Biocube 29 / 32 Upgrades

[Todarrell]

I’ve always been attracted to nano’s. Historically, I have moved every 2-5 years so the thought of moving a large setup discouraged me from ever going big.

 

I purchased the Oceanic Biocube 29 gallon roughly 10 years ago. Once I was bored with it (months later) I bought a Halide upgrade lid kit. The lighting upgrade was pretty significant. I cut the back of the factory lid and installed an overflow box and added an acrylic sump. The halide light was awesome but heated the water too much so I decided to buy a chiller. 
 

This setup lasted perfectly for six plus years. Fish and corals were thriving! About five years ago I moved again. This time I decided to place the tank in my bedroom. There wasn’t another ideal spot in our new home. Having the tank next to my side of the bed was pretty cool. I adjusted the returns for the perfect amount of water noise which made a tranquil sleeping environment. Unfortunately the HQ / Chiller combo made my bedroom too warm for comfort and the wife started to complain. It was time to ditch the chiller and halide.
 

I was once again looking to upgrade. At the time the Radion xr30 g4 Pro was about the best lighting option I could find. With the Radion addition, I had to lose the Biocube lid. I decided to have a cabinet built so I went to a local custom cabinet place and gave them my drawing. In order for a perfect fit, they needed the actual tank. Fortunately I found one used for $75.
 

After my cabinet was built, I decided to use the second Biocube tank as a sump. I removed the plastic rim and the rear chamber. I pretty much left it glass only. 
 

Once again, I'm looking to upgrade. I recently added an ATO. Next, I’m thinking of cleaning up the sump configuration, reorganizing the wires and plumbing, and adding a shelf to build a nice dosing system. 

I’m interested in hearing and seeing your ideas. Please post pictures of any cool Biocube mods.

 

 I’m willing to “invest” additional funds but would like to keep costs within reason. 

I welcome any and all comments, feedback and suggestions. 

Thank you!

Darrell - Orlando, FL

 

[seabass]

That's very slick!   to Nano-Reef.com.

[Ratvan]

Extremely smart build, looks great

[Christopher Marks]

Welcome to the community @Todarrell! This might be the most decked out Biocube system I’ve ever seen, super cool! It looks pretty well dialed in, what livestock are you looking to add?

[banasophia]

Wow, looks great! Look forward to following along!!

[Todarrell]

Christopher,

My tank has a few fish - Two Clowns, Two Gobies and a small Kole Tang

 

Corals are mostly soft - Frogspawn, Trumpet, Zoas, Favia, and two frags of Monti.

 

I'm looking to go heavy SPS after the mods.  

 

I was thinking of doing a new rockscape and bare bottom.  If I decide on bare bottom, I'll probably trim a thin piece of black starboard to protect the bottom.  

[Todarrell]

For anyone wanting to do something similar, I have a few recommendations..

 

 1. Fiberglass the inside portion of the cabinet. Originally I left it bare wood. After two years I started noticing water damage and the wood began to split.  I removed the tank, let the cabinet dry out then repaired and covered the top portion with fiberglass.

2. Use a weather strip of some sort for the cabinet door seam to block out the light. I trimmed some gasket and tacked it to the inside of the door. This worked beautifully.

3. Buy the expensive SS hinges and coat them with dielectric grease or some sort of corrosion protectant.  The cheap hinges will rust out quickly.   

[Todarrell]

The first picture is what my sump currently looks like. The next two pictures show my sump design blueprint.  

 

I'll buy the glass already cut and polished.

 

The dosing system and MP 10 controllers will be installed on the sides of the cabinet. 

[Todarrell]

I switched out the original Biocube back sump pump with the Innovative Marine MightyJet.  The outflow is lock line split into a "Y" 

 

The controller is sweet. You're able to dial in the flow using incremental digital adjustments.

 

What an improvement and it is silent!!  I highly recommend this pump. 👍👍

[icatchsnook]

This is a super cool build!

[kygass]

These are some great biocube mods!  I was hoping to add a sump to my own.  Can you let me know what overflow and return pump you used?

[Todarrell]

kygass,

 

I currently have the basic hang on back siphon overflow and a quiet one return 500 gph.  

 

I plan to upgrade both of these as well. 

 

What initially turned into a few simple ideas, is now an all out renovation.  

 

Coming soon...

Ecotech Vectra DC return pump

Fiji Cube Lo Pro Overflow - Yes I'm going to drill the tank!!

Bashsea 20 x 20 sump

Bashsea ATO reservoir 10 gal

 

[Todarrell]

Still waiting for everything to arrive.  I'll update on each step of the process.  

I've be toying around with the thought of a control panel setup.  

 

[Todarrell]

Finally finished!