So many questions after watching "How to Setup a Biocube" video on YouTube

mistergray

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After watching the video "How to Setup A Biocube", I have a few questions...

1. I hear some say nothing should go in the tank for 3-4 weeks and others say 6 weeks. What is the better time-frame?
2. They're putting things (not fish) in the tank on day 1. Thoughts on if this is okay?
3. Is there a favorite sand or other (crushed coral, etc...) that people use? One that seems to be the most favored among saltwater tank owners.
4. They used an aqua clear foam in one of the chambers vs a protein skimmer. Which is better to use?

Thanks for any questions answered in advanced!

coral.PNG
 

Dbichler

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I would cycle the tank with dr Tim’s or bio spira you add pure ammonia to get to 1-2 ppm. Then add the biospira or Tim’s. Then wait a week test for ammonia should be 0 by then do a large if not 100% waterchange. Add first fish and wait 4-6 weeks before adding another fish. At that time you could try a soft coral but they tend to spread or grow quickly. If your looking for lps or sps wait at a minimum 6 months. For anemones a year. As for sand I prefer .5 grain to 1.0 but it’s all personal preference. I didn’t like crushed coral as it was harder to keep clean. I never ran anything in the back of my bio cube other than rubble live rock. If you didn’t yet make sure you only use rodi water with 0 TD’s or you will fight more algae than necessary.
 
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Zoa_Fanatic

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I’ve run a biocube for 7ish years now. First the older style ones then a new led. I always just start mine with sand and rock and toss in a shrimp (frozen) from the store and let it rot to start the cycle. Super cheap and easy. Usually takes about 4 weeks for ammonia cycle to complete this way. You can probably get zoa as soon as the cycle is done. I threw a hammer coral in my tank super early and it did fine as well, candy canes are a good option as well. You don’t need RODI water if you just want to buy distilled it’s fine too. I always ran a protein skimmer and I continue to do so. So easy to keep the tank clean and nutrients low.
 
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I’ve run a biocube for 7ish years now. First the older style ones then a new led. I always just start mine with sand and rock and toss in a shrimp (frozen) from the store and let it rot to start the cycle. Super cheap and easy. Usually takes about 4 weeks for ammonia cycle to complete this way. You can probably get zoa as soon as the cycle is done. I threw a hammer coral in my tank super early and it did fine as well, candy canes are a good option as well. You don’t need RODI water if you just want to buy distilled it’s fine too. I always ran a protein skimmer and I continue to do so. So easy to keep the tank clean and nutrients low.

I would cycle the tank with dr Tim’s or bio spira you add pure ammonia to get to 1-2 ppm. Then add the biospira or Tim’s. Then wait a week test for ammonia should be 0 by then do a large if not 100% waterchange. Add first fish and wait 4-6 weeks before adding another fish. At that time you could try a soft coral but they tend to spread or grow quickly. If your looking for lps or sps wait at a minimum 6 months. For anemones a year. As for sand I prefer .5 grain to 1.0 but it’s all personal preference. I didn’t like crushed coral as it was harder to keep clean. I never ran anything in the back of my bio cube other than rubble live rock. If you didn’t yet make sure you only use rodi water with 0 TD’s or you will fight more algae than necessary.

Thank you both for the info! I'm actively taking notes. I have quite a few things to pick up. Is RO/DI water largely different from distilled water? Can distilled water go directly in the tank? In the video they used nutri sea water. Thoughts on using it vs RO/DI or distilled water? Is either better? After doing some reading up, it seems as if the nutri sea water is almost like a headstart. I think.... ;Bookworm

Either of you mind sharing a photo of the back of your biocube? In the video they had a foam on the left-hand side on the back of the tank and said you could use a protein skimmer instead. Where are you putting your heater?
 
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Dbichler

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I no longer have my bio cube I upgraded to a 210. You can use distilled but rodi you make your own and units last forever just have to replace filters plus you know what your putting in your tank. Wouldn’t consider paying the cost of nutra sea water live rock will suffice.
 
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After watching the video "How to Setup A Biocube", I have a few questions...

1. I hear some say nothing should go in the tank for 3-4 weeks and others say 6 weeks. What is the better time-frame?
2. They're putting things (not fish) in the tank on day 1. Thoughts on if this is okay?
3. Is there a favorite sand or other (crushed coral, etc...) that people use? One that seems to be the most favored among saltwater tank owners.
4. They used an aqua clear foam in one of the chambers vs a protein skimmer. Which is better to use?

