Bio Cube Owner's Thread

[Amoore311]

Okay so I'm a newb to this hobby. I have a biocube 29. I filled it in February. Since then I have struggled with my Nitrates and Phosphates. I'm doing 20% water changes weekly. I feed every day, once a day but not that much. I still have Nitrates at 25ppm and phosphates at .1ppm. Every string in every aquarium web sites talks about removing the bio balls and replacing them with a media basket like the in tank one and running some purigen and chemipure. I've made the purchase for the rack and filter media. My question is do I remove all of the bio balls at once or do I need to spread it out? Thanks.

Do not take all of them out at once if you have any livestock in the tank. Take like 30% out, wait a couple days, repeat, etc. Your biological bacteria still colonize the bioballs regardless of whether they are collecting nitrates or not (they probably are). So you are in throwing away a percentage of your biological filter with each toss of the bio balls.

The couple days in between gives those bacterial colonies time to grow elsewhere.

 

[Curtispants]

Good afternoon good folks of Reef Central! I'm embarking on a new adventure soon enough and that adventure is a 29 gallon BioCube. I have tons of questions since I've never owned one, but that in itself makes me feel silly since I've had such large systems. Not only have I never had a BioCube, I've never had a small tank. I started with a 90 and went up from there. I've been out of the hobby for years and want to introduce a small slice of the ocean to my home again. I'll just have to fight that urge to upgrade, upgrade, upgrade. lol

My questions are this - in no order:

Is an RODI necessary for such a small tank? Would bottled water or distilled water work? I have the Tunze auto top off for nanos in my Amazon cart which made me start thinking what I'll top off with. Where will my reservoir be held for the Tunze auto top off? From what I gather, there's no 'sump' so to speak, no underneath to the tank...so where am I drawing water from?

Is the lighting sufficient? I see that it comes with power compacts and am worried about this. I have a few stocking ideas in mind, a clam down the road, an sps frag or two near the top, maybe an acan and some blastos...I'm just worried that pc's won't cut it.

I've seen on amazon a pump/wavemaker called a jebao wp10, is this decent? I was trying to figure out if the MP10 was that much better for so much more money. Any thoughts?

What's the latest and greatest in the way of test kits? I am ordering a refractometer and don't know what to do for the tests.

I flipped through this thread a few times and there is SO much information that I can't really find what I'm specifically looking for, so I apologize in advance for asking redundant questions...

I know there are out of the box modifications to the BioCube 29. Can someone sum them up in a nutshell, or possibly point me to the exact location of these upgrade mods? Are you all leaving the lid on? Mesh top? Hanging MH over it? There's so many things I need to figure out before I order this tank. Also, is there a controller for this size tank? I used to have an Apex controller, but that was for a big system.

What return pump should be used? Is the stock one sufficient? I saw folks mentioning a jb900 powerhead or something? I didn't know they still existed. lol

I'm sure I'll think of 100 more questions once I post this, but I'll start with these. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE HELP!!!

 

[Amoore311]

PC's will not cut it at all. Look into LED, but you really don't need the lights till you are ready for the clam and SPS, which will take you a while being new and setting up a new tank.

RODI is not really necessary IMO. You can just use distilled water. RODI pays off a bit more on larger tanks where the demand for top off and water change water is much higher.

The Jebao has had good reviews. I've owned MP40's on my larger tanks and they are absolutely phenomenal pumps. Whether they are worth the premium or not is really up to you.

Test kits... I've used Salifert and the Red Sea Pro Test Kits. I think with this new tank I'm going with Hanna Digital Checkers. I recommend Salifert if you want a good safe reliable kit.

Controller I am using my Apex from my other systems. Maybe an AC Jr for you? I am not removing the top just yet, and probably will not unless I have heat issues. I have a Steve's LED upgrade in the hood in lieu of the crappy PC lighting.

Other mods are media baskets and maybe a fuge basket or skimmer in chamber 2. I just bought a media and fuge basket second hand off the for sale forums today.

My return pump is a Cobalt MJ1200 and it puts out quite a bit of flow.


I'm not a Biocube expert by any means, but I've been doing salt water and reefs since 2004. I'm in the process of selling off my 100 Gallon custom rimless cube, and moving forward with my new Biocube29. I hope to have the live rock and my clowns moved over tonight.

Well no hoping, they ARE moving tonight... the guy is coming to pick the big tank up tomorrow morning lol.

