Bio Cube Owner's Thread

[firebirdude]

Those that were discussing the 4.36 PC-light upgrade from nanotuners.

I recently sent up my tank 4.36 tank and wasn't really sure just how much light this would give me. Sure it looked really bright, but they were PC lights....

I recently added my first corals to the tank. An orange Monti Cap and a watermelon mushroom. (opposite ends of light requirements, I know) Well I set the monti cap up as high as I could and placed the mushroom on a ridge about 3" off the sand bed. A few days later, everything looked normal. But after about 10 days, I noticed the mushroom starting to droop. Got slightly worse over the next couple of days. Hmmmm.... is this thing not getting enough light even down here? This is suppose to be low-light requirement coral! Do my PC lights suck that much?! So I placed it way up to next to the monti cap frag. Well I'll be damned if that mushroom didn't shrivel up in a matter of about 8 hours. Guess that answer my question. It was getting fried!!! I quickly moved it all the way to the sand bed. I'll keep you guys updated as to the results.

[Rickinferno]

Here are some info on my Biocube 8G. My cycle is done and all looks good, today I did a small (10%) Water change to help reduce the nitrate (10ppm) and I took finished taking all the Bioballs out of the second chamber, took about 5 bioballs per day out for the past week, added Purigen to the 2nd chamber with Phosguard. I am almost done building my 3gallons SUMP that will hold my Cheato.

Here are a few pictures of my tank :

http://cid-5b45f37ef5fc4f42.skydrive...09%7C_0035.jpg

http://cid-5b45f37ef5fc4f42.skydrive...09%7C_0043.jpg

http://cid-5b45f37ef5fc4f42.skydrive...09%7C_0039.jpg

Will post more pictures once I get some corals and my SUMP going!

Enjoy

[2_zoa]

Looks good

[Rickinferno]

Just finished my fuge in the second chamber, decided to go with everything inside the tank instead of adding a SUMP under the tank. My question is this ; How much flow should there be where the cheato is (second Chamber)? Should the cheato have movement or is the fact that the water is going trew it enough? I did not put any LR rubble with the cheato only a bag of PURIGEN at the bottom and the cheato is on top of it floating. I'll get some pictures tomorrow.

[oneoffcustom]

next to none. it needs to be a low flow area to allow cheato and rock rubble and carbon and gfo to do its job.

[Rickinferno]

Great then it should be good then.

Also anyone have the Aqua C Remora Nano skimmer and is it possible to have pictures of it hanging on the tank please?

Thanks for the info Oneoffcustom.

[Casino]

Does anyone have one of the new Euroreef Nano Skimmers on a 14G Biocube?

[firebirdude]

Originally posted by oneoffcustom
next to none. it needs to be a low flow area to allow cheato and rock rubble and carbon and gfo to do its job.

Bullseye.

[BrentB]

I've noticed a lot of folks removing the bio balls and adding something in it's place. I would imagine "if it anin't broke don't fix it" applys here?
My 29gal is working well and I guessing the bio balls are keeping up with the load so far.
I'm not familiar with other products like "Purigen". I think there are a couple others mentioned. What are they and how do they help?
BTW, has any tried the "mud" product I've seen advertised? It's supposed to replace the LSB in a refugium.
I'm assuming the term cheato is refering to a type of macro algae?
I think I have that type in my refugium. Thinking about adding a couple other types as well.
Great replies!
Brent

[oneoffcustom]

brent,

bio balls are filtration of the old. They are proven nitrate breeders thus detritus, red slime unhappy corals after it overloads. I would strongly suggest to anyone to remove them and use some sort of natural filtration such as live rock rubble or even macro algaes. The if it aint broke dont fix it method breaks, then you nitrates shoot through the roof one day out of the blue. I speak from expiriance in biocube 29. One day sitting at 10 next day well over 80. Polyps shut and took two weeks to recover. Dont take this in a bad tone just putting it out there. Many people will tell you that bio balls over night can reek havoc on your tank sending nitrates sky high.

[khill13]

Thought since i am going on 8 months with my BC29 i should join this thread. So here is my reef.

[Megg0602]

nice tank! do you have stock lighting?

[Rickinferno]

Biocube 8G

Here is an update of my 8G; added my first ever corals











More to come soon...

[Octoberfest]

Here are some pictures of my 29 gallo biocube. Equipment wise I added a 150W MH Sunpod Fixture, Hydro Koralia 1, and a heater. Doing water changes every other week to offset the lack of a skimmer for now.

Current Stocking is:
Coral - Frogspawn, Green Monti Cap, Orange Monti Cap, Neon Green Candy Cane, Xenia, Kenya Tree, Orange Zoas with green skirts, Green Palys, Pink Zoas, Purple mushrooms with Blue spots

Fish - Juvenile pair of A.Percula

Inverts - Cleaner Shrimp, 4 Astrea Snails, 1 Cerith Snail, 4, nass. snails, 6 blue leg hermits, and 2 scarlet hermits

November-ish


One week later


Now

[buttons buster]

how long do you guys run your lights for?

I run for like 12-14 hours and was wondering if this was too much

[Octoberfest]

Originally posted by buttons buster
how long do you guys run your lights for?

I run for like 12-14 hours and was wondering if this was too much

12 to 14 hours is not too much in my opinion. As long as you don't get any algae blooms you should be fine. I always try to think about what our critter's natural environment is like and go from there. You figure the sun comes up anywhere from 6am to 7am and doesn't set until 8 to 9pm, which is anywhere from 14 to 15 hours. So if you're doing actinics for an hour first, then 12 hours of full light, and an hour of actinic at the end that should be fine.

[buttons buster]

alright ya that was kinda what I was thinking.

I just wanted to make sure I wasn't over doing it

[firebirdude]

I live in Florida.... just what reef do you know where the sun sets at 9pm? Or even 8pm?

But agreed. So long as you're not getting algae blooms, you're fine.

[Octoberfest]

Originally posted by firebirdude
I live in Florida.... just what reef do you know where the sun sets at 9pm? Or even 8pm?

But agreed. So long as you're not getting algae blooms, you're fine.

I'm not talking about the official sunrise/sunset times I mean when the light is still hitting the water. I know there are plenty of places around the world that have sunlight hitting the water from at least 6 am until 8pm or later.

Here in North Carolina, during July for example, we can have sunrise at 6 am and sunset close to 8:30 pm

[AwkwardParrot]

Tell me what you think!


blue rick


true perc clowns


?


pink-ish zoos


random red mushroom


clowns again


candy cane (thank you bill37)


again, candy cane (thank you bill37)


pink rick

ENJOY

[AwkwardParrot]

....cultured water, sand, and rock = awesome results!

[chrismunn]

you should add a refugium and a few peppermint shimps akwardparrot.

[forddna]

Hi there!! I'm joining this thread since I just bought a 29g BC. Before I go start a new thread, is there already a thread JUST FOR BioCube mods?

[forddna]

Also, as anyone used the AH Supply 36w retrofit kits for the 29g? Seems it would be a huge improvement with their well made individual reflectors.

[AwkwardParrot]

Originally posted by chrismunn
you should add a refugium and a few peppermint shimps akwardparrot.

done the refugium in the second chamber, changed the ligths around so the fans kick on with the blue, and have a high fin gobi and pistol pair in there. the clowns are going in my 29g...