Biocube 16 Set Up

[Toasteh_ghost]

Hey guys! This is my first time setting up a saltwater tank and I purchased a Biocube 16. After doing a bit of research, I think I’ve settled on the equipment and modifications I want, but I was hoping to get some input from someone with more experience in the hobby on my choices. This is my set up plan:

 

1. Remove media rack and replace with InTank media rack with the following:

Top: Filter Floss

Middle: RowaPhos (may remove if not needed)

Bottom: ChemiPure Blue

 

2. Remove the bottom in Chamber 1 and add Cobalt 3100 Neo-Therm Heater 75W. Add protein skimmer to Chamber 1 or 3. 

Cut overflow between Chambers 1 & 2.

 

3. Replace system pump with Cobalt MJ 900.

 

4. Addition of Hydor Koralia Circulation Pump, 425GPH.

 

5. Cycle with 10-15lb live rock and 20lb live sand for two weeks or until levels stabilize.

 

My end goal is to stock with:

2x Clownfish

1X Watchman Goby or Azure Damsel

 

Torch Coral

Green Star Polyp

Kenya Tree

Toadstool Leather

Pulsing Xenia

 

I haven’t decided on a good cleaning crew yet. Any thoughts or suggestions? 

 

I would love to get some input on my setup from you guys and hope to start a journal as soon as I get everything going! 🙂

[Clown79]

I can't speak on all the upgrades because I don't have a biocube.

 

The one concern is the chemical media.

 

Rowaphos reduces phosphate. Using it without having an issue can strip the available nutrients in the tank that corals need.

 

Chemipure blue does the same thing, its carbon and resin which reduces phos.

 

Both products reduce phosphates-that could lead to potential issues 

[MSunkin23]

Sounds like a good setup!

 

I agree with Clown, you could be fine with just the Chemipure Blue. I alternate using that and Chemipure elite.

 

Also, Skimmer may not be needed, at least right away. The huge benefit of a nano is that you can easily do a water change. But certainly couldn't hurt to have the skimmer. I would sub out the skimmer and upgrade the Hydor 425 to the Aqamai KPS. That pump is incredible imo, and fantastic value.

Seems like a pretty awesome setup you have cooking.

 

For cleaner crew, If I did it again, I may consider a pistol shrimp goby pair. Although not a cleaner crew per-se, I have seen some nano tanks with immaculate sand beds mostly responsible via the pair. Other than that, Trochus and Cerith Snails do an awesome job.

 

Once the tank stabilizes, I recommend a cleaner shrimp. This works well for me because once the fish pellets hit the sand bed I would have to clean them up manually. My cleaner shrimp takes care of that now and there is less residual food.

 

Good luck!

[Clown79]

19 minutes ago, MSunkin23 said:

Sounds like a good setup!

 

I agree with Clown, you could be fine with just the Chemipure Blue. I alternate using that and Chemipure elite.

 

Also, Skimmer may not be needed, at least right away. The huge benefit of a nano is that you can easily do a water change. But certainly couldn't hurt to have the skimmer. I would sub out the skimmer and upgrade the Hydor 425 to the Aqamai KPS. That pump is incredible imo, and fantastic value.

Seems like a pretty awesome setup you have cooking.

 

For cleaner crew, If I did it again, I may consider a pistol shrimp goby pair. Although not a cleaner crew per-se, I have seen some nano tanks with immaculate sand beds mostly responsible via the pair. Other than that, Trochus and Cerith Snails do an awesome job.

 

Once the tank stabilizes, I recommend a cleaner shrimp. This works well for me because once the fish pellets hit the sand bed I would have to clean them up manually. My cleaner shrimp takes care of that now and there is less residual food.

 

Good luck!

I forgot to mention the skimmer. I wouldn't do one either.

[Toasteh_ghost]

Thanks for the input, everyone! I’ll stick with just the filter floss and Chemipure Blue as my filter media. Is there a benefit to cycling between Chemipure Blue and Elite and if so, how often do you switch between the two? 

 

I like the idea of a Watchman Goby and Pistol Shrimp pair. Would this in combination with two clownfish be too much of a bioload or would it be ok in a tank this size?

 

On a final note: is there any detriment to getting a protein skimmer? I’m very much a “gotta be prepared for anything” kind of person and like the idea of having a safety cushion in case I miss a water change, etc. But if there’s  no benefit, I may hold off.

[MSunkin23]

Hey Toasteh,

 

I dont have an opinion on the chemi-pure elite or the chemi-pure blue. The elite has GFO for phosphates, so when I see some algae starting up, sometimes I buy the elite over the blue. To be honest, I go for whatever is a better price on amazon.com as the prices changes often. I cant determine which is better, but right now running the elite.

I think a goby/shrimp combo would be do-able with two clowns. Dont think the goby takes up too much bioload, and the shrimp is small bioload as well. You would just want to make sure to keep up with your water changes.

 

The Skimmer removes proteins. Proteins are amino acid chains that break down into smaller organic matter over time through "tank digestion". Those "digestion" products contribute to  nitrates and other organic impurities that can be problematic as tank 'waste'. The skimmer cant hurt, and you will find differing opinions on nano-reef. My personal belief is less is more. I have had a lot more success keeping my hands out of the tank and reducing the amount of automation I do. I rely more on water changes and minimal feeding and it has worked for me so far.

 

That being said, a skimmer is a great tool to keep things stable, but definitely not mandatory for a good system!

[banasophia]

Congrats on the new tank! So excited we have a couple of people starting Biocube 16s right now... I love mine!!!

 

I would not cut that tab between the first and second chamber, especially since that is what supports the skimmer if you end up using one in the future. My tank is heavily fed due to the needs of my livestock, so I use the skimmer along with water changes, filter media, and some other methods to control my nitrates and phosphates. 

 

I prefer Chemipure Elite and Purigen to Chemipure Blue... tried the Chemipure Blue for a while and the tank didn’t seem to do as well.  Also, the stock media rack seems totally satisfactory to me, I don’t think it’s a priority to get the InTank one. 

 

Looking forward to following along!! Also, I don’t think anyone said it yet, so I guess I get to do the honors - welcome to Nano Reef!

 

 

[Clown79]

I can't say on the chemipure switching. I stopped using chemipure. I use other media.

 

Skimmers can strip nano tanks of available nutrients. They aren't necessary on small tanks. For certain set ups they are needed.

[Toasteh_ghost]

Thanks guys! I’ll skip on the protein skimmer and instead invest in an Aqamai KPS. I ran into an issue today - it looks like Amazon accidentally sent me a 25W Cobalt heater and are out of the 75W one for now. A run to my LFS and Petco/Petsmart didn’t help with finding one. Is there another heater that y’all would recommend that will fit in the chambers of the Biocube? I won’t be setting up the tank for another week or so (a friend is building the stand for it this weekend), but I’d like to have everything on hand.

[banasophia]

3 minutes ago, Toasteh_ghost said:

Thanks guys! I’ll skip on the protein skimmer and instead invest in an Aqamai KPS. I ran into an issue today - it looks like Amazon accidentally sent me a 25W Cobalt heater and are out of the 75W one for now. A run to my LFS and Petco/Petsmart didn’t help with finding one. Is there another heater that y’all would recommend that will fit in the chambers of the Biocube? I won’t be setting up the tank for another week or so (a friend is building the stand for it this weekend), but I’d like to have everything on hand.

I use the Cobalt Neotherm 50 W ... works great for me. 

[Clown79]

15 hours ago, Toasteh_ghost said:

Thanks guys! I’ll skip on the protein skimmer and instead invest in an Aqamai KPS. I ran into an issue today - it looks like Amazon accidentally sent me a 25W Cobalt heater and are out of the 75W one for now. A run to my LFS and Petco/Petsmart didn’t help with finding one. Is there another heater that y’all would recommend that will fit in the chambers of the Biocube? I won’t be setting up the tank for another week or so (a friend is building the stand for it this weekend), but I’d like to have everything on hand.

Check measurements of the chamber before buying.

 

I use the neotherm, a eheim jagger, and aqueon pro- all have been great. The jagger is just very big compared to the other 2.