Thanks for any questions answered in advanced!

coral.PNG
There’s nothing particular about a biocube beyond the dimensions of the tank and the back chambers. All general reef advice applies equally to them, it’s just another tank with water. That said the lighs Included arent great, they will work for some low demand corals. The included bioballs suck and can be replaced with ceramic media or live rock rubble, basically all skimmers that would fit in this style tank suck and aren’t worth the money or the hassle. A media rack and creating a refugium in the back chamber is probably a good idea. Overall don’t over think it, this is a beginner tank, spending s lot of money on it might not be worth it in the long run. People tend to outgrow them and upgrade so just keep that in mind.
 
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I no longer have my bio cube I upgraded to a 210. You can use distilled but rodi you make your own and units last forever just have to replace filters plus you know what your putting in your tank. Wouldn’t consider paying the cost of nutra sea water live rock will suffice.
Good gracious, a 210 gallon tank!? That sounds like Sea World. Is rodi something easy to use? Is it noisy? Is it large? I promise I’ll Google as well. Lol! Is there a specific brand you like?
 
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I imagine that asking on this forum (or any) is not really going to give you a clear answer everyone has opinions :)

As for 3-4 weeks vs 6 weeks? It all depends on how you cycle it and how comfortable you feel with it. Personally I use ammonia directly, then add bottled bacteria. Takes less than a week before I am adding fish and perfectly safe. WIthin a few weeks will add things like zoas.

Same answer as to putting "things" in tank on day 1. Depends on how you starting and whether you using bacteria, live vs dry rock, etc

Favorite sand is largely preference. The smaller/lighter sand is going to blow around tank easier. However it is generally better for sand burrowing fish and generally detritus will settle on top of it rather than chunkier heavier sand where it more easily settles to below the sand.

Personally I would always use a protein skimmer... again though this one especially you will get lots of varied answers. It is good for gas exchange in addition to removing organics.

Distilled water is fine, but in the long run going to be more expensive than making your own RODI.

Nutri sea water may work well I have never tried it. I do not believe it would be significantly different than mixing your own saltwater and adding bottled bacteria yourself though other than it is much more expensive. Again though I never used it.
 
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mdb_talon

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Good gracious, a 210 gallon tank!? That sounds like Sea World. Is rodi something easy to use? Is it noisy? Is it large? I promise I’ll Google as well. Lol! Is there a specific brand you like?

An RO/DI is "easy". It takes some initial setup, but we are here to help with any issues. It takes space and you have to be able to connect to plumbing/faucet and have somwhere to drain are the two biggest concerns.
 
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mdb_talon

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basically all skimmers that would fit in this style tank suck and aren’t worth the money or the hassle

The Tunze 9001 skimmer works quite well in a biocube and is most certainly worthwhile. Not saying required there is always more than one way to do things, but for gas exchange alone I would use. Especially on a biocube which has a hard lid gas exhange becomes even more important.
 
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mistergray

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The Tunze 9001 skimmer works quite well in a biocube and is most certainly worthwhile. Not saying required there is always more than one way to do things, but for gas exchange alone I would use. Especially on a biocube which has a hard lid gas exhange becomes even more important.
All great responses! Thx! Adding to my notes.
 
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An RO/DI is "easy". It takes some initial setup, but we are here to help with any issues. It takes space and you have to be able to connect to plumbing/faucet and have somwhere to drain are the two biggest concerns.
Wow, connection to plumbing/faucet! Unfortunately, I can’t do that logistically speaking. There’s no way I could pull that off unless I put the aquarium in a bathroom.
 
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Many people put the rodi unit under a bathroom sink. It does not have to be right next to the tank. You do have to run a 1/4" water line (like an icemaker line) to wherever you want to store the water.
 
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Many people put the rodi unit under a bathroom sink. It does not have to be right next to the tank. You do have to run a 1/4" water line (like an icemaker line) to wherever you want to store the water.
Looks like the rodi is out, my wife will never go for a water line running from the living room into the kitchen or bathroom. I need a new house to get my setup right.
 
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Looks like the rodi is out, my wife will never go for a water line running from the living room into the kitchen or bathroom. I need a new house to get my setup right.
When I lived in an apartment I distilled my own water for my tank. It’s effectively the same as RODI, but the volume of water you can produce is a lot less.
 
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Looks like the rodi is out, my wife will never go for a water line running from the living room into the kitchen or bathroom. I need a new house to get my setup right.

I think you're misunderstanding what an RO/DI system is.

Your RO/DI system is not connected to your tank, generally speaking. It's a separate piece of equipment that lives near your water supply, and is used to make the water for your tank. For example, I store mine underneath the kitchen sink. I have one of those Challenge hooks on the back of the cabinet door, and when the unit isn't being used, the hose is wrapped up around the hook and it's completely out of sight. It's plumbed into my sink's cold water supply, with a piercing saddle valve connecting it to the drain. When I need to use it, I simply open the valve that connects the water to the RO/DI system, unravel the supply hose, and fill up whatever container I'm using (I have three different containers - a 20g Brute can that mixes my salt water, a 5g container for the top-off on my Reefer 350, and a 2g container for the top-off on my IM 20). Once I'm done, flip the valve back closed, wrap up the hose, and store it away again.

