The Biocube Resource Guide

[RedStang]

Hello, I just purchased a BC29 off a buddy and got it set up lastnight. i was researching on this thread which has been very resourceful just got a couple questions.. on the side where the pump is should i ignore the max and min line on the outside cuz when i filled my tank up it passed the max line. 2nd should i take the bioballs out even tho my fuge and media rack arent here from my order or should i wait to get it. ty

 

Yes and yes. Ignore the fill mark. Take out the bioballs. You have live rock correct? The LR will act as your bio filter. Best to ditch the bioballs now as taking them out post cycle can be problematic.

[cthomas715]

Yes and yes. Ignore the fill mark. Take out the bioballs. You have live rock correct? The LR will act as your bio filter. Best to ditch the bioballs now as taking them out post cycle can be problematic.

 

ya i bought an 11 lb rock for setup gonna add a couple more this week

 

 

[SerenityReef]

Hey everyone! I am new to the nano-reef forums and want to share my new tank idea's with you gurus. I am seeking advice, pointers, recommendations, anything you are willing to dish out. I am a newbie but very serious about this hobby and have done lots of research, the only thing I don't have is experience, and in this hobby that is what matters most. I wanted to make all the initial mods I could before I added anything live to the tank, so now is that time!

 

Here are the specs:

Coralife Biocube 14

VorTech MP10w ES

 

Filtration-

 

Chamber 1- wanted to start by adding the Protein Skimmer.

 

Chamber 2- currently planning on leaving as is for now minus the addition of a little floss, but eventually plan to turn it into a refugium, or would switching to refug later be problematic?

 

Chamber 3- I am 50/50 on the UV sterilizer for, and I have read a lot on here about replacing stock the pump. Any thoughts?

 

All that said...short of the inside the display any idea's on where I can get the heater?

 

Lighting-

 

Staying stock for now, going to switch to a LED kit later.

 

How many of you are using split timers on the 10k and Actinic?

 

Lunar Blue LED's (stock) are extremely bright in the empty tank, anyone had any issues?

 

Thanks for taking the time to read, and hopefully adding insite, I hope to have a tank as nice as the ones I have seen on here!

[TeflonTomDosh]

This is all great info, but how about someone starting a JBJ nano resource guide? That'd be pretty dope

[RedStang]

Hey everyone! I am new to the nano-reef forums and want to share my new tank idea's with you gurus. I am seeking advice, pointers, recommendations, anything you are willing to dish out. I am a newbie but very serious about this hobby and have done lots of research, the only thing I don't have is experience, and in this hobby that is what matters most. I wanted to make all the initial mods I could before I added anything live to the tank, so now is that time!

 

Here are the specs:

Coralife Biocube 14

VorTech MP10w ES

 

Filtration-

 

Chamber 1- wanted to start by adding the Protein Skimmer.

 

Chamber 2- currently planning on leaving as is for now minus the addition of a little floss, but eventually plan to turn it into a refugium, or would switching to refug later be problematic?

 

Chamber 3- I am 50/50 on the UV sterilizer for, and I have read a lot on here about replacing stock the pump. Any thoughts?

 

All that said...short of the inside the display any idea's on where I can get the heater?

 

Lighting-

 

Staying stock for now, going to switch to a LED kit later.

 

How many of you are using split timers on the 10k and Actinic?

 

Lunar Blue LED's (stock) are extremely bright in the empty tank, anyone had any issues?

 

Thanks for taking the time to read, and hopefully adding insite, I hope to have a tank as nice as the ones I have seen on here!

 

Protein skimmer is good for chamber 1. For chamber ditch the bioballs now. MP10 is the bomb. Can't really comment on the stock lights as I only used mine for a couple of months. Look into running purigen, chemipure elite, or some equivalent. Not sure that the UV will do much for ya.

 

Good luck!

[Krall]

 

Is that where the filter goes in on a 29? My manual lists it the same way, but there's no slots that I see to hold it in place in that location. There's 2 grooves in front of chamber 2 ahead of the overflow tray and that's where I put it, but the tank has been running for 3 days an continues to have a ton of suspended material swirling around inside the tank even though I've cleaned the that filter a dozen times.

