The Biocube Resource Guide

[benoitcdc]

Hi Jordan o. Welcome to Nano Reef.

 

Ditto to what uwwmatt said about the rubble. The rubble is like the bioballs, both are nitrate factorys. You would be better off just pulling them out all at the same time. HTH

[Jordan_o]

OK so from what i've learned surfing these forums is to

1. remove the bio balls (which I'm going to do very slowly to hopefully prevent a mini cycle)

2. toss some cheato in chamber 2 ( this is where i'm a little confused, am i supposed to just put cheato back there and thats it? or is there something else i put there to prevent the cheato from being pulled into return pump? for example stevie T's media rack

3. set up uwwmatts DIY fuge light.

 

And as of right now I am running the stock filter cartridge, which i heard is a waste of money. So obviously im better off to run carbon/filter floss?

 

The fish are just a couple mollies my LFS told me to put them in to help cycle the tank.

 

thanks for all the input!

[gregzbobo]

OK so from what i've learned surfing these forums is to

1. remove the bio balls (which I'm going to do very slowly to hopefully prevent a mini cycle)

2. toss some cheato in chamber 2 ( this is where i'm a little confused, am i supposed to just put cheato back there and thats it? or is there something else i put there to prevent the cheato from being pulled into return pump? for example stevie T's media rack

3. set up uwwmatts DIY fuge light.

 

And as of right now I am running the stock filter cartridge, which i heard is a waste of money. So obviously im better off to run carbon/filter floss?

 

The fish are just a couple mollies my LFS told me to put them in to help cycle the tank.

 

thanks for all the input!

Try Chemi-pure Elite instead of carbon.

 

What do you plan to do with the mollies when the tank is cycled? Using a fish to jumpstart a cycle is pretty much not done anymore these days, typically the curing of the live-rock will cycle the system nicely, with perhaps a flake of food added once or twice during said cycle.

[Jordan_o]

The LFS said to bring the mollies back when we dont want them anymore so i was just planning on doing that.

 

So i am deciding to go with purigen in chamber 1(remove stock cartridge), remove bio balls and put in a media rack in chamber 2 with polyfilter material on top, cheato in the middle, chemipure on the bottom, with a 5 watt underwater light (will one be enough or should i get 2?), with the stock sponge and return pump in chamber 3.

 

 

heres a link to the site where i plan on getting the media rack, underwater light, and polyfilter material.

http://shop.mediabaskets.com/BioCube-14_c15.htm

[benoitcdc]

OK so from what i've learned surfing these forums is to

1. remove the bio balls (which I'm going to do very slowly to hopefully prevent a mini cycle)

2. toss some cheato in chamber 2 ( this is where i'm a little confused, am i supposed to just put cheato back there and thats it? or is there something else i put there to prevent the cheato from being pulled into return pump? for example stevie T's media rack

3. set up uwwmatts DIY fuge light.

 

And as of right now I am running the stock filter cartridge, which i heard is a waste of money. So obviously im better off to run carbon/filter floss?

 

The fish are just a couple mollies my LFS told me to put them in to help cycle the tank.

 

thanks for all the input!

Jordan,

 

You can pull out the bioballs all at the same time. You won't get a mini cycle. If your tank has been up since Sept 1, you probably completed the cycling. What are you getting for your water parameters? Ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, phos, ph, SG? When did the fish go in? Throwing in a raw deli shrimp would have worked as well to get the tank cycling.

 

You can get Stevie T's media rack and run Chemi-pure Elite and cheato in it with filter floss on top. You will need to scrape of some of the paint on the back of the tank where chamber 2 is so you can shine a light in on the cheato.

 

The LFS said to bring the mollies back when we dont want them anymore so i was just planning on doing that.

 

So i am deciding to go with purigen in chamber 1(remove stock cartridge), remove bio balls and put in a media rack in chamber 2 with polyfilter material on top, cheato in the middle, chemipure on the bottom, with a 5 watt underwater light (will one be enough or should i get 2?), with the stock sponge and return pump in chamber 3.

 

 

heres a link to the site where i plan on getting the media rack, underwater light, and polyfilter material.

http://shop.mediabaskets.com/BioCube-14_c15.htm

 

Good choice. One light should be fine but ask Steve before you get it just to make sure.

[tcreefr]

Stevie T's media racks are the way to go. I was running the stock filter with chemipure in chamber 2 for a long time. Decided I wanted to run chaeto and ditch the stock filter so purchased the media rack, fuge rack, jump barrier and 5W fuge light...one of the best purchases for my tank to date. In the media rack i'm running poly fiber on top (change every couple days) with chemipure on the bottom and chaeto on the fuge rack along with the 5W light. Also have a black footed trochus in there to keep things clean. Water flow and surface skimming ability increased dramatically with this setup.