[Toasteh_ghost]

Hey guys! Bumping the topic a bit since it’s been a few weeks and I’m closing in on adding live rock/sand/water. I’m putting the final touches on the tank and was wondering if anyone has cut the partial wall between chambers 2 and 3? (The tab that the power head is currently restint against in th picture) I removed the sponge and would like a little extra space in the third chamber. I wasn’t sure if this would affect flow through the back chambers in any way? I’m trying to squeeze in a Green Killing Machine 9W into Chamber 3, mostly because the tank will be subject to indirect sunlight occassionally and I’d like to control algea blooms that could be caused by this.

 

I ended up getting the Koralia 425 and an MP10 shortly afterwarr because I couldn’t resisit the sleek profile and functionality. And thoughts on where to put these and where to position them?

 

 

[WhiteVelvetStarfish]

Welcome dude!

 

I am started up a Biocube 16g recently and I love it.  As far as the upgrades go, you've gotten some pretty solid advice on here.  What you'll find is that as you go through the journey, some things that work for others will not work for you.  I'd suggest focusing first on your parameters and then reacting accordingly rather than planning for problems and implementing fixes before they are necessary.

 

The floss and chemipure in chamber 2 are solid and this ended up being the setup that worked for me.  I also removed the filter cartridge from chamber 1 as there is no need for it if yo're running the chemipure.  Taking out the bottom of chamber one can be a bitch and I'd suggest doing that before you fill the tank (if you haven't already).  My hands were too big to fit in the chamber at all and it was a real PITA.

 

I kept the stock pump, but will look to upgrade shortly.  I'll tell you that flow has not been an issue with that pump as it's at about 185gph.  With the addition of a Koralia Nano, I get plenty of flow (and it was done for very cheap).  

 

For clean up crew, I had a TON of algae issues in the beginning.  They were only brought under control when my LFS suggested I add some Nassarius snails for the sand and some banded trochus snails.  I have about 4 Nassarius and 5 of the trochus and they literally cleaned out EVERYTHING I had on the glass in a matter of days.  I get small buildups here and there, but for the most part, they have done a wonderful job keeping things in check.  Just a thought!

 

As for positioning your pumps, I have the main pump in chamber 3 pointing up to break the surface of the water slightly.  This will get some of the stuff at the top back into the circulation of the water and eventually into your filtration system.  This will help given that you don't have a protein skimmer.  I'd recommend putting your other one on the back right side of the tank pointing towards the front left side while trying not to put any corals in the direct line of the blast.  Given that the 425 has so much power for such a small tank, you'll likely be looking to keep the flow as indirect as possible as many of the corals you pickup would be overwhelmed.  

 

 

[banasophia]

On 1/26/2019 at 5:39 PM, Toasteh_ghost said:

Hey guys! Bumping the topic a bit since it’s been a few weeks and I’m closing in on adding live rock/sand/water. I’m putting the final touches on the tank and was wondering if anyone has cut the partial wall between chambers 2 and 3? (The tab that the power head is currently restint against in th picture) I removed the sponge and would like a little extra space in the third chamber. I wasn’t sure if this would affect flow through the back chambers in any way? I’m trying to squeeze in a Green Killing Machine 9W into Chamber 3, mostly because the tank will be subject to indirect sunlight occassionally and I’d like to control algea blooms that could be caused by this.

 

I ended up getting the Koralia 425 and an MP10 shortly afterwarr because I couldn’t resisit the sleek profile and functionality. And thoughts on where to put these and where to position them?

 

 

I wouldn’t do that with that divider... I’m personally not a fan of making alterations to a tank cuz I figure the company probably spends a lot of time and money on designing their tank, so I’m always afraid I might mess something up and regret it.  

 

You may decide to add that sponge back in later on, if for example you end up doing a refugium in the second chamber and want to keep bits of chaeto from going into the pump chamber. I put my sponge back in there when I had a refugium for a while... now that I removed the refugium, I put my Purigen in there instead.

[akish5]

I had a skimmer on my bio cube 29 and it really helped out a bunch with keeping the tank cleaner in my opinion.