The Biocube Resource Guide

[uwwmatt]

Uwwmatt,

 

Thanks for the quick response. Another question I suppose would be whether or not I can upgrade my current 70w light to a 150w ballast and bulb. Would it even be worth it or would it be cheaper just to find a used 150w?

 

And as for decor, I'm not really into anything exotic but i do like zoanthids, maybe an anemone for my clown, and maybe some frogspawn and/or toothcoral. Do you think this light would support those items depending on where I place them in the tank?

 

You could keep an anemone near the top of the tank with a 70W, but they like to move around and are more trouble then they are worth IMO. You should also be aware that just because you have a clown fish and an anemone it does not mean they will pair up.

 

As for upgrading later, you will need to get a new fixture. You can't just change the bulb and the ballast. Even if you could get it to run a 150W bulb it would probably be a fire hazard.

[benoitcdc]

You could keep an anemone near the top of the tank with a 70W, but they like to move around and are more trouble then they are worth IMO. You should also be aware that just because you have a clown fish and an anemone it does not mean they will pair up.

 

As for upgrading later, you will need to get a new fixture. You can't just change the bulb and the ballast. Even if you could get it to run a 150W bulb it would probably be a fire hazard.

Ditto, plus, you need to take into account the size of the anemone once it is full grown. Many of them can reach a foot or bigger in diameter and will out grow the tank. Water quality is very important as well and small changes make huge differences in nanos.

[benoitcdc]

Well, here is the fish guard I put in the other week. Originally, I had blue sponge blocks set up on the back but they got dirty fairly quickly. I like this set up much better. Its rain gutter guard that I picked up at HD and I just cut it to fit. I cut it a little wider than the opening so it would spring/bow up ward.

 

[OneTimer]

Does anyone run Nanotuners 3.6 LEd on the cube?

[Rick778]

Anyone using the HQ version?

 

 

http://www.oceanicsystems.com/products/biocube-hqi.php#

[uwwmatt]

Anyone using the HQ version?

 

This is the first I am hearing of it. It looks pretty sweet. They have definitely been paying attention to what people are doing on here.

 

I found it for $566 at one online retailer, thats about twice the price of the standard 29G biocube at drs foster smith.

http://www.petworldstore.com/products/?i=OCC36015

 

If this ever dips to $400 I may just have to pick it up, it has a very clean look.

Edited February 6, 2010 by uwwmatt

[plainrt]

ok i saw one of these in a lfs on friday and it looked sweet but dint know who made it.......Looks awsome

[Rick778]

I wonder if you could just replace the hood on the older model. Not sure what all was changed ------

[IllinoisPlumber]

Just started a Biocube 29 that was given to me by a guy I did some work for. He upgraded to a 75 and the biocube was just taking up space in his basement. After doing plenty of research on small reef tanks I decided to take the leap. This forum and thread has been a great resource. I have had it up and running to two days now with 26lbs of live rock from Premium Aquatics and 30lbs of live sand. One question that I have is about temps. Is it normal for your temp to fluctuate a couple of degrees in the daytime? It got up to 82 degrees today. Stock lights, Korelia Nano, Stevie's Medium Basket and fuge box. Running on the stock pump right now but have a MJ1200 waiting to go in. If it is going to cause a heat issue then i might just keep it for later. I was really impressed with the rock I got from PA. I would happily recommend them to anyone looking for an online rock source.

Edited February 7, 2010 by IllinoisPlumber

[uwwmatt]

One question that I have is about temps. Is it normal for your temp to fluctuate a couple of degrees in the daytime? It got up to 82

 

Heat swings can be an issue in small tanks. One thing you can do to reduce the swing is dial your heater up a few notches. This will stop the temp from dropping when the lights go off. If heat is a real problem then prop the hood open and point a fan at the top of the water. The best thing I ever did for my temp related issues was to buy an aquarium controller. I went with the Reefkeeper Lite for $99. It monitors my temps and automatically turns on my fans or heaters, plus it has alarms and can shut off my lights if temperatures get to out of control (It does a lot more then that too).

