Hi addict,
I have the pre-skimmer box on my Aqua C Remora and I couldn't live without it! It can be quite fiddly at times, to get the proper box height, etc, but it works quite well when you get it. It's a pretty simple design, so if you are handy you could probably make one yourself. I would just order one and be done with it.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Oh yeah, another big plus with the box is there is a media chamber for a bag of carbon, rowa, etc!