Anyone else having difficulties with the Marineland Cube?

tufacody · 09/22/2009, 03:59 PM

I have the 24x24 cube, and I'm a little disappointed with the overflow system. Because the drain is located on the back wall of the tank, directly above the hole for the return line, I have to run a straight run and a right angle off the drain to get past the return line plumbing. I also just can't seen to get it to drain fast enough, even at a very low flow. I've flooded it tiwce. Also, if you have a substrate, you can't ever pull the overflow grid out without sand collapsing back into the plastic that allows you to put the grid back in place.

I'm also finding that the air hole and plastic muffler that is built into the return line is not sucking in air, but is rather simply filling with water. In addition, the overflow is so small I can't even begin to get my hand in there to make any adjustments or retrieve anything if it falls in.

Not happy with this design. Anyone else dealt with this yet?

LPS_Blasto · 09/22/2009, 04:08 PM

Sorry you are having problems. I wish I could help.

This is why I cobbled up parts to make my own 30g nano. I did a lot of research on the "ready to run" cubes out there. Seams all of them have some faults. Either the lighting sucks, or the pump doesn't work, or the plumbing is all whacked out ....... same problems you're having.

Thats why I just bought a 30H, a (6) bulb T5 fixture and a HOB refugium for mine. It works better than any of the RTR tanks I looked at.

tufacody · 09/22/2009, 04:12 PM

yea, its my fault. I had been waiting a long time to replace my acrylic cube (hated acrylic) with a class cube that fit on my custom made stand, but still was commercially available and didn't cost $2000 to custom make. Otherwise the tanks is nice and I like the thick glass walls, albeit they don't compare to my 180 starfire.

I wish I had scoped out the overflow better, but I had to special order the tank, nobody carried it locally. I really hate that the overflow drain hole is on the back wall and not the bottom of the tank.

LPS_Blasto · 09/22/2009, 04:46 PM

Have you checked out mod threads? I'm sure somebody else has one of these and could be experiencing the same problems. I'll bet somebody has modded it.

gonorth16 · 10/04/2009, 06:45 PM

I have a 60g cube 24x24x24 and I was having the same problem. I cut out the elbow inside the overflow area and added a durso standpipe on the outside of the tank. I have a 15g high sump w/ a hole drilled in the top corner and then a reverse durso inside the sump. I run a eheim 1262 return pump. Overflow works fine with little noise. Marineland was no help w/ this issue. any ?'s , let me know.

09/22/2009, 03:59 PM	#1
tufacody Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,890	Anyone else having difficulties with the Marineland Cube? I have the 24x24 cube, and I'm a little disappointed with the overflow system. Because the drain is located on the back wall of the tank, directly above the hole for the return line, I have to run a straight run and a right angle off the drain to get past the return line plumbing. I also just can't seen to get it to drain fast enough, even at a very low flow. I've flooded it tiwce. Also, if you have a substrate, you can't ever pull the overflow grid out without sand collapsing back into the plastic that allows you to put the grid back in place. I'm also finding that the air hole and plastic muffler that is built into the return line is not sucking in air, but is rather simply filling with water. In addition, the overflow is so small I can't even begin to get my hand in there to make any adjustments or retrieve anything if it falls in. Not happy with this design. Anyone else dealt with this yet?

10/04/2009, 06:45 PM	#5
gonorth16 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: plaistow,nh. Posts: 27	I have a 60g cube 24x24x24 and I was having the same problem. I cut out the elbow inside the overflow area and added a durso standpipe on the outside of the tank. I have a 15g high sump w/ a hole drilled in the top corner and then a reverse durso inside the sump. I run a eheim 1262 return pump. Overflow works fine with little noise. Marineland was no help w/ this issue. any ?'s , let me know. __________________ 25g DT, 75g sump in basement, RKL, LG4, swc bmk150 , 2- AI's Sol blue's Current Tank Info: 25g DT, 75g sump in basement, RKL, LG4, swc bmk150 , 2- AI's Sol blue

09/22/2009, 04:08 PM	#2
LPS_Blasto Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 581	Sorry you are having problems. I wish I could help. This is why I cobbled up parts to make my own 30g nano. I did a lot of research on the "ready to run" cubes out there. Seams all of them have some faults. Either the lighting sucks, or the pump doesn't work, or the plumbing is all whacked out ....... same problems you're having. Thats why I just bought a 30H, a (6) bulb T5 fixture and a HOB refugium for mine. It works better than any of the RTR tanks I looked at.

09/22/2009, 04:12 PM	#3
tufacody Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,890	yea, its my fault. I had been waiting a long time to replace my acrylic cube (hated acrylic) with a class cube that fit on my custom made stand, but still was commercially available and didn't cost $2000 to custom make. Otherwise the tanks is nice and I like the thick glass walls, albeit they don't compare to my 180 starfire. I wish I had scoped out the overflow better, but I had to special order the tank, nobody carried it locally. I really hate that the overflow drain hole is on the back wall and not the bottom of the tank.

09/22/2009, 04:46 PM	#4
LPS_Blasto Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 581	Have you checked out mod threads? I'm sure somebody else has one of these and could be experiencing the same problems. I'll bet somebody has modded it.