Edited February 8, 2010 by uwwmatt

[IllinoisPlumber]

Heat swings can be an issue in small tanks. One thing you can do to reduce the swing is dial your heater up a few notches. This will stop the temp from dropping when the lights go off. If heat is a real problem then prop the hood open and point a fan at the top of the water. The best thing I ever did for my temp related issues was to buy an aquarium controller. I went with the Reefkeeper Lite for $99. It monitors my temps and automatically turns on my fans or heaters, plus it has alarms and can shut off my lights if temperatures get to out of control (It does a lot more then that too).

 

Thanks for the reply, how much of a swing are we talking about here? My heater was set at 79 which seemed to keep the tank at about 80 at night and 82.5 towards the end of the day. Sorry, but a noobs gotta learn somehow...

[benoitcdc]

Thanks for the reply, how much of a swing are we talking about here? My heater was set at 79 which seemed to keep the tank at about 80 at night and 82.5 towards the end of the day. Sorry, but a noobs gotta learn somehow...

+1 with what uwwmatt said. No swing in temp is best of course but I have been told over the years to not go more than 2 deg. 82.5 is a bit on the high side. If you can keep it around 79-80 would be better. By BC 14 at the office can get up to 80 during the day and was drooping down to 77-78 in the evening. I bumped the heater up to 79 and now it stays between 79-80. Now, for my bigger, open top tanks at home, I keep my temps at 77 deg with out more than a 1 deg swing.

 

I like the fan idea. They work well for many folks. At some point I will put an ATS on it and that will help keep the temp down as well. For now, I have the front access cover propped open with a ruler.

[reefbike]

Hi, I'm new here and new to reef keeping in general. I set up my Biocube 14 yesterday

with RO water and sand only so far. The sand is Estes brand Ultra Reef. It's not live sand.

I decided against starting with live sand and now am wondering if this was a bad idea.

My question concerns the fact that this sand I put in the tank has alot of it floating around

inside and more skimming on the surface. Is this normal for a few days? Or should I scoop

it all out and get a better grade live sand bed? This sand also looks like it is clumping up

in little balls on the aquarium floor. Anyway, any help or suggestions are appreciated and

I look forward to getting this thing going in the right direction. Thank, RB.

[myatt]

Hi all,

 

I have a BC29.....up and running for just about six months, though I mostly lurk around here..What a fantastic resource we have here!

 

I'm curious as to whether many of you fellow BC'ers run a sump? I like the idea of a larger fuge, but I'm a little intimidated by the idea of modding -- hoses and pipes seem to be a great opportunity for the application of Murphy's law.

 

Any thoughts?

 

BTW.....I need to update it, but there's a link in my sig to my BC29 page.

[blibo]

I have a very interesting setup for my bc29. I have an ecosystem 40 hanging on the back and it fits perfectly so no need for a sump. I simply mod it to run on gravity so no addition energy used except for the fuge light. I also turned my 2nd chamber into additional fuge and yes I'm crazy about fuge. I replaced my stock pump with a slower Rio 600 pump (200ghp?) that I had laying around. The slower flow will make the fuge in my 2nd chamber more efficient for breeding pods and stuffs...I guess. I also put a k3 in the DT, which most will say it's powerful for a tank this small but I think it's perfect flow in my bc29 since my LR will be the primary filter. I was considering getting a skimmer, but the 2 fuge might be plenty for a tank this size along with a 10% WC every week.

[benoitcdc]

Hi, I'm new here and new to reef keeping in general. I set up my Biocube 14 yesterday

with RO water and sand only so far. The sand is Estes brand Ultra Reef. It's not live sand.

I decided against starting with live sand and now am wondering if this was a bad idea.

My question concerns the fact that this sand I put in the tank has alot of it floating around

inside and more skimming on the surface. Is this normal for a few days? Or should I scoop

it all out and get a better grade live sand bed? This sand also looks like it is clumping up

in little balls on the aquarium floor. Anyway, any help or suggestions are appreciated and

I look forward to getting this thing going in the right direction. Thank, RB.

