BioCube 32 G or Peninsula AIO 20 G

Zoa_Fanatic

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Many alterations will have to made in order to upgrade it. Getting a skimmer in it is a struggle, you will inevitably remove the lid to upgrade the light and add other mechanical filtertration. You have to make alterations to add a media basket. It has low resolution glass which is bowed so your pictures don't look good. I can go on and on, I have 4 tanks and one is biocube which I have had running for a long time and I can't wait to get rid of it. You can easily get a Innovative marine AIO tank and have a much more painless experience. People who have a biocubes will try to defend it but I really wish someone told me this before I bought my first tank so I didn't get it.
Getting a skimmer in is not hard at all. The corralife one fits perfectly with no isssues. No lighting upgrade is needed from what I’ve seen. I can literally grow anything I throw into these tanks with the stock LEDs. You most def do NOT have to alter the tank to add a media basket. Intank has one that fits biocubes perfectly. I have no idea what tank you’re talking about because none of these things are issues with a biocube 32 led
 

Zoa_Fanatic

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I have had and still have a biocube for running for a long time. My waterbed and IM tanks are better in everyday possible
If you’ve got the non LED version then yes I agree with you. I’ve got one of the old ones out in my garage and it’s useful as a paperweight at this point. That’s about it.
 

Ocean’s Piece

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Most people who say this have never owned a biocube
Check my build thread if you want proof.


Many alterations will have to made in order to upgrade it. Getting a skimmer in it is a struggle, you will inevitably remove the lid to upgrade the light and add other mechanical filtertration. You have to make alterations to add a media basket. It has low resolution glass which is bowed so your pictures don't look good. I can go on and on, I have 4 tanks and one is biocube which I have had running for a long time and I can't wait to get rid of it. You can easily get a Innovative marine AIO tank and have a much more painless experience. People who have a biocubes will try to defend it but I really wish someone told me this before I bought my first tank so I didn't get it.
I agree that the alteration/modifications can be a pain. That’s why I put it on my cons list. But these issues are minute. And not all the ones you said apply to the LED Biocube (new Biocube). If you want a tank in the 30 gallon range, Biocube is your best bet.
If you’ve got the non LED version then yes I agree with you. I’ve got one of the old ones out in my garage and it’s useful as a paperweight at this point. That’s about it.
The new Biocube are much better. Coralife has improved so many things compared to the previous ones. The only ok thing with the Biocube is the protein skimmer. It takes a little while to get it perfect but once you do, it works like a charm.
 

OrangeCountyReefer

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Getting a skimmer in is not hard at all. The corralife one fits perfectly with no isssues. No lighting upgrade is needed from what I’ve seen. I can literally grow anything I throw into these tanks with the stock LEDs. You most def do NOT have to alter the tank to add a media basket. Intank has one that fits biocubes perfectly. I have no idea what tank you’re talking about because none of these things are issues with a biocube 32 led
coralife skimmer completely sucks, I have 4 tanks and the biocube is the worst of them BY FAR. Maybe the media basket is different now but back then I had to take a box cutters and pliers to tear out plastic lining in mine. Start a poll and see who recommends getting a Biocube vs who doesn't. Get a 30 gallon IM tank and the only extra you have to get outside of what you would for the biocube is a light and mount for it.
 

Zoa_Fanatic

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coralife skimmer completely sucks, I have 4 tanks and the biocube is the worst of them BY FAR. Maybe the media basket is different now but back then I had to take a box cutters and pliers to tear out plastic lining in mine. Start a poll and see who recommends getting a Biocube vs who doesn't. Get a 30 gallon IM tank and the only extra you have to get outside of what you would for the biocube is a light and mount for it.
Again, you’re comparing Stone Age technology to flying cars. The old biocubes were trash. The skimmer has been improved. And you DONT need a lighting upgrade with the LEDs.I have made 0 upgrades outside of my skimmer and have kept high end zoa, Xenia, acans, leptastrea, several nems (had to remove a curlyque I had because it got to the size of a dinner plate), acan, mushrooms, candy canes, hammer coral, blasto, and paly grandis alove for over a year with no issues.
 

Ocean’s Piece

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coralife skimmer completely sucks, I have 4 tanks and the biocube is the worst of them BY FAR. Maybe the media basket is different now but back then I had to take a box cutters and pliers to tear out plastic lining in mine. Start a poll and see who recommends getting a Biocube vs who doesn't. Get a 30 gallon IM tank and the only extra you have to get outside of what you would for the biocube is a light and mount for it.
I don’t know if you’re talking about the v1 skimmer or v2 skimmer, but I would agree they both have flaws. V1 absolutely sucks. Completely agree. V2 not so much but not saying it’s bad. It’s finicky. You have to get it perfect for it to work great. What I do is I have it lifted above the water in chamber 1, I have the cup taped for the bubbles don’t bust it open, and I have the air valve open all the way.
Again, you’re comparing Stone Age technology to flying cars. The old biocubes were trash. The skimmer has been improved. And you DONT need a lighting upgrade with the LEDs.
+1
 

OrangeCountyReefer

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Again, you’re comparing Stone Age technology to flying cars. The old biocubes were trash. The skimmer has been improved. And you DONT need a lighting upgrade with the LEDs.I have made 0 upgrades outside of my skimmer and have kept high end zoa, Xenia, acans, leptastrea, several nems (had to remove a curlyque I had because it got to the size of a dinner plate), acan, mushrooms, candy canes, hammer coral, blasto, and paly grandis alove for over a year with no issues.
Mine is 2 years old, its the LED one. Have you every owned another modern tank? Waterbox, Redsea, Innovative marine? I could not accomplish what is in my display right now with a biocube with stock lights.
 

