Why are the bio cubes used so much. They are not worth it.

[Trex22seg]

Hello I am Taylor and I own a 29 biocube. Now a bio cube is around 300$ not used typically. A ordinary 29 gallon from petsmart or petco is like 50-60$. When you buy a biocube with in a year you are probably gonna modify it. You might drill it and add a sump (I know some one who broke his biocubes back panel drilling and had to get another) in wich case it would have been better to just get a normal 29 and lose 60$ rather than lose 300$. Also people say "well it comes with lighting." Well the lighting sux probably 50% of people with biocubes have done a lighting up grade so those people just spent 300$ on a 29 gallon aquarium. I know some people who put 400$ into upgrading lights so they can keep sps clams and whatnot. If you do upgrade to lighting that's alot of monny for just a tank with some week as* filtration system. In the filtration system you can't fit a good protein skimmer now I know that the bio cube has a protein skimmer designed for it but I herd that it does not really work. Also you have to modifiy the system for a refugium. All in all if you are thinking of getting a biocube do not. They are not worth it and one thing you don't know till u get one is the glass is slightly curved on the front so unlsse you look straight at it (not at a angle) your view will be slightly messed up. So my advise is get a normal 29 or something and don't wast all your monney on a biocube. go to thread of my 29 gallon bio cube build to see all of the modifications I had to do to get mine reef ready.

Thanks taylor

 

[fishdip]

Hello I am Taylor and I own a 29 biocube. Now a bio cube is around 300$ not used typically. A ordinary 29 gallon from petsmart or petco is like 50-60$. When you buy a biocube with in a year you are probably gonna modify it. You might drill it and add a sump (I know some one who broke his biocubes back panel drilling and had to get another) in wich case it would have been better to just get a normal 29 and lose 60$ rather than lose 300$. Also people say "well it comes with lighting." Well the lighting sux probably 50% of people with biocubes have done a lighting up grade so those people just spent 300$ on a 29 gallon aquarium. I know some people who put 400$ into upgrading lights so they can keep sps clams and whatnot. If you do upgrade to lighting that's alot of monny for just a tank with some week as* filtration system. In the filtration system you can't fit a good protein skimmer now I know that the bio cube has a protein skimmer designed for it but I herd that it does not really work. Also you have to modifiy the system for a refugium. All in all if you are thinking of getting a biocube do not. They are not worth it and one thing you don't know till u get one is the glass is slightly curved on the front so unlsse you look straight at it (not at a angle) your view will be slightly messed up. So my advise is get a normal 29 or something and don't wast all your monney on a biocube. go to thread of my 29 gallon bio cube build to see all of the modifications I had to do to get mine reef ready.

Thanks taylor

Well the biocube dose suck but the 28 jbj work's just fine for a reef. Also some like the look of the tank I know I do.

 

[MPevine11]

i have a biocube HQI with a custom sump/refugium ( 15 gallons) and tunze 9002 skimmer

my lighting and filtration is great.......


talk for your own tank, not everyone elses........
just because you don't know how to keep a proper tank and what to buy for yours, you don't need to bash every one elses biocube

 

[Brickyardgreg]

I agree. Love the look of an aio. So sleek. Op is [profanity] cause he isn't innovative enough to change what he thinks can be improved on his tank. Half the fun of a nano is tweaking it to your liking. Many are very good right out of the box.

 

[coolfishy101]

Bio Cubes are a great tank. I wouldn't say they're designed for sps, but they can maintain as a great lps/soft coral tank. I've had mine up and running for a year and a half now and everything is thriving! The only thing I added was an sr3 protein skimmer which technically doesn't count as a mod since it is designed to fit in the back of the biocube which doesn't include a skimmer. Add up all the crap you need for a nicely set up 29 and you'll be in the ball park of a biocube, without the sleek design great dimensions and quietness.

 

[nvdiz]

i think the all in ones are way over priced, but i still think they're great looking tanks.

 

[Fishinfool]

i have a biocube HQI with a custom sump/refugium ( 15 gallons) and tunze 9002 skimmer

my lighting and filtration is great.......


talk for your own tank, not everyone elses........
just because you don't know how to keep a proper tank and what to buy for yours, you don't need to bash every one elses biocube

+1 I love my Biocube 29. Every tank is something you make you own in whichever way that is. If your worried about spending money, your definately in the wrong hobby.

 

[SushiGirl]

So the original poster said they don't like biocubes and explained why, without calling anyone names. Then 2 other people that own them come along and insult the OP (bashing) while complaining about being bashed.

Nice.

 

[prm]

Hello I am Taylor and I own a 29 biocube. Now a bio cube is around 300$ not used typically. A ordinary 29 gallon from petsmart or petco is like 50-60$. When you buy a biocube with in a year you are probably gonna modify it. You might drill it and add a sump (I know some one who broke his biocubes back panel drilling and had to get another) in wich case it would have been better to just get a normal 29 and lose 60$ rather than lose 300$. Also people say "well it comes with lighting." Well the lighting sux probably 50% of people with biocubes have done a lighting up grade so those people just spent 300$ on a 29 gallon aquarium. I know some people who put 400$ into upgrading lights so they can keep sps clams and whatnot. If you do upgrade to lighting that's alot of monny for just a tank with some week as* filtration system. In the filtration system you can't fit a good protein skimmer now I know that the bio cube has a protein skimmer designed for it but I herd that it does not really work. Also you have to modifiy the system for a refugium. All in all if you are thinking of getting a biocube do not. They are not worth it and one thing you don't know till u get one is the glass is slightly curved on the front so unlsse you look straight at it (not at a angle) your view will be slightly messed up. So my advise is get a normal 29 or something and don't wast all your monney on a biocube. go to thread of my 29 gallon bio cube build to see all of the modifications I had to do to get mine reef ready.

