New Coralife Biocube 32 Help! Lol

[FrancineJ]

I don’t think they do.... I have done hours of research and the only 2 that seem to fit when you do it is the crappy coralife one or the tunze one but you have to cut the side and it still won’t work because I have the InTank media basket and Fuge basket.... the tunze one still won’t work because it only works with the media basket alone....

I know there are a TON of options for the 29.... and for the others but the 32 o have yet to hear or see any success stories unless they went top less which k can’t do....

Do you have a 32 with a sicce in it? And the lid closes

 

[Tyler Miceli]

I don’t think they do.... I have done hours of research and the only 2 that seem to fit when you do it is the crappy coralife one or the tunze one but you have to cut the side and it still won’t work because I have the InTank media basket and Fuge basket.... the tunze one still won’t work because it only works with the media basket alone....

I know there are a TON of options for the 29.... and for the others but the 32 o have yet to hear or see any success stories unless they went top less which k can’t do....

Do you have a 32 with a sicce in it? And the lid closes

No I have the coralife skimmer, it does the job for me and my system though. Everyone's tank is different in terms of how you choose to run it and put in it. The hard thing in this hobby is theres so many opinions and different views on things because a lot of different things work for one and not the other. The only thing you can do is offer advice and hope it can be a solution for you.

 

[FrancineJ]

Sorry I was asking @Katrina71 ..... she said she has the sicce.... I know they fit the other biocubes but was told and read they don’t fit the 32’s because of the lid....

I’m not real concerned lol my NH3 is 2ppm and my PO4 is .2 so I shouldn’t complain.... lol that’s just with regular water changes lol

 

[Katrina71]

Sorry I was asking @Katrina71 ..... she said she has the sicce.... I know they fit the other biocubes but was told and read they don’t fit the 32’s because of the lid....

I’m not real concerned lol my NH3 is 2ppm and my PO4 is .2 so I shouldn’t complain.... lol that’s just with regular water changes lol

The Sicce pump. Not the skimmer.

 

[FrancineJ]

Ok lol haha...

You use it for your return? Or for the coralife skimmer?

I have the MJ1200 on my return and it’s working great...

But here’s a link to what I was talking about where the girl got the coralife skimmer to work right:



Hopefully the link works... she has made a few videos and her skimmer actually looks to be working very well in most.... I think replacing the air pump with a more powerful one was her key factor....

I just in general don’t like the stone ones.... having to replace them ect and the cup is so small that if you do get it to work right your emptying it all the time lol....

But with my readings and no algae (yet anyway) - the odd bit of diatoms that my snails take care of over night (love my Ceriths- anyone who tells you they are useless has no idea lol they serve sooooo many purposes! Lol) I think I’m ok... I actually had to cut back on our glass cleaning and such because at one point we had 0 nitrAtes and 0 phosphates (and that’s with repeated tests on a Hanna) because I didn’t believe it lol and then used API, salifert and both Red Sea and Red Sea pro all said 0 lol

 

[Tyler Miceli]

Just wanted to post a couple pics of the tank, absolutely love the biocube 32, first tank reefer! Waiting to get some more corals! Love this hobby I'm addicted now lol

 

[FrancineJ]

Looks great!!
I just broke the bank and ordered 9 new frags, and 2 new fish and a pistol shrimp lol

Plus getting the Steve’s LEDs for the biocube (it’s my sons) for Xmas for him

Plus I’m converting a 15g fluval flex to a FOWLR (unless I can find a decent lighting solution- has to stay a closed top.... )

It’s too addictive.... I also just scored 60lbs of rock... for free....planning out a 75g.... gonna be a bit more work then the 15 and 32 so saving slowly lol... the 75 is gonna be an opened top... with a nice hanging lighting system (not sure which ones yet)
And that will be my baby lol)

So I’ve got lots in the works.... the absolute best 2 things I’ve ever bought were the scionix pen (instead of refractometer) works like a charm! And the AWC by AutoAqua.... especially for the biocube.... water changes are done daily... about .75g’s a day and it comes with an ATO and everything.... so all we do here is mix a batch of saltwater once a week and leave it.... refill the RO/DI container (which is like every month because we don’t get much evaporation and then dump the waste water once a week.... I blast my rock off with a turkey Baster before it does it’s thing about twice a week and I haven’t had any types of algae or anything... a tiny bit of diatoms lol I had to feed my snails lol poor things were fading away lol

 

[Tyler Miceli]

Looks great!!
I just broke the bank and ordered 9 new frags, and 2 new fish and a pistol shrimp lol

Plus getting the Steve’s LEDs for the biocube (it’s my sons) for Xmas for him

Plus I’m converting a 15g fluval flex to a FOWLR (unless I can find a decent lighting solution- has to stay a closed top.... )

It’s too addictive.... I also just scored 60lbs of rock... for free....planning out a 75g.... gonna be a bit more work then the 15 and 32 so saving slowly lol... the 75 is gonna be an opened top... with a nice hanging lighting system (not sure which ones yet)
And that will be my baby lol)

