Buying a Biocube for my first time

[Cfused]

Hi, I am new to this hobby and I am just so fascinated with it. I have been following numerous forums for about a month and I decided to purchase a biocube for my first tank. Although I heard that starting with a 55g tank is good for beginners, I felt that it'd be the easier to start smaller and eventually upgrade =).

Anyways, I had a few questions that I was hoping some of you guys could answer.

Are there any crucial upgrades that I should make to the stock biocube?

Would it be a good idea to create a refugium for a tank this small? I thought it'd be a fun project to make one.

Also, any tips for me would be much appreciated!!

thanks,
Arthur

 

[Vinnie71975]

Re: Buying a Biocube for my first time

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11667677#post11667677 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Cfused
Hi, I am new to this hobby and I am just so fascinated with it. I have been following numerous forums for about a month and I decided to purchase a biocube for my first tank. Although I heard that starting with a 55g tank is good for beginners, I felt that it'd be the easier to start smaller and eventually upgrade =).

Anyways, I had a few questions that I was hoping some of you guys could answer.

Are there any crucial upgrades that I should make to the stock biocube?

Would it be a good idea to create a refugium for a tank this small? I thought it'd be a fun project to make one.

Also, any tips for me would be much appreciated!!

thanks,
Arthur

Smaller is harder to keep stable, the slightest thing goes wrong and your whole tank can crash and kill everything in it! i know i have a 20g long tank that most would call "Nano" and im am upgrading to a 55g and my tank is only 6 months old!If i could have found a 75g for the same price as my 55g i would have bought it! Nanos are ok but you are SOOOOOOOOO limited on what fish you can have and how many! i have 3 in my 20g and that is pushing the bioload!

 

[dileggi]

What size BC are you looking at? I have the 29 and I could tell you what I've done to mine, if interested.

 

[Cfused]

Yea, I've heard that a 55G tank is the easiest to start off with actually, but I just felt that it's too big for me ATM...and I feel that I could learn alot from starting with a 29G. I guess I felt like I could keep a 29G tank stable than i'm worthy to upgrade. haha

I'm looking for a 29G BC actually and It would be awesome if you could tell me what you've done to yours! Can you tell me of any problems that you've had with it that maybe I can avoid too?

 

[camlov2]

I started with a Biocube (29) back in November and would go back and start with a larger tank if I could do it over. It seems that the cost per gallon is quite a bit higher for these smaller tanks (and you run out of room fast). A 29 gallon will only hold 2-3 fish comfortably (depending on fish). No tangs, No triggers, No butterfly fish, no.... -you get the point. I am looking into a 120/180 for my next tank but then again I am crazy. I would start with the type of fish you want and determine the amount of water you need to house them.

By the way I do really enjoy the (29), it is a great tank to look at.

 

[Cfused]

Is the lighting that comes stock on a 29G Biocube good enough to support Clams maybe like a maxima or something?

 

[dileggi]

I have been told that the lights are not good enough to support clams at all. The stock lights are 1 36w PC 10K daylight and 1 36W actinic.

I was told, and I could be wrong, but I was told you needed either MH or T5's for clams.

But...while surfing the net last night, I seen some BC's on youtube, that claimed they had stock lights and there were two there with clams in them!

 

[Cfused]

Can any coral and livestock survive with a MH or T5?