The Bubble Magus Curve 5 protein skimmer is one of the most popular brands among saltwater reefers. I use 3 of them in the lab, for a variety of propagation tanks. We have them set up for our zonathids and mushrooms, along with a few other smaller species. Yes, it may be overkill. But we like to keep the water as clear as possible.
The Bubble Magus Curve 5 is a moderately-sized, in tank protein skimmer for saltwater tanks up to 140 gallons. It’s comparable to the SC Aquariums SCA-301 protein skimmer in terms of performance, although the SCA-301 only runs up to 65 gallons. However, the performance that I’ve seen from the Curve 5 is nothing but excellent. It’s just like a bigger version of the SCA-301 protein skimmer.
First, here’s a table to give you some minor details about the specs of the Bubble Magus Curve 5:
| Profile Image | Model | Pros | Cons | View on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
  | Bubble Magus Curve 5 | Needle-wheel design Zero noise Super efficient Easy set up Superior construction | Break-in period Slow customer support | View |
As you can see, the Curve 5 can handle most reef tanks, as the average tank size for saltwater tanks is only about 50 gallons. In the lab, I have Curve 5’s running on 3 different tanks- 2 50g tanks and 1 120g tank. The performance is slightly higher in the smaller tank, but that’s obviously due to a lower volume of water the protein skimmer has to go through to produce skimmate.
Before we get started, take a look at the Curve 5 on amazon and just give a quick glance-over so you know what I’m talking about when I point out specific features of the protein skimmer.
Bubble Magus Curve 5 First Impression
Let’s take a look at the skimmer’s profile. You can see it’s a nearly a full-size skimmer with the typical hourglass design.
It’s not exactly compact, as it’s a full-size protein skimmer. But it does have a small footprint for the performance and tank rating. The Curve 5 seems to run smaller than most skimmers I’ve worked with- in terms of height. The Curve 5 is about 18.5’’ in height, and 7’’ in length and width. You’ll probably have no problem fitting this in your sump, as the Curve 5 has a very small footprint.
The Curve 5 also has a nice mixture of white/red, which provides an appealing contrast. These skimmers do seem to get dirty quickly, due to the white coloration. If you want to keep the color, you’ll find yourself cleaning this skimmer daily. All 3 skimmers in the lab have a brownish tint on white, as we don’t clean them due to the hassle. However, if you plan to hide this, it’s nothing to worry about.
Bubble Magus Curve 5 Design
The Curve 5 uses your typical counter-flow needle-wheel design. If you don’t know what this is, I suggest you check out the homepage for more info. The needle-wheel design is basically a platter with very fine needles that rotate at a high speed to produce bubbles. The needle-wheel is probably one of the highest and most trusted designs in terms of ratings among saltwater hobbyists in forums. If you want a protein skimmer that performs, make sure it has a needle-wheel or mesh-wheel design. The Curve 5 is known for it’s high performance over other brands such as Reef Octopus, and it’s mainly due to the superior construction and maximized reaction chamber for water flow and microbubble infusion.
The skimmer is very well built with a removable cleaning body with easy adjustment. The pump sits right in the protein skimmer itself, leaving a small footprint.
Bubble Magus Curve 5 Skimmer Set Up
The setup for the Curve 5 is extremely easy to set up and get going. I’ve assembled and set up all 3 Curve 5’s we have in the lab, and they take only about 15 minutes to get going. The included instructions are very detailed with graphs and pictures, so it’s easy to get it going. Setting it up should be problem.
However, the customer support for the Curve 5 skimmer is pretty horrible. The phone numbers only lead you in loops on the phone and the emails aren’t replied to. If you have trouble setting it up, I’d suggest getting help from a saltwater forum online.
But, you shouldn’t need help to get it going. Adjusting it and dealing with troubleshooting errors is a whole different story though. Depending on what the problem is, you may or may not find the solution in a forum. Thankfully, we haven’t had any issues in the lab after setting it up.
