Coralife BioCube 32 Start-up Questions

[Pisces28]

Hello all !
Haven't been on here since 2015, but here I am again!

Previous owner of a BioCube 29 that had to be taken down due to moving, but now starring up again with a BioCube 32.

So I do have a few questions:
1. How many actual gallons of water does the BioCube 32 hold?
For starters, I would like to purchase ready-made saltwater and don't know how many gallons to purchase.
2. Looking for suggestions on what filter media to use and how to best customize the refugium section for a healthy and clean tank.
3. Which products should I get (example Purigen, carbon.. etc)

Thank you all in advance! A bit rusty after two years ...:spin1:

 

[JVan82]

Water depends on how much sand and rock you have. I use the intank media basket and fuge. I run poly fill (from walmart) on the top, purigen and chemipure elite.

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[Pisces28]

Thanks! Im looking for the intank media basket but its pricy
I will end up buying it though.
How often do you chnage the poly fill, purigen and chemipure elite?

I will have about 15- 20 lbs of rock and 30 lbs of sand.
Can you recommend how many ready-made salt waters to purchase? Just an approximate maybe

 

[rockhead51]

Here's what I run in my 32 LED;
Chamber 1- heater and BioCube skimmer, modified with a longer time and a bracket to make is sit higher so I can tune bubbles up.
Chamber 2- stock media basket (wove rubber bands through the holes front and back to keep media bags inside). Poly pad on top, then phosguard, then purigen, and two bags with ceramic matrix on the bottom.
Chamber 3- stock sponge (but I clean it out every water change) and pump, and aquasmart ato mini.

If I were you, I would buy 35 gallons of water (see if they will let you return containers). That'll be plenty to fill up a 32 (which will hold less due to rock and sand) with some left over.

I keep two 5 gallon salt containers on hand (I get a refill when I empty one) plus a 2.5 of RODI.

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[rockhead51]

Oh, and I replace the phosguard when my phosphates start to climb, and the purigen when it turns dark brown.

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[JVan82]

Thanks! Im looking for the intank media basket but its pricy
I will end up buying it though.
How often do you chnage the poly fill, purigen and chemipure elite?

I will have about 15- 20 lbs of rock and 30 lbs of sand.
Can you recommend how many ready-made salt waters to purchase? Just an approximate maybe

I change the poly fill daily, purigen and chemipure I change every 2-3 months, it will depend on your bioload. I'd get 30 gallons to start you'll have it for water changes later on. Also look into mixing water it's cheaper in the long run than pre-mixed. I had about the same sand and rock, mine took only 23-25 gallons to fill. I didn't up grade to the in tank for a while, I just used the stock basket, put the poly on top, then purigen on the second shelf, and hung the chemipure.

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[Pisces28]

Thanks for the info.
Daily?! That's a lot lol but if it works, it works.
I think im going to hold off on the in tank and use the stock basket for now

 

[Seattle_Reef]

Thanks for the info.
Daily?! That's a lot lol but if it works, it works.
I think im going to hold off on the in tank and use the stock basket for now

I change mine 3 times a week. Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

 

[JVan82]

Yeah daily is probably overkill, but I do it when I feed them. This is my first take and wanted to take as much precaution as I could.

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[Pisces28]

New question -

I ordered a submersible heater which says it is 100W and good for 30 gallon tanks, but it is huge. Im afraid to boil my future fish. Which heater(s) would you guys recommend for the biocube? Or is the one i ordered okay? It is the Marina 100W Submersible Aquarium Heater

 

[rockhead51]

New question -

I ordered a submersible heater which says it is 100W and good for 30 gallon tanks, but it is huge. Im afraid to boil my future fish. Which heater(s) would you guys recommend for the biocube? Or is the one i ordered okay? It is the Marina 100W Submersible Aquarium Heater

That one looks fine. I recommend running it in Chamber 1 of the back (always stays the same level, and water is flowing in from tank and out to filters in case something breaks). Also, remember not to just rely on it's thermometer- get an external one and mount it somewhere else (I keep mine in the display).

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[blake2shay]

Thanks! Im looking for the intank media basket but its pricy
I will end up buying it though.
How often do you chnage the poly fill, purigen and chemipure elite?

I will have about 15- 20 lbs of rock and 30 lbs of sand.
Can you recommend how many ready-made salt waters to purchase? Just an approximate maybe

I replace my filter every two days or depending on color of it. Change my carbon every two weeks in a reusable bag. Chemipure I think is four months or so. Maybe three.


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[MK3_LUV]

New question -

I ordered a submersible heater which says it is 100W and good for 30 gallon tanks, but it is huge. Im afraid to boil my future fish. Which heater(s) would you guys recommend for the biocube? Or is the one i ordered okay? It is the Marina 100W Submersible Aquarium Heater

A 100w heater will be fine. I currently have a 300w heater in my 16gal biocube, not a single issue so far. Just havent bought a 75w Jager yet, had the 300 lying around

 

[Heavysledz]

Hello all !

1. How many actual gallons of water does the BioCube 32 hold?
For starters, I would like to purchase ready-made saltwater and don't know how many gallons to purchase.


Thank you all in advance! A bit rusty after two years ...:spin1:

I just set my BC 32 up this weekend and with 20lbs of live sand and 23lbs of live rock, I used 25 gallons of water. Chamber 3 was full just at the top of the sight glass.