New Biocube 32

[garye5007]

OK.. So I bought a new Biocube 32 LED on sort of an "Impulse". I kept salt water "fish" a looooong time ago and I know I want to set up a Reef tank.

I was "sold" the Biocube by the LFS He told me it is a good choice for a first reef. I haven't even opened the box yet. I read and read, and watch videos. I know there is a lot to reef keeping and before opening this box I need some reassurance from this group that I have made a good (or bad) choice for a tank... the internet is FULL of advice and some has me a little put off as to the shortcomings of this system. upgrades etc. I don't have unlimited funds, but I have enough not "cheap out".

I originally had 20 Gallons in mind but the salesperson steered me to the 32, He said the LEDs in the cover will support "easy" corals. Of course I can load this back in the truck and return for the 16 Bio or the 13 Evo or something else...

I would appreciate any advice you could give me!

Thanks in advance!

[Clown79]

There is nothing wrong with the biocube.many hobbyists have biocubes.

 

Pretty much most hobbyists do upgrades with aio tanks usually return pump and getting a media basket.

 

Check out the tank of the month category, i'm sure there are  biocubes on there.

[less than bread]

I've been interested in the Biocube 32 mostly because it's the perfect size for what I'm going for and I really want a cube shaped tank. Not finding many other cube shaped options in that size range. I think the ability to make your reef tank more 3 dimensional is so cool. Can't remember where I saw it on Youtube, but someone had a huge cube reef tank, if I had to guess probably well over 100 gallons and it was the most beautiful tank I've ever seen because they utilized the cubed space so well and really added depth to the view.

 

I currently have the 13 evo and it's cool but the space is really limited for what I want. I'd say you made a great buy but really depends what you want 

[garye5007]

Thank you very much for the replies! I am grateful!

[gena]

There is a reason that tank has been around for a long time!  It does a great job.  Hasn't everyone had a Biocube or nanocube at one point in their reefing career????  I know I've had both LOL.

 

I think you'll love the tank.  The only drawback for me with the closed tops is having to deal with heat issues in the summer.   I would just open the front feeding lid for those really hot days.  Or even a fan blowing at the tank worked.

[Seadragon]

5 hours ago, garye5007 said:

I originally had 20 Gallons in mind but the salesperson steered me to the 32

 

Although you will be fine with whatever you get, you should figure out what YOU actually want to be staring at for the next decade or two, not some salesman telling you what you need.  There are obvious advantages to having a smaller tank over a larger tank as well.  It costs a lot less to stock, buy equipment for, to maintain, etc.

 

If you love your new Biocube 32, then by all means keep it!  But, if you're having regrets, now is the time to return it before it's too late and get your dream tank.

[banasophia]

Congrats on your new tank! I’m definitely a fan of Biocubes. My Biocube 16 was my first fishtank and was featured here on Nano-Reef when it turned one year old and it was featured in Reef Hobbyist Magazine about 6 months later. I’m still running it now at 3 1/2 years and now I also have a Biocube 32 and a Fluval Evo 5. (I also ran an IM Nuvo 10 with an AI Prime light for a little while, but I wasn’t really happy with that tank/light and broke it down and got the Biocube 32.) 

 

If you like cube shaped tanks and the look of tanks with lids, Biocubes are a great way to go, and the programmability of the lights with 3 distinct phases that accentuate different livestock, and the ramp up / ramp down for sunrise and sunset are really nice. 
 

The one major downside, as @gena mentioned above is that the lid can trap in heat / prevent evaporative cooling. It does really eliminate the need for an automatic top off since there’s no significant evaporation between weekly water changes, so that saves around $100, but you might need to add fans to the back or a chiller in the future, depending on how warm your house and tank gets.

 

I do run Chill Solutions chillers on both my Biocubes for peace of mind, but perhaps they’re not really necessary… I allow my temp to fluctuate in my my Evo and it ranges from 76 to 82 with no major problems, so perhaps my Biocubes don’t need such tight temp control either. I am glad I don’t even have to worry about them on hot summer days though. 

[gena]

9 hours ago, banasophia said:

Congrats on your new tank! I’m definitely a fan of Biocubes. My Biocube 16 was my first fishtank and was featured here on Nano-Reef when it turned one year old and it was featured in Reef Hobbyist Magazine about 6 months later. I’m still running it now at 3 1/2 years and now I also have a Biocube 32 and a Fluval Evo 5. (I also ran an IM Nuvo 10 with an AI Prime light for a little while, but I wasn’t really happy with that tank/light and broke it down and got the Biocube 32.) 

 

If you like cube shaped tanks and the look of tanks with lids, Biocubes are a great way to go, and the programmability of the lights with 3 distinct phases that accentuate different livestock, and the ramp up / ramp down for sunrise and sunset are really nice. 
 

The one major downside, as @gena mentioned above is that the lid can trap in heat / prevent evaporative cooling. It does really eliminate the need for an automatic top off since there’s no significant evaporation between weekly water changes, so that saves around $100, but you might need to add fans to the back or a chiller in the future, depending on how warm your house and tank gets.

 

I do run Chill Solutions chillers on both my Biocubes for peace of mind, but perhaps they’re not really necessary… I allow my temp to fluctuate in my my Evo and it ranges from 76 to 82 with no major problems, so perhaps my Biocubes don’t need such tight temp control either. I am glad I don’t even have to worry about them on hot summer days though. 

Wow!!!  Sounds like the Biocubes have gotten really fancy these days.  The lighting sounds great!!!!  I would have loved that when I had one.

[banasophia]

1 hour ago, gena said:

Wow!!!  Sounds like the Biocubes have gotten really fancy these days.  The lighting sounds great!!!!  I would have loved that when I had one.

Yeah, I like the LEDs personally… I don’t think they are super strong so I run my lights a long time to compensate, but they seem to do a decent job growing a pretty good range of corals. 

[gena]

9 minutes ago, banasophia said:

Yeah, I like the LEDs personally… I don’t think they are super strong so I run my lights a long time to compensate, but they seem to do a decent job growing a pretty good range of corals. 

I know you said you have overheating issues, but I bet they aren't nearly as bad with LEDs.  Although, these LED fixtures can still get really hot so maybe there isn't that much difference.  I think the biocube I had was T5.  I know it wasn't LEDs.  That was really new or not even heard of yet.

[banasophia]

3 hours ago, gena said:

I know you said you have overheating issues, but I bet they aren't nearly as bad with LEDs.  Although, these LED fixtures can still get really hot so maybe there isn't that much difference.  I think the biocube I had was T5.  I know it wasn't LEDs.  That was really new or not even heard of yet.

Yes I think the overheating is related in part to the lack of evaporation/evaporative cooling, but I agree it’s probably not as bad with the LEDs since they probably aren’t producing as much heat as some of the other lights used in the hobby.