Biocube equipment recommendations

[micahsoft]

While getting my Biocube 32 together and ready I had a couple questions on current and future upgrades of equipment.

1. lighting: I was looking at Steve’s LED upgrade. Is this something I could add in later? I’d like to start cycling the aquarium soon and not sure if I want to wait till I can swing for them.

2. Refugium/sump: If I wanted to install a refugium in the Biocube stand, can you put an overflow box with the stock hood? Some modification is fine, as long as it looks clean. Any advice on which overflow box would work for that, or what refugium would fit in the Biocube stand?

3. Heating: My wife and I like the house cool. It’s rarely above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. I have a heater, but think I’ll need a larger one. Any recommendations? Do I need 2? I plan on having a spare on hand in case of failure. Same for the return pump.

4. ATO: any recommendations on one of these that people find reliable?

5. Filtration: Any recommendations on what filtration to use? I was given both the media rack and a Fuge rack with the tank.

thanks for any tips, suggestions, and advice. I’m sorry to keep asking questions. Just want to make sure I do things right. Hopefully I’ll be able to contribute back before too long.

 

[micahsoft]

On the filtration part, I have some filter floss and bio balls that came with it, but I’ll get whatever I need. I’ll put chateo in the fuge basket.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

I wouldn’t bother with a lighting upgrade. Mine had the stock LEDs and literally grows anything I throw in it like weeds. I also wouldn’t bother with an in stand sump. Get the media and fuge basket and use chamber 2 as a fuge. It works wonderfully well with no mods needed. Get an eirheim heater. I only have 1, 150w and it’s way more than this tank needs. I recommend a protein skimmer as well. Pics of my corals attached. Most of this started as 1-2 heads. The candy canes have gone from 2 heads to nearly 15 now in 5 months. The white zombie zoas have grown 4 new heads in a month. All with stock lights.

 

[Nano925]

#4....

 

[Nano925]

I forgot to add. I use a 1 gallon plastic jar from Walmart as my reservoir.

 

[micahsoft]

I wouldn’t bother with a lighting upgrade. Mine had the stock LEDs and literally grows anything I throw in it like weeds. I also wouldn’t bother with an in stand sump. Get the media and fuge basket and use chamber 2 as a fuge. It works wonderfully well with no mods needed. Get an eirheim heater. I only have 1, 150w and it’s way more than this tank needs. I recommend a protein skimmer as well. Pics of my corals attached. Most of this started as 1-2 heads. The candy canes have gone from 2 heads to nearly 15 now in 5 months. The white zombie zoas have grown 4 new heads in a month. All with stock lights.

Thanks for that. Can you grow some types of SPS coral with the stock? I do have the protein skimmer and the media and fuge baskets. What do you run in your media basket?

#4....

That was one of the two I was considering. Thanks.

I’m currently working on writing up a full list of what I have and still need to get before starting the tank. I’m really excited. It’s all I’ve been thinking about lately. I keep reading books and looking things up online. It’s gotten to the point I start dreaming of fish and corals. In 10 years I’ll probably be some crazy fish man. I already started thinking about doing a pico, coral only tank in a year or so.

 

[micahsoft]

I wouldn’t bother with a lighting upgrade. Mine had the stock LEDs and literally grows anything I throw in it like weeds. I also wouldn’t bother with an in stand sump. Get the media and fuge basket and use chamber 2 as a fuge. It works wonderfully well with no mods needed. Get an eirheim heater. I only have 1, 150w and it’s way more than this tank needs. I recommend a protein skimmer as well. Pics of my corals attached. Most of this started as 1-2 heads. The candy canes have gone from 2 heads to nearly 15 now in 5 months. The white zombie zoas have grown 4 new heads in a month. All with stock

I can’t seem to remove I’m this quote and just add your name @Zoa_Fanatic, but those are great pics. They’re looking really nice.

