add an air stone from what I read ...as for the drilling I will be of absolutely no help and would only be hazzarding a guess which is not good in this case

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sadielynn

10 gallon nano reef
2 cats
1 very missed kitty that left April 27, 2009
3 birds and 1 very missed birdy that left May 1 2005
Happiness isn't getting what you want, it's wanting what you got Garth Brooks

[skipm]

An easier way to add a skimmer to your tank would be to cut the rear canopy to allow you to add a u-tube like the ones used in hang on overflows on one side and then add a return on the other side of the canopy. then either buy/build/have built a small tank that has the same height and width of your cube tank. You will want a small area set up in this tank for a return pump (baffled off area) so you don't pump air bubbles back into the other tank. With this set up there is no chance of flooding because the u-tube keeps both tanks at the same water level via gravity, when water is "returned" to the main tank it causes the water level in the sump tank to be lower than the display and the u-tube flows water into the sump to maintain equal water levels. It would be easy to add any kind of skimmer to this sump and it also adds more water to your system which helps keep parameters more stable. You can also use this for heaters, probes, top off, etc.
You need to find the size requirements for the skimmer you want to use and build the sump tank accordingly. If you keep the profile of this tank so that it adds the least amount needed to the front to rear dimension and paint it black (like the rear of the cube is already) it will not be very noticeable as long as the tank isn't placed so the rear is viewable.

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Happy Reefing, Skip

The only thing that happens quickly in reefing is a disaster.and an empty bank account!

[lzrlvr]

thank you for the reply and i will consider your advice

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no set up yet. starting a 12 gallon nano reef.