Pretty Much Sold on Biocube 29

JeffreyLebowski · 06-04-2008, 01:45 PM

So a n00b here and been poking around the community. I am pretty much sold on the Biocube 29 with the space that I have and local availability. The Nanocube 24 thing is cool, but I haven't seen it around these here parts (Westchester County, NY). I have read through the cycling sticky etc, but just curious as to what other BC owners have done. Do I have to get the full water supply from R/O water or something like it in the beginning? I plan on getting the Biocube with LR and LS from like the only saltwater-only dealer I've seen in the area. Any tips on initial setup, etc would be greatly appreciated! I'd like to have some inverts in there, just not sold on coral as not sure how much modding the lighting will need. Big Thanks!

BigAl07 · 06-04-2008, 01:48 PM

Your source water is where it all begins... use QUALITY RO/DI water from the beginning and you'll limit the potential for long term problems. Honestly the sooner you invest in some type of RO/DI filter system the sooner it pays for itself and starts making your life easier.

Don't worry about "Modding" it right now. When the time comes you can get all the information and do it fairly easily. Right now let's get that bad boy set up and cycling. This is a GREAT hobby!!

Fishhead Junkie · 06-04-2008, 02:03 PM

I've had my 29BC for almost a year and a half and I love it. If I was you, get your live rock and just buy a couple of those 5 gallon premixed buckets of live seawater. I would suggest going with live sand for your substrate. Don't get the crushed coral like I did, you'll regret it...sand looks 10+ better.

Get yourself a heater and shove it into the 1st chamber all the way down so its hidden away(break out a couple of the slats that seperate the upper and lower chambers). I would ditch the bioballs that come with it and get some rubble rock and dump it into the middle chamber, push that black plastic grate down to the bottom on top of the rubble rock and either add some filter floss and carbon on top so the water pours over it OR you can mod it and add some macro algae like chaeto, scrap off some of the black paint on the backside of the tank and add some type of sump light....mine seems to be doing fine.

I'd grab a couple hydor korialia 1 pumps for increased water circulation and you are set.

You can have lots of different corals in your tank without modding the lighting...don't get me wrong..I'd love to add another bulb or 2 to my canopy or just get a sunpod or some other lighting, but thats another $100-$200+ dollars I just don't have laying around.

When you get all set up...look on this forum for anyone willing to give away some free corals for newbies, there are always people that are pruning their corals and just want to get rid of extra stuff.

I live in Michigan and yesterday stopped by a fellow reefers house that I had never met before because he had posted he was giving away free xenia. I got 5 nice pieces of xenia that normally sells for $20+ at the LFS EACH for free, just took an hour of my time...now thats a cool thing.

If you need any other info..just holler

Steve

Fishhead Junkie · 06-04-2008, 02:05 PM

PS....when placing your rock in the tank...keep it away from the sides..give yourself plenty of room to either use a mag float algae scraper or to even get your hand down in there. most common mistake is to over fill the tank with live rock up too close to the glass and then you don't want to disturb the rock and the glass gets really really dirty. just my 2 cents.

steve

JeffreyLebowski · 06-04-2008, 02:15 PM

Free stuff....love the free stuff

. Thanks for the reply Steve. I'll def take notes along the way from all of you pros!

BigAl07 · 06-04-2008, 02:24 PM

If you were closer I'd offer some "freebies" but the cost of shipping to NYC would make it more than it's worth. I have LOTS of Xenia I could offer up.

Fishhead Junkie · 06-04-2008, 02:56 PM

I am no where near being a pro...I still consider myself a newbie compared to all the rest of these people.

I sometimes like to compare myself to the Bubonic Plague, why you ask...because I have probably killed as many fish and corals as the plague killed people!!!! I am what some reefers would like to call and OVERSTOCKER AND TINKERER!!! I can't help myself, I see something and I have to have it.

My wife called me a NERD yesterday for going over a strangers house to pick up free coral. Maybe she thought I'd wind up tied to a chair under the stairs with a leather zipper mask over my head while some guy beat me with a rubber mallet???

