BioCube 32 filter media suggestions?

[Dre619]

Hello all,
Ive just downgraded my tank to a Coralife 32 BioCube! My questions is what filter media to you recommend? On my previous tank all I had was a protein skimmer and HOB filter that I just used floss to catch all the big stuff. I only have softies in there and dont plan to had any other corals really. Any ideas would be great! Parameters are all good and stable! Used water from old tank as well as the live rock but left the old sand out.

 

[damsels are not mean]

Carbon is all you really need in a softie tank IMO. Fill the rest of the compartments with a loose collection of small dry or live rock and then add chaeto* in one with a cheap gooseneck LED pressed against the back wall to light it. Chaeto might not be necessary as softies are pretty good at nutrient export on their own.

*IIRC that tank has a semi-transparent back in which case this is easy. That's what I have done with my nanocube 28. Otherwise this might not work or you will have to use a light over the back with a ball of chaeto at the top of the basket or something.

 

[X-37B]

I have an 18" cube with 3 baskets.
2 with Eheim substrate pro and 1 with Matrix.

 

[Dre619]

Carbon is all you really need in a softie tank IMO. Fill the rest of the compartments with a loose collection of small dry or live rock and then add chaeto* in one with a cheap gooseneck LED pressed against the back wall to light it. Chaeto might not be necessary as softies are pretty good at nutrient export on their own.

*IIRC that tank has a semi-transparent back in which case this is easy. That's what I have done with my nanocube 28. Otherwise this might not work or you will have to use a light over the back with a ball of chaeto at the top of the basket or something.

Great idea! I have some LR that i can crush and use. Ill try the chaeto at some point. Never thought i could in the BioCube but would be cool! Thanks for your input

 

[Dre619]

I have an 18" cube with 3 baskets.
2 with Eheim substrate pro and 1 with Matrix.

What do you have in your tank?

 

[X-37B]

What do you have in your tank?

Just started it a week ago. All sps.
I run a little carbon, about 3 tablespoons of Rox.

 

[damsels are not mean]

Great idea! I have some LR that i can crush and use. Ill try the chaeto at some point. Never thought i could in the BioCube but would be cool! Thanks for your input

Make sure light can get in through the back wall. Yours might be the one that has some black paint or something on it that can be scraped off? Not sure. Mine has semi transparent glass kind of like a shaded window but I can get over 1000 par through it with this light (i turned it down a few clicks because it was burning the chaeto at first)

 

[Dre619]

Make sure light can get in through the back wall. Yours might be the one that has some black paint or something on it that can be scraped off? Not sure. Mine has semi transparent glass kind of like a shaded window but I can get over 1000 par through it with this light (i turned it down a few clicks because it was burning the chaeto at first)

Ill check and see if i can scratch it off. It is deffo painted black on the backside. How do you have your light fixed? I will be doing this upgrade next week i think

 

[Dre619]

Ill check and see if i can scratch it off. It is deffo painted black on the backside. How do you have your light fixed? I will be doing this upgrade next week i think

Dont have a PAR meter. Any idea to know if there is enough light getting through? Or just throw some chaeto in there and see if it survives?

 

[damsels are not mean]

Ill check and see if i can scratch it off. It is deffo painted black on the backside. How do you have your light fixed? I will be doing this upgrade next week i think

It's clipped on the lip of the filter compartment and then the gooseneck is bent so that the light itself is pressed against the glass. This keeps the light from spreading all over the room.

 

[Dre619]

It's clipped on the lip of the filter compartment and then the gooseneck is bent so that the light itself is pressed against the glass. This keeps the light from spreading all over the room.

Sweet! Ill give you updates next week

 

[Townsaquaria]

My biocube 29 back area is filter floss, poly filter, carbon, bio media, live rock pieces, and a heater. 4 years running. Only wish I had an easy place for a refugium.

 

[Dre619]

My biocube 29 back area is filter floss, poly filter, carbon, bio media, live rock pieces, and a heater. 4 years running. Only wish I had an easy place for a refugium.

what do you keep and what is your bioload? I dont think I need all that filtration. Want to keep it as natural as possible

 

[Townsaquaria]

what do you keep and what is your bioload? I dont think I need all that filtration. Want to keep it as natural as possible

Natural I'd say just do live rock, but floss helps capture waste for easy removal.

I'm on the third total redo for this tank in terms of stock. It's now an anemome tank. 4 different anemones, a maroon clown, some zoas and xenia, sexy shrimp and porcelain crab.