Starting a Biocube Night Light Tank

[Kiwi reefer]

Welecome to R2R

 

[Adolfo]

Welcome !!!

 

[maceto]

Welcome to R2R!

 

[attiland]

Hello there!

My wife and I are expecting our first child in the beginning of March and we've decided to turn an old Coralife Biocube 14 a friend gave me into his first tank and night light for the nursery. I have had several FOWLR tanks over the years (including a LED Biocube 32 currently in my office), but this will be my first real attempt at keeping corals. I installed an Intank media basket when I used to run it as a FOWLR tank and I purchased the Steve's LED retrofit kit to convert it over to a more customizable lighting system (wanted to keep the hood for evaporation reduction). If you know of any other good Biocube 14 hacks or upgrades for running it as a successful nano reef I am all ears. As far as livestock plans, the only must have is a pair of ocellaris clownfish, but we are taking the slow and steady approach with this tank and it's only in the cycling phase currently.

Let me know if you have any suggestions for inhabitants to join the clowns.

Welcome to R2R and congrats for the child.

I don’t really think evaporation will be an issue

 

[CoralB]

Welcome !!!

 

[Fish Think Pink]

Hello there!

My wife and I are expecting our first child in the beginning of March and we've decided to turn an old Coralife Biocube 14 a friend gave me into his first tank and night light for the nursery. I have had several FOWLR tanks over the years (including a LED Biocube 32 currently in my office), but this will be my first real attempt at keeping corals. I installed an Intank media basket when I used to run it as a FOWLR tank and I purchased the Steve's LED retrofit kit to convert it over to a more customizable lighting system (wanted to keep the hood for evaporation reduction). If you know of any other good Biocube 14 hacks or upgrades for running it as a successful nano reef I am all ears. As far as livestock plans, the only must have is a pair of ocellaris clownfish, but we are taking the slow and steady approach with this tank and it's only in the cycling phase currently.

Let me know if you have any suggestions for inhabitants to join the clowns.

Welcome! Glad you joined. Guess you'll refer to baby as your 'First Frag' ??

Have you considered starting your build thread? I found its a great place to document my tank's evolution for myself. I started tank first then joined, so I'm still finding myself going back collecting pictures & updating historically as well as current state. Once you create your first post in your thread and link it to your account, they will give you build badge (look left, under my ID)

This is a good reference book type online article I still review:

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium

This article was sponsored by @MarineDepot at www.marinedepot.com. Introduction The marine environment is one of the most complex systems on the planet. The aquarium you are about to set up is only a tiny sliver of the vast ocean, but it is no...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Saltyreef]

Welcome!

I did a refugium hack in the 1st chamber of my overflow section of my 14g biocube.
Used a jbj nano glo and razorbladed a section of the black film off the back.

There was so much growth in there it acted as a mechanical filter. Cleaned it once per week while i pruned it back.
Never had nutrient issues and never needed a sponge or media basket

It was my absolute favorite tank and easiest to maintain as i was able to easily hand dose everything it needed daily due to the low water volume and moderate stock list of softies.

 

[Baby's_1st_Reef]

Welcome! Glad you joined. Guess you'll refer to baby as your 'First Frag' ??

Have you considered starting your build thread? I found its a great place to document my tank's evolution for myself. I started tank first then joined, so I'm still finding myself going back collecting pictures & updating historically as well as current state. Once you create your first post in your thread and link it to your account, they will give you build badge (look left, under my ID)

This is a good reference book type online article I still review:

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium

This article was sponsored by @MarineDepot at www.marinedepot.com. Introduction The marine environment is one of the most complex systems on the planet. The aquarium you are about to set up is only a tiny sliver of the vast ocean, but it is no...

www.reef2reef.com

Ha! I guess in a way he would be our "First Frag". You are the second person that suggested a build thread, I am taking some pictures along the way (although I didn't take any of the Steve's LED retrofit), so far it is just aquascape set up really. We are currently fishless cycling the tank with Dr. Tim's.

The test kit I ordered online is taking forever to actually arrive, but if it gets here in time and I can confirm that the cycle is over we might take a visit to the LFS this weekend and liven up the place a bit.

