new biocube

[mandarin man]

had a 14 gal biocube up and running bout 3 weeks, approx 16 lbs of live rock had been the only inhabitant till yesterday, jus bought a rainfords goby, but anyways i hear its better to take out the cartridge filters and bio balls and replace with lr rubble. is this true? what will it help with? also my built in powerhead is shooting out tiny bubbles. they arnt too bad but anyone have a quick fix? I dont have an algae problem...yet and want to keep it that way, any suggestions will help. also anybody got any ideas for a good buddy for my rainfords? im kind of stumped on what other fish to get since it can really only hold 2 fish.

[MACATUA]

The LR rubble just gives more surface area for the beneficial bacteria and does not allow for as much nirate buildup as bioballs can. The bio balls are fine, but rubble is just better

[ringfinger]

Air bubbles in the BC tanks are usually caused by not having enough water in the back chambers. Try adding some more water.

If you don't mind tanking a knife to your tank....

Some people upgrade the pump to a Maxi-Jet 900, replace the bio-balls with LR rubble, remove the carbon filter cartridge, and then modify the plastic wall between chambers 1 & 2 to allow more water to flow through. Water is then added to increase the levels in the chambers to within 1" of the top.

A small clown would work with the goby.

[lando]

Using the LR rubble will get you a much better biological filtration for the reasons mentioned. I strongly recommend doing this. especailly if you are planning a reef tank in the future.

[Meola]

I just got a 14g Bio Cube also and had that same concern. (Now with the $35 mail in rebate, it's a tough bargain to pass up) With a large amount of live rock going into the tank itself, I was thinking of leaving the bio balls inside. But maybe I will go with the rubble.

imo a percula would look good and seems to come recommended

just curious but how many inches of sand did you put in your tank?

[lando]

I just got a 14g Bio Cube also and had that same concern. (Now with the $35 mail in rebate, it's a tough bargain to pass up) With a large amount of live rock going into the tank itself, I was thinking of leaving the bio balls inside. But maybe I will go with the rubble.

With 25-30lbs of LR in the main you may be okay with the bioballs and other "biofiltration" in the compartments. However, best case scenario is still using LR rubble in the filter compartments. It is simply a far superior biomedia.

[usmcmarc]

If you plan on putting a skimmer in, the GAC pre-filter must come out. Also, be aware that as that filter clogs with sediment, it appears that the water level in the sight window is dropping. It isn't, the flow is being restricted making it appear that way.

Get rid of it all. Prefilter & Bioballs


LR, A bag of GAC, A bag of Purigen, and a skimmer is all you need.