Biocube refugium upgrade and intank media basket mods.

[Stv]

Switching my biocube 32 over to an intank media set up and chaeto algae refugium from the stock media basket set up in the second chamber. Any advise or tips from peeps that are already running this set up? plan is for chaeto and possibly some pods later on.

I got a good grow light and have it setup on the outside of the glass on the far side of the second chamber to run opposite of my AI prime normal schedule. Established and fully stocked tank with stable parameters. Currently only dosing kalk in the auto top off system. Also Micro nutrients and iodine.

10 months old.
Sal. 1.025
Ph. 8.0
KH. 8.0
Cal. 425
Nit. 25-40 between water changes.
Phos. .25- .35
Mag. 1425

Water changes 20% every two weeks.
Stock V-2 skimmer
Upgraded 365 Gph main pump.
2- 500 wavemakers
UV in chamber 3
Current Media in 2nd chamber:
Chemipure, carbon, bio balls
Cloraline algae established.
Mostly softies and LPS.
A few SPS and now two nems. They split.

So one thing I did find out from intank is that some have had trouble with the flow in chamber one with the intank media basket set up and using the stock V-2 skimmer in chamber one. I’m sure it’s flow restriction based on how much media you put in the basket but we will find out. I’m doing the mod today and plan on trying to keep the stock skimmer in the first chamber. They do suggest the 1100 skimmer as a upgrade and run it in chamber two but that’s if you’re only running the one media basket and not a refugium next to it. Because I’m also doing a refugium next to it, the only option for a skimmer is in the first chamber and the only option for a skimmer in chamber one is the stock one. We will see how this goes and I will post pics and if I have flow issues in chamber one with the entire set up complete.

I’m going to make it work regardless somehow. I’m worried about the flow issue they mention could happen as I upgraded the main pump to a 365gph a while ago and more flow has been great for the tank but it also means more could back up in chamber one. Last resort, I can grind the overflow lip on chamber one down the same distance the flow restricts upward and it should solve the problem.

Any advise please from anyone with a similar set up is much approached before I start the changes.

my entire goal with this tank was to learn…. Learn as much as I can and be successful for a year before I invest in a much larger 150+ gallon tank and I don’t k ow if there is much more I can do and or learn from with the biocube. Hoping this last phase of learning does well. Cheers.

 

[Stv]

‍

 

[Stv]

Huh I figured there would me more peeps that had advise on the subject.

 

[Stv]

Here’s the in tank set up installed and the refugium light on in what’s left of the second chamber. My LFS was out of chaeto algae so I’ll have to wait until the order comes in to add the chaeto but I’m really happy. The flow in the refugium area is a slow swirling pattern, perfect for a chaeto ball.

I’ll also be adding copapods to the refugium complete with a pod hotel for breeding and will set up one of my auto dosing heads to feed them plankton 4 times a day. The hotel can be removed easily to feed the main tank and the plankton dosing should help feed corals as well which should lower the use of reef roids and with that, will lower nitrates more? Thoughts. This is all theory of course. Will it work? We will see.

 

[Stv]

I’d love some input from anyone who has refugium experience.

 

[Reef8008]

I'd like your review of the intank refugium setup. Is it working well for you? I'm debating going with this exact setup up. But have not found one review on the intank fuge.

 

[Stv]

I'd like your review of the intank refugium setup. Is it working well for you? I'm debating going with this exact setup up. But have not found one review on the intank fuge.

I didn’t buy the fug box. Only the media holder. I didn’t feel the fug box did much and some say it actually restricts the flow up to the chaeto ball so I used the three chamber media box only and put my chaeto in the open area. It’s working fantastic so far and I’m. Dry happy with the whole set up. One tip is set your ATO so the top bypass small hole from chamber two into chamber three, just has water flowing through it. It also helps with flow from the bottom of the refug area up through the chaeto ball and out the top bypass into the second chamber. I would recommend going for it. It’s been successful for me and I’m happy with it. Been up for three weeks and my ball has doubled in size and is very healthy. I seeded with three different pods as well and they are visible in the refug.

 

[cgripp256]

So I have the intank media basket just running floss right now. I too would like to add a refugium as my ph hovers around 7.9 to 8.0

Have you seen any issue with putting the chaeto directly into the empty portion of chamber two between the intank media basket and chamber 3? My water level sits just below the filter floss on the top shelf of the media basket.

 

[Eli57]

Switching my biocube 32 over to an intank media set up and chaeto algae refugium from the stock media basket set up in the second chamber. Any advise or tips from peeps that are already running this set up? plan is for chaeto and possibly some pods later on.

