Biocube 29 first tank

[Champduke21]

New to the hobby.

I have a 29g Biocube. Stock lighting, media rack with purigen, chemipure and filter floss. 30lb live rock and live sand. 0 ammonia 0 nitrites and nitrates staying between 5-10ppm. A couple snails and hermits. I use RO water with ability to make RO/DI once I add coral.

Trying to decide what skimmer to get for chamber 1. I also think I'll be adding chaeto to try to get nitrates lower for beginner coral.

I currently have a Valentini puffer and a ywg goby (although it's grey)/tiger pistol shrimp pair (they paired within 30 seconds! But now always hide ).

My questions

What skimmer should I use? I want one that fits in chamber 1.

Can I add 1 or 2 clowns and a flame hawkfish. I know not all at once but would that be too big of a bioload? If it is ok which should I add first?

[Scurvy Dawg]

Originally Posted by Champduke21

New to the hobby.

I have a 29g Biocube. Stock lighting, media rack with purigen, chemipure and filter floss. 30lb live rock and live sand. 0 ammonia 0 nitrites and nitrates staying between 5-10ppm. A couple snails and hermits. I use RO water with ability to make RO/DI once I add coral.

Trying to decide what skimmer to get for chamber 1. I also think I'll be adding chaeto to try to get nitrates lower for beginner coral.

I currently have a Valentini puffer and a ywg goby (although it's grey)/tiger pistol shrimp pair (they paired within 30 seconds! But now always hide ).

My questions

What skimmer should I use? I want one that fits in chamber 1.

Can I add 1 or 2 clowns and a flame hawkfish. I know not all at once but would that be too big of a bioload? If it is ok which should I add first?

I have heard of a lot of people using the Aquaticlife 115 in chamber 1. I think you need to do a few minor mods with with suction cup brackets though to get it to fit. There is also a mod that can be done to silence it.

How are things going with the puffer? I have heard they are a little hard to keep since they have a few unique feeding requirements to keep their chompers in check.

[meverha1]

Technically the Aquaticlife 115 will fit in chamber 1 but I was never able to get it to fit and work well.

Tunze 9001 will fit in chamber 2 but it's very sensitive to water level changes and I never could get mine to pull decent skim.

Depending on how much you want to mod your tank, the Aquaticlife HOB-1 is a great skimmer for the Biocube. You just have to cut the hood a bit.

[LQT]

Here's a video of a magnet mod to fit the Aquaticlife 115 into chamber 1 of the BioCube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiVLwVVbXQ4