Jeff's U.P. LED BioCube 29G --> Out of Hobby Sale

[drewbold]

Well I have the api 5 in 1 test strips for right now, another member suggested I use sailfert (I think was the name) tests as they seem to be the most accurate, in his experience. The strips I have test for GH KH pH Nitrite and Nitrate. I also have

http://www.amazon.com/Aquarium-Pharmaceuti...r/dp/B001EUE808

but it is like 6 years old given to me by my mom's b/f, so I dont really trust it.

[msujeff]

Well I have the api 5 in 1 test strips for right now, another member suggested I use sailfert (I think was the name) tests as they seem to be the most accurate, in his experience. The strips I have test for GH KH pH Nitrite and Nitrate. I also have

http://www.amazon.com/Aquarium-Pharmaceuti...r/dp/B001EUE808

but it is like 6 years old given to me by my mom's b/f, so I dont really trust it.

Go with salifert if you need to buy any.

[Beijo Gaem]

i got a gift cert to a LFS and decided to use it to get a hydor flo deflector - i couldn't get it to stay on for more than 60 seconds. people told me to super glue it. but i decided not to.

 

how's the mp10 working out for you? i've been wanting to get one myself - but haven't seen it in action in the bc29.

[msujeff]

i got a gift cert to a LFS and decided to use it to get a hydor flo deflector - i couldn't get it to stay on for more than 60 seconds. people told me to super glue it. but i decided not to.

 

how's the mp10 working out for you? i've been wanting to get one myself - but haven't seen it in action in the bc29.

It's been great. Very easy to use and looks really nice. I only run it at about 50 percent. If i turn it all the way up, it can move around the substrate pretty well and I have seaflor special so there's some good size pieces. Sugar size sand may pose a problem but fine tuning it would help to see what it could be run at. I will be putting in some sps so the random flow should really help.

[msujeff]

UPDATE: Just noticed I posted an older pic as the FTS so I switched it out with the newest one on the front page and page 8. I moved around a few of the rocks to give a little more room for some lps on the sand on the right side of the tank. Not the best pic, I only have the 10K bulb going since my actinic bulb went out on me a couple of weeks ago. LEDs should be shipping this week so the next FTS should be a lot better.

[drewbold]

Yea, I'm not sure anymore what I want to do, with the 14g I was thinking no skimmer but now with a 29g I have much more options for fish so after some thought I might just order the basket and media for it and skip the fuge and go with the tunze skimmer in case I want a heavier bio-load.

 

I am planning on scraping the paint off the back for the light for the fuge, if i go that route. I have a coral life aqualight pc mini from a handmedown tank that I can mount easily to the back of the tank if i go with the fuge basket, im thinking the fuge basket with some cheato to start with would be a cheaper route.

 

Also happy to hear the LEDs should finally ship out this week for you, seems like you have been waiting months! Cant wait to see what they look like for ya.

[DK_Reef]

I think I missed it but how did you change the stock pump for the MJ?

[msujeff]

I think I missed it but how did you change the stock pump for the MJ?

It's pretty easy. First pop off the elbow that connects to the output nozzle on chamber three. Lift the stock pump out, it's just suction cupped to the bottom. Take off the green tube from the stock pump and attach it to the mj. Suction cup the mj to the bottom, this might take a little time to get it to stick depending on how much silicon is on the bottom of chamber three. Reattach the elbow back to the nozzle on the wall. Some people buy some 1/2" inside diameter tubing so they can ditch the elbow which may increase flow. I tried to do this but I could not keep the tubing from kinking.

[DK_Reef]

Oh, very nice, thanks I will probably try that out aswell.

 

Does it really improve flow? The stock pump is around 240 gph and a maxi jet is around 290 gph?

[Gromit1710]

A "couple of weeks" is what I was told on 1/12. I'm hoping by the end of January I'll get a more exact date.