Zoa_Fanatic

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I don’t know if you’re talking about the v1 skimmer or v2 skimmer, but I would agree they both have flaws. V1 absolutely sucks. Completely agree. V2 not so much but not saying it’s bad. It’s finicky. You have to get it perfect for it to work great. What I do is I have it lifted above the water in chamber 1, I have the cup taped for the bubbles don’t bust it open, and I have the air valve open all the way.

+1
Same here! There was an older style biocube skimmer for the older tanks that required an air stone that was annoying. They don’t even make it anymore.
 

Zoa_Fanatic

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Mine is 2 years old, its the LED one. Have you every owned another modern tank? Waterbox, Redsea, Innovative marine? I could not accomplish what is in my display right now with a biocube with stock lights.
Yes. So has my father. Between the two of us I have the better tank and have consistently. It’s a biocube 32 led. I can literally grow anything. You can spend 1500$ on a super nice Red Sea or 500$ on a biocube with the stand. For the money there isn’t a nice AIO tank out there.
 

OrangeCountyReefer

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Yes. So has my father. Between the two of us I have the better tank and have consistently. It’s a biocube 32 led. I can literally grow anything. You can spend 1500$ on a super nice Red Sea or 500$ on a biocube with the stand. For the money there isn’t a nice AIO tank out there.
Waterbox 20 cube is 249.00 right now AIO, And innovative marine has plenty of AIO options under 500
 

OrangeCountyReefer

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If I didn’t buy biocube I would go with Red Sea. Literally the only other company I’d trust. Your bad experience aside TONS of people on r2r love these tanks
It is a good beginning tank but will quickly be outgrown as you progress in the hobby. I am not putting my torch collection in stock biocube
 

Ocean’s Piece

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Thank you for the response. Is there a room to add ATO, Heater and Desktop skimmer in BioCube 32 Gallon?
I wouldn’t suggest getting an ATO if you plan to keep the lid on. The evaporation with the lid on in the Biocube is like maybe a cup a week and that’s pushing it. I’d put that extra 100 dollars you would spend on an ATO towards one of those bundles I was talking about.
 

Zoa_Fanatic

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It is a good beginning tank but will quickly be outgrown as you progress in the hobby. I am not putting my torch collection in stock biocube
. We don’t all have thousands to spend on coral all the time my friend. FYI, my younger brother has a torch garden in his biocube. They’re doing fine
 

OrangeCountyReefer

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. We don’t all have thousands to spend on coral all the time my friend. FYI, my younger brother has a torch garden in his biocube. They’re doing fine
Well if he decides to get into SPS or other stuff he will be able to do so if he goes with a better tank.
 

Ocean’s Piece

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Well if he decides to get into SPS or other stuff he will be able to do so if he goes with a better tank.
I’d say it’s not the tank, rather the lighting that’s the issue. The stock lights can grow softies and lps well, but if you want to get into the SPS world, then that’s a lighting thing and not a tank thing. At the end of the day, it’s a glass box. Any options will work. For beginners though, I’d say the Biocube is a better choice because of stability, ease of use, and it’s an all around good tank for almost everything that isn’t finicky, and requires a lot of care and knowledge, which beginners don’t know a whole lot about. The Biocube just makes things easier. All my opinion and I’m sure others have different opinions.
 

Zoa_Fanatic

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I’d say it’s not the tank, rather the lighting that’s the issue. The stock lights can grow softies and lps well, but if you want to get into the SPS world, then that’s a lighting thing and not a tank thing. At the end of the day, it’s a glass box. Any options will work. For beginners though, I’d say the Biocube is a better choice because of stability, ease of use, and it’s an all around good tank for almost everything that isn’t finicky, and requires a lot of care and knowledge, which beginners don’t know a whole lot about. The Biocube just makes things easier. All my opinion and I’m sure others have different opinions.
I agree with this 100%. SPS are not beginner friendly anyway and personally I’ve never liked them even when I did keep them. LPS is my jam, and zoa obviously
 

Brady4000

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coralife skimmer completely sucks, I have 4 tanks and the biocube is the worst of them BY FAR. Maybe the media basket is different now but back then I had to take a box cutters and pliers to tear out plastic lining in mine. Start a poll and see who recommends getting a Biocube vs who doesn't. Get a 30 gallon IM tank and the only extra you have to get outside of what you would for the biocube is a light and mount for it.
What were you cutting out? Two years ago isn’t that old.

I have an InTank media basket and a InTank Refug. I never had to cut anything.

As for the glass, I have a clear 4 life acrylic corner tank, fully polished by yours truly, and I can’t see the difference when both are clean. Maybe I just don’t have the high end coral you have.

The coral life skimmer dose suck. But do you really need a skimmer in a 32g tank?

Also if the lighting is awful, why not upgrade to Steve’s LED? I mean.. these tanks aren’t super expensive for what you get and buying a $300-400 light isn’t uncommon.

I have a 7g ATO on my Biocube and I have to top that off once every two months that alone is worth keeping the lid.

I get you don’t like them, but I still don’t understand why.

Pump, UV, Refug (clear back of the tank for Refug light), 2x Media holders, filter floss holder, heater and if you want a skimmer (still overkill for a 32g). All this fits in the back of the tank, out of sight out of mind.

All this without a sump. This is why I personally love it.

Edit: oh yea and Steve’s LED will grow sps ez, so no he wouldn’t have to change out his tank.
 
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