Performance of the Bubble Magus Curve 5 Protein Skimmer
The Curve 5 has exceptional performance due to its superior construction and needle-wheel design. It’s quite comparable to the SCA-301 by SC Aquariums. The Curve 5 is rated for 140 gallons of water, and will easily skim it without issue. It’s extremely efficient, producing bubbles rapidly without hiccup.
One thing I noticed is that there is a “break in” period for the Curve 5. On 2 of the models I set up, they started producing skimmate almost instantly- such as overnight. However, on the third model I set up, it took about 2 days for it to start producing anything. I was thinking of adjusting it, as there may have been something I assembled wrong, or maybe the water level was wrong. But then again, it’s a risk to mess with it during the break-in because you don’t know if it’s already set up correctly and just needs a bit to produce the first skimmate. Seeing as how the first 2 models worked instantly, it was hard to resist tampering with it.
I waited a little over 2 days and woke up to it producing froth in the cup.
You may need to give your Curve 5 some time to start working. If it doesn’t work after a reasonable amount of time, then try adjusting it and give another break-in period. If it still doesn’t work, try asking on a reefer forum, or contacting customer support.
Also, if you run into overflow issues, you need to adjust your water level. Try raising it above the recommended level if you it keeps going crazy and overflowing into the cup. Once it settles, it should run fine. I have the Curve 5 in tanks going from 5.5’’ to 9’’ of water. You may need to play around with the water level if it keeps overflowing. The suggested water level is inaccurate- or at least I found it to be.
One thing I noticed is that it’s very quiet for the performance it outputs. I’ve had smaller protein skimmers that had loud pumps and the sound of rushing water with half the performance.
It also throws nothing back into the display tank. No bubbles or foam. It’s very well-designed.
How noisy is the Bubble Magus Curve 5?
It makes zero noise. Enough said. Compared to other skimmers in the lab, the Bubble Magus Curve 5 is silent.
What are the dimensions of the Bubble Magus Curve 5?
The Curve 5 has dimensions of 7.28″ * 7.08″ * 18.5″. It’s a relatively small footprint compared to similar skimmers with similar performance. For its size, it outputs a lot of foul skimmate, which makes it extremely efficient. The pump sits inside the skimmer, so the footprint is even smaller.
Bubble Magus Curve 5 Maintenance
The Curve 5 does produce a lot of skimmate, and I cleaned out my cups every other day. The skimmate is foul green and smells. You’ll want to clean it out often, which is easy due to the convenient assembly of the body. It easily breaks apart for cleaning, or you can simply do a partial cleaning of the collection cup.
Here’s a tip: use a turkey baster. You can use it to suck up all the gunk and toss it out, rather than running across to the sink with your whole cup. This works well if your space is cramped and taking out the cup is a pain.
Should you buy a Bubble Magus Curve 5 Protein Skimmer?
I’d recommend the Bubble Magus to anyone- whether they’re starting out or are advanced reefers. It’s an excellent skimmer and works very efficiently. It has a superior construction with easy assembly (and dis-assembly), and functions with a needle-wheel design. It works nearly instantly, with a possible break-in period. The protein skimmer itself also makes zero noise and has zero backflow into your display tank. This means no bubbles or foam. If you have the space, it’s really a no-brainer, although the footprint for the Bubble Magus Curve 5 is already very small with the pump being built into the reaction chamber of the protein skimmer. The Curve 5 is one of our best performing protein skimmers in the lab.
If you don’t have a sump, then I’d recommend going against the Curve 5. I’d suggest getting a hang-on-back protein skimmer, such as the AquaMaxx HOB or the Reef Octopus 100-HOB. Both are excellent skimmers if you lack the space for a Bubble Magus Curve 5.
However, if have a sump and at least 9’’ of water, you should definitely check out the Bubble Magus Curve 5. It’s one of the best protein skimmers I’ve worked with, and I’d recommend it to anyone with a tank from 30-130 gallons.
Take a look at it here on amazon, or check out the SCA-301 if your tank is below 65 gallons.
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Help educate other hobbyists.
You could make another reefer (and their corals) very happy.
Thank you for your review which has tempted me towards getting the Curve 5. I have viewed many sites, but your review was more rewarding.
Graham