16gal BioCube help

MrDeathKills · Sep 14, 2020

Alright i will try and get a bunch of questions knocked out here by using a number format. In advance thank you for reading and or helping!

16gallon biocube with LED hood

1. For sand wife wants as white of sand as possible any recommendations? In addition to that how many pounds of sand do I need?

2. How much rock is to much?

3. With wave makers is there any golden rules for it in placments? Or is it more of try it out see how fish/coral like it move as needed?

4. The person i got the cube from never changed out the media in the back overflow. Is the black plastic balls the “best” filtration i can get? Or is there something else i can place there that is much better.

5. Heater how big of a heater should i put in this tank? The original owner hasnt changed it in 4-5 years so definitely needs a new one. To add I live in Las Vegas house stays at 77 or less all day but do allow it to get to 80 at night. If i need to keep it to 77 even through the night that is fine.

6. The led strips in the LED hood can they be replaced? All of the lights currently work I just would like to know if in the future there is eomthing I could do to make it a little better.

7. This is kind of a free one but I have heard there are quiet a few mods that can be done to make these guys great would love to hear any that you think arw a must but dont break the bank.

If you made it all the way to the end thank you for reading and giving me any info you can! I want to make sure I am as informed as possible to give my fish the best i can.

LBReefer · Sep 14, 2020

MrDeathKills said:
Alright i will try and get a bunch of questions knocked out here by using a number format. In advance thank you for reading and or helping!

16gallon biocube with LED hood

1. For sand wife wants as white of sand as possible any recommendations? In addition to that how many pounds of sand do I need?

2. How much rock is to much?

3. With wave makers is there any golden rules for it in placments? Or is it more of try it out see how fish/coral like it move as needed?

4. The person i got the cube from never changed out the media in the back overflow. Is the black plastic balls the “best” filtration i can get? Or is there something else i can place there that is much better.

5. Heater how big of a heater should i put in this tank? The original owner hasnt changed it in 4-5 years so definitely needs a new one. To add I live in Las Vegas house stays at 77 or less all day but do allow it to get to 80 at night. If i need to keep it to 77 even through the night that is fine.

6. The led strips in the LED hood can they be replaced? All of the lights currently work I just would like to know if in the future there is eomthing I could do to make it a little better.

7. This is kind of a free one but I have heard there are quiet a few mods that can be done to make these guys great would love to hear any that you think arw a must but dont break the bank.

If you made it all the way to the end thank you for reading and giving me any info you can! I want to make sure I am as informed as possible to give my fish the best i can.

All very good questions.

1. You want enough for approximately 1" sand bed. Too little and you want get the biological filtration you are looking for. Too much and you run the risk of creating anaerobic zones.

2. This is highly debatable and depends on what you want to do with the tank. The pound per gallon ratio is a good place to start. It also depends on the type of rock you purchase. Highly porous rock with a ton of surface area will serve you several fold better smooth dense rock.

3. WaveMaker position will depend on what you plan to but in the tank some corals need a ton of movement some prefer a more lackadaisical flow.

4. Yes there is a ton of better media. Once again, it depends on what you want to do. I've often used some kind of ceramic balls for an all in one aquarium, paired up with carbon that I change out every few weeks.

5. Sounds like you could go with something pretty small. 50 watt would be my recommendation.

6. Yes, they can be replaced. Just make sure to reseal the light area well. I had moisture get into my hood and it want pretty.

7. Stick it out for a year before looking at mods. You will likely be out of the hobby or interested in a much bigger tank by then. 16 gallons is very limiting when it comes to livestock.

Check out the Bulk Reef Supply 52 weeks of reefing or the Supreme Guide to Reefing sticky on R2R. Or better yet, do both. They are really well done and will prevent a lot of frustrations down the road.

Most importantly, have fun. To love watching my tanks, but I sometimes have to remind myself to enjoy them for what they are and not focus on the work to be done.

MrDeathKills · Sep 14, 2020

1. Would 1” be good enough for a sand sifting goby?

3. Hydor Koralia Nano Aquarium Circulation Pump, 240. Is this an actual wavemaker or just a powerhead? Came with the tank.

4. Marine Pure High Performance Biofilter Media GEMS. Would this be a good one to get?

5. Will plan on a BRS titanium 50 watt then.

6. I think for now i will just clean it out and such. Just in case as you state later that i want to get a bigger tank. Why “waste” money on the tiny boy.

7. For livestock was planning on 1 clown 1 sandsifting goby 2 snails and 1 fire shrimp.

Thank you for your replay!

MrDeathKills · Sep 14, 2020

LBReefer said:
All very good questions.

1. You want enough for approximately 1" sand bed. Too little and you want get the biological filtration you are looking for. Too much and you run the risk of creating anaerobic zones.

2. This is highly debatable and depends on what you want to do with the tank. The pound per gallon ratio is a good place to start. It also depends on the type of rock you purchase. Highly porous rock with a ton of surface area will serve you several fold better smooth dense rock.

3. WaveMaker position will depend on what you plan to but in the tank some corals need a ton of movement some prefer a more lackadaisical flow.

4. Yes there is a ton of better media. Once again, it depends on what you want to do. I've often used some kind of ceramic balls for an all in one aquarium, paired up with carbon that I change out every few weeks.

5. Sounds like you could go with something pretty small. 50 watt would be my recommendation.

6. Yes, they can be replaced. Just make sure to reseal the light area well. I had moisture get into my hood and it want pretty.

7. Stick it out for a year before looking at mods. You will likely be out of the hobby or interested in a much bigger tank by then. 16 gallons is very limiting when it comes to livestock.

Check out the Bulk Reef Supply 52 weeks of reefing or the Supreme Guide to Reefing sticky on R2R. Or better yet, do both. They are really well done and will prevent a lot of frustrations down the road.

Most importantly, have fun. To love watching my tanks, but I sometimes have to remind myself to enjoy them for what they are and not focus on the work to be done.