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Help with my petco cubic 3.7


wonderd

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Hello everyone. I bought a petco cubic 3.7 gal aquarium and it came with the filter, bio balls, and sponge as seen below. I currently have the tank filtering with the filter sponge and bio balls. My question is, what is the best way to set up the back of this tank for saltwater, what should go in what chambers? It will be just a FOWLR tank for now but I may want to try some corrals in the future when I upgrade my light.

 

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I would just run filter floss and Chemipure-Blue. Water changes will be the key for a tank this size. Another option is to remove that rear sump area and have a true 3.7 gallon display and use a hob filter.

 

What do you plan on for a fish in this tank ?

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I really like the rear sump area, I would like to put some macro algae in one of the rear sections. Is that possible? Do I need a separate light for that to grow and do good?

 

I would like to put something simple in there for now, maybe a single clown. Right now I have some nassarius snails in there but I dont think they are going to make it. I forgot to purchase a heater and by the time I got one the water was to cold, but will see.

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You should be able to put some chaeto in the sump area with a small led. If you upgrade the light look it a par30 or par38 bulb as they are pretty cheap and do well over such a small tank. Then you could use the light the tank comes with to run over the chaeto.

 

I kept a small clown in mine for a month and he did fine but eventually they will become to large for a tank that size unless you have a bigger tank to move one to later on or plan to upgrade I would look at other options. Small gobys such as a yellow clown goby, green clown goby, redheaded goby are great for the size tank.

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Simulated Fish

I really like the rear sump area, I would like to put some macro algae in one of the rear sections. Is that possible? Do I need a separate light for that to grow and do good?

 

I would like to put something simple in there for now, maybe a single clown. Right now I have some nassarius snails in there but I dont think they are going to make it. I forgot to purchase a heater and by the time I got one the water was to cold, but will see.

How long have you had the tank running? You shouldn't have any livestock in there if you just bought it. Cyclingis an important part to keeping a saltwater tank.

 

As for the filter set up most would recommend tossing it all, especially the sponge and bio balls. Both will trap uneaten food and fish crap creating a build up of unwanted chems.

 

I ran bioballs for a month then pulled them and almost overnight had a cleaner healthier system.

 

The stock filter is almost guaranteed to be just carbon with a thin layer of filter floss holding it in. The carbon is a good thing and will help with water clarity and smell plus small debris. The downside is the filter floss will get clogged up way before the carbon is exhausted.

 

If I were you I would toss the sponge bio balls. Use the filter in chamber 1 until the floss gets gross, a few days, and in the meantime build yourself a small media basket or buy one online.

 

With the media basket I would run: top layer for filter floss, the middle some carbon and last chemblue nano packets.

 

You would place this in the first chamber where your overflow is.

 

If you want to run aglae, do it in the second chamber with a simple LED strapped onto the glass.

 

:welcome: to nano-reef

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Thanks for the reply. I am a little confused when you say I have filter floss holding the carbon in place. Is this white part of the filter cartridge considered the filter floss? http://screencast.com/t/xyFgdhsFbTa behind that is the carbon.

 

Also these are the packets you are talking about?

http://www.amazon.com/Boyd-Chemi-Pure-Blue-Nano/dp/B00VXIA3XM

 

Also I would like to try something like this to grow the Chaeto http://ebay.to/1RSw8CV

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Simulated Fish

Thanks for the reply. I am a little confused when you say I have filter floss holding the carbon in place. Is this white part of the filter cartridge considered the filter floss? http://screencast.com/t/xyFgdhsFbTa behind that is the carbon.

Yes. Get some BRS carbon or other brand and throw it into a filter bag.

 

This is polyfiber, filter floss.

http://www.amazon.com/Deep-Blue-Professional-ADB41001-Polyfiber/dp/B00BUFSM3Q

 

Also these are the packets you are talking about?

http://www.amazon.com/Boyd-Chemi-Pure-Blue-Nano/dp/B00VXIA3XM

Yep that's them. Perfect size and convince for you.

 

Also I would like to try something like this to grow the Chaeto http://ebay.to/1RSw8CV

That might work but I doubt it puts out enough power to go chaeto effectively. 5050 LEDs is what I use to install interior lights in cars. They are not very bright, also the wrong spectrum of light for plant growth.

 

Keep the questions coming, were are here to help. You've got research to do ;)

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Simulated Fish

Shoot Stevie an email with your rear chamber dimensions, he is a great guy and will tell you what media Basket to get to fit you needs. He can also get you the filter sock for carbon.

 

As for an LED option on light I'd suggest these.

 

http://shop.mediabaskets.com/Innovative-Marine-MagnaFuge-LED-Refugium-Light-7601.htm

Or

http://shop.mediabaskets.com/JBJ-Nano-Glo-Led-Fuge-Light-JB10094.htm

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I agree with hippie. I have the 6.25 Arc and I tape a light to the back side of the second chamber to use as fuge light. I like how the back glass is not painted so you can mount a light to the back.

