Bio Cube Owner's Thread

[Rhodes19]

Sorry, double post.

[ziss]

Originally Posted by Rhodes19

Hi Alita and welcome to RC.

I'd go with the BC 29, it's small enough for an apartment, big enough for good viewing, and has a larger water volume to help stabilize your water parameter (you still need to stay on top of them though). Your fish choices look ok but research the ones you want to get a see what the minimum size tank they should be in. Some clowns can get pretty big. Rule of thumb is 5 gallons of water to every inch of fish. If you want to keep softies, then the stock light in the BCs will be fine. You could also keep some of the low level light lps as well. If you want to keep higher level light lps or sps, you will need to upgrade your lights. If you get a BC, you may want to modify the filtration set up. Look over the BC threads and you'll see some nice mods. The BC 29 you're looking at sounds like it might be a good deal. HTH

Thank you for your response and advice! So, I did purchase locally a used 29G Bio Cube with Stand for $225 (different tank). The tank has been running for couple of years and came with live sand, few pretty big pieces of live rock which are covered with coralline and some mushrooms. There are also a ton of little white stars, a few little crabs, and some bristle worms (yak). The tank has some algae (coralline) on the walls, but overall the tank is pretty clean and everything seems to be working. Nothing has been modified. I'm really new to this and continually doing research as I'm setting up and establishing this tank.. So I might have a lot more questions! I wonder if I should open up a separate thread!

[Rhodes19]

Originally Posted by ziss

Thank you for your response and advice! So, I did purchase locally a used 29G Bio Cube with Stand for $225 (different tank). The tank has been running for couple of years and came with live sand, few pretty big pieces of live rock which are covered with coralline and some mushrooms. There are also a ton of little white stars, a few little crabs, and some bristle worms (yak). The tank has some algae (coralline) on the walls, but overall the tank is pretty clean and everything seems to be working. Nothing has been modified. I'm really new to this and continually doing research as I'm setting up and establishing this tank.. So I might have a lot more questions! I wonder if I should open up a separate thread!

Congrats on the tank. If you just moved it, I would do a big water change say about 10 gallons. That will help out with the mini cycle you may get. The starfish you described may be asternia. Depending on who you talk to, they are ok or not. From what I understand, they are opportunistic and if there is not enough food, they may start munching on corals. I would start your own thread so you can document your build and the changes but still hang out in this thread because you can get a lot of your questions answered here. Lots of good folks and good ideas.

[Hextall]

Can some people describe or share photos of how they use a fan to cool their biocubes? The only thing I can visually think to do is attach a clip on fan or similar and have it blow on the chambers in back.

I just purchased an Apex Lite, so I'll be using the fan with the apex, if that matters.

thanks for any suggestions.

[Colin]

I drilled two holes in the back panel of the hood and screwed on fans (just like the light fans already in the hood) blowing out. Works great with my Reefkeeper Lite.

Top down pic of the back of the tank.



Note I also covered up the vents in the back. This sucks air from further forward in the hood and cools more water surface.

--C

[Rhodes19]

Nice mod.

[skyline377]

Here is my Biocube 29

[Bongo Shrimp]

So I turned my phosban reactor into a hang-on-side refugium. Otherwise known as the Cheato Reactor™.

A neat mod for people who don't want to drill. Have to get a pic of it...

[Rhodes19]

Originally Posted by skyline377

Here is my Biocube 29

Nice. And welcome to RC.

[skyline377]

Originally Posted by Rhodes19

Nice. And welcome to RC.

Thanks!! Newbi here, been reading alot in this forum trying to get as much info as I can. Have this BC29 for a few months now and I enjoy this new hobby very much!!

[Db366]

Just picked one up about two weeks ago. So far I love AIO tanks. It has been modded for the third PC and will be getting a nice facelift soon enough to LED's.

[Colin]

Originally Posted by Rhodes19

Nice mod.

Thanks. It works great. I don't think I can take credit for it though.