 

[Curtispants]

Thanks for the reply! What I meant by mods was that I saw someone removing a door or something in the back chamber? I haven't purchased the tank yet, so I can't really visualize what they meant. Is the Aquacontroller Jr. still used or is it kind of 'old news'? I don't need anything that big and fancy as far as a controller for such a little tank so I'll look into one. Also, what's a 'Steve's LED upgrade'? lol And since my last post, my wife let me know that she HATES the hood on the BioCube. So now I might be looking at the HQI BioCube. I just can't understand why it's so much MORE money!?!

 

[Curtispants]

And I almost forgot, what are folks using for a skimmer? I don't remember if it comes with one or not, but if it does is it sufficient?

How are people building refugiums in the back of the unit?

 

[Jacksdad]

Thanks Crock and Amore for the advice.

My tank info; 29 gallon Biocube, I'm using the Coralife skimmer. Fits real nice in chamber 1. I have 27 lbs live rock and about 25 lbs live sand. I've got the stock lights, and filter. I have 2 clowns, 3 green/blue cromis. I have a few sps frags and a mini carpet anemone. CUC has snails, hermit crabs and peppermint shrimp.

So I guess I'll start removing some of the balls and stretch that over a week or so?

 

[Betta132]

Alright... I have a 29BC that currently holds one little blue damsel, one waspfish, one Wheeler's shrimpgoby, one tiger pistol shrimp (soon to be two) and one large sand snail who I can never spell.
I admit... It's been a bit neglected. I've fallen way behind on water changes and miss a day or two of feeding per week. I'm currently working on turning it into a macroalgae tank, as I like the look of them and I think my waspfish would like it.
I want to add a refugium. I figure that if I take the shelf out of the stand, I can fit a fairly large container in there. I'm just looking for something that's the right size, I might end up making one.
Here's what I want to do:
1: Buy two pumps the same size and a really long piece of tubing that will plug into the filter outlet.
2: Put a pump in either the second or third compartment with a tube leading down into the 'fuge under the tank.
3: Put the second pump in the 'fuge and run a tube from it up to the outlet in the filter
Does that sound doable? I figure that if I put it in the second or third compartment, those compartments will drain and stop it from overflowing in the event that the bottom pump fails.
And I know that I can put chaeto or something in the middle compartment, since it has that glass bit. I'm more looking to increase the water volume, plus I want to keep some kind of a meany crab in there. Maybe a decorator crab.

 

[Amoore311]

Thanks for the reply! What I meant by mods was that I saw someone removing a door or something in the back chamber? I haven't purchased the tank yet, so I can't really visualize what they meant. Is the Aquacontroller Jr. still used or is it kind of 'old news'? I don't need anything that big and fancy as far as a controller for such a little tank so I'll look into one. Also, what's a 'Steve's LED upgrade'? lol And since my last post, my wife let me know that she HATES the hood on the BioCube. So now I might be looking at the HQI BioCube. I just can't understand why it's so much MORE money!?!

Ac jr is very outdated tech. You could still use it though if you wanted. I meant apex jr. originally.

Steve's LED is just a website that sells biocube upgraded led lights and light kits. The previous owner of my tank just installed them.

The hqi is more money because your getting a metal halide fixture instead of crappy PC lighting. I don't want to deal with heat problems so the hqi is off the table for me.

 

[Amoore311]

Alright... I have a 29BC that currently holds one little blue damsel, one waspfish, one Wheeler's shrimpgoby, one tiger pistol shrimp (soon to be two) and one large sand snail who I can never spell.
I admit... It's been a bit neglected. I've fallen way behind on water changes and miss a day or two of feeding per week. I'm currently working on turning it into a macroalgae tank, as I like the look of them and I think my waspfish would like it.
I want to add a refugium. I figure that if I take the shelf out of the stand, I can fit a fairly large container in there. I'm just looking for something that's the right size, I might end up making one.
Here's what I want to do:
1: Buy two pumps the same size and a really long piece of tubing that will plug into the filter outlet.
2: Put a pump in either the second or third compartment with a tube leading down into the 'fuge under the tank.
3: Put the second pump in the 'fuge and run a tube from it up to the outlet in the filter
Does that sound doable? I figure that if I put it in the second or third compartment, those compartments will drain and stop it from overflowing in the event that the bottom pump fails.
And I know that I can put chaeto or something in the middle compartment, since it has that glass bit. I'm more looking to increase the water volume, plus I want to keep some kind of a meany crab in there. Maybe a decorator crab.

Not a good idea. The 2pumps flows will never match.


Put a fuge in section 2 with a media rack fuge kit, or buy a HOB fuge and use that.

 

[Betta132]

I'm not looking to add macroalgae to the tank (will be doing that anyway), I want to greatly increase the water volume. Is there a way I can manage this?
I totally forgot I'd posted on this thread. Wups.