 

I also made a media basket out of eggcrate for the first chamber. I run filter floss purigen Carbon and phosguard in it. 3rd chamber I have my heater, return pump and a DIY ATO. For details check out my build thread in my signature.

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Do you have a pic of how the filter floss is situated in your chamber? I see there is filter floss and filter fiber (which is more like a ball of fluff and not layered) Do you just lay a piece on your first shelf in your homemade basket?

 

Is purigen the name brand of your carbon, or is it something completely different than the carbon?

Which is better to run the phosguard or chemblue nano packets?

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Simulated Fish

Do you have a pic of how the filter floss is situated in your chamber? I see there is filter floss and filter fiber (which is more like a ball of fluff and not layered) Do you just lay a piece on your first shelf in your homemade basket?

 

Is purigen the name brand of your carbon, or is it something completely different than the carbon?

Which is better to run the phosguard or chemblue nano packets?

Fluff vs layers doesn't matter they both do the same thing, trap the gungk and crap so you can toss it out every other day. I have fluff right now, but ran layered before.

 

As far as chemblue vs phosguard they both have there advantages and disadvantages. Your going to have to look into each product and decided what is best for your system.

 

There are a ton of different ways to set up and maintain a SW tank everyone has there own opinion. There is know set in stone right or wrong method. Research your options and decide what will work best for your situation, budget, and the health of your livestock.

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I don't have a photo of how I place my media. I just put 1 layer of filter floss on the top rack, and mix carbon & phosguard in a media bag in the second, and a 100g bag of purigen in the bottom. I used to have a mesh bag of rubbles in the second chamber together with my chaeto but I took them out yesterday as they were looking yucky. My rocks should be enough for biological filtration.

 

 

Do you have a pic of how the filter floss is situated in your chamber? I see there is filter floss and filter fiber (which is more like a ball of fluff and not layered) Do you just lay a piece on your first shelf in your homemade basket?

 

Is purigen the name brand of your carbon, or is it something completely different than the carbon?

Which is better to run the phosguard or chemblue nano packets?


You'll probably want to upgrade your stock pump too. And what wattage is your heater? It looks really big.

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Thanks for the clarification. I got some seachem matrix and I was thinking about putting it in the third chamber with the pump and heater. That pic is not of my actual tank, its of someone else's online with the same tank haha. My heater was half the size of that (50watt), but I actually got an even smaller one today. The Aqueon 10watt mini heater.

 

I also got a mesh media bag and picked up some carbon today. I seen the egg crate at home depot but did not pick it up. Does anyone know of another material the home made rack can be made out of? The width of my chamber is pretty small and I have a feeling the egg crate would be hard to work with at that size.

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You can get acrylic and build your own media rack. Those look neat but require sawing and gluing with silicone. With eggcrates I only had to zip tie them.

 

Are you going to put chaeto in?

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I actually already bought some chaeto and put it in the middle chamber yesterday. I also got a green clown goby... I know I am pushing it. The sand and the live rock I have in the tank came from an already established tank so I think it should work out, but will see.

 

Is there egg crate with small diameter squares?

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I have the same tank I and I just built a media rack for it earlier this week.

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/369477-diy-media-basket/

I wouldnt use silicon. You will get better results with Weldon #16.

Also, I removed the plastic that holds the factory filter inserts. Its siliconed on the front and then on the little strip on the back. I first cut the joint closest to the center with a flush cut saw but you could use a hack saw blade I would think. Then I used a chisel to slowly separate it from the back glass...then the front worked free pretty easy. Cleaned up with a razor blade and area was opened up real nice.

20160120_180039_zpscubgxilg.jpg

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Wow now thats cool. I want a media basket like that!



Update: Got the green clown goby to eat flakes which is good. One snail is active the other does not move, though hes not dead.

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I havent used it in an aquarium environment but I wouldnt think there would be any problems in doing so. It's just plastic...floats around in the ocean choking turtles and what not so I'll bet it stands up. They have clear stuff so no dyes or colorants to potentially leach out.

It is not very stiff, that is true but you could zip-tie it to egg crate to stiffen it up. Given where I think you are putting it I would cut the entire long length, crease it mid way to make a square-ish bottom and slide it down the center chamber.

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I wish I thought of doing that before I have my tank all set up. The bracket holding stock media forced me to leave some gaps in my media rack. It's stocked right now so I don't really want to mess with it anymore.

 

 

I have the same tank I and I just built a media rack for it earlier this week.

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/369477-diy-media-basket/

I wouldnt use silicon. You will get better results with Weldon #16.

Also, I removed the plastic that holds the factory filter inserts. Its siliconed on the front and then on the little strip on the back. I first cut the joint closest to the center with a flush cut saw but you could use a hack saw blade I would think. Then I used a chisel to slowly separate it from the back glass...then the front worked free pretty easy. Cleaned up with a razor blade and area was opened up real nice.

20160120_180039_zpscubgxilg.jpg

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Anyone know if a blue spot watchman goby is compatible with the green clown goby? I picked one up at my LFS and hes so small I figured he would not add much bio load to the tank.

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