Biocube 32 struggles

[falter]

We are very new to reefing and the way we entered with rescuing fish on the quick forced us to learn a lot very rapidly.

The aquarium we have, I believe is an older Biocube. Possibly 29, possibly 32. It took about 4 five gallon jugs of water to fill. It did not come with its lid as the owner trashed that.

Our main struggles so far have been evaporation and keeping the sump operating correctly. It seems to drop water levels very fast.. like under 2 days. Many a morning I've woken up to sump wrenching and bubbles everywhere. Sometimes its actual low water, but sometimes it's those floss/carbon filters you install vertically in the first chamber. Aquarium store guy sold them to us. They seem to last two days and then start choking off water. I figure some of that is tank startup and sand etc being accidentally churned.

Now we have this red stuff blooming. My wife thinks it's cyanobacteria? So far our chemical levels look alright.. no nitrite, no ammonia. Very low level of nitrate though (tank is only 1.5 weeks since setup). Other indicators on our test strips all come up normal.

I got a new power supply for the Wavemaker 35 we inherited from the original owner. It's very powerful and stirs up everything even at a speed setting of three. I've moved it down further and onto the back wall as pictured, angling it up to try and pull up stagnant water from the bottom. On the back wall I can see the spot where it used to be but not sure how the owner had it angled and set.

We are running with a fancy $300 LED light system they sold us Seatorch? It is set to LPS settings, and starts sunrise at 750AM and sunsets at 730pm.

We also got a Coralife branded protein skimmer, but we have a grate in our first chamber that appears to be 'welded' into place. Many sites say you can just pull it out with a coat hanger but ours is well and truly stuck! Thinking about sawing at it. We did some testing with the skimmer snd it produced huge clouds of microbubbles. I'm told this is normal for a break in period?

Wondering if anyone has any advice? Again a lot of our problems are just being inexperienced and enacting a crash 'new tank' setup to save these fish. They seem to be doing just fine though, apart from a fire shrimp we lost to a bad molt.

Much appreciated! Still blinking in disbelief that I am finally doing what I had always wanted to do but never seemed to get around to!

 

[overhead]

I have a Biocube with no lid. I would suggest an ATO (auto top off) to keep the water level up. I don't keep track of how much RO/di water I am going through, but if I did not have the ATO I would for sure have to add water every day. My filter is not in the "first" chamber, it is in the middle chamber. It is not in the chamber with the slots to allow water to enter. It has no impact on the water level in the tank or chambers at all. I suppose if I let it get so clogged with "stuff" it might, but that would likely take months of not changing the filter. Do you have a picture from the top that shows your chambers?

 

[overhead]

Since I asked for a picture, I will add one of mine. The chamber on the right of the picture has the heater and a protein skimmer, the middle chamber has the filter, and the chamber on the left has the ato and pump. Edit, sorry, the picture is turned. The "bottom" chamber has the skimmer and heater, middle chamber has the filter and "top" chamber has the ato and pump

 

[kevgib67]

I think my build thread could answer a lot of your questions , I hope it helps.
Thread 'Biocube 32g build'
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/biocube-32g-build.906813/

 

[JumboShrimp]

If you wanted to backtrack a bit, they do sell 'stock' lids. That would greatly reduce evaporation and help with top-off times. Otherwise, yes, you'll want an ATO to keep your sanity.

 

[overhead]

If you wanted to backtrack a bit, they do sell 'stock' lids. That would greatly reduce evaporation and help with top-off times. Otherwise, yes, you'll want an ATO to keep your sanity.

I have one, if the original poster wants to pay shipping they can have it. It is from a biocube 32, not 29

 

[falter]

Since I asked for a picture, I will add one of mine. The chamber on the right of the picture has the heater and a protein skimmer, the middle chamber has the filter, and the chamber on the left has the ato and pump. Edit, sorry, the picture is turned. The "bottom" chamber has the skimmer and heater, middle chamber has the filter and "top" chamber has the ato and pump

Thank you! Here is mine. We are using a sanitized window screen for now while we figure out what to do regarding the top. We initially wanted to get the proper top but we like the Seatorch lighting a lot.

In the bottom of the photo right now we have the Biocube floss/carbon. We want to put the protein skimmer in there like yours but as mentioned the grate at the bottom does not come out, so we may need to cut it.

Middle chamber.. we didn't really know what we were doing or what to ask for. The store gave us this 'hollow bone' like things and then we used a big black sponge on top that came new with the tank.

The top chamber is just the sump but that's also where the automatic top up will go. A question about that - how have you positioned the minimum and maximum sensors? What I'm worried about is if the sensors see the water getting low in the sump tank, but not because the water is actually low, but rather because the floss has jammed up again. Would that not cause it to overfill?

 

[falter]

If you wanted to backtrack a bit, they do sell 'stock' lids. That would greatly reduce evaporation and help with top-off times. Otherwise, yes, you'll want an ATO to keep your sanity.

Thank you. But the lighting on the stock lid is not very good/advanced, right? We are liking our Seatorch light so we're feeling stuck on that.

 

[overhead]

Thank you! Here is mine. We are using a sanitized window screen for now while we figure out what to do regarding the top. We initially wanted to get the proper top but we like the Seatorch lighting a lot.

In the bottom of the photo right now we have the Biocube floss/carbon. We want to put the protein skimmer in there like yours but as mentioned the grate at the bottom does not come out, so we may need to cut it.

Middle chamber.. we didn't really know what we were doing or what to ask for. The store gave us this 'hollow bone' like things and then we used a big black sponge on top that came new with the tank.

The top chamber is just the sump but that's also where the automatic top up will go. A question about that - how have you positioned the minimum and maximum sensors? What I'm worried about is if the sensors see the water getting low in the sump tank, but not because the water is actually low, but rather because the floss has jammed up again. Would that not cause it to overfill?