Steve

Reef Newb · 06-04-2008, 03:00 PM

Hi and Welcome! I am just starting up a Biocube 29 as well and I love it. Also when putting in the live rock dont just put it on top of the live sand, just in case you get some critters of fish that like to burrow underneath the rocks. That way you dont have to be as worried of a rockslide. Also until you get an RO/DI system I use distilled water from the pharmacy ($.89/gal) and got a bag of salt from the LFS and mix it myself. Since we only have a 29 gallon tank that is really like 21 or so after all the Lr/Ls. Good luck.

JeffreyLebowski · 06-04-2008, 03:51 PM

Are you saying that I should aquascape the live rock first and then fill in the sand? I want to do this right and not break anything haha.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reef Newb

Hi and Welcome! I am just starting up a Biocube 29 as well and I love it. Also when putting in the live rock dont just put it on top of the live sand, just in case you get some critters of fish that like to burrow underneath the rocks. That way you dont have to be as worried of a rockslide. Also until you get an RO/DI system I use distilled water from the pharmacy ($.89/gal) and got a bag of salt from the LFS and mix it myself. Since we only have a 29 gallon tank that is really like 21 or so after all the Lr/Ls. Good luck.

lcstorc · 06-04-2008, 05:02 PM

Yes you want to place the rock first and fill in the sand around it. In fact I have eggcrate under my rock to stabilize it even more. I do like burrowing fish though.
You can do a lot with a stock cube. Just be sure to cycle well with LR and do faithfull water changes. Don't try to rush it or overstock and you will be in good shape.

kathywithbirds · 06-04-2008, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fishhead Junkie

My wife called me a NERD yesterday for going over a strangers house to pick up free coral. Maybe she thought I'd wind up tied to a chair under the stairs with a leather zipper mask over my head while some guy beat me with a rubber mallet???

Steve

he he Some people go trade coral and EXPECT the leather and mallets, they're disappointed if there's not...

JeffreyLebowski · 06-04-2008, 06:40 PM

I have read about many people scrapping the bioballs in favor of pieces of live rock, or creating a refugium...I guess I'll have to keep reading, but apparently def. scrapping the bioballs!

Royalscott · 06-04-2008, 08:08 PM

We still have the bio balls. and have had no problems. I just make sure, we do regular water changes and test.

JeffreyLebowski · 06-05-2008, 06:46 PM

I will take a picture tonight of the space that it's going in, so you all can have a laugh. As a side note, I walked over to the PetCo in Union Square to see what they had going on...and they actually had a tank full of live rock...Fiji and Florida...or something...I couldn't believe it! I wouldn't buy from them, but I was surprised by the selection.

JeffreyLebowski · 06-05-2008, 11:38 PM

This is what currently occupies the space it is going...I guess I'll have to rock out a bit to make room hahah.

06-04-2008, 01:45 PM	#1 (permalink)
JeffreyLebowski Tuxedo Urchin Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: The Big Y-O/NYC Posts: 279 View Gallery Karma Komment	Pretty Much Sold on Biocube 29 So a n00b here and been poking around the community. I am pretty much sold on the Biocube 29 with the space that I have and local availability. The Nanocube 24 thing is cool, but I haven't seen it around these here parts (Westchester County, NY). I have read through the cycling sticky etc, but just curious as to what other BC owners have done. Do I have to get the full water supply from R/O water or something like it in the beginning? I plan on getting the Biocube with LR and LS from like the only saltwater-only dealer I've seen in the area. Any tips on initial setup, etc would be greatly appreciated! I'd like to have some inverts in there, just not sold on coral as not sure how much modding the lighting will need. Big Thanks! __________________ ********************************************** Hopefully you understand my name isn't Lebowski, and hopefully you get the joke. My Journey and Frustration in Reefing