While I like Nanotuner's products, I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who's been told that the order is delayed. Happened on both kits I've purchased from them. Always took twice as long, if not longer to get my order.

[msujeff]

Oh, very nice, thanks I will probably try that out aswell.

 

Does it really improve flow? The stock pump is around 240 gph and a maxi jet is around 290 gph?

Techniqually it does but it is probably not very noticeable. The mj1200 puts out a higher gph rate at less power consumption. Some do this to control heat issues. The mj900 has 50ish (don't have the exact figures in front of me) less gph the. The 1200 but has less then half the power consumption.

 

While I like Nanotuner's products, I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who's been told that the order is delayed. Happened on both kits I've purchased from them. Always took twice as long, if not longer to get my order.

Yeah the changes they made to the products are worth the wait. It should be shipped this week if everything goes as they say it will. I ordered at the very end of December so a complete product revamp in 2-3 months is pretty good imo.

[spanko]

I use the RIO 6hf. On my second one in this tank in 4 years.

 

 

Maxi-Jet 1200

• V/Hz: 120V/60Hz

• Wattage: 20W

• Max Flow: 295gph

• Max Pumping Height: 69"

• Dimensions: 3.5" L x 2" W x 3.25" H

 

Maxi-jet 900

• V/Hz: 120V/60Hz

• Wattage: 8.5W

• Max Flow: 230gph

• Max Pumping Height: 46"

• Dimensions: 3.5" L x 2" W x 3.25" H

Rio 6HF

• V/Hz: 120V/60Hz

• Wattage: 15W

• Max Flow: 350gph

• Max Pumping Height: 72"

• Dimensions: 3.9" L x 2" W x 2.5" H

[Gromit1710]

Techniqually it does but it is probably not very noticeable. The mj1200 puts out a higher gph rate at less power consumption. Some do this to control heat issues. The mj900 has 50ish (don't have the exact figures in front of me) less gph the. The 1200 but has less then half the power consumption.

 

 

Yeah the changes they made to the products are worth the wait. It should be shipped this week if everything goes as they say it will. I ordered at the very end of December so a complete product revamp in 2-3 months is pretty good imo.

Both times I've ordered from them was like that. Kinda went something like this:

 

Me: Dude.. where's my stuff? It's been a month and a half..

Nick : Uh... yeah. We had a problem with ( insert issue here )

Me: Ok.. cool. Soooo... when can you ship?

Nick: Well.. If we change your order and add this ( or ) remove this, we can build this tomorrow and ship it.

 

Don't get me wrong though, Nick is really helpful and knows alot about setting up and running LED's. I think Nanotuners has just been swamped with orders faster than they can build and have run into vendor problems.

[msujeff]

@spanko: thanks for the numbers, I'm on my iPhone on edge network so it would take forever to look up. I tried the rio but it was way too loud. I just got an email back from them about sending in my unit it to get it replaced. Hopefully the new one will be a lot quieter, it seems like it's hit or miss with them.

 

@grommit: I agree, they are a small shop and hopefully orders are really picking up for them. I would imagine this is a pretty hard market to be in.

[spanko]

I have found with the RIO that you need to take the cover off and unscrew the car to get to the impeller. This needs to be seated fully into the pump body then put the cap back on. If it is slightly out you get that rattling noise. I can tell when mine needs cleaning because I will start to hear that rattle. Meas some detritus has worked down into the pocket where the little rubber pc. on the end of the impeller shaft seats into the pump body.

 

Just my experience with them.

[msujeff]

I have found with the RIO that you need to take the cover off and unscrew the car to get to the impeller. This needs to be seated fully into the pump body then put the cap back on. If it is slightly out you get that rattling noise. I can tell when mine needs cleaning because I will start to hear that rattle. Meas some detritus has worked down into the pocket where the little rubber pc. on the end of the impeller shaft seats into the pump body.

 

Just my experience with them.