If you don't want to plumb it in permanently, there are also faucet adapters that you can get that'll just screw in to your faucet. Again, just screw it in, have it out while you're making your water, and then stow it away.

Hands-down an RO/DI system is the single best investment you can get for your tank. Since you're just using a BioCube, your water demands won't be high, so you can get away with a 75gpd or even a 50gpd unit. When I was running my BioCube I ran off a 25gpd unit for years.
 
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I think you're misunderstanding what an RO/DI system is.

Your RO/DI system is not connected to your tank, generally speaking. It's a separate piece of equipment that lives near your water supply, and is used to make the water for your tank. For example, I store mine underneath the kitchen sink. I have one of those Challenge hooks on the back of the cabinet door, and when the unit isn't being used, the hose is wrapped up around the hook and it's completely out of sight. It's plumbed into my sink's cold water supply, with a piercing saddle valve connecting it to the drain. When I need to use it, I simply open the valve that connects the water to the RO/DI system, unravel the supply hose, and fill up whatever container I'm using (I have three different containers - a 20g Brute can that mixes my salt water, a 5g container for the top-off on my Reefer 350, and a 2g container for the top-off on my IM 20). Once I'm done, flip the valve back closed, wrap up the hose, and store it away again.

If you don't want to plumb it in permanently, there are also faucet adapters that you can get that'll just screw in to your faucet. Again, just screw it in, have it out while you're making your water, and then stow it away.

Hands-down an RO/DI system is the single best investment you can get for your tank. Since you're just using a BioCube, your water demands won't be high, so you can get away with a 75gpd or even a 50gpd unit. When I was running my BioCube I ran off a 25gpd unit for years.
Ooooooh!!! Thank you very much for the explanation! With all the information I’m trying to take in I truly didn’t understand that. I thought it was connected to the tank and then the plumbing as you stated. That makes me feel much better! Muuuuuch better! I think I’ll go for the one that can be connected to the sink. I’ll have to Google and see what I can find. Any recommended brands?
 
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Ooooooh!!! Thank you very much for the explanation! With all the information I’m trying to take in I truly didn’t understand that. I thought it was connected to the tank and then the plumbing as you stated. That makes me feel much better! Muuuuuch better! I think I’ll go for the one that can be connected to the sink. I’ll have to Google and see what I can find. Any recommended brands?

SpectraPure is reliable and is more or less the industry standard, but I don't know if they have any that are quite small enough. Both BRS and Marine Depot have a few private-label units that look just fine for your application, and at least one of BRS' comes with a faucet adapter.
 
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William Morris

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There’s nothing particular about a biocube beyond the dimensions of the tank and the back chambers. All general reef advice applies equally to them, it’s just another tank with water. That said the lighs Included arent great, they will work for some low demand corals. The included bioballs suck and can be replaced with ceramic media or live rock rubble, basically all skimmers that would fit in this style tank suck and aren’t worth the money or the hassle. A media rack and creating a refugium in the back chamber is probably a good idea. Overall don’t over think it, this is a beginner tank, spending s lot of money on it might not be worth it in the long run. People tend to outgrow them and upgrade so just keep that in mind.
I respectfully disagree with your take here.
I have been running a 32G Biocube for over 3 year now and it's a great setup.
The Tunze skimmer works great and sits next to the InTank media basket.
I run Steves LED's for the lighting and the installation was simple.

I have been keeping aquariums for 50+ years and wanted something that was low maintenance - 5 gal water changes weekly is a breeze. The AIO feature is also very nice.

Because of the relatively low water volume you have to be on your game to keep the water parameters solid.
 
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mistergray

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I respectfully disagree with your take here.
I have been running a 32G Biocube for over 3 year now and it's a great setup.
The Tunze skimmer works great and sits next to the InTank media basket.
I run Steves LED's for the lighting and the installation was simple.

I have been keeping aquariums for 50+ years and wanted something that was low maintenance - 5 gal water changes weekly is a breeze. The AIO feature is also very nice.

Because of the relatively low water volume you have to be on your game to keep the water parameters solid.
I'm accumulating a list of things I'm going to need on day 1. My biocube is coming on thursday and I'm pretty excited and a little overwhelmed. o_O

1. Is a skimmer needed on day 1?
2. Does the skimmer you recommended require any modification or is it a perfect fit?
3. Is the skimmer in chamber 1, on the left?
4. Do you have the InTank fuge and media basket in chamber 2?
5. In your media basket do you have chemi care blue on first level? Bio pellets on second level? Matrix on level 3?
6. Is your heater in your 3rd chamber?
7. Do you use a RODI system or do you get your water from elsewhere?
 
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