 

[VG30DE-TT]

I wouldn't bother with a HOB overflow on the BioCube, I'm actually going the opposite direction right now (29G display, HOB overflow & 10G sump)

There are enough people that have great success with BioCubes and the InTank racks

One thing I did try in the past that I am going to try aging with my 32BioCube is a "Cheato Reactor"....... Basically a GFO or Carbon reactor with LED strip lights draped around it with Cheato insied instead of carbon or whatever. the main thing is that it will be a sealed system, no chance for overflow

 

[MySonWantedAHamster]

Hi Micahsoft,

I’m currently working on writing up a full list of what I have and still need to get before starting the tank. I’m really excited. It’s all I’ve been thinking about lately.

100% relate to this

I've only had my BioCube 32 up and running for about 5 months now, but I can share my experience up to this point.

1. lighting
I did end up getting Steves LEDs, and installed them 2 months after the tank was up and running. I only had fish and inverts in the tank at that point, so I don't have a comparison on how corals were growing before/after. I will say it's nice having control over the blues and whites as compared to the stock lighting. You have better control over the look you want (blue vs white) and the schedule. Obviously at a premium.

2. Refugium/sump
I have the InTank Fuge basket in chamber 2, but have failed miserably (a couple times) keeping chaeto. My assumption is that I was simply stripping to many nutrients from the other filtration. I gave up on the chaeto in the fuge basket; one less thing, I guess.

3. Heating
I use the Cobalt 150w in chamber 1. We run the house a little warmer @ 70 degrees (although my wife would argue that definition of warm)

4. ATO
I think the BioCube lid alleviates any heavy evaporation. I keep some water in the stand, and use the InTank basket shelves as a guide for when and how much I need to top it off. Normally doesn't require much, and I just do it at feeding time if it needs it.

5. Filtration
Using the InTank Media Basket I have filter floss on top, a seachem purigen bag in the middle, and chemi pure elite on the bottom. It seems to help keep everything in check and definitely keeps the water clear.

Best of luck!

 

[micahsoft]

Hi Micahsoft,


100% relate to this

I've only had my BioCube 32 up and running for about 5 months now, but I can share my experience up to this point.

1. lighting
I did end up getting Steves LEDs, and installed them 2 months after the tank was up and running. I only had fish and inverts in the tank at that point, so I don't have a comparison on how corals were growing before/after. I will say it's nice having control over the blues and whites as compared to the stock lighting. You have better control over the look you want (blue vs white) and the schedule. Obviously at a premium.

2. Refugium/sump
I have the InTank Fuge basket in chamber 2, but have failed miserably (a couple times) keeping chaeto. My assumption is that I was simply stripping to many nutrients from the other filtration. I gave up on the chaeto in the fuge basket; one less thing, I guess.

3. Heating
I use the Cobalt 150w in chamber 1. We run the house a little warmer @ 70 degrees (although my wife would argue that definition of warm)

4. ATO
I think the BioCube lid alleviates any heavy evaporation. I keep some water in the stand, and use the InTank basket shelves as a guide for when and how much I need to top it off. Normally doesn't require much, and I just do it at feeding time if it needs it.

5. Filtration
Using the InTank Media Basket I have filter floss on top, a seachem purigen bag in the middle, and chemi pure elite on the bottom. It seems to help keep everything in check and definitely keeps the water clear.

Best of luck!

Thanks very much. I probably will go with Steve’s eventually, but I’ll wait. I like to tinker and have projects. Eventually I’ll build reef pi as a fun add on. I want a couple clowns and a bubble tip anemone. The I was on the fuge idea because I really want my third and last fish to be a mandarin dragonet (after at least 6months-1y). I know someone who only sells them once they are regularly accepting frozen food.
thanks for all the info and for sharing what worked for you.

 

[KeMiKiLL]

I wouldn’t bother with a lighting upgrade. Mine had the stock LEDs and literally grows anything I throw in it like weeds. I also wouldn’t bother with an in stand sump. Get the media and fuge basket and use chamber 2 as a fuge. It works wonderfully well with no mods needed. Get an eirheim heater. I only have 1, 150w and it’s way more than this tank needs. I recommend a protein skimmer as well. Pics of my corals attached. Most of this started as 1-2 heads. The candy canes have gone from 2 heads to nearly 15 now in 5 months. The white zombie zoas have grown 4 new heads in a month. All with stock lights.

