CubeMaster Review

habilus · 06-03-2007, 04:17 PM

CubeMaster is a knockoff of some of the other quality cubes out there. For those of you interested, here is my opinion of this product. First, I received it as a gift and went to work from there. Since I was new to this hobby, I started backwards. It is a 12 gallon Cubemaster tank, complete with lights, pump and filter material. Being a total Newbie, I asked the LFS for some help, and they led me in the totally wrong direction, even stating that I did not need to remove the Carbon from the Plastic bag supplied for shipping, but after all that, I am finnally up and running.
This Cube has four(4) seperate 3x3 areas for your pump, filter media and so on. These are very small and it makes it hard for adding equip that will fit. The lighting system is OK, for fish, but not for Coral. It includes (3) 12" T5 tubes, for a grang whopping 36 watts and they run on one power cord w/two switches. Setting up each lite to turn on/off automatically is impossible. AND most importantly, there is no cooling fan installed to cool the tank. HOT, HOT, HOT. I had to add a small fan and time it to run when the lights are on...PAIN! I also had to bump up the pump to a RIO 600, as the Maxijet would not fit, and was too much for the inside of the tank. I tried to add a small skimmer and was advised to use the FISSION protien skimmer, but again, it was too big and had to put it in the tank and not in the back..Way too many bubbles, so I removed it and opted for more water changes. I have about 12 lbs LR and about 15 lbs of LS. I removed the filter stuff and have added LR to first return sump with Filter Foam insert over the return grid. The second bay I left available for a skimmer I have yet to purchase. The third bay is for my filter (M) and Carbon, both by ELOS(great product) and are changed monthly. The last is for the pump. I leave my lights on for 6 hrs and keep my fan on all the time due to the heat. If I had to do it over, I would look into a tank that has a different lighting system and a different sump set up. It really needs to have two lids(one for the tank and one for the sump area and that can also be easily removed.
MY Critters:
2 very young Clowns
6 crabs
6 snails
2 Nassarius Sanils
1 Orange spotted Gobi

All are doing very well with pH@ 8.2, Nitrites@0, Nitrates 0-5

Any questions/suggestions encouraged

Habilus

lcstorc · 06-12-2007, 08:21 AM

Sounds like you know what you need. I wonder if you can find a skimmer that small. I have never looked so maybe there is one out there. Sorry you are having such difficulties with your present.
Do you have any pics? We would love to see some.

vdituri · 06-12-2007, 10:02 AM

Moving in the right direction(s).

I can't believe they told you to leave the wrapper on the carbon?

I hope it goes more smoothly now.

kathywithbirds · 06-12-2007, 11:28 AM

Dr. Foster and Smith had a nano skimmer online. There's one at my LFS too, for like $60, they are out there.

SoccerBum474 · 06-25-2007, 11:57 PM

i have a mastercube 12g. its been up and running for the past 2.5 months.. as for live stock: orange spotted goby, sunrise dottyback, purple firefish, tiger pistol shimp, 5+ zebra hermits, 3 in. linkia star, emerald crab, 3 types or zoos (teal, green and orange), frogspawn, pulsing xenia, green digita, toadstool leather, yellow gorgonian, gsp, 2 types of mushrooms(blue and green), brown polyps and a neon green plate coral. As for filtration in the first bay i have a phos-sponge w/ that stock white sponge on top, the second bay i put a fission nano skimmer, then third bay i put carbon and a corse sponge, then the forth bay i left the stock pump in there, i might replace it later this summer. the lighting i have left.. my leather have doubled in size along with my green zoos, pulsing xenia, gsp, and fragspawn.. my temp. runs at about 80 in the morning to about 86 when i turn the lights off (my house temp is at 80... i live in a desert its 105 out side so...) im taking this tank with me to college in san luis obispo so it will be a lot cooler up there.. but for right now the coral and fish are fine with the temp..