 

This is for freshwater and the 20 or so pages I've read from this thread all say toss out the bioballs. Do I really need to do that to have effective filtration?

Edited May 7, 2012 by Krall

[reesestewww]

Hello, I just purchased a BC29 off a buddy and got it set up lastnight. i was researching on this thread which has been very resourceful just got a couple questions.. on the side where the pump is should i ignore the max and min line on the outside cuz when i filled my tank up it passed the max line. 2nd should i take the bioballs out even tho my fuge and media rack arent here from my order or should i wait to get it. ty

 

Take out the bioballs and ignore the line. I did that from day 1.

[SerenityReef]

Block off 3-4 grates of lower intake. Either with black silicone before adding water or with clear hard plastic after the fact (like from a cassette case or cd case) Aides in surface skimming. Was getting green film on top of water prior to this mod and the next

 

Block off 3-4 grates of the upper intake. Same effect as above.

 

Has anyone else come across the green film on top of water? Would anyone else suggest this mod?

[Rollermonkey]

Hello!

 

Super noob here, in fact this is my first post about my first marine tank.

 

Here's my equipment:

 

Oceanic Biocube 29 HQI

Mediabaskets media tray and refugium tray

Hydor 425

Stock bulb in the MH light

 

I have a couple heaters (Aqueon Pro100 and a Hydor Theo 100w) as I expected to need to heat here in the Seattle area, but I haven't even taken them out of the box.

 

The plan is to put about 20-25 pounds of LR and about 2 inches of LS in the bottom and wait, but...

 

On my wet run with plain tap water, it's running at a rock-steady 82F. I turned on the lights yesterday about 8pm, and it stayed at 79F until I went to bed at 11pm.

 

From this morning when I checked at 6am through now, it has stayed at that 82F.

 

I know that's too hot, and today's high was only 75F outside.

 

I have a two-year old daughter who will try to touch the water if I take off the glass lid, so that's really not an option and I don't think a fan will do enough if I don't take that lid off.

 

So now, I wonder am I now in the market for a chiller?

 

Please, any ideas before I go out and plunk down hundreds of dollars for something I might not (and didn't think I would) need?

Edited May 17, 2012 by Rollermonkey

[uwwmatt]

 

You could change your lights to LED, they don't put off all that heat like your MH. However the price point is about the same as a good chiller.

 

Edit;

Another option could be replacing your glass lid with a pond mesh style lid and getting a fan.

 

Edit edit: It felt hotter than 75 when I was stuck on I-5 today

Edited May 17, 2012 by uwwmatt

[Rollermonkey]

 

You could change your lights to LED, they don't put off all that heat like your MH. However the price point is about the same as a good chiller.

 

Edit;

Another option could be replacing your glass lid with a pond mesh style lid and getting a fan.

 

Edit edit: It felt hotter than 75 when I was stuck on I-5 today

 

Thanks! I will probably go LED first, and then if down the road I want to get super funky with corals, by then I might be in a house and be able to go bigger and won't need a chiller if I throw MH lights on again...

 

Either that, or I'll end up with both, but I think the lower power requirements of the LED and longer life will offset the costs better than the chiller route.

 

OBTW, do you have any experience with these guys?

 

http://www.barrierreefaquariums.com/

 

 

They are only a mile or so from me, and am looking at making them my local go-to store...

 

And last question for now: UV sterilizers? Good bad? Indifferent?

[Occane5]

Before upgrading to LEDs, I ran the MH lights for about 6 or 7 hrs per day with mesh top and cheap fan blowing across. It took away a lot of heat from the MH but increased evaporation (no biggie).

 

I bought the BC mini uv sterilizer which is connected to mj1200 return pump. Not sure if I see noticeable water clarity but it gives me piece of mind that if I have MI outbreak, it'll assist in containing free floating MI - I don't have a QT tank.

