Sump Question for BioCube 29 with Overflow

[Skippy2512]

Hey everyone! I don't post much, but I figured this would be a good beginning. I've had my tank set up for about a 1.5 years now, and am ready to start adding SPS. I know many are thinking by now that I could have had added those months ago, but hear me out. Having NEVER done this before, I did not want to go too big, too fast and kill stuff. I work pretty hard for my money, and I don't want to see it just burn up (much like the rest of us... I also do not like to see the look on my wife's face as if to say, "I knew this was a dumb idea"). So this week I bought the 700gph from Glass-holes.com that will help me hook into my sweet sump I picked up from my buddy Bill, at Custom Reef Creations out of OKC! **Side note: Bill is the man. All of his stuff is legit, and he is a damn good guy.

By now I bet you're asking yourself where I am going with this. I wanted to see if anyone has ever drilled the back of a fully established Biocube and lived to tell about it. Am I dumb for wanting to do this? I listed below this rant/question of what is already in my tank, and what will be in it on Saturday. Just looking for some feedback on this grand idea. :lolspin::uhoh2:

Questions:
1) Who has been successful at drilling an established tank?
2) Who has ran a sump with a BioCube?
3) Who thinks I am crazy? haha



That said, here is what I got:

A Biocube 29 with:
-Stock PCs
-USA LED lights mounted in the hood
-Aquaticlife Skimmer 115 in chamber 1
-InTank Media Basket in chamber 2
-InTank Fuge with JBJ nano light in chamber 2
-Full Apex
-ATO
-Dosing pumps for Alk & Calc
-Hydor Powerhead
-Corallife S-1000 return

Parameters:
Alk: 8.5
Calc: 435
Mag: 1350
Salinity: 1.026
Temp: 79.8
PH: 8.14

Live Stock:
-1x Ocellaris Clown
-1x Extreme DeVinci Clown
-1x 6-Line Wrasse
-1x Bi-Color Blenny

LPS:
-Hammer
-Splatter Hammer
-Acans
-Kryptonite Trumpet
-Candy Cane
-Duncans

Anemone:
-3x Rock Flowers

Softies:
-Watermelon Mushrooms
- Blue Mushrooms
-Red Carpet Mushrooms
-Nepthia
-10 different colonies of zoos

**Adding on Saturday**
LPS
-Jack-o-Lantern Lepto
-Frogspawn
-*Splatterhammer
-Cyphastrea

SPS
-Acros
-Montis
-Stag

And more I am sure...

 

[uncleof6]

All of the above? But I certainly do not advise even thinking about drilling a running system. What you have to think about is the look on your wife's face when you go "OOOOPPPSSS!!!" and everything is on the floor; you are on the couch, out in the garage, or out the door... Cost of a new biocube: $256.16; Look on your wife's face: (and yours) dare we call it PRICELESS?

It is not worth the risk.

Second consideration: is it tempered? Touch it with a hole cutter, and refer to look on wife's face.

The likelyhood of killing stuff when starting big, is less than it is when starting small. The smallest practical marine system is 40gallon, with 60gallon better. Small tanks things happen fast, larger tanks things happen slower, and you have the chance to correct them before stuff dies. Starting small is something of a misconception with marine aqauriums. Budget can be an influence, but should be the lessor influence, letting time help with the budget. Time is another important factor.

There is an aphorism that applies here: "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Enjoy what you have, and plan something else. $1 gallon sale at PetCo for a 40 breeder perhaps... I can (almost) assure you, that the look on your wife's face if you detonate an empty 40 breeder in the garage, will be nothing compared to the look you will get if you detonate the running 29 gallon...

Oh... I don't presume to know your wife's reactions in any way, but I suspect it is a good guess.

 

[rocsec1]

Good luck. I've gotten a few of those wife looks and they aren't fun. Maybe funny later but not then.

 

[Skippy2512]

Yeah, not something I aspire to do (sleep in the garage... I like my wife . And in a year, I'll be in a permanent home (getting out of the military) so I'll be moving into a large set up. But right now I've no place to keep frags. Also, I know it's not a lot more volume, but like you said; more volume gets me a little more leeway. I'm really consistent with my parameters and testing-it's when I leave for a few weeks or week for that matter and she has to care for it.

I really appreciate everyone talking the time to respond. Have a great week. I'll keep this thread up to date when I make the decision.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Skippy2512]

Well, I did it. The bioCube was drilled successfully! No cracks, or leaks. Lets just say it was one of the top 20 most stressful situations I've intentionally put myself in. It took 3min 26 sec to drill through the back the tank. The following is a rendition of what took place leading to the actual drilling of my tank.

So here's how it went down, so to speak. I ordered the 700GPH overflow from glass-holes.com, which came in the mail super fast. I also wanted to add that the customer service was outstanding-Thanks Glass-holes.com staff! Then I got on eBay and ordered 2 tubes of Weldon 16 (that comes in later when I explain the sump).

Next, after only 5-6 trips to HomeDepot/Lowes, I finally had all the pipe, elbows, acrylic, and other swag to make this thing work totaling about $160.

I got out the ol' table saw and went to town on the acrylic, making certain not to make any mistakes (the goal was to save money, not spend more on extra acrylic). The dimensions were 17x16x17; just the right size to fit in the stand below my tank. I also cut out a hole and made a door to adjust the depth and flow going into my frag section.

In the end, after all of the cutting, glueing, trips to Meijer, Home Depot, and Lowes, I have a drilled BioCube, with a nice sump (powered by a Mag 7), with a frag section, probe holder, adjustable depth door, a carbon reactor, and skimmer.

Once we had that completed, we thought, "why not just gut the lights out of the hood and replace it with an AI Hydra?" So that is exactly what we did.

My tank has plenty of light, runs super quiet, and has tremendous coral growth. It would not have been possible without JAustin. Thanks man!

[/IMG]

 

[Skippy2512]

http://https://m.imgur.com/gallery/LPhfN

 

[Skippy2512]

https://m.imgur.com/gallery/oLWcV