 

[Baby's_1st_Reef]

Welcome!

I did a refugium hack in the 1st chamber of my overflow section of my 14g biocube.
Used a jbj nano glo and razorbladed a section of the black film off the back.

There was so much growth in there it acted as a mechanical filter. Cleaned it once per week while i pruned it back.
Never had nutrient issues and never needed a sponge or media basket

It was my absolute favorite tank and easiest to maintain as i was able to easily hand dose everything it needed daily due to the low water volume and moderate stock list of softies.

Interesting idea.

Did you remove the false floor in the first chamber to get the full tank height or just had that top section as a fuge? My current plan has the heater in the first chamber, Intank media basket (filter floss, purigen, chemipure elite) in the second, then the return pump and temp probe for the Steve's LED hurricane x controller in the third chamber. I am debating about buying a new return pump (possibly DC?) to replace the stock return since I plan on using the return pump as the main source of flow within the tank.

 

[Saltyreef]

Interesting idea.

Did you remove the false floor in the first chamber to get the full tank height or just had that top section as a fuge? My current plan has the heater in the first chamber, Intank media basket (filter floss, purigen, chemipure elite) in the second, then the return pump and temp probe for the Steve's LED hurricane x controller in the third chamber. I am debating about buying a new return pump (possibly DC?) to replace the stock return since I plan on using the return pump as the main source of flow within the tank.

I kept the false floor to be able to contain as much of the chaeto as i could in the rear.

The purigen and chemipure is un-needed IMO.
Just make sure to start the tank up right and rinse the sand super super super good.


For mine i used a Mj1200 for the return then used an mp10 on reefcrest set to like 25% and it was perfect.
Never needed dc controllability for the biocube tbh.

The steves led idea is solid

 

[atomos]

 

[vetteguy53081]

 

[damsels are not mean]

Hello there!

My wife and I are expecting our first child in the beginning of March and we've decided to turn an old Coralife Biocube 14 a friend gave me into his first tank and night light for the nursery. I have had several FOWLR tanks over the years (including a LED Biocube 32 currently in my office), but this will be my first real attempt at keeping corals. I installed an Intank media basket when I used to run it as a FOWLR tank and I purchased the Steve's LED retrofit kit to convert it over to a more customizable lighting system (wanted to keep the hood for evaporation reduction). If you know of any other good Biocube 14 hacks or upgrades for running it as a successful nano reef I am all ears. As far as livestock plans, the only must have is a pair of ocellaris clownfish, but we are taking the slow and steady approach with this tank and it's only in the cycling phase currently.

Let me know if you have any suggestions for inhabitants to join the clowns.

Upgrade the return pumps to something quiet like a sicce


For stocking go with truly nano fishes. Tiny gobies like trimma and eviota are a good bet. Maybe the bimaculatus blennies too or panda/clown gobies.

 

[Sean Clark]

Maybe I need a night light tank too. Welcome.

 

[trsmith18]

Welcome! Glad you joined. Guess you'll refer to baby as your 'First Frag' ??

Have you considered starting your build thread? I found its a great place to document my tank's evolution for myself. I started tank first then joined, so I'm still finding myself going back collecting pictures & updating historically as well as current state. Once you create your first post in your thread and link it to your account, they will give you build badge (look left, under my ID)

This is a good reference book type online article I still review:

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium

This article was sponsored by @MarineDepot at www.marinedepot.com. Introduction The marine environment is one of the most complex systems on the planet. The aquarium you are about to set up is only a tiny sliver of the vast ocean, but it is no...

www.reef2reef.com

How do you link a build thread to your account. Just started my nano build and darn it I want my badge…lol

 

[otzhorse]

 

[|Frank|]

Welcome to R2R! Congratulations to you and yours.

 

[PeterC99]

Just checking in - How’s your wife doing?

 

[bnord]

Congrats on both additions !!

and welcome

yellow watchman

 

[PeterC99]

How do you link a build thread to your account. Just started my nano build and darn it I want my badge…lol

Your Build Thread link is posted in your Account details when you select your Avatar on the top of any page.