29 gal bio cube help

[rogergolf66]

Ok I didn't even know there was a nano forum till this am . I have always been a large tank guy. quick background i have been sps keeper for years with good results.

but this week I won a new bio cube 29 in a raffle. I'm excited to learn a new type of reef keeping. I think I want to keep this as simple as possible so stock as much as I can. Any thing u think is a much change on these tanks?

I know very little about nano tanks. By looking at the tank each chamber has a different use. Can u get away with growing enough macro algae that u don't need a skimmer?

Also any ideas on what I should put I. This would be great. Thinking about sea horses but maybe a chalice tank? I'm all over the place as I said I won this so it was not a plain I had in mind.

So agin any changes to tank that r a must?
Can I grow enough macro to not need skimmer? I'm thinking that water changes maybe enough also?

How much rock do I need?
Do I need additional powerheads? If so what do u recommend?
Stock lighting ok? Power compact and led bars? Also should I add more led bars I have room for 3 or 4 more. R they 3 watt LEDs? Or just 1 watt?



Any help is good.

Roger

 

[debincalif]

The first thing I would suggest would be to take out all the bioballs from the large 2nd chamber and order the In Tank media basket & fuge. I run mine with Purigen and Chemi-Pure with filter floss in the media basket. The fuge has a ball of chaeto (I use the In Tank submersible halogen light). This set-up provides me with better parameters than when I was running a skimmer. Some folks run a skimmer; others not.

Definitely add another small powerhead. The return pump does not add enough flow.

Other upgrades you may consider is a retrofit LED lighting system, but you can get by without it. Sounds like your system is the Coralife (vs Oceanic) where you can add the small LED bars. They don't provide enough light to provide any benefit, but do help with the look of the tank. I would recommend adding 4 blue bars.

I probably have about 35 lb of LR in my system now, and would recommend at least 30 lb. I also have 25 lb live sand.

You can see what I have in my system by looking at my signature.

Hopefully others will chime in... lots of folks have this set-up and will offer their thoughts. Best of luck!

 

[Orm Embar]

A skimmer is optional IF you have a (relatively) low bioload and good nutrient export. As a macroalgae fan, if you have enough live rock/macroalgae (+/- sand; I like sand), then you may not need one. I'd consider having one on hand for emergencies, cycling, et cetera.

My caveat to macroalgae is that I hate Caulerpa - if you dopn't prune it regularly, it can "go sexual," disintegrate and turn into spores/whatever, and then start growing all over the tank which smothers your corals and kills them. This happened to me, and caused me to get out of the hobby years ago for a while. I'd go with Chaeto, or for something cool looking Dragon's Breath (or maybe gracilaria). Not sure how hardy seagrasses are.