Hi reefbike,

 

From what I understand, Estes is dolomite, old school, and not the aragonite that is used mostly today. Still ok to use though. As far as live sand goes, don't worry about it. Most of the live sand we get does not have much viable bacteria in it. Over time, the sand will be colonized and become live sand.

 

Now, for cloudiness. Did you rinse the substrate before you put it in the tank or did you put it in straight from the bag? If you didn't wash it, I would pull it out, and rinse it in a bucket until the water turns clear. You will get a lot of dust and debris in bagged products out like that. Drain the tank, put the substrate back in, and them fill the tank back up with new water. Rinsing it should also help with the clumping. After all that, you will get some cloudiness but it will settle in a couple hours. HTH.

 

Chris

[benoitcdc]

Hi all,

 

I have a BC29.....up and running for just about six months, though I mostly lurk around here..What a fantastic resource we have here!

 

I'm curious as to whether many of you fellow BC'ers run a sump? I like the idea of a larger fuge, but I'm a little intimidated by the idea of modding -- hoses and pipes seem to be a great opportunity for the application of Murphy's law.

 

Any thoughts?

 

BTW.....I need to update it, but there's a link in my sig to my BC29 page.

 

I don't have a sump on my BC 14 but I have seen threads here and other places that do have sumps for their BCs. Some of the sumps are bigger than their tank! I believe there wasn't much modding other than installing an overflow box and return. I'm sure someone who has done this will chime in soon.

[reefbike]

Thanks. I'm going to ditch the sand and

get aragonite.

 

My next question: how many of you guys

leave in the bio balls while cycling the bc

with live rock? Or do you just take most or all

of them out to increase flow?

[benoitcdc]

Thanks. I'm going to ditch the sand and

get aragonite.

 

My next question: how many of you guys

leave in the bio balls while cycling the bc

with live rock? Or do you just take most or all

of them out to increase flow?

 

Go ahead and just remove all the bio balls. They don't imped flow, but they do become a nitrate factory.

[reefbike]

Go ahead and just remove all the bio balls. They don't imped flow, but they do become a nitrate factory.

 

Hey, thanks very much! This forum has

already been a great resource for me. And I

keep thinking of questions!

What size heater with stock lighting is

sufficient?

[benoitcdc]

Hey, thanks very much! This forum has

already been a great resource for me. And I

keep thinking of questions!

What size heater with stock lighting is

sufficient?

I have a 50w heater in my BC 14 and it works fine. I think a 100w would be fine for your BC 29. As far as lighting goes, it all depends on what you want to keep. With the current stock lighting you can keep softies and some LPS. Maybe a very hardy SPS near the top of the tank. You can mod your BC 29 lighting to more PC bulbs, T5s ( I believe), LEDs, or go MH. Again, its based on what you want to keep. If its fish only, you are good with what you have. HTH

[Degener8]

I left my bio balls in during cycle and removed once complete. More surface i believe will give a faster cycle. (nothing to prove this just what i have observed)

 

as for a heater I have a BC29 and 100w heater staying at 78 degrees constantly with stock lights.

[benoitcdc]

Ok, here is a FTS of my BC 14 on my desk at my office. The zoas on the bottom front have been growing like crazy and I already fragged them once. The GSP has grown bigger and its time to frag it again and get it off the back wall. It looks nice but its starting to cover the overflow vents.

 

[uwwmatt]

Your tank is looking good benoitcdc.

[reefbike]

Ok, here is a FTS of my BC 14 on my desk at my office. The zoas on the bottom front have been growing like crazy and I already fragged them once. The GSP has grown bigger and its time to frag it again and get it off the back wall. It looks nice but its starting to cover the overflow vents.

 

 

Really like the looks of your tank and thanks again for the tips. I emptied my tank tonight and

added CaribSea sand and a 50watt heater in the back chamber. Just adjusting temps and salinity

now and will be getting live rock hopefully by this weekend.

On a side note I noticed your from Charleston. I have a lot of family down in the old Charleston area

and vacation there every other Thanksgiving. Basil is one of my favorite Restaurants! RB.