I got a good grow light and have it setup on the outside of the glass on the far side of the second chamber to run opposite of my AI prime normal schedule. Established and fully stocked tank with stable parameters. Currently only dosing kalk in the auto top off system. Also Micro nutrients and iodine.

10 months old.
Sal. 1.025
Ph. 8.0
KH. 8.0
Cal. 425
Nit. 25-40 between water changes.
Phos. .25- .35
Mag. 1425

Water changes 20% every two weeks.
Stock V-2 skimmer
Upgraded 365 Gph main pump.
2- 500 wavemakers
UV in chamber 3
Current Media in 2nd chamber:
Chemipure, carbon, bio balls
Cloraline algae established.
Mostly softies and LPS.
A few SPS and now two nems. They split.

So one thing I did find out from intank is that some have had trouble with the flow in chamber one with the intank media basket set up and using the stock V-2 skimmer in chamber one. I’m sure it’s flow restriction based on how much media you put in the basket but we will find out. I’m doing the mod today and plan on trying to keep the stock skimmer in the first chamber. They do suggest the 1100 skimmer as a upgrade and run it in chamber two but that’s if you’re only running the one media basket and not a refugium next to it. Because I’m also doing a refugium next to it, the only option for a skimmer is in the first chamber and the only option for a skimmer in chamber one is the stock one. We will see how this goes and I will post pics and if I have flow issues in chamber one with the entire set up complete.

I’m going to make it work regardless somehow. I’m worried about the flow issue they mention could happen as I upgraded the main pump to a 365gph a while ago and more flow has been great for the tank but it also means more could back up in chamber one. Last resort, I can grind the overflow lip on chamber one down the same distance the flow restricts upward and it should solve the problem.

Any advise please from anyone with a similar set up is much approached before I start the changes.

my entire goal with this tank was to learn…. Learn as much as I can and be successful for a year before I invest in a much larger 150+ gallon tank and I don’t k ow if there is much more I can do and or learn from with the biocube. Hoping this last phase of learning does well. Cheers.

On the second to last picture you posted, is that a cover for the back compartment? Did you make that or is there one for sale somewhere? I have been wanting to take the hood off of my biocube but I didn't want to see all of the back parts open.

 

[Calebd91]

I’ve been running my bc32 for almost a year now, I tried the fuge rack as well as media rack together an I loved the media rack, I run floss on top and just bag of carbon for media and had the fuge rack with chaeto but I found that it had very little flow and I constantly was cleaning green hair algae out of it and started to collect some cyano back there as well. Ended up pulling the fuge an just putting small ball of chaeto in the bottom of the media rack and had better results.

 

[Eli57]

I’ve been running my bc32 for almost a year now, I tried the fuge rack as well as media rack together an I loved the media rack, I run floss on top and just bag of carbon for media and had the fuge rack with chaeto but I found that it had very little flow and I constantly was cleaning green hair algae out of it and started to collect some cyano back there as well. Ended up pulling the fuge an just putting small ball of chaeto in the bottom of the media rack and had better results.

Do you have a sponge or anything at the bottom to prevent broken off pieces of the algae from getting in the return pump?

 

[cgripp256]

Do you have a sponge or anything at the bottom to prevent broken off pieces of the algae from getting in the return pump?

My BC has a sponge at the bottom between 2/3 chambers from the factory.

 

[Calebd91]

Do you have a sponge or anything at the bottom to prevent broken off pieces of the algae from getting in the return pump?

Yes I run the factory sponge in place between 2/3 chambers and clean it once a month.

 

[Charlie G]

Hello. I just came across this thread. I also have a 32 g Biocube for about a year now. I have been researching and decided to put a refugium into the second chamber as you all have described. I have both the intake media and fuge baskets. I have read your issues with flow and that you just took out the fuge basket altogether and have been putting the Chaeto in the empty space between the media basket in chamber 2 and the chamber 3 wall.

How has that worked out for you?

I read another thread where @Indeva glued the walls of the Biocube factory medial basket to the fuge basket to prevent the Chaeto from going all over the place once the media basket pulled. Have any of you tried that? Your thoughts?

Also you mentioned the notch on the upper divider between chamber 2 and 3. Do you have water in the back higher than that notch? After reading this thread I looked at mine and realized that my water level there is below. If I add water above that would if adversely affect the amount in my display (would it be too much)?

I appreciate any advice on this lose questions. I still consider my l self new to the hobby and am learning so much.

Thanks.