New Member to group...Maybe?

R

rocklobster707

New member
Hi all my name is Bill, I'm new to reef tanks but not new to aquariums. Had a few freshwaters, and i had a marine one about 8 years ago so im rusty. My wife bought me a 29g oceanic biocube for father's day for my son that is due next saturday. Lol. Ya fathers day before im a father how sweet is she. But anyways, I live in Kelseyville, a hour or so north of Santa Rosa, but would love to hear from you all, and get suggestions and would love to come to your meetings (if they are on the weekends). Oh and i will definetly be showing my build up of the biocube as it grows. Just be prepared to be asked lots of questions so i dont melt down the flesh of my pretty new pets.
A little about me, I am 31 years old, soon to be father, married for 4 wonderful years, and a nursing student. Oh and i love my VW's. If you want to know more just ask, and hopefully i get to meet you all soon.

Bill
:fish1:
 
sweet dude,

I lived in Kelseyville growing up, Riviera specifically. Nice place until summer hits and you have no a/c. :lolspin:
 
Hey Bill welcome to the addiction:D. Feel free to ask your question we are not afraid. Let us know if we can help as you get going. We are spread out all over the area even have some guys that will come from the city and further. Keep us posted on your progress, the first thing I can tell you is go slow when you first start and do your research. Grant
 
Lol thanks for the warm welcome. Yes the B52's are awesome, but i actually came up with the name after Family Guy sang the song lol, and it works great because i like offroading and aquaria. So i mean how perfect a name can you get lol.

So i have been hearing a huge amount of things i should be modifying on these Oceanic Biocubes. Do you guys know if i should or is it reef ready as it is?

Well anyways ill talk to you guys later.
Bill
 
Hey Bill, Welcome. I'm a 30 year old father of two girls (2 and 4) with a 29 gallon BioCube, so we match specs well :) I live in Windsor, which is just north of Santa Rosa.

Do you have the HQI biocube model or the two PC bulbs? I've had the PC lamps and now have a T5 fixture.

I've done the following modifications to my BioCube at one time or another:

* Switched to MJ1200 return pump - It was okay, I'm back on the stock Oceanic one, now that the MJ1200 crapped out.
* Tried a Rio HF6 - Super noisy. It is taking up space in my garage now.
* I have removed all the BioBalls and am running a media rack (inTank.com) with some filter floss, chemipure elite and purigen.
* I had to run a chiller for a while with the stock hood and the PC bulbs. Too much heat collected in the hood. I have a T5 fixture over the tank now, and don't need the chiller anymore (I think).
* In the model I have, I expanded the overflow netween chamber 1 and chamber 2 by removing the tab that blocked half the path.
* I tried running a fuge using the inTank fuge rack and submersible light, but it never worked very will.


I've never looked at the nano forum here, but nano-reef.com has a lot of BioCube resources. nanotuners.com is also a nice site for buying addon's and modifications for nano tanks.
 
GiantBen - those are exactly the things i have been hearing that i should do to the tank. The tank i got is the original so im guessing the pc lights. And my wife and i like the house cool, so hopefully that will help keep the tank cooler as well, but until i have it up and running, i wont know how it handles the heat, i know every tank is diffferent and reacts differently. I just started a build thread and here is the link http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2015826 feel free to throw out ideas i can use them all.
 
Hey Bill,
WELCOME!

I agree with Ben on your tank options. He would have better experience with your model. My all in one nanos are a different brand. I ran my stock PC lights for one month and pretty much only had softies, mushrooms and zoas. I did have a fuge in the back chamber but I ran a very cheap LED from Home Depot and it never worked out. Its probably better to have nice macro algae in the display than dealing with light in the back.

Lighting Options:
-PC,T5, MH, or LEDs.
-Gut the PC lights in the hood and add DIY T5s, MH, or LEDs
-Buy a custom retrofitted hood with T5s, MH, or LEDs. Little costly, but nanotuners / nanocustoms (same company) sells them.
-Pull off the hood, and add either a light fixture with legs or hanging the fixture from the ceiling.
-If you have a fixture, then you might need a screen or piece of acrylic over the tank for jumping fish and to reduce evaporation.

Flow:
-Return and Powerheads
-Everyone seems to replace the stock return pump with a Maxijet 1200.
-Additional powerheads inside the tank such as Tunze, Koralias, or a Ecotech Vortech MP10
-Mods include removing the back panel and drilling another return outlet
-Do not see this often but thought it was a cool idea. Spray bar mod for the return. Spray could wrap around the top of the lid back to the overflow. The bar creates alot of surface agitation.

Back Chambers:
-Majority do not use the stock sponge and bioballs.
-Add floss to a compartment normally at the overflow. For floss I use pillow stuffing
-Buy an insertable media rack or create your own with eggcrates (light difusers). I cut the eggcrates and wedge them in the back first chamber. Everyone seems to use chemipure elite and purigen. I always use carbon and added gfo recently. I did use chemipure elite in the past.
-Add fuge and additional live rock to the back chamber. Or a Hang on back fuge.
-If you add a fuge to the back chambers, you can either add a submersible light or cut the vinyl black coating and attach the fuge light to the back of the tank. I cut the vinyl and my best advice is to trace the square or rectangle shape. Exacto knife or razor blade the outline. Slice diagonally from top left to the bottom right and top right to the bottom left. You will create an X, then pull from the middle center each of the 4 triangles back.
-If you have hood or screen cover, be careful of the gap between the top and back plastic wall. Fish sometimes jump to the back chambers. You can create or something to prevent this.
-Cutting walls in the back chamber. Never did this.

Skimmer:
-Different hang on back and internal inserted skimmers.
-I highly suggest not buying the biocube skimmer.

Hope that helps and enough of my ramblings.

Best,
Mike
 
Bill hope you can make the meeting on the 28th. I have a pool so bring the family and suits. It's heated so the baby would probably like it


meeting address

1935 Alderbrook Lane
Santa Rosa

We should probably get a head count for Food and Bev. I will be busy with the Tank. Would someone like to volunteer to BBQ and help get te food together?

Cheers
 
You guys are great, im glad i found you all. I dont know if i can make it to the get together on the 28, to much in the air with my boy being born and getting acclimated to him. But we will try. As for the tank, thank you for all the suggestions. I know money is a big thing and wifey will only let me have so much. so for now, i am putting i the water and the sand and hopefully in a week ill be able to get some live rock from that fish place in cotati, they quoted me 4 something a pound. But i dont have the time to run down there for a week. SO ya. lol. enough of my rambling, keep in touch and ill talkt you all later.

Also i can cycle the tank with just the sand right?
 
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