Need biocube help

[okapizebra]

Hi all, a friend of mine just gave me an old cube tank that she's had for years empty. It looks to be in great shape despite being a little dirty. However, I have quite a few questions about set up since I've never had one before.

First of all, is this a biocube? It measures about 19.5 x 17 x 17 inches which puts me around 24 gallons. That is a standard size for jbj, however it doesn't look anything like one. Check out pics for reference.

Also, it came with two pumps. One looks like the stock pump, and the other is a rio plus 600. The stock pump seems to fit in the return tube, but it won't stay in place so I wonder if it's missing a piece. It's also super weak. How can I get good flow through the chambers and what should I put in them? They're totally empty.

The lights work aside from half the blue tube being out, so they're going to need some work. But first I want to focus on getting the filtration running. It's currently sitting on my bathroom floor for a leak test.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Wwidener]

I have had a Biocube for a number of years so I can weigh in a bit. This looks like an older version of the biocube from the lid but I'm not 100% sure. Maybe the smaller version of it. I'm assuming it is.

The stock pump is okay for this tank, at best. My pump came with suction cup feet to make sure it stays down. Is that possible? Can you show us the two pumps? I say, use the more powerful of the two. The best way to increase flow besides getting a larger pump is getting rid of any 90 degree angles in piping and adding a third party flow fan.

Stage 1 on the right is gravity fed from the intakes. Add your skimmer and heater here. The CPR SR3 is a great way to hold media in this middle area, assuming it fits. Otherwise, Coralife has a media tray and charcoal filter designed for the biocube.

My recommendation is using either pump and UV sterilizer in Stage 3 (left side). Stage 2, use SR3 with charcoal, de*nitrate, and rowaphos along with any kind of mechanical filter. Finally, toss in the biocube skimmer and a heater in the first stage.

Thoughts?

 

[okapizebra]

I'll attach a pic of the two pumps and a better pic of the back area. Mine only has two chambers, just a big empty area with the piece dividing them. I don't think a skimmer would fit, nor do I think the media basket would fit. The heater will be no problem of course. It's plenty deep, just not very wide.

I do have a hydor koralia 240 that I plan to run in the tank part. Where in the back would the other two go to maximize flow through the chambers?

Also, I do have one other question. There's a little crack in the silicone on the outside holding the plastic trim to the tank. Will this affect structural integrity at all? The rest of the silicone is perfect. I'll attach a pic of this as well.

Can anyone verify that logo so I can tell for sure if it's a biocube?

So far, no leaks.

Thanks so much!

 

[okapizebra]

Ok, I think I've figured out what I'm missing for the pump is simply the tube to connect it to the return pipe. I'll have to go to a hardware store to find a piece of tubing that will fit in.

Also, I've finally figured out that symbol is current-usa brand. But I can't find anywhere online that they make a cube tank! The whole hood is current-usa brand, and I don't see anywhere on the tank itself any logos or brand names. So what is this mystery cube??

 

[okapizebra]

AHH, I take it back. I finally figured it out.

I have a current-usa 24g Aquapod!

 

[Wwidener]

There ya go! Good job.

Definitely don't use their recommended ceramic media for their reason. Bioballs are okay until they are not. Be sure to get a foam pad big enough to fit the slot.

 

[Wwidener]

You can get a hang on back skimmer

 

[okapizebra]

Sounds good. I will look into the skimmer. Is it really necessary on this small of a tank?

My next step for now is finding something to put this tank on. Then I'll work on all the plumbing and media. I've got it cleaned up pretty nicely.

If anyone has experience with this tank I'd love to hear about it!

 

[Autumnsky]

Just ran across this, what did you do with this tank??

 

[okapizebra]

This was an awesome little tank. Got a new return pump and new tubing which worked the back chamber perfectly. Added some powerheads to the front area for more flow. I used an old finnex ray reef light for my lighting. Used a few sponges in the back for media. I did run the little coralife skimmer but I don't think it did anything honestly. Only ever got water in the collection cup but was probably just me being lazy and not bothering to adjust it.

I don't have any pics of the filtration but I'll post the last pic I took of tank. I just broke this tank down last month actually and upgraded to a 40 breeder. So it ran for a little over a year. Really enjoyed it, but was just ready for a bigger tank.