I understand, I ditched my lid mostly because of heat, but also because of the light which I thought lacked the adjustability that I wanted. I don't like the way the top looks either way.

I think you have a different model of the Biocube than I do, so I am not sure if what I say will apply or not. Also, I am slightly distracted by the repeated snapping sounds coming from my tank which are likely from the pistol shrimp threatening or trying to kill something ;). The first chamber water level should not change much and the filter tray I have would not fit in there. The filter tray I use sits in the second or middle chamber, the water level in the first chamber is higher than the middle chamber which allows the water to flow down from the first chamber through the media in the second chamber. If I put it in the first chamber, the one with the slots, it might cause my tanks water level to change more than I would like. The water level in the third chamber (of where the return pump lives) is the one that changes and the one which the ATO refills. That has not impact on the water level in the tank or in the first chamber. It appears from the photo you have the filter sort of stuffed in there "sideways". If you look at my picture it is perpendicular to the walls that divide the chambers. That could be an older model of biocube thing, I am not sure.

I have the ATO set at a level that places the water level in the middle chamber just under the filter. But really it would be fine anywhere above the point that the return pump can feed all water and no air. Can't get a good picture of it, but I would say it is about half way up in the chamber (third or top chamber that houses the pump). I just want to make sure it stays above the pump level, that is what is important, does not impact the water level in the first chamber or tank either way.

 

[falter]

Got brave and bent up the grate in the bottom of chamber 1, and installed the skimmer. I'm curious though.. no matter how much or how little air I adjust for, the bubbles never reach the top of the cylinder inside the collection chamber. Is that normal? I have the collection chamber sitting about 1/8th inch above the water level.

 

[falter]

I think my build thread could answer a lot of your questions , I hope it helps.
Thread 'Biocube 32g build'
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/biocube-32g-build.906813/

I will definitely have a read. So many questions! Do these tanks generally have a good reputation? I've been reading some horror stories about other brands like Red Sea.

 

[falter]

Thanks for this! I am trying to figure out what size I have. Your 32 looks a bit taller than mine.

 

[overhead]

Got brave and bent up the grate in the bottom of chamber 1, and installed the skimmer. I'm curious though.. no matter how much or how little air I adjust for, the bubbles never reach the top of the cylinder inside the collection chamber. Is that normal? I have the collection chamber sitting about 1/8th inch above the water level.

It took me sometime before I got the air adjusted correctly. My suggestion would be to adjust the air input until you see the bubbles at toward the top of the "cylinder" and then wait a day or two to see what happens. When it was new and each time I clean it I have to change the amount of air getting into the skimmer to get it skim enough "junk" out of the water without filling up the chamber with water. As you can see in my picture, i had to put a rubber band around the top of the skimmer to keep it from being pushed off by the bubbles. I am not an expert with this, but I can say small adjustments and patients are how I adjust mine. If I do anything drastic with the air flow in the skimmer I end up "chasing" it and never getting it right. Slow and steady.

 

[overhead]

Thanks for this! I am trying to figure out what size I have. Your 32 looks a bit taller than mine.

I was judging by how the attachments for the top look on yours, they are different than mine. I have some pictures in my build thread which might help, but I am not sure. There are others here who have commented and have more experience than I do and likely could help more than I can. But if there is something you want a picture of that might help let me know and I will try to do it.

 

[falter]

It took me sometime before I got the air adjusted correctly. My suggestion would be to adjust the air input until you see the bubbles at toward the top of the "cylinder" and then wait a day or two to see what happens. When it was new and each time I clean it I have to change the amount of air getting into the skimmer to get it skim enough "junk" out of the water without filling up the chamber with water. As you can see in my picture, i had to put a rubber band around the top of the skimmer to keep it from being pushed off by the bubbles. I am not an expert with this, but I can say small adjustments and patients are how I adjust mine. If I do anything drastic with the air flow in the skimmer I end up "chasing" it and never getting it right. Slow and steady.

Yeah mine just never seems to get the bubbles high enough to overflow into the collection chamber. If I start from having the air valve shut (no bubbles) opening it, they increase to a point, after which they do not increase any further in spite of opening the valve further. So far the only way to get bubbles into the chamber is to set the collection chamber down into the water a little bit, which Coralife says not to do.

 

[dirtyd61]

I’ll probably be going to a custom lid soon if you’re interested in my oem lid (has a Nanobox retro plus m LED arrays in it).

Also the Coralife Skimmer kinda sucks. I’m using a slightly modded Aquatic Life 115 and it works well.

 

[kevgib67]

I will definitely have a read. So many questions! Do these tanks generally have a good reputation? I've been reading some horror stories about other brands like Red Sea.

It was a great problem for tank, I would definitely recommend them!

 

[overhead]

Yeah mine just never seems to get the bubbles high enough to overflow into the collection chamber. If I start from having the air valve shut (no bubbles) opening it, they increase to a point, after which they do not increase any further in spite of opening the valve further. So far the only way to get bubbles into the chamber is to set the collection chamber down into the water a little bit, which Coralife says not to do.

This is what mine looks like right now, I think the valve is about half open. I just pulled it and cleaned it a week ago. It took hours for the skim/foam to start showing up in the chamber. AI notice: Removed blue tint in the original picture.

 

[falter]

We have been investigating the algae-like growth around the tank. Initially we thought it was cyanobacteria, however I changed the light setting temporarily to be all white, and this is what it looks like.

I'm thinking this is green film algae? I assume we just need to clean more, maybe buy more snails to go after it?

 

[falter]

Also - my wife and I are having a debate about adding water. The water agitation by our Wavemaker is leaving salt deposits on our screen. Do we need to worry about salt levels dropping as we add fresh water?

Many thanks!