--Colin

[Hextall]

Thanks Colin, that certainly gives me some ideas to try some stuff with computer fans.

Another questions for BC owners... how do people light up a refugium in the 2nd chamber? My BC has a window along the back, but it seems a little offset in the 2nd chamber, and I plan on using media baskets as shown on their website, so the window doesn't line up completely with the refugium specific media basket.

InTank has a submersible light that's relatively inexpensive, but I've also been looking at this (see link below) and the reviews seem ok.. there's a big jump in price, but it uses 1/2 the wattage and I'd assume wouldn't be as hot.

http://www.marinedepot.com/JBJ_Nano_...i.html#Reviews

[Rhodes19]

Originally Posted by Hextall

Thanks Colin, that certainly gives me some ideas to try some stuff with computer fans.

Another questions for BC owners... how do people light up a refugium in the 2nd chamber? My BC has a window along the back, but it seems a little offset in the 2nd chamber, and I plan on using media baskets as shown on their website, so the window doesn't line up completely with the refugium specific media basket.

InTank has a submersible light that's relatively inexpensive, but I've also been looking at this (see link below) and the reviews seem ok.. there's a big jump in price, but it uses 1/2 the wattage and I'd assume wouldn't be as hot.

http://www.marinedepot.com/JBJ_Nano_...i.html#Reviews

I haven't done it but most fuges I've seen have an external light fixture attached to the back or the BC were the window is. The lights I've seen used range from CF, PC, T5's and LEDs. I've also read about folks using submersible LEDs with good success. If the window is off set, you can scrape some of the black paint off the back to make it bigger or more centered. HTH.

[r_jay]

I currently have a mini t5 fixture on the back of my BC29 after scraping off the paint, but I also did a submersible light, but the light spread is poor and the bulbs heat the water as well.

[hupababy83]

Hi I'm Betty Mae. I own a biocube 8, and I'm currently kept by, mated pair of occilarious (sp?) Clowns -Slick the female, Flick the male- 4 snails -Do, Ray, Me, and Fa. Today I purchased frags of Kenya tree, Zenia, frogspawn, mushroom of some type, zooanthia (sp?), another coral I forgot the name of, and a cleaner shrimp named Rexx. Since I have no QT tank my LFS quarantine them for 30 days for me! They rock! As soon as the new arrivals settle down I will post some pics! The coals will be getting names also, just need to rack my brain!
Oh I also have live rock hitchhikers, so far we noticed 3 bristle worms -Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday- and what looks like a tiny TINY brown feather duster -Dusty-

So far this tank has given me no problems, but I know I'll have to modify something eventuality. I seen a video on YouTube where a man made a fuge, in the center chamber in back. Does anyone have any input on this?

Sent from my HTC Liberty using Tapatalk

[Rhodes19]

Originally Posted by hupababy83

Hi I'm Betty Mae. I own a biocube 8, and I'm currently kept by, mated pair of occilarious (sp?) Clowns -Slick the female, Flick the male- 4 snails -Do, Ray, Me, and Fa. Today I purchased frags of Kenya tree, Zenia, frogspawn, mushroom of some type, zooanthia (sp?), another coral I forgot the name of, and a cleaner shrimp named Rexx. Since I have no QT tank my LFS quarantine them for 30 days for me! They rock! As soon as the new arrivals settle down I will post some pics! The coals will be getting names also, just need to rack my brain!
Oh I also have live rock hitchhikers, so far we noticed 3 bristle worms -Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday- and what looks like a tiny TINY brown feather duster -Dusty-

So far this tank has given me no problems, but I know I'll have to modify something eventuality. I seen a video on YouTube where a man made a fuge, in the center chamber in back. Does anyone have any input on this?

Sent from my HTC Liberty using Tapatalk

Hi Betty Mae,

Welcome to RC. Congrats on your BC 8. Some folks have made their own fuge using some simple material, others have bought media racks/fuge from StevieT of In Tank. Folks seem to be happy with them. HTH.