Thanks taylor

Having had both a standard 29 and my nanocube 28 I must say that money is actually saved by going with an AIO tank. Filtration, lighting, and stand all came with mine for $315

In alot of instances lighting alone for a 29g is more than that. IMO biocubes and nanocubes look much better than a standard run of the mill 29g as well.

 

[solastsummer]

If you do visit his thread, try not to think too much about the misspellings, it might make your head burst.

 

[kingfisher62]

I dunno , I like them.
I had a FOWLR 55g for a couple of years . I had bought a 14g biocube so that I could try my hand at keeping corals . The softies and LPS's did so well I was able to stock my 55g and turn it into a reef tank. The 14G cube was perfect for me because I wanted something simple for the bedroom. After 5 years I finally decided to upgrade my 14g biocube to a 29G biocube. I bought a new 29g from petsolutions w/ free shipping for $249 plus they gave me a coupon for $30 of free fish or corals. I sold my smaller biocube with extras for about $100.
So when all was said and done I spent about 120 bucks. Can't beat that!

Not to mention the great customer service at Oceanic!

 

[Y-Diver]

I'm tickled silly with my Bio-Cube... I have a lot of mods but kept the stock look. I have no problem keeping any coral I want alive in it. The MP10 adds enough flow for any SPS which is what I have chosen to keep in my tank. I think the think I like the most about the tank is the sleek AIO look of the tank.

Thanks,

 

[aquaenthusiast]

+1 I love my Biocube 29. Every tank is something you make you own in whichever way that is. If your worried about spending money, your definately in the wrong hobby.

+1 I happened to find an entire setup for $200, saved a little bit of money on the tank/stand itself but I think everyone knows that the tank is generally the lowest cost of the hobby...

 

[jeff@zina.com]

BioCubes (and NanoCubes) look better. My JBJ 12 gallon is running pretty much stock (No bioballs, added a Hydor Flo), so I have no idea why the complaints/concerns about modifying them have come about.

But, I don't really like the look of deep tanks. A standard 29 is a poor design to me, a 40 breeder is far better. So I have trouble understanding why someone would choose a standard 29 over anything. Especially since the 30 inch width doesn't match any normal T5 lamps, you basically get a 24" fixture with an extended canopy.

Though if the OP wants his standard 29, I'm not going to get in his way. I'll probably never see it anyway. And I'll likely never invite him to look at mine.

Jeff

 

[fishdip]

So the original poster said they don't like biocubes and explained why, without calling anyone names. Then 2 other people that own them come along and insult the OP (bashing) while complaining about being bashed.

Nice.

Well lets face it he did go to a site bash a tank that alot of ppl love. Id say they have been nice with what has been posted.

 

[romsoccer12]

+million biocubes suck so much problems with the tank and the company. 3 faulty tanks before i could get a good one

 

[cody6766]

They have their advantages and disadvantages, just like every other tank. The cons were outlined in the OPs post, but probably were exaggerated to a decent degree. On the plus side, you have a self contained unit that will keep a simple reef right out of the box. It can be easily modified inside, look the same outside and keep more complex, advanced reef systems. They're great for beginners or people looking for a reef where space and design is a premium. I have a 40 br with a sump and all that jazz. I love it, but I also really like my 14g BioCube.

Basically, if you know what you're getting into, all 3 major AIO tanks are great. They're by no means perfect, but no tank is.

 

[TMF89]

i have a biocube HQI with a custom sump/refugium ( 15 gallons) and tunze 9002 skimmer

my lighting and filtration is great.......


talk for your own tank, not everyone elses........
just because you don't know how to keep a proper tank and what to buy for yours, you don't need to bash every one elses biocube

So you modified your biocube into a sump....exactly what the OP said was one of the issues with a tank that's supposed to be "self contained", and then go and bash him? Did you even read what his complaints were?


As far as my opinion, I've seen a lot of threads with mods, issues, and the like, and I do think they're overpriced, if you're smart about spending the $, you can get away with a cheaper set-up. I have a regular 29, and with the lighting (metal halide retro, so you'd already have to upgrade the biocube), it'll come out to be the same as a biocube, but that includes tank, skimmer, powerheads, and a retro kit. If you upgraded the biocube to MH, you'd be spending way more.

That all being said, my dad is really interested in getting into reefing, and I plan on convincing my mom and brother to go in on getting him a biocube. As people have stated, they're probably a bit overpriced and you may need to mod them a bit, but for a beginner it's really way less overwhelming then building a tank from scratch.

 

[KafudaFish]

I could not get through all of the OP statement but get whatever you want and be happy with it.

I do see some of his points though.

To me an AIO is a stand alone unit ready to be plugged in and salt water added vs. having to mod something to make it work (not just for the DIY fun).

 

[dixiedog]

So you modified your biocube into a sump....exactly what the OP said was one of the issues with a tank that's supposed to be "self contained", and then go and bash him? Did you even read what his complaints were?


As far as my opinion, I've seen a lot of threads with mods, issues, and the like, and I do think they're overpriced, if you're smart about spending the $, you can get away with a cheaper set-up. I have a regular 29, and with the lighting (metal halide retro, so you'd already have to upgrade the biocube), it'll come out to be the same as a biocube, but that includes tank, skimmer, powerheads, and a retro kit. If you upgraded the biocube to MH, you'd be spending way more.

That all being said, my dad is really interested in getting into reefing, and I plan on convincing my mom and brother to go in on getting him a biocube. As people have stated, they're probably a bit overpriced and you may need to mod them a bit, but for a beginner it's really way less overwhelming then building a tank from scratch.

Bingo.