 

Before upgrading to mp10, I had two nano 425s to get more water flow. You might want to add another nano or go with Koralia 750 or mp10!

 

Are you planning on adding a skimmer?

 

Good luck.

[Rollermonkey]

Before upgrading to LEDs, I ran the MH lights for about 6 or 7 hrs per day with mesh top and cheap fan blowing across. It took away a lot of heat from the MH but increased evaporation (no biggie).

 

I bought the BC mini uv sterilizer which is connected to mj1200 return pump. Not sure if I see noticeable water clarity but it gives me piece of mind that if I have MI outbreak, it'll assist in containing free floating MI - I don't have a QT tank.

 

Before upgrading to mp10, I had two nano 425s to get more water flow. You might want to add another nano or go with Koralia 750 or mp10!

 

Are you planning on adding a skimmer?

 

Good luck.

 

All I've got right now for a skimmer is the one that came n the box, but I didn't even open it. I'm thinking about getting one I saw at mediabaskets.com that goes in chamber 1

 

I will probably upgrade the pump and I've got that Hydor rotating head on the way, so I'm not sure that I'll need even more flow. Between an MJ1200 and the hydor 425, that's 720gph of flow in a 29 gallon tank. Pretty sure ocean currents in a real reef environment aren't that powerful.

 

Your thought process about the UV was what I thought, but will it kill helpful stuff, or are you just planning on turning it on if there's a problem?

 

Oh, I've got the JBL LED Fuge light enroute, too. Chaeto sounds like a great way to do export. Definitely plan on a ball growing back there.

Edited May 17, 2012 by Rollermonkey

[Rollermonkey]

Will this go on the back of my cube, or will I need to make a mod, or keep looking?

 

JBJ Unibody Dimmable 54 Watt 6500K-20000K LED Fixture

[RedStang]

All I've got right now for a skimmer is the one that came n the box, but I didn't even open it. I'm thinking about getting one I saw at mediabaskets.com that goes in chamber 1

 

I will probably upgrade the pump and I've got that Hydor rotating head on the way, so I'm not sure that I'll need even more flow. Between an MJ1200 and the hydor 425, that's 720gph of flow in a 29 gallon tank. Pretty sure ocean currents in a real reef environment aren't that powerful.

 

Your thought process about the UV was what I thought, but will it kill helpful stuff, or are you just planning on turning it on if there's a problem?

 

Oh, I've got the JBL LED Fuge light enroute, too. Chaeto sounds like a great way to do export. Definitely plan on a ball growing back there.

 

Keep in mind that if you go with the MJ1200 that's more heat going directly into your tank. Consider the MJ900 and ditching the hydor rotating thingy. An MP10 is a great investment. I'm planning on using mine on the back wall of my 135 when I get it up and running.

[Rollermonkey]

Lights off all night and woke up to 80F.

 

Took the glass cover (which was now covered with moisture) and 6 hours later it's finally at 78.

 

LEDs are on the way. I'm going to leave the fresh water in there until I get temperature stability figured out.

 

Sigh.

Edited May 18, 2012 by Rollermonkey

[RedStang]

Lights off all night and woke up to 80F.

 

Took the glass cover (which was now covered with moisture) and 6 hours later it's finally at 78.

 

LEDs are on the way. I'm going to leave the fresh water in there until I get temperature stability figured out.

 

Sigh.

 

Temp control is always a battle. In the summer my tank would hit 83 or so. I finally went with a Hydor Pico 1200, MP10, and LED's to get the temp under control. We keep our house at 78 but the room where the aquarium is gets a little warmer in the summer months. I ditched the hydor because it wasn't reliable and went with a MJ900 instead. I get plant of flow from the MP10 so the slight decrease in flow from the MJ vs stock is negligible. Now, I also had the standard BC with a full hood. I got in some lights for my 135 build and I may mount one of them over the BC and just take the hood off. Need to build some kind of screen though.