06-04-2008, 01:48 PM	#2 (permalink)
BigAl07 Do I look as lost as I am Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Waynesville, North Carolina Posts: 21,547 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Pretty Much Sold on Biocube 29 Your source water is where it all begins... use QUALITY RO/DI water from the beginning and you'll limit the potential for long term problems. Honestly the sooner you invest in some type of RO/DI filter system the sooner it pays for itself and starts making your life easier. Don't worry about "Modding" it right now. When the time comes you can get all the information and do it fairly easily. Right now let's get that bad boy set up and cycling. This is a GREAT hobby!! __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ *Live Rock Rubble will do the SAME thing as Bio-Balls and is NOT a suitable replacement for BIO-BALLS in a Reef System! It's ALL gotta go!!* Nitrate (NO3) reduction is directly proportional to percentage of Water Change. Allen's home-made formula...currentNO3-((%WC.01)currentNO3)=finalNO3 (thanks Luukosian) This means if you change 50% of your total water volume (That's EVERYTHING) you'll get a net reduction of (NO3) somewhere around 50%. Ask me about how to increase your REEF budget without going without FOOD!!* Big Al's 10g Julie's (BigAl's Gal) 6g NanoCube Gone but not forgotten BigAl's Slow 90g Tank Chronicle Allens OFFICE 12g Nano-Reef

06-04-2008, 02:03 PM	#3 (permalink)
Fishhead Junkie Midas Blenny Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 108 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Pretty Much Sold on Biocube 29 I've had my 29BC for almost a year and a half and I love it. If I was you, get your live rock and just buy a couple of those 5 gallon premixed buckets of live seawater. I would suggest going with live sand for your substrate. Don't get the crushed coral like I did, you'll regret it...sand looks 10+ better. Get yourself a heater and shove it into the 1st chamber all the way down so its hidden away(break out a couple of the slats that seperate the upper and lower chambers). I would ditch the bioballs that come with it and get some rubble rock and dump it into the middle chamber, push that black plastic grate down to the bottom on top of the rubble rock and either add some filter floss and carbon on top so the water pours over it OR you can mod it and add some macro algae like chaeto, scrap off some of the black paint on the backside of the tank and add some type of sump light....mine seems to be doing fine. I'd grab a couple hydor korialia 1 pumps for increased water circulation and you are set. You can have lots of different corals in your tank without modding the lighting...don't get me wrong..I'd love to add another bulb or 2 to my canopy or just get a sunpod or some other lighting, but thats another $100-$200+ dollars I just don't have laying around. When you get all set up...look on this forum for anyone willing to give away some free corals for newbies, there are always people that are pruning their corals and just want to get rid of extra stuff. I live in Michigan and yesterday stopped by a fellow reefers house that I had never met before because he had posted he was giving away free xenia. I got 5 nice pieces of xenia that normally sells for $20+ at the LFS EACH for free, just took an hour of my time...now thats a cool thing. If you need any other info..just holler Steve

06-04-2008, 02:05 PM	#4 (permalink)
Fishhead Junkie Midas Blenny Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 108 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Pretty Much Sold on Biocube 29 PS....when placing your rock in the tank...keep it away from the sides..give yourself plenty of room to either use a mag float algae scraper or to even get your hand down in there. most common mistake is to over fill the tank with live rock up too close to the glass and then you don't want to disturb the rock and the glass gets really really dirty. just my 2 cents. steve

06-04-2008, 02:15 PM	#5 (permalink)
JeffreyLebowski Tuxedo Urchin Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: The Big Y-O/NYC Posts: 279 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Pretty Much Sold on Biocube 29 Free stuff....love the free stuff . Thanks for the reply Steve. I'll def take notes along the way from all of you pros! __________________ ********************************************** Hopefully you understand my name isn't Lebowski, and hopefully you get the joke. My Journey and Frustration in Reefing

06-04-2008, 02:24 PM	#6 (permalink)
BigAl07 Do I look as lost as I am Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Waynesville, North Carolina Posts: 21,547 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Pretty Much Sold on Biocube 29 If you were closer I'd offer some "freebies" but the cost of shipping to NYC would make it more than it's worth. I have LOTS of Xenia I could offer up. __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ *Live Rock Rubble will do the SAME thing as Bio-Balls and is NOT a suitable replacement for BIO-BALLS in a Reef System! It's ALL gotta go!!* Nitrate (NO3) reduction is directly proportional to percentage of Water Change. Allen's home-made formula...currentNO3-((%WC.01)currentNO3)=finalNO3 (thanks Luukosian) This means if you change 50% of your total water volume (That's EVERYTHING) you'll get a net reduction of (NO3) somewhere around 50%. Ask me about how to increase your REEF budget without going without FOOD!!* Big Al's 10g Julie's (BigAl's Gal) 6g NanoCube Gone but not forgotten BigAl's Slow 90g Tank Chronicle Allens OFFICE 12g Nano-Reef

