Biocube 32 Filtration... Is this right?

[Cora]

Hi! I’ve got a Biocube 32 set up and want some feedback about my filtration.

Right now, I have fish (2 clowns, 2 fire fish), clean up crew (cleaner shrimp, emerald crab, small hermits, various snails), and a few softie corals. Algae is minimal, have some coralline coming in. No ammonia or nitrite. Nitrate is 5-ish (API testing).

Chamber 1: Coralife protein skimmer, heater
Chamber 2 (stacker in the chamber): Biocube filter cartridge, Chemipure Blue, Aquamaxx Biopellets (probably not tumbling), live rock
Chamber 3: Return pump

My parameters are good and stable now. Am I missing anything? Is this overkill? What’s up with biopellets? What happens if they aren’t tumbling? Thanks!

 

[lapin]

Bio pellets are just another surface for bacteria to colonize. Your rock does not tumble so its of for the pellets not to.

 

[Cora]

Aha! Okay. So far, I take it my setup is good and no need to be tumbling the pellets.

 

[Galliente]

I have a biocube 32 as well. I hated the media rack in compartment 2 so just bought the intank tank and fuge.

I run

Skimmer in 1

Media rack and fuge are in 2

Media rack has filter floss at top then chemipure blue and some carbon below it. The fuge has the heater in the compartment with the chaeto. Light attached to glass on back outside the tank.

Return pump in 3
I removed the black foam filter thing between 2 and 3.

 

[Ssdangeranger]

On my biocube I have the heater and intake for HOB skimmer in chamber 1. Chamber 2 I have intank media basket with filter floss on top of chemipure blue, the HOB skimmer emptys in the top of the basket too. Then bio balls and last is bag of carbon. Instead of the intank fudge I just put some seachem matrix in a bag and set it by the baffle that goes to the return pump. In chamber 3 I have the return pump ATO system and a yellow watchman goby that made his way to there somehow.

 

[William Morris]

I have a biocube 32 as well. I hated the media rack in compartment 2 so just bought the intank tank and fuge.

I run

Skimmer in 1

Media rack and fuge are in 2

Media rack has filter floss at top then chemipure blue and some carbon below it. The fuge has the heater in the compartment with the chaeto. Light attached to glass on back outside the tank.

Return pump in 3
I removed the black foam filter thing between 2 and 3.

Can you post a photo of your setup?
How has the fuge working?
I'm thinking of doing the fuge in just the media basket in chamber 2 because I have the Tunze 9001 skimmer in chamber 2 with the media basket.

 

[Galliente]

Can only do a top down rn. I'll try to get a back pic later when I do a water change.

The prob I have had with the fuge is debris being pulled into the DT. The black foam piece is a double edged sword. Helps keep loose chaeto pieces from flowing into the DT but collects everything.

Your thought about fuge in the lower part of the media basket def sounds good. Only downside is you would have to pull the whole media basket out to trim. But I dont think that's too much of a prob.

 

[ShaneWedge]

I have a biocube 32 as well. I hated the media rack in compartment 2 so just bought the intank tank and fuge.

I run

Skimmer in 1

Media rack and fuge are in 2

Media rack has filter floss at top then chemipure blue and some carbon below it. The fuge has the heater in the compartment with the chaeto. Light attached to glass on back outside the tank.

Return pump in 3
I removed the black foam filter thing between 2 and 3.

I bought the InTank median and fuge racks as well. Had to black out some of the clear glass because of the fuge light running at night and the tank is in my bedroom.

 

[William Morris]

Are you guys finding the fuge to be beneficial?

 

[Galliente]

One thing I recently did was attach sides to the intank fuge. I used the stock media rack. The wides of the stock rack fit on the sides of the intank fuge perfect. Zip tied them on to give me a box.

I was having some problems with my chaeto being sucked to the side of the fuge and into the return pump since it had open sides.

Not a problem anymore.

 

[Galliente]

It's really beneficial from a convenience aspect. You could make a fuge out of egg crates and the stock media rack prob a little cheaper. But the intank fuge is relatively cheap so I went for it when it was on sale.

 

[LegendaryCG]

Hi! I’ve got a Biocube 32 set up and want some feedback about my filtration.

Right now, I have fish (2 clowns, 2 fire fish), clean up crew (cleaner shrimp, emerald crab, small hermits, various snails), and a few softie corals. Algae is minimal, have some coralline coming in. No ammonia or nitrite. Nitrate is 5-ish (API testing).

Chamber 1: Coralife protein skimmer, heater
Chamber 2 (stacker in the chamber): Biocube filter cartridge, Chemipure Blue, Aquamaxx Biopellets (probably not tumbling), live rock
Chamber 3: Return pump

My parameters are good and stable now. Am I missing anything? Is this overkill? What’s up with biopellets? What happens if they aren’t tumbling? Thanks!

My advice is dont over think it. Sounds like you‘re on you way to success just keep doing the Same thing. Impatience and playing mad scientist are the biggest problems people encounter.

 

[ShaneWedge]

Are you guys finding the fuge to be beneficial?

I just started my tank up after the move. Will let you know in a few weeks after I start checking pH levels at night.

 

[ShaneWedge]

One thing I recently did was attach sides to the intank fuge. I used the stock media rack. The wides of the stock rack fit on the sides of the intank fuge perfect. Zip tied them on to give me a box.

I was having some problems with my chaeto being sucked to the side of the fuge and into the return pump since it had open sides.

Not a problem anymore.

Here is mine at night.

 

[William Morris]

Here is mine at night.

What kind of lighting do you use?

 

[ShaneWedge]

What kind of lighting do you use?

This one

 

[William Morris]

Thanks - any evidence of the light heating the water?

 

[ShaneWedge]

I haven’t noticed any more then 1 degree difference. But I keep my heater at 75f

 

[Reefer825]

Aquamaxx hob 1.5 skimmer in chamber 1 exiting into chamber 2 on top of my intank media basket with a bag or purite and a bag of chem blue. I also have the intank fuge basket with Chaeto in chamber 2. Chamber 3 houses my return pump, sterilizer and heater. One AI Prime HD16 light.

 

[0utrageousfun]

I have a biocube 32 as well. I hated the media rack in compartment 2 so just bought the intank tank and fuge.

I run

Skimmer in 1

Media rack and fuge are in 2

Media rack has filter floss at top then chemipure blue and some carbon below it. The fuge has the heater in the compartment with the chaeto. Light attached to glass on back outside the tank.

Return pump in 3
I removed the black foam filter thing between 2 and 3.

What kind of skimmer are you running in Chamber 1?