[Jordan_o]

Jordan,

 

You can pull out the bioballs all at the same time. You won't get a mini cycle. If your tank has been up since Sept 1, you probably completed the cycling. What are you getting for your water parameters? Ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, phos, ph, SG? When did the fish go in? Throwing in a raw deli shrimp would have worked as well to get the tank cycling.

 

You can get Stevie T's media rack and run Chemi-pure Elite and cheato in it with filter floss on top. You will need to scrape of some of the paint on the back of the tank where chamber 2 is so you can shine a light in on the cheato.

 

 

 

Good choice. One light should be fine but ask Steve before you get it just to make sure.

 

I get my water tested at least once a week at my LFS as I have yet to grip a water test kit, I got my water tested 2 days ago and they said everything was in check. As for test kits I'm picking one up asap which do you consider to be the best? I am assuming I do not need to shine more light on my cheato if I have an underwater light already. If I'm correct the newer biocubes have a clear 5"x5" glass section in the back so if I was to put a fuge light outside my tank there would be no need for scraping any paint.

 

As for my DIY fuge I hit all my LFS in my area and I managed to pick up some purigen, chemipure, poly filter material, but I could not find at cheato anywhere? am i not looking in the right places?

[benoitcdc]

I have the Tetra lab kit. Its ok but I don't like the ph part of it. I can never tell what color it my sample falls under. I finally picked up a ph pin/probe which gives me a number I can understand. I understand that API and Salifert are good. If I had to do it again (which I will probably do in the future) I would go with one of those two. I didn't know that about the newer BC. Thats smart on their part. Yeah, if you have the underwater light you won't need to scrape paint. Some lfs carry cheato. If they don't, ask them if they know if any of their costumers may have some. You could probably get some from them. As the macro algae removes nitratae and phos they grow and part of the maintenance is to thin out the algae. So you could get some cutting from them. If that fails you can order it on line. Here is a link to Reef Cleaners. They are good people to deal with.

 

http://reefcleaners.org/index.php?page=sho...t&Itemid=34

[tcreefr]

I've used API and Salifert. Based on my experiences I trust Salifert much more. Cost is higher but is easier to use and accuracy is much better. I still have and use API, but when those run out I'll stick with Salifert.

 

As for chaeto, most lfs' (at least in my area) use it in their sumps so ask if they can hack off a softball size for you. Also, check craigslist...quite a few folks sell it cheap when it overgrows.

[Tapout]

May I be added to the biocube user's list please. Thank you.

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...p;#entry2541600

Edited November 25, 2009 by Tapout

[benoitcdc]

May I be added to the biocube user's list please. Thank you.

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...p;#entry2541600

Nice pics. Do you have any full tank shots?

[fmfa0801]

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=217252

 

 

Feel free to add My BioCube14

 

 

Edited December 2, 2009 by fmfa0801

[andrewguilfoy]

Hey all, Im new to the BioCube, Im really looking to buy one..

 

Question: I get the measurements, but is that with the top, and back piece? what's the actual tank dimensions (just the glass)? How deep does the floor go back into the tank, how tall is just the tank?

 

 

Thanks!

 

Andy

[RiverRat]

Hey all, Im new to the BioCube, Im really looking to buy one..

 

Question: I get the measurements, but is that with the top, and back piece? what's the actual tank dimensions (just the glass)? How deep does the floor go back into the tank, how tall is just the tank?

 

Thanks! -Andy

 

What size BioCube are you referring too?

[Bio-Reef]

Could you add me for the biocube 14 owner? Heres the link, http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...p;#entry2559137

 

Thanks!

[andrewguilfoy]

I was looking at the 14g, and the size of just the tank, not the whole thing (hood, black panel).. unless the dimensions on the resource form (here) are the size of the tank?

 

 

--Andy

[rockryno]

so what have people had better luck with as far as lighting...70w or 150w halides? Plan to keep some SPS. is 150w too much?

[uwwmatt]

so what have people had better luck with as far as lighting...70w or 150w halides? Plan to keep some SPS. is 150w too much?

 

You should be able to grow sps with a 70W metal halide. 150w would work fine too, infact it seems many people go with the 150w. You will have more heat issues though.

[TheMac86]

Hey everyone, before I begin, this forum rocks and I have found alot of useful information and plan to utilize it as soon as possible. I just recently purchased a Biocube 14 and have yet to open it, I am waiting until my next days off so I can set everything up. I want to have a reef and fish setup. Before I do this, I have a series of questions and I have received answers for many; however, I want your opinions for you guys are the Jedi masters of BioCubes. So here I begin,

 

1. During my cycling process, I plan on using live rock and live sand. Should I cycle with the filter system on or off?

 

2. Should I cycle with Bio balls inside the rear chamber or purchase media rack?

 

3. What should I put in the media rack? Is there an alternative besides chaeto because I do not want to scrape the paint off the back nor do I want to have a light system there, I am already worried about high temperatures because summer has yet to come. ( Vegas heat gets ridiculous in the summer)

 

For now that is all, I hope to receive answers soon.

