Bio Cube Owner's Thread

[Esteven]

Hi, New to the forum. I am currently moving from a Aquapod 24 to the Biocube 29. I bought a used setup from craigslist with a good hood and stand and found a barebone tank new shipped for $101.00. Decided since shipping was free to ad the Aquatic Life Internal Mini Skimmer 115 Protein Skimmer and designed my own version of the "Intank filter". I installed a dimmable 24 led light system that I ordered from China and it fits and looks great. Also added the old style MJ 1200 return pump to put out a little more flow and to quiet down the stock pump and have a Hydor Nano fan also to move some water around. I moved some media and rocks from my Aquapod so I'm hoping to stabilize and add livestock soon. Thanks for all the great information and hopefully I can contribute.

 

[Esteven]

I would like to find a heater to lay at the bottom of the 2nd tray but can't find one with adjustable temperature 100w that fits. Is a 50w big enough to do the job? (Biocube 29)

 

[Manochio]

Nice tank.

Congratulations !!

 

[BeachBumm]

Bump to the top !

 

[BC29Reefer]

Hey guys, I just joined RC and happy to have found a Biocube thread. I purchased my tank about 18 months ago and fell in love with reefing. I posted a very detailed build thread under the nano tanks section.

Let me know what you all think.

 

[mojo~]

I just wanted to say the 15in reefbrite strips fit perfectly in the 29g hoods, I tried an all blue and a 50/50. I would say this is really 20k and them some. the stock 10k bulb and a 15in xho is a really nice crisp 14k look. If you want to go all LED I would go 2 50/50's area blue and a white. if you have a newer cube you can add aux leds to balance out the color a little bit.

 

[SharkaThon]

So what was the first upgrades/changes you made to your Cube? For my 29, I took out the bottom of the second chamber and then removed the hood and put on an LED fixture.

 

[ryeguyy84]

I would like to find a heater to lay at the bottom of the 2nd tray but can't find one with adjustable temperature 100w that fits. Is a 50w big enough to do the job? (Biocube 29)

Depends where you live. I use a 50w to heat my new saltwater in a 20 tank.

 

[Mr Cob]

I just got into the BioCube club...

29g HQI BioCube
- Stock 150w MH switched to a 20k bulb
- Flow MP40w ES
- Nano Eshopps HOB Overflow (did not want to drill the tank in case I need it to operate on its own in the future)
- Sump with fuge and Rio 1700 return pump (5' head)
- Mod - dremeled more overflow holes to increase flow drain
- Modded return line to utilize stock return (tossed the stock pump)
- Modded BioCube lip and a light mount notch and leveled them out to fit a BakPak 2 HOB Skimmer (tossed the stock skimmer)
- Mounted a piece of blue acrylic to the back wall as my background (installed with waterproof clear silicone)
- Added foam background
- Added a partial foam bare bottom and partial 1" sand in front
- Had a custom stand and canopy built
- Mod - removed stock covers from BioCube (there are 2)
- Installed 2 fans to pull air out of the wood canopy

Here it is if you haven't seen it yet... adding water in a couple more days. Finishing up equipment first.

(complete build thread: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2203496)

 

[phryan]

P1010035 by mteske1, on Flickr

Let me know if you have any questions!
Mike

I like that reservoir. How much does it hold? Where did you get it?

 

[BeachBumm]

Absolutely Beautiful !

I just got into the BioCube club...

29g HQI BioCube
- Stock 150w MH switched to a 20k bulb
- Flow MP40w ES
- Nano Eshopps HOB Overflow (did not want to drill the tank in case I need it to operate on its own in the future)
- Sump with fuge and Rio 1700 return pump (5' head)
- Mod - dremeled more overflow holes to increase flow drain
- Modded return line to utilize stock resolutely turn (tossed the stock pump)
- Modded BioCube lip and a light mount notch and leveled them out to fit a BakPak 2 HOB Skimmer (tossed the stock skimmer)
- Mounted a piece of blue acrylic to the back wall as my background (installed with waterproof clear silicone)
- Added foam background
- Added a partial foam bare bottom and partial 1" sand in front
- Had a custom stand and canopy built
- Mod - removed stock covers from BioCube (there are 2)
- Installed 2 fans to pull air out of the wood canopy

Here it is if you haven't seen it yet... adding water in a couple more days. Finishing up equipment first.