 

Anyway, the point is that you CAN beat the temperature gremlin. Just takes some work. LED's go a long way toward it so you're already on the right path. If you leave the glass cover off look into an ATO and some sort of screening to keep jumpers from carpet surfing. Good luck!

[Rollermonkey]

If I was running cold, it wouldn't be a problem, as heat is cheap.

 

Chillers OTOH....

 

That's not the first time I've read of an MP10 in a cube... But what is it? pump? flowbot? I don't know all the acronyms yet. I've heard a bunch of people running a Rio 6 (pump), but I can't find those either.

 

Oh, and when did they stop putting the bioballs in the box? Everything I ever read that was the first thing to go, and I didn't even get to throw 'em away.

Edited May 18, 2012 by Rollermonkey

[RedStang]

If I was running cold, it wouldn't be a problem, as heat is cheap.

 

Chillers OTOH....

 

That's not the first time I've read of an MP10 in a cube... But what is it? pump? flowbot? I don't know all the acronyms yet. I've heard a bunch of people running a Rio 6 (pump), but I can't find those either.

 

Oh, and when did they stop putting the bioballs in the box? Everything I ever read that was the first thing to go, and I didn't even get to throw 'em away.

 

Ecotech Vortech MP10. It's a powerhead where the "drive" sits outside of the tank and through the wonders of magnetics spins a propeller inside the tank. They're the freaking bomb and charge like it. But, in a BC it'll be the only powerhead you ever need. Heck, if you don't go crazy on your upgrade it'll probably work in some capacity on your next tank as well. MJ is maxi jet. 900 is the model I use now. Many use 1200's in the BC29 but IMO it adds too much heat. Check out my build thread, and others for that matter, as it will get you exposed to many ideas. Oh, and google Rio hf6. It's an option for the return pump. Hasn't gotten great reviews from my digging though.

 

PM me any time you have questions. I'm no expert but I'm getting more knowledgable each day! Oh, and I slept at a Holiday Inn last night!

[Rollermonkey]

Ecotech Vortech MP10.

 

Googled, and that, is flipping' cool!

 

There are two stores within 5 miles that are supposed to sell Ecotech stuff...

 

Guess where I'm going after Home Depot?

 

(I found a way to make a mesh cover, now I just need to find my dremel...)

 

Pulling the hydor out and going with the mesh cover, plus the LEDs that are already shipped, I may end up with the heater in there sooner than I expected.

 

 

...and salt water. Which would be a pretty logical next step if everything is working out.

 

Oh, and I ordered a refurbished RODI from SpectraPure. I'll do the initial fill with water from my LFS then do topoffs with my own water.

Edited May 18, 2012 by Rollermonkey

[RedStang]

Googled, and that, is flipping' cool!

 

There are two stores within 5 miles that are supposed to sell Ecotech stuff...

 

Guess where I'm going after Home Depot?

 

(I found a way to make a mesh cover, now I just need to find my dremel...)

 

Pulling the hydor out and going with the mesh cover, plus the LEDs that are already shipped, I may end up with the heater in there sooner than I expected.

 

 

...and salt water. Which would be a pretty logical next step if everything is working out.

 

Oh, and I ordered a refurbished RODI from SpectraPure. I'll do the initial fill with water from my LFS then do topoffs with my own water.

 

Awesome! One thing to keep in mind is that it is VERY easy to turn a non-wireless MP10 into a wireless. That way if you ever go with an Apex and a WXM module it's a $45 part to throw into the MP10 controller.

[GunNut1911]

Thanks! I will probably go LED first, and then if down the road I want to get super funky with corals, by then I might be in a house and be able to go bigger and won't need a chiller if I throw MH lights on again...

 

Either that, or I'll end up with both, but I think the lower power requirements of the LED and longer life will offset the costs better than the chiller route.

 

OBTW, do you have any experience with these guys?

 

http://www.barrierreefaquariums.com/

 

 

They are only a mile or so from me, and am looking at making them my local go-to store...

 

And last question for now: UV sterilizers? Good bad? Indifferent?

 

Small store, but great stuff. Nice quality, and they dont overprice their products.