So I’ve got lots in the works.... the absolute best 2 things I’ve ever bought were the scionix pen (instead of refractometer) works like a charm! And the AWC by AutoAqua.... especially for the biocube.... water changes are done daily... about .75g’s a day and it comes with an ATO and everything.... so all we do here is mix a batch of saltwater once a week and leave it.... refill the RO/DI container (which is like every month because we don’t get much evaporation and then dump the waste water once a week.... I blast my rock off with a turkey Baster before it does it’s thing about twice a week and I haven’t had any types of algae or anything... a tiny bit of diatoms lol I had to feed my snails lol poor things were fading away lol

I have Steve's leds, something to keep in mind. The splash shield for the hood of the tank gets burnt from the power of Steve's leds, follow the acclimation instructions and you'll be good to go. But the splash shield will get burnt in due time, I actually going to order another shield so this doesnt happen again!

 

[FrancineJ]

I have Steve's leds, something to keep in mind. The splash shield for the hood of the tank gets burnt from the power of Steve's leds, follow the acclimation instructions and you'll be good to go. But the splash shield will get burnt in due time, I actually going to order another shield so this doesnt happen again!

I’ll have to ask him about that!
Thanks for letting me know!

 

[Tyler Miceli]

I’ll have to ask him about that!
Thanks for letting me know!

Theres actually another thread on here about it, I didnt even realize it did that til I looked one day lol. It only got burnt from the 4 hyper violet bulbs, if you get the iridescent booster. Lights look amazing though. No picture can do it justice at all

 

[FrancineJ]

Ya they are definitely better than the cube lights lol

 

[Rjramos]

Rjramos 29 gal biocube
https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?posts/1932461/
Here is a link to the entire build process for my bio cube 29. I won this tank in the R2R raffle at reefapalooza in Orlando and in 2014 entered it in a competition on R2R entitled “Nano in 90”, where contestants had 90 days to build a nano tank. I didn’t win or place, but the tank is still running quite nicely today after 4 years!
I basically upgraded everything. Changed the pump for an MJ1200, added my own home made plexiglas media and refugium baskets. Started with the coral life wooden aerator skimmer then upgraded with an aquatic sea life skimmer ( it fits in chamber 1 of biocube 29 with minor adjustments. And I gutted the 2 factory power compacts and retrofitted with a rapidLED kit for biocube29 which I no longer see on there site for some reason. Recently I added the Tunze nano top off to chamber 3 where the return pump is. Let me know if you have any questions?

 

[FrancineJ]

Ya mine is basically the same.... there is nothing stock on it except the lights lol I’ve been having a hard time paying the same price I paid for the tank just for lights when I can still grow any softies and most LPS.... I have even seen people that have grown sps in them with the stock lights... (I don’t intend on keeping many... of any)

I want the upgrade more for the looks of the tank... the stock lights are just duller looking.... and it will obviously help with the coral selection and such but my son looks after it himself mostly anyway.... I don’t do much of anything....

People are almost better off going with the 29.... the new 32 took away a lot of options... such as the skimmer we are discussing... lol unless you go topless or cut your tank... (which I won’t do for warranty purposes) not yet anyway.... lol

But really it does prove a very good point.... we do water changes every week same day.... I don’t run a skimmer and I actually had to purposely over feed a bit to bring up my nitrAtes and phosphates because they were both undetectable.... people think that’s good but it’s really not... you still need “some” for your corals and such to thrive....

But with just water changes alone (I had no macro at the time... just floss, purigen and chemipure I brought my nitrAtes from over 20 down to nothing in 2 water changes of 8g’s.... so realistically I don’t need a skimmer it would just be handy to have one and save a bit or extend the water changes a bit... lol

 

[Rjramos]

Ya mine is basically the same.... there is nothing stock on it except the lights lol I’ve been having a hard time paying the same price I paid for the tank just for lights when I can still grow any softies and most LPS.... I have even seen people that have grown sps in them with the stock lights... (I don’t intend on keeping many... of any)

I want the upgrade more for the looks of the tank... the stock lights are just duller looking.... and it will obviously help with the coral selection and such but my son looks after it himself mostly anyway.... I don’t do much of anything....

People are almost better off going with the 29.... the new 32 took away a lot of options... such as the skimmer we are discussing... lol unless you go topless or cut your tank... (which I won’t do for warranty purposes) not yet anyway.... lol

But really it does prove a very good point.... we do water changes every week same day.... I don’t run a skimmer and I actually had to purposely over feed a bit to bring up my nitrAtes and phosphates because they were both undetectable.... people think that’s good but it’s really not... you still need “some” for your corals and such to thrive....

But with just water changes alone (I had no macro at the time... just floss, purigen and chemipure I brought my nitrAtes from over 20 down to nothing in 2 water changes of 8g’s.... so realistically I don’t need a skimmer it would just be handy to have one and save a bit or extend the water changes a bit... lol

So right to left chamber 1 aquatic life skimmer, media basket with top drip plate, followed by filter floss, purigen bag, then chemipure elite. Then refugium basket, notice I ended up mounting the 4 led fuge light on the wall behind the tank. I was getting lots of yellowing in the chaeto closest to the light when I had it mounted directly on the glass.
Left the course pad in to prevent anything going in chamber 3, where the pump and tunze top off are located. I could put a heater in here too but no need down here.

