Biocube Filtration - My mind is going to BLOW up

[Guest Lylahippie]

Hi Everyone!

 

So can someone please give my brain some much needed rest and help me out! I am getting my biocube in the mail tomorrow and am very excited/nervous. I have been reading what seems like hundreds of internet articles on what to put in each chamber of the biocube and no one really does the same thing!

 

I really want to keep it simple.

 

I want to use a heater, I plan on keeping the stock filter and changing it often, I bought some polyfill, and dont know if I need anything else.

 

Here are my questions.

 

1. What chamber does the heater go in?

2. Is using carbon in a media bag bad? I dont really know if I am even using the right concept of carbon. If I used something like this in the BOTTOM of chamber two would I be okay?

 

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http:/...%26tbs%3Disch:1

 

3. Will I have a lot of water noise because I will no longer use the bio balls in my tank? If so, how can I eliminate it?

4. Can I perhaps place the carbon media bag UNDERNEATH the bioballs, or is that a bad idea?

5. How often would I need to change the carbon media bag in chamber 2? I have read anywhere between 1 week and 6 months!!!

 

Please help! Thanks again!

[johnmaloney]

put it where the bio balls are

[Guest Lylahippie]

put it where the bio balls are

 

Ok, will the filter floss alone be okay? Also, how much should I use?

 

I have been looking into chemi-pure. Though, my LFS doesnt carry it!

 

Maybe I should buy it online - how often do we replace a 5 oz bag?

[chrisinmd]

you want to put the filter floss at the water intake you can then put your chemi pure in the second chmber but you are going to need more than just floss and chemi pure if you dont want to use cheato in your second chamber then i would recomend getting a skimmer DO NOT GET THE BIO CUBE SKIMMER i would use the tunze 9002 its the best for size and fuction imo

 

im sure other people will chime in but i recomend doing the fude in the second chamber and to put your floss in the first chamber and your chemi pure under it and dont forget you have to change it about every 3-5 days if not it will do more harm then good

[Guest Lylahippie]

you want to put the filter floss at the water intake you can then put your chemi pure in the second chmber but you are going to need more than just floss and chemi pure if you dont want to use cheato in your second chamber then i would recomend getting a skimmer DO NOT GET THE BIO CUBE SKIMMER i would use the tunze 9002 its the best for size and fuction imo

 

im sure other people will chime in but i recomend doing the fude in the second chamber and to put your floss in the first chamber and your chemi pure under it and dont forget you have to change it about every 3-5 days if not it will do more harm then good

 

How much does chemi pure cost? Those 5 oz bags are 5 bucks, I would need to spend $5 every three to five days? AHH!! Can we perhaps rinse it or something?

[chrisinmd]

im sorry i wasnt clear the chemi pure is good for like 3 months the filter floss is what i was talking about changing out every 3-5 days

[Reef Diver]

1. What chamber does the heater go in?

 

Most people put the heater into chamber 1. Then they shove chamber 2 full of chemi-pure/ purigen/ chaeto and filter floss. Then the pump is in chamber 3. I'd consider it the ideal set-up.

Personally, right now I have chemi-pure elite in chamber 1 as the bag size I purchased didn't fit into my InTank media rack I placed into chamber 2. Then I have purigen and (will soon have) chaeto in chamber 2. And the heater and pump are in chamber 3. What's dangerous about the heater in chamber 3 is that if the water level drops too far the heater will be exposed (I really need to shove it into chamber 1)

2. Is using carbon in a media bag bad? I dont really know if I am even using the right concept of carbon. If I used something like this in the BOTTOM of chamber two would I be okay?

 

Sure, that'd be fine. People like using chemi-pure because it's known for being a quality product. You'll be fine with something like that though.

 

3. Will I have a lot of water noise because I will no longer use the bio balls in my tank? If so, how can I eliminate it?

 

Raise the water level! As you put more water into the tank the back chambers will raise (they will also be the first to go down as water evaporates.) Ignore the max and min fill lines. Just make sure you leave like 1/2inch room from the top.

 

4. Can I perhaps place the carbon media bag UNDERNEATH the bioballs, or is that a bad idea?

 

Resist the bioballs. All they do is trap waste. Your live rock is going to act as your biological filter.

5. How often would I need to change the carbon media bag in chamber 2? I have read anywhere between 1 week and 6 months!!!

 

Cheap carbon should generally be replaced every month. Stuff like chemipure-elite can be changed out more like 4-6 months (or shorter, if you like.)