[Rollermonkey]

^Well, I stopped in again today and got an MP10, a TDS meter and an MJ1200.

 

The only problem is I can shop Marine Depot tax-free, while at the lfs, I'm paying like 10.5%.

 

Yikes, I want to support the local guys, but if a purchase I'm making is going to get free shipping, it would add up fast to not avoid the taxes.

 

So, I hit up Home Depot and made a mesh cover for my tank. For what I spent, ($20) I could have made three and still had oodles of leftover material. Bending that stuff for the bow-front was super annoying.

 

Maybe I ought to make a thread for my setup once the next batch of stuff gets here...

Edited May 18, 2012 by Rollermonkey

[Occane5]

^Well, I stopped in again today and got an MP10, a TDS meter and an MJ1200.

 

The only problem is I can shop Marine Depot tax-free, while at the lfs, I'm paying like 10.5%.

 

Yikes, I want to support the local guys, but if a purchase I'm making is going to get free shipping, it would add up fast to not avoid the taxes.

 

So, I hit up Home Depot and made a mesh cover for my tank. For what I spent, ($20) I could have made three and still had oodles of leftover material. Bending that stuff for the bow-front was super annoying.

 

Maybe I ought to make a thread for my setup once the next batch of stuff gets here...

 

wow, you are well on your way! good luck i have a bc29 so feel free to pm if you have questions.

[albertthiel]

Great post with all the details ... Is this the Coralife Oceanic ? 14 Gallon. I have been looking around the stores in Alpharetta (ATL) but no one seems to carry the 14 G size but I did see the 29 for $450.00 !

 

Albert

 

 

This guide is a work in progress. If you have a question that has not been discussed, or any helpful information to add please post it in this thread and it will be added to the resource guide.

 

Table of Contents:

 

Featured Articles:

-Biocube Lighting

-Biocube Filtration

Biocube Information:

-Biocube FAQ (scroll down)

-UWWMatt's Mod Review

-Biocube Signature Badges

-Member's Biocubes

-Helpful Links

-Manufacturer's Product Information

 

DIY

-nckwrn's Cold Cathode Moonlights

-Uwwmatt's Fuge Light

-Removing the Tab (increased flow into back chambers)

-Badbread's above tank sump

-Adkins.its's Rimless Biocube

-Firefish CR's Fan Upgrade

-EvoKnvl's Aquatic Life skimmer Guide for 29G BC

-Spanko's Mess Top for open Biocubes

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=2863313

-Spanko's Media holder http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=2695043

-Benoitcdc's fish guard http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...p;#entry2662104

-Gromit's Bio-Cube 8 Stock Fan Replacement Guide

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=2869838

 

 

BIOCUBE FAQ:

Ask question in this thread and other will gladly help answer them. Here are a list of some frequently asked questions. This will be updated as more questions come up.

• How many fish can I keep in my Biocube?
  According to the

Nano Stocking Guide
8G Biocube: 1-2 fish
14G Biocube: 2-3 fish
29G Biocube: 4-6 fish
 
Each fish has its own special requirements and many are unsuitable for any biocube. Be responsible and do your research before you buy a new fish!
 
Keep in mind that the more fish you have the more waste that will build up in your tank requiring more water changes and the addition of a skimmer. If your water quality is poor then your fish and corals will become stressed, get sick, and eventually die.
 
Can I keep Tang in my biocube?
NO...It doesn't matter what size biocube you have, or that the Tang is small. The answer is NO.
 
Can I keep clams in my biocube?
No, unless you upgrade your lighting to t5 or metal halides. Clam FAQ
 
Can I keep anemones in my biocube?
No, unless you upgrade your lighting to t5 or metal halides and have a well established tank.
Anemone FAQ, More Anemone FAQ
 
Do I need to remove the sponges?
Many biocube owners remove the sponges that come in a stock system because over time they build up and trap detritus that will cause your nitrates to rise. The benefit to keeping them is that they filter out large things that may otherwise get sucked up into your pump. If you do decide to keep them it is a good idea to rinse them out every week and replace them every 3-4 weeks.
 
