Carey's Bio Cube Build

[carey]

For those wondering about the skimmer for the biocube....

So today i found a nearly new biocube protein skimmer for $20 and just figured I'd try it. I know they get bad reviews but for $20 i was willing to get first hand experience. I have it adjusted already so just the tiniest bit of foam is going to the top of the neck. I installed it in the furthest to the right compartment as I have a fuge and media baskets in the center compartment.

I will update as it goes and let you all know.

 

[MMM_Sushi]

Yikes!!!! My eyes are crossed

Carey,

Thanks for the thread, I read IT ALL today on my day off. Its like reading a book for crying out loud!!!

I will start a thread when I get a little closer to launching my build but I wanted to say thank you for all the info....really really great stuff. I think you made all the right moves and plan on doing an extremely simular tank setup (if not exact). I hope to have a pair of clowns as the focus but have alot more soft coral when i'm done with mine.

Couple of links to You Tube vids that have me interested if you dont mind taking a look (You Tube is such a great place for ideas):

Biocube 14 Gallon Saltwater Aquarium - YouTube

BioCube 8 Reef Tank with LED upgrades, as well as a Fuge, Protein skimmer, Auto top Off - YouTube

These tanks are more of the "feel" I'm going to shoot for and Ill be sure to ask you for your opinions and any advise.

Again, thanks for all the great info and the Im sure my eyes will uncross by morning.

 

[carey]

Thanks so very much, I am really glad when someone says they learned something from my threads, thats the whole reason I make em.

That 8g cube you linked is awesome, I love the corals. I havent put corals into the cube yet, if ever but thats something to strive for.

Make you you have a thread when youre ready, would love to see what you incarnation will be. Tanks are like like fingerprints, no two are ever the the same. lol

 

[carey]

Great news today!! My mandy finally ate some mysis shrimp. I saw her eat at least one and it was quite large too. Finally!! I knew all this pampering with the food choices she would come around. She still is eating the cyclops and plankton but at least she has added something else to her diet. Off to get some more pe-mysis hopefully today. woot!! I feel so much better now about keeping her in the cube now.

 

[needmorecowbell]

Congratulations! That Is a great start to a healthy mandarin! I saw one at my lfs today and it was absolutely beautiful. You are so Lucky lol

 

[carey]

Thanks, it's taken her a few weeks to get to this point and so many times I was prepared to move her to the 125g and let her just eat pods.

My stupid little bio cube skimmer still inst working well btw. I regret spending the $20 now. But at least I know for sure. Will keep it running to be sure its garbage. Then I'll probably sell it on CL.
LOL

 

[maxst2]

One of these? Oceanic® BioCube Protein Skimmer - Saltwater - Fish - PetSmart

They are junk.

BUT for the 29gal if you remove all the crap out of the middle chamber you can fit in a tunze 9002 ( Tunze DOC 9002 Nano Protein Skimmer by Tunze - AquaCave )

You'll have to cut the hood or go to here to and get the rectangle collection cup. Id pick up the media basket then too.

Biocube 29 Media Basket
Upgraded Tunze Cup

The skimmer is a BEAST and works wonders.

 

[carey]

I already have a media basket and fuge in the center compartment. I am looking at the tunze for my newest build.

 

[Mike-words]

My skimmer isn't working to bad still needs some tweaking but for what it is it's ok

 

[leftyfish]

The aqualife 115 fits in the 1st chamber and is a skimming beast!

 

[carey]

Lefty, tell me you still have that skimmer? LOL Or did it make it onto ebay already?

 

[leftyfish]

Lefty, tell me you still have that skimmer? LOL Or did it make it onto ebay already?

Lol! I sold it to a guy on nano-reef a few weeks ago. He wrote and said he couldn't believe how much junk it was pulling out of the water. It is a great lil skimmer!

 

[carey]

Aww I was finally ready to take the plunge! I should have jumped on it originally. Thanks anyways though. Maybe I;ll just get one new, they were running a rebate some time ago wonder if its still valid...

 

[carey]

I'm still running the biocube skimmer with zip on results. :-(

But I did add a green killing machine UV sterilizer, it came with the 55g tank setup I bought yesterday. So i bought a new bulb and hope it helps with the algae. I figured it was almost free in the end and was curious if they work.

I only have the 9 watt one so it;s the perfect size for my cube. Now only ig it works....

In other cube news, my yellow watchman is still not yellow, he;s still a pale white. And the mandarin is liking the new frozen cyclopeeze I bought yesterday so hopefully she will completely switch to prepared foods again.

 

[carey]

So today was the biocube day. I totally re did the rocks, gave it a cleaning like neverbefore, took out the skimmer and the uv since I wasnt seeing any results at all. Even cleaned up all the empty shells that littered my tank. I also swapped the order of my bulbs and put in a new blue bulb. Gotta say the blue is def more blue now

So of course i took lots of pictures! And I mean alot! LOL

 

[carey]

 

[rdnelson99]

Nice!!! (15 well you know)

 

[TLTGF]

Mandy is looking good!

 

[carey]

Thanks, I;m getting her more and more on frozen food. If only her mouth were bigger I bet she'd eat more. She can;t get a whole bloodworm down, though its very amusing to watch her try. I;ve gotten to the point I;d like to chop them up for her. It would be nice to feed just two different foods to the tank instead of like 4. lol

I must say I;m very pleased with my new rockscape as well. I can see all my fish and shrimp now except for the yellow watchman, he now has a burrow and he might poke his head out here and there. This was the scaoe I wanted all along. My favorite so far, and trust me, I've re done this tank proabably 50 times, no exaggeration. lol

I;m now thinking of the stocking for this cube. The clowns will be out soon enough, going into the new 20g so I'll have some empty slots available.

I will have after the clowns vacate: mandarin, scooter, yellow wathcmand and a citron goby. I was thinking a purple firefish and maybe another small fish. All the fish that will be in there will be bottom dwellers and I'd like some mid water activity like I get from the clowns. Also there is the thought that when the yellow watchman gets too big he is gonna move over to the 125g but that all depends on how he does. he is still white as far as I can tell and has been for about 2 weeks. I know he is stressed, plus I had to do a pwc last night as I;d been putting it off for over 2 weeks to try to get the watchman unstressed.

Any ideas guys? I found a ton of blennies and gobies I'd love to have but again, I want swimmy fish.

Thanks for reading!

 

[needmorecowbell]

A firefish would look sooo cool. Maybe that and a marine betta or royal gramma?