(complete build thread: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2203496)

 

[Easily Distracted]

Can someone post a pic of their stock PC hood pre-upgrade? You may think I'm nuts but I'm trying to get the stock configuration back on a BC14. I'm actually building a tank for my friend's two little girls. They are going to do some small cichlids so the stock lighting should be fine. The back story is I got a very inexpensive BC14 for the project but the hitch is that the PO snipped ALL the cords right at the hood. All the lighting is there and it looks untouched under the hood but the cords are snipped right as they exit the tank. Before reading this thread I knew nothing about biocubes other than they were good nanos so I didn't know if ballasts were internal or external. Now it looks like It looks like I still need one external ballast for the moon lights and two for the PCs. Also it looks like the ballasts unplug from the tank right around where the cords were snipped.

The cube cleane up beautifully and I already replace the snipped original pump with an MJ900. Can anyone post pics of the cords and ballasts so I know what I'm looking for? Thank you!

 

[iced98lx]

Can someone post a pic of their stock PC hood pre-upgrade? You may think I'm nuts but I'm trying to get the stock configuration back on a BC14. I'm actually building a tank for my friend's two little girls. They are going to do some small cichlids so the stock lighting should be fine. The back story is I got a very inexpensive BC14 for the project but the hitch is that the PO snipped ALL the cords right at the hood. All the lighting is there and it looks untouched under the hood but the cords are snipped right as they exit the tank. Before reading this thread I knew nothing about biocubes other than they were good nanos so I didn't know if ballasts were internal or external. Now it looks like It looks like I still need one external ballast for the moon lights and two for the PCs. Also it looks like the ballasts unplug from the tank right around where the cords were snipped.

The cube cleane up beautifully and I already replace the snipped original pump with an MJ900. Can anyone post pics of the cords and ballasts so I know what I'm looking for? Thank you!

I can later, but the cords coming out of the tank have a screw connector with about a 1 foot pigtail out of the hood for the PC's and just a little push connector for the 12v moonlights.

 

[Easily Distracted]

Yeah. Now that I've done more reaserching, it looks like I'm going to need the all three ballasts including the pigtails all the way to where they connect to the fixture. Maybe I can find someone that either did away with their hood or gutted it for an upgrade. Or maybe a little marineland led fixture will fit inside there or something to keep the cost down.

 

[ERivera65]

Well I've joined the club as well! Coralife Biocube 29 with Intank media basket, tunze 9002 skimmer, hydor flow rotating wave maker, and hydor koralia 245.

Started

Finished

 

[saf1]

That poor yellow tang

 

[saf1]

Mr. Cob - slick hood and stand combo. I like the woodwork and how it gives it a total package deal with the tank and accessories. Very well done.

 

[ERivera65]

That poor yellow tang

Not so poor yellow tang, he's been rehomed in a big reef tank. I had to put him somewhere when I broke down my reef tank in the mean time.

 

[saf1]

Not so poor yellow tang, he's been rehomed in a big reef tank. I had to put him somewhere when I broke down my reef tank in the mean time.

Woot Thanks, I sort of figured it was something like that.

Serves me right for being a @sshat. Please accept my apology. Oh, by the way I did like the sand color. Nice contrast to the lights I thought.

 

[ERivera65]

Woot Thanks, I sort of figured it was something like that.

Serves me right for being a @sshat. Please accept my apology. Oh, by the way I did like the sand color. Nice contrast to the lights I thought.

Hey its all good, no problems. Thanks, I figured I would try something different and I've never used black sand so I got some caribsea Hawaiian black and used it. I like it a lot as well. You know whats funny, I have a friend that has had a 45 gallon tank built into one of the walls in his place and he has a blue and yellow tang in there for the last two years without a problem. I know it isn't right, but both fish look great and are about 3". They eat like pigs lol. I figured a baby yellow tang about an inch long would be fine in my biocube temporarily as I got this fish with a deal I couldn't pass up. But oh well to each his own I guess . But thanks for the compliments.