Waterbox Cube 20 · problems & reliability report

Waterbox Cube 20 problems: what real owners report

21% of 28 verified Waterbox Cube 20owners don't recommend it, and 1 describe specific problems — based on real owner comments from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.

For balance: 75% recommend it. This page collects the complaints so you know what you're signing up for — read the full owner report for both sides. How we score

Most common complaints

In owners' own words

the glass seems more suitable to reef system
@keithberghoff4114 on YouTube
don't get the wb cube20, its got a horrible baffle design and gets clogged all the time.
bawse1 on Reddit
I don’t see a protein skimmer. I thought this was the heart of any salt water aquarium.
@timothyvandermeer6807 on YouTube
whhhhhyyyy black silicone </3
@ThatanOmega on YouTube
i got my self a Cube 20 to and as i am in Europ im having problems getting a silent Pump as well :( I have a Jebao 1200, it seams working but ther is this DC snurring sound all the time,.. the Stock Pump is loud as well
Rcfox on Nano-Reef Community
My biggest issue at the moment is that I'm experiencing quite a loud buzz noise with the current pump (a Sicce Syncra Silent Water Pump 1.0). I feel this isn't acceptable (pretty disappointed really) and am pretty desperate to solve this issue
Had it set up for two weeks and heard the tank crack and watched the crack grow from the outside of the tank
@brookeviele1995 on YouTube
Word of warning, the return pumps they provide are awful cheap and extremely loud
@jokesaside9207 on YouTube
waterbox is apparently really loose when it comes to build tolerances
The_Lazy_Reefer on Bay Area Reefers
Purchased the Waterbox cube 20 thinking it was AIO but it is not.
westcoastwhale on Reef2Reef
The stock pump is loud, which a DC would fix.
>>klong<< on Reef2Reef
mine loud asf at night
@bandthesupremefishguy8665 on YouTube

Setup quirks & things to watch for

Not complaints — practical notes from owners that didn't affect the score.

I have the cube20 and when I tried to upgrade my return pump the flow into the back of the tank couldn’t keep up. Went back to the stock pump and added a random flow generator to it instead.
SrGearhead on Reddit
I haven't gotten anything more than some green spot algae on the glass here, which is amazing. The fish are getting bigger and look to be doing great.
The pump that came with it is a little noisy so going to get a Sicce 1.0 pump and see if it is quieter.
msummerf on Nano-Reef Community
Weighing it up? The full report has the other side — what 75% of owners like about it, who it's for, and every sourced quote. Full Waterbox Cube 20 owner report →