 

[AngelandNathan]

Has anybody here had the springs for the back latch of a biocube rust? Mine have and I want to get these out of here but can't figure out how.

 

[ArgoReef]

Hey all. Longtime lurker.
I recently rejoined the BC owners club. I've had a 29 gal. Oceanic BC for a while and I'm just now getting ready to rebuild. I know I should get a media basket and I plan on running LEDs when the time comes. What other mods should I make?

 

[Coelli]

Hey all. Longtime lurker.
I recently rejoined the BC owners club. I've had a 29 gal. Oceanic BC for a while and I'm just now getting ready to rebuild. I know I should get a media basket and I plan on running LEDs when the time comes. What other mods should I make?

When you get the media basket, be sure to break the tab between chambers 1 & 2, and remove any false floors in those chambers too.

 

[Coelli]

Hi fellow BC owners, just introducing myself. My BC29 was purchased used from CL and was stock except for a Nanotuners 5.6 LED retro (Nanotuners is out of business now - the guy went to work for JBJ designing their lights. :lolspin.

Now it also has:

AquaticLife 115 skimmer
R2 Moonlight
Cobalt Aquatics MJ1200
InTank Media Basket (floss, Purigen, Chemi-pure Elite, extra GFO)
InTank Fuge Basket (with sumbersible light and chaeto)
JBJ Oceanstream 500 Wavemaker kit
Koralia 425
ViaAqua Titanium 100W heater
Apex w/lab PH probe & wireless adapter (LOVE LOVE LOVE this)
Tunze Nano ATO
Noctua 60mm fans in hood
And until I pick up a used JBJ Arctica 1/15 chiller this weekend, I'm cooling with a little fan over the filtration chambers

The tank is still really new so it has 30lbs LR, ~5 dry rock, and 10# dead sand. Hitchhikers haven't been very plentiful; a bunch of feather dusters, a baby stomatella, a couple of yet unidentified baby snails, some pods in the chaeto, and a tiny green nudibranch that was seen once and disappeared back into the rock never to be seen again.

I've added turbo, astraea, trochus, and nassarius snails, a nimble spray crab, a yellow watchman goby, and the goby's baby pistol shrimp buddy who got lost in the rock when he went into the tank and is still missing.

At some point I may want to upgrade the lights to something programmable that will still fit in the hood (any suggestions?), and replace the wavemaker with a couple of Jaebo WP10s with cables for the Apex. For now I think my wallet has had enough. This project certainly snowballed... but it's been a lot of fun.

 

[Jrhunter0000]

Has anybody here had the springs for the back latch of a biocube rust? Mine have and I want to get these out of here but can't figure out how.

im in similar boat i need hinges cant find them no where.

 

[jswo]

Wanting to buy a apex for a coralife 29. Wanting to know the best probe mount, I have nothing in chamber 1, intank media basket only in chamber 2. Someday want a skimmer in 1 or the space left in 2 also may get a ATO. Hope this helps.

 

[Coelli]

Wanting to buy a apex for a coralife 29. Wanting to know the best probe mount, I have nothing in chamber 1, intank media basket only in chamber 2. Someday want a skimmer in 1 or the space left in 2 also may get a ATO. Hope this helps.

In my Oceanic, I have the temp probe zip tied to one side of the intake (tank side), and the PH probe is hanging in chamber 3 with the return, ATO float valve, ATO feed, and heater (temperature shouldn't affect the reading). The probes shouldn't be fully submerged but they're pretty lightweight and easy to find places for without buying a special mount or anything.

 

[AngelandNathan]

im in similar boat i need hinges cant find them no where.

I called the manufacturer today and they are sending me replacements but I am still trying to get these old rusting things to come out :headwally:

 

[Billybatz9]

Filtration? Hey guys, I just bought a coralife biocube and have no idea what to do for the back chambers?

I have the coralife biocube skimmer in the first chamber and the return pump in the third.

But...

What goes in the second (middle)? Advice needed. I want to get started with my tank thanks

 

[Coelli]

Filtration? Hey guys, I just bought a coralife biocube and have no idea what to do for the back chambers?

I have the coralife biocube skimmer in the first chamber and the return pump in the third.

But...

What goes in the second (middle)? Advice needed. I want to get started with my tank thanks

That's for filtration and refugium, or both. Check out the InTank products. In my 3rd chamber I have their Media Basket and Fuge Basket (the latter has chaeto and a light that comes on opposite the lights in the main tank). Some skimmers will only fit there, too.