Protein Skimmer for JBJ Nano Cube

I'm considering buying a protein skimmer for my nano.

Marine Depot created a short video in 2014 on skimmers that can fit into the the tank reservoirs at the back.
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I'm looking at reviews now, but curious about your thoughts and experiences on the 3 brands that WILL fit:

AquaMax HOB-1 skimmer...it's a bit big and bulky and attaches outside the tank with tubes inserted into one of the tank's reservoirs. Item #uj1151

Innovative Marine MiniMax Media Reactor Mid Size...fits right into one of the empty reservoirs of my JBJ tank.
Item#0I10411. Can a media reactor act as protein skimmer as well?

Innovative Marine Ghost Protein Skimmer Desk Top size Item #0i10453

Eshopps Nano Protein Skimmer Item# QH32001

 

I had a skimmer on the 29 biocube and quickly learned its easier to just be religious about water changes. This tank has never been better for water quality once I took the bioballs out and put live rock and a bag of chemipure with a filter pad at the top to pick up any of the big particles in the water. The water gets changed every two weeks and the filter pad is cleaned and swapped everyday or every other, just like you would do with a filter sock.

 

Thank you! What did you use as a filter pad? I've got the original sponge...but it's not affecting the "film" floating at the top of my waterline.

 

I have it in the back where the carbon filter would sit. I am not 100% sure if the Oceanic Biocube has the same baffle setup. If you have this it can go right where the water comes in, in the center of the tank. Moral of the comment I guess is put the filter pad where the water goes into the back. Also that "film" you are talking about means you don't have enough surface agitation, I would point the return pump nozzle up to cause a slight ripple or anything that would cause the surface to get that ripple to it.

 

Thank you! Minor jet adjustment and no more film.

 

Just adjusting the pump nozzle has made a huge difference in "film" at the surface and water quality. Right now I have extra filter pads in my additional chambers and I've replaced the manufacturers carbon with activated carbon housed in a nylon hose to keep the grit out of the system. I had not considered filling a chamber with rubble. That might be my next step. I know my water quality issue was in trying to feed the finicky suncoral a variety of options. Now I know they prefer reef chili, and the black suncoral prefers the LPS pellets. I'm not dumping mysis in every day. I also do a 5gallon water change every two weeks. And...my fish is vegetarian, so no mass amounts of meaty foods for him either. He prefers algae and spirulina flakes.