Beautiful. So glad to finally hear from a Biocube owner that is saying the lights are good as is. I'll be spot testing with a PAR meter soon, but I suspected they'd be fine for most corals despite a huge amount of people (most who've never owned a BC32) telling me the lights are "junk".

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Beautiful. So glad to finally hear from a Biocube owner that is saying the lights are good as is. I'll be spot testing with a PAR meter soon, but I suspected they'd be fine for most corals despite a huge amount of people (most who've never owned a BC32) telling me the lights are "junk".

I promise they’ll do great. Literally anything I put in there grows like a weed. Those candy canes were straight up dead from the lfs and now look at them.

 

[pappdr]

I can’t seem to remove I’m this quote and just add your name @Zoa_Fanatic, but those are great pics. They’re looking really nice.

Hey all.
I have a 32 gallon Biocube that I set up as a frag aquarium this week. I was in the WWC sale last weekend and may have over bought.
I have a few issues, the biggest being my return spits quite a few micro bubbles. Is this a known issue? My previous Biocube did not have this problem
So far I have an Aqueon 200w set and forget heater and am going to use the wet/dry with Purigen and other media.

Aside from doing very regular water changes and setting the stock lights based on some recommendations I read on here, I welcome any other opinions.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

T

Hey all.
I have a 32 gallon Biocube that I set up as a frag aquarium this week. I was in the WWC sale last weekend and may have over bought.
I have a few issues, the biggest being my return spits quite a few micro bubbles. Is this a known issue? My previous Biocube did not have this problem
So far I have an Aqueon 200w set and forget heater and am going to use the wet/dry with Purigen and other media.

Aside from doing very regular water changes and setting the stock lights based on some recommendations I read on here, I welcome any other opinions.

The micro bubble issue goes away with time. There’s a sponge between the chamber with the pump and the center chamber you may want to make sure it’s seated correctly because it’s purpose is to remove micro bubbles. You’re probably ok with corals man you’ll just need to dose to keep up with element demand. I have mine shoved completely full of coral and everything is doing fine. I think I have like 30 separate types of coral and 7-9 big colonies of stuff.

 

[pappdr]

T

The micro bubble issue goes away with time. There’s a sponge between the chamber with the pump and the center chamber you may want to make sure it’s seated correctly because it’s purpose is to remove micro bubbles. You’re probably ok with corals man you’ll just need to dose to keep up with element demand. I have mine shoved completely full of coral and everything is doing fine. I think I have like 30 separate types of coral and 7-9 big colonies of stuff.

Thanks! I pretty much took it out of the box, balanced it and got it running. Was hoping to get frags in ASAP but they are on a hanging rack in my main tank for now.

I played with the sponge a bit yesterday but it is tight for my arm. I will keep working it.

I have to set the lights right, add some live rock and add the corals next few days

 

[Tofer]

I started my with all the stock and use the Ehiem 100w heater and then I upgrade to intank media basket running intank floss and carbon ,then got the bio cube skimmer then upgraded to ai prime hd light . I have also up graded return pump to sicce 1.5 syncra. This is the most recent photo of the tank

 

[micahsoft]

Looking good. I’ve got mine running right now, but only have CUC. Running heater and coralife protein skimmer in 1, have both the intank media and fuge baskets in 2, and my temp probe, ato, and the sicce 1.5 in 3. I’m running filter floss, chemi-pure elite, and bio balls, and a combo of macro algae in the fuge basket. I can’t seem to get the protein skimmer to work right. It does it’s job but it’s either really wet or so many bubbles it poops the top off. And either way fills the tank with micro bubbles. I keep adjusting it a little, leaving it to observe, and tweaking it again, but can’t seem to get it right.

 

[micahsoft]