I've taken mine apart to see if I could find the problem but nothing I did seem to help. I'll try one last time before sending it in. Do you use 1/2" or 5/8" tubing?

[spanko]

I am still hooked to the elbow. So I guess that is 1/2".

[DK_Reef]

A question as to the actual volume capacity of the BC29, when I entered the dimensions (from Oceanic's website)

• L 20.8 x W 20.1 x H 19
  

 

onto a aquarium volume calculator it gives me 34.39 gallons. So is the 29 gallons referring to the display area of the aquarium and the extra 5 gallons is the filter space in the back when filled with water? So technically with nothing in there the biocube holds around 34 gallons? I am curious because sure 5 gallons isn't much but I would appreciate it.

[Gr8_Outdoorsman]

A question as to the actual volume capacity of the BC29, when I entered the dimensions (from Oceanic's website)

• L 20.8 x W 20.1 x H 19
  

 

onto a aquarium volume calculator it gives me 34.39 gallons. So is the 29 gallons referring to the display area of the aquarium and the extra 5 gallons is the filter space in the back when filled with water? So technically with nothing in there the biocube holds around 34 gallons? I am curious because sure 5 gallons isn't much but I would appreciate it.

 

Not meaning to butt in, but when I filled my BC29 with water, 35lbs live rock and 13lbs of live sand it held just under 21 gallons of water....

[DK_Reef]

Are you leaning toward it holding 34 or 29?

[spanko]

I was the same as the outdoorsman. Tank wouldn't hold 29 gallons with no rock or sand IMO. I have 20 lbs. sand and about 30 lbs. of rock. Took about 24 gallons of water to fill.

[msujeff]

My guess is that the dimensions are not measuring the perimeter of the bc. Also the rounded edges at the front will make it a little smaller. I think I was right around what the two above said, about 22-24 gallons with all the rock and sand in.

[msujeff]

So I tested some fresh salt water using AquaVitro Salinity salt and need some input. All testing done with Salifert except ph (api)

 

ph: 8.3

Mg: 1230

dKH: 8.6

Ca: 380

 

The lab results printed on the side of salt tub are as follows:

ph: 8.4

Mg: 1356

Alk: 3.6 (~10 dKH)

Ca: 430

 

EDIT: Little low on what is "guarenteed" but dkh is acceptable, probably would like to get the Ca up a little once I start stocking some sps. Leaning towards BRS two part, I think I've spend enough at this store by now but meh, good products and good pricing.

[msujeff]

I canceled the R2 moonlight part of my order with NT and opted to go with the ALC for my RKL. I placed an order yesterday from BRS for the ALC and the Two Part small package. Also picked up two blue lunar pods from Marine Depot since BRS was out of stock. I'll be able to do an actual sunrise and sunset with the ramp up of the ALC and also the lunar pods will allow for a 28 day lunar cycle.

 

I talked with Nick yesterday and he said that this week is looking good to be able to get out the LED kit. I changed the 50/50 strip to a blue strip since Nick wasn't sure how long it would take to get more 50/50 strips in, they're currently on a boat in the Pacific coming from China. Hopefully everything will come in this week and I can put it in the tank this weekend. Only problem is I have a Mac so I need to try to borrow a friend's PC so I can update the RKL head unit and PC4s to make sure they're running the newest software (I know my RKL is running 1.01 or 1.03 or something like that). Hopefully it will be a busy weekend.

[msujeff]

Well I received the ALC, blue lunar pods, and BRS Two Part Package over that past couple of day but still waiting on the LEDs. I mixed up the two part (three separate gallons of Ca, Alk, and Mg) today. This is the Two Part Package, I've heard good results and BRS always has great products so this should be just fine. I'm not sure when I'm going to start using it, in three weeks I'll be leaving the tank to a sitter for about 10 days so Ill probably start after that. When I get back from my trip (Caribbean Cruise) I'll be placing some good size coral orders to finally start giving this tank some color!