LED Biocube 32 - Newbie Build w/ All Costs, Upgrades & Progress Updates

[JoshInSF]

Hi All,

Moving this here instead of the Tank Journals section.

Recently I saw an amazing mature large reef tank at my son's pediatrician's office. Both my kid and I were amazed! In the Doc's private office he had 2 Biocube 14s that were also interesting. Shortly after leaving the office, I decided that I wanted to build my own tank. For my starter tank I wanted something in my office. I figure there will be a lot of trial and error and I want to figure this out before attempting a home tank.

I went to a great local shop looking for a Biocube 14 and they had just got in a shipment of LED Biocube 32's. I decided to jump into the hobby & purchased the Biocube & the other stuff I need to cycle the tank.

The new LED tank only comes with a thin carbon filter. They seem to have ditched the Bio Balls since I guess people didn't always like them. I found a video with a Biocube Filter upgrade made by Aquarium Outfitters so I decided to try it. I'll do a more detailed post when I install it. Parts and costs are listed below & here's a link to the video I'm following in case you're interested:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaeFgar2b6E

A little about me: I tend to get very interested in things and enjoy doing loads of research to understand and enjoy my new hobbies. I also have a tendency to maybe get a little obsessive. This seems like a great hobby for my personality & I am already looking into a larger tank now that I realize I'll be limited with what I can do in the 32 gallon Biocube.

Here is a total cost accounting on the LED Biocube 32, accessories & upgrades (Not including tax). Since I am just getting started there are a lot of things I won't need to buy for tanks 2, 3, 4... I will update it and photos as I go!


LED Biocube 32 - $399
33 Lbs Real Reef Live Rock - $259.68
Nature's Ocean Live Sand 20 Lbs - $29.99
EHEIM Jager 100W Heater - $41.99
25 Gallons Real Filtered Ocean Water - $54.95
5 Gallon Containers X 2 - $20
Coralife Biocube Protein Skimmer - $31.99
Coralife Biocube UV Sterilizer - $55.07
Coralife Biocube Circulation Pump - $21.04
Biocube Algea Cleaning Magnet - $9.26
Eshopps Square Foam Aquarium Filters Large X2 - $15.96
Seachem Matrix Carbon 100ml - $8.20
Seachem Matrix Bio Media 1 Liter $14.99
Coralife Aqua Tongs, 28-Inch $19.61
Milwaukee Instruments MA887-BOX Digital Refractometer - $111.25 Yes, I "Needed" this...
Felt Filter Media Bag 6 X 12" - $10.11
Lifeguard Aquatics Little Time or Temp - $19.45
Doradon FA18X Aquarium Acclimation System - $22.99
Poly Filter Pad 4 X 8" - $9.15
Red Sea Reef Mature Pro Kit - $23.10
Red Sea Marine Care Test Kit - $39.11
Plastic Transfer Pipettes - I am back in Chemistry class! - $2.62
Red Sea Reef Foundation Test Kit - $39.99
Red Sea Reef Foundation Liquid Starter Kit - $19.61
Red Sea N0304-X Bio Nitrate and Phosphate Reducer - $15.27
Python No Spill Clean and Fill Aquarium Maintenance System - $39.99
Pen-Plax Infra-Reds Quick Nets 6" X 2 - $12.38
Coralife Energy Savers 28" Aqua Gloves so the Clownfish doesn't bite off my finger - $18.65

Total Initial Cost - No Fish / Corals: $1,365.40

And here are the pics so far!

The Box

Bringing sand to the beach

Ready to pour!

Water water!

Front view filled with LEDs on

Side view

LEDs off

Coralife Biocube Skimmer

Coralife Biocube UV Sterilizer

The Goods

There you go! I welcome any tips. Do I need more height with the live rock or any other thoughts on that structure?

So far I'm looking at the following fish, but need to narrow my selection and I may find something else I like. Was trying to go for easier fish to care for as a newbie:

• Pair of clownfish. Maybe Black & White Ocellaris or Perculas.
• Brazillian Flameback Angel - don't know if this tank is large enough...
• Helfrichi Firefish Goby
• Arabian Pseudochromis

Corals that have interested me (I have no idea yet what's a good or bad ides so I need to research and welcome any opinions!) Need to narrow down here as well..

• Fox Coral
• Armor of God Zoanthids
• Hawaiian Tropic Zoanthids
• Hawaiian Tropic Zoanthids
• Green Long Tentale Plate Coral
• Florida Ricordea Mushrooms
• Jack-O-Lantern Leptoseris Coral

 

[JoshInSF]

Do most people simply rest the live rocks on top of others, or do you glue them?

