BioCube 29 Tank Upgrade Questions - & Fishies Too!

Yeah, I know. Sorry. I was just feeling a little beat up by Biff one the other thread, so I thought I could make a tasteless joke. Proof one tasteless joke works, but two is one too many! :lol:
 
daugherty said:
with what your tests say the cycle is almost over.
Click to expand...

Another question... I received a bottle of Aqueon Ammonia Neutralizer - free gift with purchase.

I know the big thing I've consistently read on these threads is ammonia at zero and how dangerous it is. Is Ammonia neutralizer dangerous to the reef or fish? Is it ok to add at the first sign of trouble or is it a last resort type thing?
 
I wish I had seen this thread earlier. I have a Biocube 29. Put the heater & BC29 skimmer in chamber 1. Take the bioballs out gradually, 1/3 each week. Scrape the black paint off the back glass over chamber 2 only using a razor. Fill chamber 2 with chaeto. Put a strong plant light behind chamber 2 of the tank. Leave a bag of chemipure, weighed down by a piece of rock, sitting on the lower grate in chamber 2. I replaced the stock pump with a Rio 6hf in chamber 3 and I eliminated the elbow in chamber 3 to increase flow. The output divides into 2 loc lines, one with a rotating spout. Once I did all this, I got my nitrates and phospahtes to zero and they stayed there. To keep some fish and most corals you must be able to consistently keep these chems at zero.

Many people put rock in chamber 2 --this accomplishes nothing. Put the rock in the main display.

After a year, I ditched the stock hood and went with a Sunpod 150watt 20 inch. A small fan keeps the tank cool. I used the stock pump in my RO water reservoir with the ATO.
 
Hi and welcome to the site!!! :)

I think almost everyone has you covered.
Here is my two cents:
I have my tank by a window. I live in a city where it does not get too cold (ever). The window is in a 90 degree bend in my house so it is not readily exposed to many elements. I also keep the blinds closed until about 3pm when the sun is on the other side of the house.
Your cleaner crew: invest in some Mexican Turbo Snails. They will work wonders in your tank keeping everything clean.

Here is the problem with automatic feeders: they can break. You can go days with your fish having no food. I have also heard of them over feeding and dumping the whole amount of food in the tank at one time. You will come home to a tank covered in alage and probably no survivors. The best idea is to find someone with a teenager that can come by and pet-sit for you. A neighbor, someone. It is also better to have someone looking at your fish everyday to see if they are getting sick and/or scooping out the dead ones before they spike your levels. The last time I left for a week I did a water change the day before and then tested my water the morning that I left to make sure everything was OK. The water was fine until I got home.

I also went to amazon.com and bought several books on saltwater tanks and did a lot of reading before jumping in. There is a lot of information out there.

You can get the API Saltwater test kit from Petsmart for about $35. It is the one with the drops and works great.

:)

Good luck with your tank
 
lilyicu said:
Hi and welcome to the site!!! :)

I think almost everyone has you covered.
Here is my two cents:
I have my tank by a window. I live in a city where it does not get too cold (ever). The window is in a 90 degree bend in my house so it is not readily exposed to many elements. I also keep the blinds closed until about 3pm when the sun is on the other side of the house.
Your cleaner crew: invest in some Mexican Turbo Snails. They will work wonders in your tank keeping everything clean.

Here is the problem with automatic feeders: they can break. You can go days with your fish having no food. I have also heard of them over feeding and dumping the whole amount of food in the tank at one time. You will come home to a tank covered in alage and probably no survivors. The best idea is to find someone with a teenager that can come by and pet-sit for you. A neighbor, someone. It is also better to have someone looking at your fish everyday to see if they are getting sick and/or scooping out the dead ones before they spike your levels. The last time I left for a week I did a water change the day before and then tested my water the morning that I left to make sure everything was OK. The water was fine until I got home.

I also went to amazon.com and bought several books on saltwater tanks and did a lot of reading before jumping in. There is a lot of information out there.

You can get the API Saltwater test kit from Petsmart for about $35. It is the one with the drops and works great.

:)

Good luck with your tank
Click to expand...


Good info, except for the part about finding a teenager to come in your house while you are gone.
 
The girl that lives next door to me does a great job. It should always be someone you know or a mutual friend :)
I would never trust a teenager I didn't know.....I remember what I was like as a teenager....scary
 
Has anyone here seen this or have one? [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9yjwsF3pkQ&NR=1"]YouTube - Red Sea - Max 3D Tour[/ame]

Holy baby jebus - I want like ten of them.

Three words for you: BE-A-UTIFUL
 
Last edited:
No I have the original. You can "pre-order" the newer one from Marine Depot. They do get them in but they're pre-sold, so you have to order and wait. By the way the video above is of the smaller one, like I have. The larger 65g has the intake in the middle and out-takes - one on each side. The smaller tank has both outlets on the left side. You can see more info at Red Sea MAX250 | New from Red Sea
 
+1 everyone else. I've also got a biocube, and ended up upgrading my lights only 3 months into it. I decided to go with a 24" T5HO setup with adjustable legs... they do make 20" t5's now, which is perfect for the biocube 29g, BUT the bulbs are a specialty size, so you'd be limited by that in the future. The other thing you should know about BC is that with the hood on, it invariably runs too hot. If you keept he hood, it's a good idea (at least in the summer, if it gets warm where you are) to leave both the front flap and back flap opened, and let a fan blow over the tank. That kept my temps at around 80 (before I took the lid off and got new lights. Now the fan is not needed.)

As for the flow issues, I also had that problem. Ignore the lines for "max" and "min" fill... for whatever reason, the way the cube is designed, you have to way overfill in order to prevent the pump from running dry through the day. I basically fill mine up all the way. Incidentally, with the BC29 skimmer is all right, I opted for a HOB (hang on back) skimmer that does a better job... but that's just my personal preference.

hope that answered some of your questions/is helpful. :) Good luck!
 

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