06-04-2008, 02:56 PM	#7 (permalink)
Fishhead Junkie Midas Blenny Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 108 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Pretty Much Sold on Biocube 29 I am no where near being a pro...I still consider myself a newbie compared to all the rest of these people. I sometimes like to compare myself to the Bubonic Plague, why you ask...because I have probably killed as many fish and corals as the plague killed people!!!! I am what some reefers would like to call and OVERSTOCKER AND TINKERER!!! I can't help myself, I see something and I have to have it. My wife called me a NERD yesterday for going over a strangers house to pick up free coral. Maybe she thought I'd wind up tied to a chair under the stairs with a leather zipper mask over my head while some guy beat me with a rubber mallet??? Steve

06-04-2008, 03:00 PM	#8 (permalink)
Reef Newb Bryozoan Join Date: May 2008 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 52 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Pretty Much Sold on Biocube 29 Hi and Welcome! I am just starting up a Biocube 29 as well and I love it. Also when putting in the live rock dont just put it on top of the live sand, just in case you get some critters of fish that like to burrow underneath the rocks. That way you dont have to be as worried of a rockslide. Also until you get an RO/DI system I use distilled water from the pharmacy ($.89/gal) and got a bag of salt from the LFS and mix it myself. Since we only have a 29 gallon tank that is really like 21 or so after all the Lr/Ls. Good luck.

06-04-2008, 05:02 PM	#10 (permalink)
lcstorc Sunshine Reefer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cocoa Fl Posts: 26,433 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Pretty Much Sold on Biocube 29 Yes you want to place the rock first and fill in the sand around it. In fact I have eggcrate under my rock to stabilize it even more. I do like burrowing fish though. You can do a lot with a stock cube. Just be sure to cycle well with LR and do faithfull water changes. Don't try to rush it or overstock and you will be in good shape. __________________ Peace LYNN Lynn and Franks saltwater adventure Lynn's 20g clown tank Lynn's 90g of sunshine Lynn's frag tank experiment A reef tank is like a race car. The faster you go the harder you crash.

06-04-2008, 06:40 PM	#12 (permalink)
JeffreyLebowski Tuxedo Urchin Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: The Big Y-O/NYC Posts: 279 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Pretty Much Sold on Biocube 29 I have read about many people scrapping the bioballs in favor of pieces of live rock, or creating a refugium...I guess I'll have to keep reading, but apparently def. scrapping the bioballs! __________________ ********************************************** Hopefully you understand my name isn't Lebowski, and hopefully you get the joke. My Journey and Frustration in Reefing

06-04-2008, 08:08 PM	#13 (permalink)
Royalscott Harlequin Tuskfish Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Louisiana Posts: 905 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Pretty Much Sold on Biocube 29 We still have the bio balls. and have had no problems. I just make sure, we do regular water changes and test. __________________ Janetta & Scott 29 Gallon Bio Cube, 14 Gallon Bio Cube 34 gallon Solana & 3 gallon Picotope The Nano Club Wear Gloves

06-05-2008, 06:46 PM	#14 (permalink)
JeffreyLebowski Tuxedo Urchin Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: The Big Y-O/NYC Posts: 279 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Pretty Much Sold on Biocube 29 I will take a picture tonight of the space that it's going in, so you all can have a laugh. As a side note, I walked over to the PetCo in Union Square to see what they had going on...and they actually had a tank full of live rock...Fiji and Florida...or something...I couldn't believe it! I wouldn't buy from them, but I was surprised by the selection. __________________ ********************************************** Hopefully you understand my name isn't Lebowski, and hopefully you get the joke. My Journey and Frustration in Reefing

06-05-2008, 11:38 PM	#15 (permalink)
JeffreyLebowski Tuxedo Urchin Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: The Big Y-O/NYC Posts: 279 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Pretty Much Sold on Biocube 29 This is what currently occupies the space it is going...I guess I'll have to rock out a bit to make room hahah. __________________ ********************************************** Hopefully you understand my name isn't Lebowski, and hopefully you get the joke. My Journey and Frustration in Reefing

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