06-03-2007, 04:17 PM	#1 (permalink)
habilus Tunicate Join Date: May 2007 Location: Fresno, CA Posts: 7 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	CubeMaster Review CubeMaster is a knockoff of some of the other quality cubes out there. For those of you interested, here is my opinion of this product. First, I received it as a gift and went to work from there. Since I was new to this hobby, I started backwards. It is a 12 gallon Cubemaster tank, complete with lights, pump and filter material. Being a total Newbie, I asked the LFS for some help, and they led me in the totally wrong direction, even stating that I did not need to remove the Carbon from the Plastic bag supplied for shipping, but after all that, I am finnally up and running. This Cube has four(4) seperate 3x3 areas for your pump, filter media and so on. These are very small and it makes it hard for adding equip that will fit. The lighting system is OK, for fish, but not for Coral. It includes (3) 12" T5 tubes, for a grang whopping 36 watts and they run on one power cord w/two switches. Setting up each lite to turn on/off automatically is impossible. AND most importantly, there is no cooling fan installed to cool the tank. HOT, HOT, HOT. I had to add a small fan and time it to run when the lights are on...PAIN! I also had to bump up the pump to a RIO 600, as the Maxijet would not fit, and was too much for the inside of the tank. I tried to add a small skimmer and was advised to use the FISSION protien skimmer, but again, it was too big and had to put it in the tank and not in the back..Way too many bubbles, so I removed it and opted for more water changes. I have about 12 lbs LR and about 15 lbs of LS. I removed the filter stuff and have added LR to first return sump with Filter Foam insert over the return grid. The second bay I left available for a skimmer I have yet to purchase. The third bay is for my filter (M) and Carbon, both by ELOS(great product) and are changed monthly. The last is for the pump. I leave my lights on for 6 hrs and keep my fan on all the time due to the heat. If I had to do it over, I would look into a tank that has a different lighting system and a different sump set up. It really needs to have two lids(one for the tank and one for the sump area and that can also be easily removed. MY Critters: 2 very young Clowns 6 crabs 6 snails 2 Nassarius Sanils 1 Orange spotted Gobi All are doing very well with pH@ 8.2, Nitrites@0, Nitrates 0-5 Any questions/suggestions encouraged Habilus

06-12-2007, 08:21 AM	#2 (permalink)
lcstorc Sunshine Reefer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cocoa Fl Posts: 17,965 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: CubeMaster Review Sounds like you know what you need. I wonder if you can find a skimmer that small. I have never looked so maybe there is one out there. Sorry you are having such difficulties with your present. Do you have any pics? We would love to see some. __________________ Peace LYNN You can't change the past but you can change how you view it. A reef tank is like a racecar. The faster you go the harder you crash. Lynn and Franks saltwater adventure Lynn's 20g clown tank Lynn's 90g of sunshine Every 60 seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.

06-12-2007, 10:02 AM	#3 (permalink)
vdituri Excellent Guesser :D Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Sacramento California Posts: 5,641 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: CubeMaster Review Moving in the right direction(s). I can't believe they told you to leave the wrapper on the carbon? I hope it goes more smoothly now. __________________ Victor ----- People come into our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person. When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

06-12-2007, 11:28 AM	#4 (permalink)
kathywithbirds Social Darwinism victim Join Date: May 2007 Location: The Hood, NJ Posts: 5,695 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: CubeMaster Review Dr. Foster and Smith had a nano skimmer online. There's one at my LFS too, for like $60, they are out there. __________________ (\ /) This is Bunny crying. ( ; ; ) He thinks Brainy and Bunnina . ' ' ...are having an affair. "Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials." ~Lin Yutang Start: 163.5 Current: I'm not looking at the scale, I'm not looking at the scale, I'm not looking at the scale...

06-25-2007, 11:57 PM	#5 (permalink)
SoccerBum474 Star Polyps Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: La Quinta, Ca Posts: 151 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: CubeMaster Review i have a mastercube 12g. its been up and running for the past 2.5 months.. as for live stock: orange spotted goby, sunrise dottyback, purple firefish, tiger pistol shimp, 5+ zebra hermits, 3 in. linkia star, emerald crab, 3 types or zoos (teal, green and orange), frogspawn, pulsing xenia, green digita, toadstool leather, yellow gorgonian, gsp, 2 types of mushrooms(blue and green), brown polyps and a neon green plate coral. As for filtration in the first bay i have a phos-sponge w/ that stock white sponge on top, the second bay i put a fission nano skimmer, then third bay i put carbon and a corse sponge, then the forth bay i left the stock pump in there, i might replace it later this summer. the lighting i have left.. my leather have doubled in size along with my green zoos, pulsing xenia, gsp, and fragspawn.. my temp. runs at about 80 in the morning to about 86 when i turn the lights off (my house temp is at 80... i live in a desert its 105 out side so...) im taking this tank with me to college in san luis obispo so it will be a lot cooler up there.. but for right now the coral and fish are fine with the temp..

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