Getting rid of my bio balls, but am looking for personal experience for the BioCube?

[Meglovin]

After struggling for weeks with nitrate issues (they are finally about 25 after my water change tonight), I have decided to part ways with my bio balls and try something else for the second chamber in my BioCube 29.

However... I have read so many different things on WHAT to add. Some use a variety of things (purigen, live rock, sand, chaeto) where as others only use one or two things. I'm at a loss of what would be of most benefit to my tank. Since my aquarium has reached its 8 month milestone, I know better than to remove all the balls at once, but I want a plan of what I can add as I begin to remove them.

Right now, the tank's filtration is standard: chamber 1 contains a heater and activated carbon, chamber 2 contains the bio balls, and chamber 3 contains the return pump. There is between 30-35 pounds of live rock in my tank.

So, based on your personal experience with the BioCube, what did you use instead of the balls? If I do chaeto I understand I will need a light; will the cheap ones (LEDS from, say, Home Depot) work? Is chaeto really worth the effort to add the light?

Thank you for your personal accounts!

 

[Meglovin]

Any advice?

 

[Is4U2NV]

Cheato is definitely worth it. Any plant grow light will work over the back from home depot. I would also add in some LR rubble. Have you thought about a small skimmer? Many companies make them that fit into the small section of the Biocube.

Tyler

 

[Meglovin]

Should I just put LR rubble and chaeto in there then, and keep using the carbon in the first chamber?

Also, I have heard very mixed reviews regarding skimming. Some people say I shouldn't do it (I have a flowerpot who, apparently, would not benefit from skimming; not sure if that is necessarily true, though) and I have gotten such mixed reviews about skimming a tank this size that I haven't gotten one yet. I change between 4-6 gallons every Friday without fail and was told this should be enough to replace whatever a skimmer would do.

 

[Meglovin]

So far, it seems that most things I've read are advocating filter floss, ChemiPure, Purigen, and chaeto. Can I add all 4 of these to the middle chamber? I understand that I will need to get a light for the chaeto, but will it be bad to use these other things in conjunction with it?

If I can do all 4 of these, what order do I put them in? Does the chaeto have to be on top? Does the filter floss have to be on top? I don't want to render anything ineffective.

 

[Twistofer]

Skimmers are important...especially in a reef system. There are some really good ones, even specifically designed for your cube.

Cheato needs to be on top ... it needs light. LR rubble should go underneath it in your middle chamber.

Activated Charcoal/Carbon designed for marine aquaria is good. With any filtering substrate like it, it can harbor nitrifying bacteria (both a good thing and a bad thing). It needs to be changed regularly.

I've never really been impressed with Chemipure, etc. Others swear by it.

IMO, I would try one or two things first...probably the skimmer, and maybe the chaeto/rubble. Run the system for a while. The chaeto and rubble will take a while to show results, but the skimmer would make a big change initially. Make sure you measure your parameters consistently and do your water changes.

 

[Meglovin]

You think I should have LR rubble, then? I should't worry about it collecting debris?

I currently change my carbon every 4 weeks, and when I first started out, I was only using it every other month.

So all I need is a protein skimmer, chaeto, rubble, and my activated carbon?

 

[Is4U2NV]

^^ Yes, I wouldn't really buy into all that other nonsense. Like he said, LR rubble on the bottom, Cheato on top. Then a skimmer, and your carbon.

A skimmer will drastically help you, especially if you plan on keeping any SPS or other hard corals.

You'll notice great growth with the cheato and will be pulling out handfuls every week eventually. I used exactly this and had a nice little biocube back in the day.

Tyler

 

[Is4U2NV]

Oh, almost forgot. You mentioned being worried about the debris. Just take a powerhead and blow out that chamber in the back every month or so. You'll be fine.

 

[Mudbeaver]

Some of the stuff i did

Some of the stuff i did

This is what i did but i put shreded plastic bio material with a filtering mesh worked best. But to help you out here's my picture collection.

I scratched the paint at the back

Put the chaeto in , didn't help at all. I reduced my feeding and got my parameter unde control.


Other mods.

Has to be rinced every day not bad underneat you can see the shreded plastic biomesh i can't remember the name its from marine depot. I just found it Bio Bale here; http://www.marinedepot.com/CPR_BIO_BALE_Biological_Filter_Media_Medium_(White)_1_gallon_35sf_Bio_Filter_Media-CPR-CR1411-FIFMBO-vi.html
$ 7.99 very cheap and is great works much better than bio balls and live rock, no need for lights or power consumption, fill your second chamber to the top, put a floss pad that you rince every day and voila.

This huge bag of Phosban was always there and it does a fantastic job all the time.
Put a bigger pump and a flexible tubing for better flow rate.

 

[Mudbeaver]

The tank after the bio mesh and the filter floss math.