Why won't one of my lights turn on?
For a while biocubes where being shipped with faulty ballasts. It is easy to test and see if this is your problem. Simply switch your ballasts and if the light works that is your problem.
 
If it is the ballast then you have a couple of options. First you should contact Oceanic. They are usually very good at replacing these, no questions asked. It does take a couple weeks to process and ship your order but at least it is free. The other option is to purchase them from other aquarium websites 8 14 29.

Why are my fans so noisy? or Why don't my fans work?
Like the ballast, some biocubes shipped with faulty fans. Oceanic will happily replace them for you, but this can take several weeks.
 
The 8 and 14 gallon Biocubes use 50mm fans that are 10mm thick, while the 29 gallon is 60mm by 10 mm. If you are willing to shop around you can usually find some good deals on computer fans that will work with a little wiring. There are also upgrade kits 8 and 14 29
 
How do I contact the manufacturer?
Call from 8:30 am - 4:00 pm (CST) at:
888.255.4527 or 414.421.9670
Website: Oceanic Systems
 
Why are my nitrates so high?
Nitrates raise as waste (detritus) builds up in your system. There are several causes and solutions to this problem. I will list them in their likely hood to be your problem.
 
- Overfeeding
- Overstocked tank
- Low Flow
- Dirty Filter Media (sponges/rear chambers/bioballs/filter floss)
- Insufficient Cleanup Crew
 
Quick Fix: Cut your feeding down to every 2-3 days. If you have bioballs* and sponges rinse them out in the discarded tank water. If you use chamber 2 as a fuge, rinse the chaeto out in discarded tank water. Use a turkey baster and blast both the rocks and the rear chambers of your biocube daily. This will cause the detritus to become suspend in the water column and then your filter floss (Highly recommended) will collect it. Replace filter floss every 2-3 days.
 
*be gentle and do not rinse out all of the bioballs at once. The manufacturer does not recommend doing this, but many members have found this to be an acceptable practice.
 
Why do people remove the bioballs?
Some people choose to remove bioballs because over time the nitrifying bacteria become so good at their job that they quickly raise the nitrate levels too high. Bioballs also trap detritus if not properly cleaned. Learn more about the Nitrogen cycle here
 
*be gentle and do not rinse out all of the bioballs at once. The manufacturer does not recommend doing this, but many members have found this to be an acceptable practice.
 
Do I have to remove the bioballs?
No, many people have great success using bioballs. T

Can I remove the bioballs after the tank is established?
Yes with caution, because they are a part of your biological filtration you are going to want to spread it out a bit to prevent your tank from going through a mini cycle. If your tank has only been running for a few weeks then go ahead and take them all out at once.

 

General Design

 

BioCube 8

Aquarium Volume: 8.9 gallons

Dimensions: 12-1/2" x 13" x 15" high

36 watt canopy

lighting includes:

(1) 18 watt True Actinic 03 Blue straight pin

(1) 18 watt 10,000K Daylight straight pin

(2) 0.75 watt Lunar Blue-Moon-Glow LED

Pump flow rate: 106 gph

 

 

BioCube 14

Aquarium Volume: 14.3 gallons

Dimensions: 15" x 15-1/2" x 17" high

48 watt canopy

lighting includes:

(1) 24 watt True Actinic 03 Blue straight pin

(1) 24 watt 10,000K Daylight straight pin

(2) 0.75 watt Lunar Blue-Moon-Glow LED

Pump flow rate: 137 gph

 

BioCube 29

Aquarium Volume: 29.1 gallons

Dimensions: 20" x 20-3/4" x 19-1/4" high

72 watt canopy

lighting includes:

(1) 36 watt True Actinic 03 Blue straight pin

(1) 36 watt 10,000K Daylight straight pin

(3) 0.75 watt Lunar Blue-Moon-Glow LED

Pump flow rate: 243 gph

 

nanonan's mod's, this gives you a good view of the back chambers.