The Show Cheng Mold Company has shown pictures of a novel algae scrubbing/surface skimming device under its Aquatic Gadget brand. Taiwan-based Show Cheng are regulars at International Pet Trade Shows where they provide aquarium bulkheads, random flow generators, and pellet reactors to aquatic companies, wholesalers, and retailers, either under their own SC brand or the purchasing company’s brand of their choosing. We found this particular product being marketed by the aquatic company Oceanexus.
Occasionally SC branches out into tiny acrylic aquariums and protein skimmers but the aforementioned products are definitely at the core of their business, and via OEM their products penetrate much of the global aquatic market. New to their Aquatic Gadget range this week however is this plastic weir box that promises to work as a surface skimmer, algae reactor, and wavemaker in one, by fitting out the box with an LED light, pump, and a random flow generator.
The light is Illumagic’s brand-new PiXel single-puck LED. Illumagic also comes out of Taiwan and they could literally publish a book called “101 things to do with Illumagic lights,” such is their portfolio of flexible fittings, and they’ve even managed to produce a hinged LED mounted lighting solution for the tiny box we see here.
The weir box is a stand-alone, surface scavenging unit, designed to sit within the main display aquarium. A pump is fitted within it, providing flow in the tank and as the tank floods by the volume of water pumped out of the weir box, it returns via the surface slots and will then flow through the user’s media of choice, in this case, macroalgae, lit by the PiXel. But even without illumination, you could place ceramic, carbon, and/or filter wool inside and you have yourself a rudimentary filter. Its filtration basics 101, and Aquatic Gadget have combined three things reefers need, water movement, surface skimming, and nutrient export, into one tiny package.
Water level dependent
Without testing it, however, and based on a single image, in our experience, the 3-in-1 Aquatic gadget will be solely reliant on one thing in order to function properly – a stable water level. Unlike the neat, highly effective surface skimmer pumps from Eheim and Oase with floating inlets that can adapt to alternating water levels, if the water in a reef tank evaporates or lowers with this device, water will cease to overflow and replenish the weir, and the pump will run dry.
Move the box downwards and the same thing will happen a few days later or place it under the water, it won’t surface skim and fish and mobile inverts will be able to get inside the weir. An empty box is a buoyant box too, so we wouldn’t trust rubber suckers and instead would opt for strong magnet mounting or even gluing the box permanently into place with silicone.
Fit an ATO to a non-drilled tank containing this gadget however and it should run absolutely fine long term, and barring any form of heating, it does represent a little life-support system for nano tanks by providing a single source of water flow and nutrient control for the animals that need it.
The PiXel light will no doubt be the most expensive component of this product, and for such a small algae volume an even smaller, lower wattage, cheaper LED light could have been used. We welcome aquatic innovation in any form and this inspired us enough to think about, talk about and share its potential application and practical use, although through its pure simplicity it may just serve to show people how to make their own.
