DerekCaudill
Community Member
- Joined
- Aug 11, 2022
- Messages
- 38
- Reaction score
- 44
- Location
- Cape Coral
- What state or country do you live in
- Florida
Hi, I’m Derek. I’ve been in the reef tank hobby for nearly 20 years now, and like a lot of us, I’ve had my share of tanks over the years. Unfortunately, Hurricane Ian wiped out my 200‑gallon mixed reef a few years ago—it had been up and thriving for about 12 years. That tank actually started as a first-gen BioCube 32 build that just kept growing and evolving over time.
Since then, I’ve kept a couple of smaller setups, but nothing that really reignited the passion. That changed recently when I stumbled on what seemed like a too-good-to-be-true deal on Marketplace—a brand new, in-box BioCube 32 LED with the stand, all the Coralife extras, and even some rock, all for $300. I jumped on it immediately, honestly expecting it to fall apart or get scooped up before I got there. Luckily, it turned out to be legit—the sellers were just moving out of their apartment and didn’t want to set up a tank they’d have to tear down again shortly after.
So here we are. I wasted no time putting together a setup similar to what worked so well for me back in the day. Right now I’m running an InTank media basket and refugium with the Tunze Chic Refugium light, an AI Nero 3 wavemaker, ATO, heater, and a 3D-printed fan setup in the hood paired with an Inkbird temp controller. For lighting, I’ve kept it stock but will be adding two 21LED reef bars to give it a bit of a boost.
Since then, I’ve kept a couple of smaller setups, but nothing that really reignited the passion. That changed recently when I stumbled on what seemed like a too-good-to-be-true deal on Marketplace—a brand new, in-box BioCube 32 LED with the stand, all the Coralife extras, and even some rock, all for $300. I jumped on it immediately, honestly expecting it to fall apart or get scooped up before I got there. Luckily, it turned out to be legit—the sellers were just moving out of their apartment and didn’t want to set up a tank they’d have to tear down again shortly after.
So here we are. I wasted no time putting together a setup similar to what worked so well for me back in the day. Right now I’m running an InTank media basket and refugium with the Tunze Chic Refugium light, an AI Nero 3 wavemaker, ATO, heater, and a 3D-printed fan setup in the hood paired with an Inkbird temp controller. For lighting, I’ve kept it stock but will be adding two 21LED reef bars to give it a bit of a boost.
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