[sabrefan73]

Looking to replace my PC's. Would two of these Ecoxotic Panoramas 8000K/453nm be enough?? http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewIt...&child=XX08200

I also have a 12.5 inch Stunner Strip that I intend to keep in the setup.

I currently have only softies and a couple LPS; however, I am considering SPS at the top of the rockwork (approximately 2/3 from the bottom).

Any opinions or suggestions would be most appreciated!

[justgeorge]

OK so I'm looking at downsizing from my 240 FOWLR, I've had a 110 reef tank in the past too. Leaning towards the BC 29, but I really like the all-LED JBJ nano cube because of the lower electric usage and less heat going into the room (less A/C demands). I found the JBJ 27 watt LED is $380, the 89 watt is $545, or the BC 29 using power compacts is only $265. Then I found this LED upgrade for the BC29 on Ebay - has anyone put that in? 36 watt LED for $180 or less. But I searched Reef Central for the Ebay user name and I got no hits.
Any thoughts? Adding the 265 and the 180 puts it in between the two versions of the JBJ.

Not planning on any SPS or clams for what that's worth....

[Bongo Shrimp]

Originally Posted by justgeorge

OK so I'm looking at downsizing from my 240 FOWLR, I've had a 110 reef tank in the past too. Leaning towards the BC 29, but I really like the all-LED JBJ nano cube. At Premium Aquatics (2 hour drive for me) the JBJ 27 watt LED is $380, the 89 watt is $545, or the BC 29 is only $265. Then I found this LED upgrade for the BC29 on Ebay - has anyone put that in? 36 watt LED for $180 or less. But I searched Reef Central for the Ebay user name and I got no hits.
Any thoughts? Adding the 265 and the 180 puts it in between the two versions of the JBJ.

Not planning on any SPS or clams for what that's worth....

Not sure of the actual potential for keeping corals under those guys but they look like crees so they could probably do anything but sps or clams. I mean compared to my system, I have 30 crees and that has 12. I would be weary of something like that on ebay.

Hope this helps.

[justgeorge]

Ok the expensive version of the JBJ has 25 3 watt LEDs for the daytime lighting this has 12. So for the daytime lighting about half as much. I'm assuming the kit replaces only the power compact lighting of the BC29 not the existing moonlight LEDs.

[r_jay]

Those ebay LEDs dont look like a great deal in the long run but im a pessimist cause shady stuff shows up on ebay way too often, they also don't replace the moonlights. LED's are expensive either way though. I like DIY so I want to get a kit from rapidled.com and get a bc29 heatsink from nanocustoms.com but still $$$ The Pro LED JBJ nano sounds like a good deal though after you factor in all the retrofit LED kits out there after buying a bc tank and all.

[Endy0430]

I was thinking about adding two of the following strips to my BC29 gallon and keeping the two PC's as well.

1- Current USA TrueLumen Pro LED Striplight 12in. 12K Diamond White
2- Current USA TrueLumen Pro LED Striplight 12in. 453nm Deepwater Blue

My question is will it be enough for all types of corals?

Here is a link to the specs
http://www.current-usa.com/lighting/...men-led-strips

Don't know to much about LED's so if some one can help me out I would appreciate it, Thanks

[RedStangGA]

Originally Posted by Endy0430

I was thinking about adding two of the following strips to my BC29 gallon and keeping the two PC's as well.

1- Current USA TrueLumen Pro LED Striplight 12in. 12K Diamond White
2- Current USA TrueLumen Pro LED Striplight 12in. 453nm Deepwater Blue

My question is will it be enough for all types of corals?

Here is a link to the specs
http://www.current-usa.com/lighting/...men-led-strips

Don't know to much about LED's so if some one can help me out I would appreciate it, Thanks

Endy, take a look at this kit. Should be perfect for BC owners.

http://www.rapidled.com/servlet/the-...etrofit/Detail

[Endy0430]

yeah i seen that kit as well .... I was thinking of keeping the PC's that's why I was asking about the strips instead.