 

[cody6766]

I don't keep much back there, just chaeto. LR rubble will trap food and detritus just like bioballs will. People use LR rubble to offset the lack of LR in the DT, but you have 30lbs in yours. That's plenty. If the rest of your tank is in good order, you can get by with nothing back there. I only keep chaeto because it allows a breeding place for pods, it's cheap and it's easy to rinse.

 

[nynick]

LR rubble will convert about as much nitrate as bio balls. Skimmer and macro algae sounds better.

 

[Meglovin]

Wow-- thank you all for your fantastic advice and insight. I really appreciate everyone taking time out of their lives to help me!

I went to the LFS last Saturday and he was out of Purigen, but recommended I try Seachem SeaGel in conjunction with a Poly Filter. I removed about half my BioBalls the same night. Last night, 5 days after this new addition, I tested my nitrates and they are down to 20!

I know that I am not finished yet and plan on reading through your suggestions to really "finish" my filtration system, but so far, I am wildly impressed by the SeaGel and Poly Filter. My Poly Filter is very brown now, a clear indication to me that perhaps I should have used something more powerful a long time ago.

 

[saf1]

Skimmers are important...especially in a reef system. There are some really good ones, even specifically designed for your cube.

Not actually true. There are many people who don't run them even on larger systems.

I have two 29 gallon cubes and neither has a skimmer. Both LED based. One has 3 Rose Bubble Tips (original keeps splitting), 2 clowns, and a goby. Live rock, green star polyps, misc zoa's and a Kenya tree. Second cube has zoa's, 2 hammers, leather, hermis, mushrooms, monti's and a birds nest.

Ditch the bio-balls. Several threads in the nano section.

 

[nynick]

Not actually true. There are many people who don't run them even on larger systems.

I have two 29 gallon cubes and neither has a skimmer. Both LED based. One has 3 Rose Bubble Tips (original keeps splitting), 2 clowns, and a goby. Live rock, green star polyps, misc zoa's and a Kenya tree. Second cube has zoa's, 2 hammers, leather, hermis, mushrooms, monti's and a birds nest.

Ditch the bio-balls. Several threads in the nano section.

There are some people who run skimmerless. You can get away with it if you adjust the bioload or add other means of nutrient export. Having said that, a skimmer is what will save your tank when something dies and you fail to realize it and/or find it. It is a great insurance policy even if you do not absolutely need one on every tank for keeping it clean during normal operations.

I have a very low bioload on my tank and my skimmer barely works at all. All of a sudden it pulls out a ton of mate over a few hours and then goes back to the regular teaspoon or so per day. I have no clue what causes this but I sure am happy it gets out of the tank.

 

[saf1]

There are some people who run skimmerless. You can get away with it if you adjust the bioload or add other means of nutrient export.

You don't need a skimmer. You don't need purgen. You don't need chemi-pure. You don't need a controller. You don't need cheto and the list goes on and on and on.

Manage the bio load and don't over complicate the system. You will be a happy reefer. However, to each his or her own.

 

[Mudbeaver]

You don't need a skimmer. You don't need purgen. You don't need chemi-pure. You don't need a controller. You don't need cheto and the list goes on and on and on.

Manage the bio load and don't over complicate the system. You will be a happy reefer. However, to each his or her own.

+2 for that as i said earlyer i did try these things and i came back to a medium just better than the bioball, the biobale and thats it. My tank was perfect like that. You need to learn to work with the system you have. Its actually fairly well made. Work on a water change schedule, maybe less feeding, your bioload maybe too big for your tank. Work the problem within your tank parameters. You can't make this work like a big tank. Or just buy a bigger tank, if you want the gadjets.

 

[nynick]

If you decide against a skimmer, keep the bioballs. Only reason not to have them is that they convert dirt to nutrients faster than a skimmer can pull it out.

Also, 25 nitrate isn't really all that bad. It isn't great but I know of a tank that has been over 100 for years. It is a nice looking display tank in a local store. I am sure some of the more sensitive corals might object but you will probably not have those in a biocube anyway.

Have you considered adding livestock that likes a little nitrate, some clams and many softies can be used to turn your entire tank into a nutrient sponge. Some people grow Xenia in their refugiums since they are good at cleaning the water and there are many, many others. A Deresa clam is another option, hardy (as long as you stay on top of your Ca/Alk) and tolerant to medium range light levels.

Lastly, count your blessings! Nearly every tank is nutrient blocked by either nitrates or phosphates. Being blocked by low phosphates (as you most likely are) is a LOT better. Much easier to do a water change than trying to remove hair algae from 14 square feet of LR with a toothbrush.

 

[rovster]

I run purigen and CPE in my 14. It's SPS dominant. No skimmer. Nitrate is less than 5, phos runs 0.04ish. No algae in my display. Weekly 2-3 gal wc. Don't over complicate things