 

[cknreef]

I will be stacking rocks on top of others without glue. Cool rig!


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[JVan82]

Wow looks like you are off to a great start. Looking forward to getting water in mine. I'll be following along!

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[DustanT]

Your not going to use that black sponge in the tank right?

 

[JoshInSF]

I am going to use both of them. I'm going to try the filter upgrade I found in the attached video above. I should set it up next week.


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[DustanT]

Oh.... no.... ya plz don't use that filter method. So if you look through the build here you can see most of the biocubes are running only a few things and they run great with minimal equipment. So this is what we run (most cubes) Fisrt chamber, Aquaticlife 115 skimmer, 2nd chamber Intank media rack( coming soon for the 32) it has 3 levels, floss purigen, chemi-pure elite, or just chemi-pure blue. 3rd chamber, heater, ATO, temp prob and return pump(upgrades to the Cobalt Aquatics Mj1200) and LED retro hood. The only thing i would follow is the AL 115 skimmer magnet upgrade. The UV filter will kill the good bacteria to.

 

[JoshInSF]

Has anyone tried that filter upgrade? What about it do you think I should avoid?

Also, I put the heater in chamber 1 since the water is much lower in 3. Is 3 the right place?


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[ReefinChicago]

Looks great!

Looks great!

Will be fun to follow along!

The rocks look great, but you probably will want to add some flow behind the rock work. I pretty much like having my rocks up against the back wall, but that dead space can become a detritus trap if nothing is shoving the crap out. When I added a Koralia nano to my 30, I got a lot of crap shoved out right when I turned it on, and that tank had been up for all of 3 weeks at that point. That said, I don't have flow on the back of my 22 and water parms are good. Am scared to see what'd happen if I added some flow back there.

Looks like you're buying water at the LFS. If you change 10-15% per week of tank volume, at the price you're paying a year's worth of changes will run you 3 gallons a week, and based on $2 and change per gallon, that's $6-7 per week, and 52 weeks of that is over $300. That'd about pay for an RO/DI setup and salt in a year, and if you set up that second tank at home you may want to look into getting one.

I think they stopped putting bio balls in the sets because most of us remove them, at least over time. I left mine in to help get the bacteria started, but took one out last week during maintenance and will likely remove the other this week, since tests were good this morning. They become nitrate traps over time.

Welcome, good luck, and am looking forward to learning from your work!

 

[JoshInSF]

Will be fun to follow along!



The rocks look great, but you probably will want to add some flow behind the rock work. I pretty much like having my rocks up against the back wall, but that dead space can become a detritus trap if nothing is shoving the crap out. When I added a Koralia nano to my 30, I got a lot of crap shoved out right when I turned it on, and that tank had been up for all of 3 weeks at that point. That said, I don't have flow on the back of my 22 and water parms are good. Am scared to see what'd happen if I added some flow back there.



Looks like you're buying water at the LFS. If you change 10-15% per week of tank volume, at the price you're paying a year's worth of changes will run you 3 gallons a week, and based on $2 and change per gallon, that's $6-7 per week, and 52 weeks of that is over $300. That'd about pay for an RO/DI setup and salt in a year, and if you set up that second tank at home you may want to look into getting one.



I think they stopped putting bio balls in the sets because most of us remove them, at least over time. I left mine in to help get the bacteria started, but took one out last week during maintenance and will likely remove the other this week, since tests were good this morning. They become nitrate traps over time.



Welcome, good luck, and am looking forward to learning from your work!

Thanks ReefinChicago! I was looking into a RO/DI system since there will likely be some more tanks in the future. What's the recommended setup. Also, this is probably a newbie question, but if I make my own salt water, where should I mix it?


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[ReefinChicago]

I got my RO/DI.......

I got my RO/DI.......

.......from Marine Depot. Bulk Reef Supply or Drs Foster and Smith would be other large online sources (MD and BRS have some great how to vids, btw). I have a 4 stage Marine Depot basic setup, which cost me around $200. It's a 100 gpd setup, so it takes me about 3 hours each week to make the water I need for my tanks (I use the water to fill a 55G freshwater tank as well).

They also sell 6 stage setups. Someone more versed in chemistry can tell you the difference, and they cost $100 more. I've always used a 4 stage.

I have my setup in an unfinished basement, next to the sump, connected by a hose to our well. I have a big tub so if I forget I have a bottle filling I don't get water all over the floor. I mix the water for changes in a 5G bucket with a small pump and a small heater......in my home office.