 

Thanks so Much!

[Nemo Niblets]

Hey everyone, before I begin, this forum rocks and I have found alot of useful information and plan to utilize it as soon as possible. I just recently purchased a Biocube 14 and have yet to open it, I am waiting until my next days off so I can set everything up. I want to have a reef and fish setup. Before I do this, I have a series of questions and I have received answers for many; however, I want your opinions for you guys are the Jedi masters of BioCubes. So here I begin,

 

1. During my cycling process, I plan on using live rock and live sand. Should I cycle with the filter system on or off? On.

 

2. Should I cycle with Bio balls inside the rear chamber or purchase media rack? Bioballs trap waste missed by the filter, which leads to nitrates over time. Take the bioballs out, I recommend taking the sponge out of the pump chamber also.

 

3. What should I put in the media rack? Is there an alternative besides chaeto because I do not want to scrape the paint off the back nor do I want to have a light system there, I am already worried about high temperatures because summer has yet to come. ( Vegas heat gets ridiculous in the summer) If heat becomes an issue, open the two flaps. In the media rack, I would put filter floss on the top, then chaeto, then purigen if you have room. inTank sells an underwater fuge light. An alternative would be the Sapphire Aquatics protein skimmer, although that isn't necessary.

 

For now that is all, I hope to receive answers soon.

 

Thanks so Much!

Edited December 29, 2009 by Nemo Niblets

[TheMac86]

Thanks for the quick repsonse. I was planning to purchase a protein skimmer from Oceanic; do I no longer need to make that purchase if I use the media rack ( Floss, Purigen and Chaeto) that will take care of the skimmers job? Lastly, What should my chamber 1 consist of ? Does any one have pictures of their chambers of their cube so I can get a better idea?

 

Much Thanks.

[benoitcdc]

Thanks for the quick repsonse. I was planning to purchase a protein skimmer from Oceanic; do I no longer need to make that purchase if I use the media rack ( Floss, Purigen and Chaeto) that will take care of the skimmers job? Lastly, What should my chamber 1 consist of ? Does any one have pictures of their chambers of their cube so I can get a better idea?

 

Much Thanks.

Congrats on your BC 14. I have one and love it.

 

+1 to what Nemo said. I have the front lid proped open for heat to come out but don't have any back lids. If opening the lids don't help, you may need to get a small chiller. Also look at doing the mods to improve flow for the tank. If you do partial water changes on a regular basis (I do 5 g every 2-3 weeks) you will not need a media rack or macro algea or protein skimmer. Now, having said that, having a media rack and a skimmer would be nice. Don't get the BioCube skimmer. I've heard too many problems with it and you will need to change the stone and tune it monthly. HTH

 

Tab removed and false floor knocked out. Heater in chamber 1

 

Egg crate with floss on chamber 2

 

 

Foam along the back to stop fish from jumping into the chambers.

 

 

 

I have my Chem Pure in chamber 3

[basser1]

Congrats on your BC 14. I have one and love it.

 

Foam along the back to stop fish from jumping into the chambers.

 

 

]

 

 

That would look better with a StevieT fish saver!

[cniemira]

On the subject of fish savers, I was wondering if I might need one eventually, and I don't think I will. Granted, I just started my tank and there's nothing in it but water right now, but I've noticed a difference in some of the BCs out there. I'm still new here, so this is probably nothing new to a lot of the regulars, but there are pics here and here that illustrate two different "styles" of back plate on the bio cubes.

 

The first is what I think is the "older" style in which the owner has rigged up an egg crate fish guard. In the second, you'll have to scroll down to the shots of the lighting upgrade. It's not a great shot of what I'm talking about, but the third pic from the bottom of the first post shows a shot of C2 filled with floss. If you look, you can see the back plate is higher in this tank and it has slots cut for an overflow from the display into C2 . This is what my (brand new) BC14 looks like. I can take pics when I get home, but I believe the back plate on my tank goes up to about the same height as the rim. That being the case, I don't think I can fit a fish saver in there... or am I totally wrong?

 

I'm wondering if Oceanic has updated the BC series recently and if this is one of the changes?

[benoitcdc]

That would look better with a StevieT fish saver!

LOL!! Yea, it would. Its a temp fix that I never got back to. I have some rain gutter screen I was going to bring in but keep forgetting. Old age I think!!