 

[Tyler Miceli]

So right to left chamber 1 aquatic life skimmer, media basket with top drip plate, followed by filter floss, purigen bag, then chemipure elite. Then refugium basket, notice I ended up mounting the 4 led fuge light on the wall behind the tank. I was getting lots of yellowing in the chaeto closest to the light when I had it mounted directly on the glass.
Left the course pad in to prevent anything going in chamber 3, where the pump and tunze top off are located. I could put a heater in here too but no need down here.

Hows the tank running with this set up? Any pics?

 

[Rjramos]

Hows the tank running with this set up? Any pics?

This is as stocked as I ever had it. Although this tank has always kept nitrates and phosphates low, I did have a nasty outbreak of 2 types of bryopsis algae, a red one and a green one. I treated with fluconazole and just have a little bit left.

 

[FrancineJ]

Ok I’m confused by the pictures lol

Is it a 29? (It just looks that way from your back chambers) or is it a 32? Because I have spend hours upon hours upon hours searching everywhere for a skimmer that fits the 32 - without cutting- and there seems to be no such fit because of the lid....
I would ditch the lid but I have a goby and I don’t want him to go carpet surfing lol

The tops are different on the 29 and 32 and the stupid 32 slopes down so the only 2 options I have ever come across that fit are
1- the coralife one (which I have here in the package because it cost me less than 2$ Canadian brand new lol)- haven’t tried it yet...

Or the Tunze 9001 but because I have the InTank basket you have to do cuts....

Also that’s a genius idea with the light... I have the same one (looks the same- jbj nano?) but it wouldn’t grow my Chaeto because it was doing the same as yours... burning it or killling it lol

Also how did you get media in chamber 1? Do you mean the first part of chamber 2? And is it an InTank basket?

I run all the same stuff except I have a heater in chamber 1 (cobalt neotherm) but it could easily be moved to chamber 3....

I also have the AWC so I’m not even certain I need a skimmer..... it changes our around like a gallon or so a day and has an ATO included with it.... best investment lol

 

[Dustinba]

Ok I’m confused by the pictures lol

Is it a 29? (It just looks that way from your back chambers) or is it a 32? Because I have spend hours upon hours upon hours searching everywhere for a skimmer that fits the 32 - without cutting- and there seems to be no such fit because of the lid....
I would ditch the lid but I have a goby and I don’t want him to go carpet surfing lol

The tops are different on the 29 and 32 and the stupid 32 slopes down so the only 2 options I have ever come across that fit are
1- the coralife one (which I have here in the package because it cost me less than 2$ Canadian brand new lol)- haven’t tried it yet...

Or the Tunze 9001 but because I have the InTank basket you have to do cuts....

Also that’s a genius idea with the light... I have the same one (looks the same- jbj nano?) but it wouldn’t grow my Chaeto because it was doing the same as yours... burning it or killling it lol

Also how did you get media in chamber 1? Do you mean the first part of chamber 2? And is it an InTank basket?

I run all the same stuff except I have a heater in chamber 1 (cobalt neotherm) but it could easily be moved to chamber 3....

I also have the AWC so I’m not even certain I need a skimmer..... it changes our around like a gallon or so a day and has an ATO included with it.... best investment lol

honestly so many people that have the 32 don't have a skimmer and just do the fuge in the rear. As long as your keep up with water changes and maintenance, you don't really need it in the 32. Sure if you can find one and mod it fit, it will be beneficial.

 

[FrancineJ]

honestly so many people that have the 32 don't have a skimmer and just do the fuge in the rear. As long as your keep up with water changes and maintenance, you don't really need it in the 32. Sure if you can find one and mod it fit, it will be beneficial.

Ya I know and I definitely keep up on water changes lol I have the AWC/ATO from aqua auto.... my tank is honestly probably “too clean” lol I look at some peoples pictures and wonder how they can have all these beautiful corals and set up and then you look in their back chambers and cords and wires and pumps and they are caked in salt creep lol I wipe my down like 2x a week and I take my MJ1200 return and clean it like every 2 weeks... tubing and all... lol

I know there’s no “need” for a skimmer.... (I’ve said it myself) it would just be nice to have one that would work if it could... can never hurt to get the bad stuff out....

I’m gonna one day attempt the oceanic one if no one comes up with one that fits stock... I just don’t want to be replacing the air stone and such all the time.... lol

 

[Rjramos]

Yes, I think the lids on the 29 vs 32 are different. This is AquaticLife skimmer in my hand, got another one just like it on the tank. The 29 has that little lid in the back which as you can see stays open with the skimmer cup sticking out the top to the right. I did do a little plastic cutting on tank frame in the corner where the skimmer is but not much. The media and refugium basket are both in chamber 2. Media underneath white drip plate in the picture.