 

[JVan82]

Oh.... no.... ya plz don't use that filter method. So if you look through the build here you can see most of the biocubes are running only a few things and they run great with minimal equipment. So this is what we run (most cubes) Fisrt chamber, Aquaticlife 115 skimmer, 2nd chamber Intank media rack( coming soon for the 32) it has 3 levels, floss purigen, chemi-pure elite, or just chemi-pure blue. 3rd chamber, heater, ATO, temp prob and return pump(upgrades to the Cobalt Aquatics Mj1200) and LED retro hood. The only thing i would follow is the AL 115 skimmer magnet upgrade. The UV filter will kill the good bacteria to.

DustinT the new LED biocubes don't have the filter sponges, only sponge it has is at the bottom of chamber 2 and 3... the new biocube have a "media rack" in the second chamber.

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[ReefinChicago]

Still have the sponges in my racks

Still have the sponges in my racks

But then again, I rinse them each week and they're probably on their way out in the next few weeks, which will leave carbon only. Depending on water quality at that point, I'm either going to add floss in the first section if the rack with carbon in the second or use carbon with LR rubble in the other two sections. I do most of my water changes from the back to get out any crap that's gotten in the two overflows.

Just trying to find the sweet spot with the new tank. On the 22 I don't have anything but a Remora Nano skimmer and a small Whisper for carbon. I have a few bags of Purigen but haven't seen the need to use it, at least yet.

 

[DustanT]

I'd take all sponges out, when i started i thought i needed so much, well now half the crap is not being used.

 

[ReefinChicago]

Yeah, they're not in the long term plan

Yeah, they're not in the long term plan

And as you and others have said, they shouldn't be. I'm just pulling things slowly. Took out the second bio ball bag this morning during maintenance. Will likely pull the sponges over the next two weeks.

 

[Scurvy Dawg]

Has anyone tried that filter upgrade? What about it do you think I should avoid?

Also, I put the heater in chamber 1 since the water is much lower in 3. Is 3 the right place?


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I have my heater in chamber 3 with the pump. I like it there because my particular heater has an LED light that shows the water temp that I can monitor thru the little window on the side. I keep my chamber 2 and 3 water levels pretty high so it's not an issue for me.

 

[JoshInSF]

I have my heater in chamber 3 with the pump. I like it there because my particular heater has an LED light that shows the water temp that I can monitor thru the little window on the side. I keep my chamber 2 and 3 water levels pretty high so it's not an issue for me.

Scurvy Dawg - Can you manually change the levels in chamber 2 and 3? I thought that just balances w the main tank water on it's own?

 

[JoshInSF]

I'd take all sponges out, when i started i thought i needed so much, well now half the crap is not being used.

Sounds familiar, see photos above...

Now if I could only figure out how to cool this thing down. Yesterday it was reading 83. I turned the heater down from 80 to 76. Today it read 83.5! Good thing I'm cycling and not steaming Nemo...

Anyone else have this issue? My office building turns off the AC on the weekend and it was low 80s in my office.

 

[JoshInSF]

In process of running the Red Sea Reef Mature Pro Kit program. Thursday was day 1 of the 21 day program. I actually had water, I've rock & live sand in starting this past Sunday so this may throw off the #s a bit. I'll post readings in case something is awry you all can possibly help!

Saturday 8/20
# Days since water poured in: 7
# day of 21 of Red Sea Reef Mature Pro process: 3
Temp 83.0 (Lowered Heater temp)
Salinity: 1.025 d SG
Ammonia: 0 ppm (mg/L)
Nitrite: .05 ppm (mg/L)
Nitrate: 10 ppm (mg/L)
Alkalinity: 8dKH
PH: 8.3

Sunday 8/21
# Days since water poured in: 7
# day of 21 of Red Sea Reef Mature Pro process: 4
Temp 83.5 (unplugged Heater)
Salinity: No test required today
Ammonia: No test required today
Nitrite: No test required today
Nitrate: No test required today
Alkalinity: No test required today
PH: No test required today

 

[Scurvy Dawg]

Scurvy Dawg - Can you manually change the levels in chamber 2 and 3? I thought that just balances w the main tank water on it's own?

Sure, you just keep adding or removing water to the tank until chambers 2 and 3 are at the level you want. Chamber 1 is the only chamber that is in balance with the main tank water level.

As your water starts to evaporate, you are going to see the water in chambers 2 and 3 drop and your main tank will stay the same. The only time you will see the main tank level drop is if there is a flow problem with your pump or if you turn your pump off.