New Biocube 14

[Polishpower]

Hello I have gathering info from this site for months now. Thank you all for the advice so far and I'm in need of more. I just acquired a biocube 14. I wanted to know what would be a good first up grade. I was wonder if i should leave the filter cartridge in the first chamber. If not what should I put in its place. I would like to take out the bio balls but do not know what to run instead of them in the second chamber. I'm going to get a heater for the third and possibly a protein skimmer in time.
I would like to have corals and a couple fish in this tank and want to make sure I do it right. This is my first salt water set up.
Thanks for all your help
Nic

 

[db7080]

In my cube all chambers and packed full of live rock. I just broke up into perfect pieces and packed them as tight as I could. Where the water flows in I cut a piece of frag rack perfect Dimensions to sit on top of live rock and if I feel I ever need, I put quilt filling stuff on it for mechanic filtration(haven't done this for about a year tho)

 

[Singlefin]

Check out inTank media baskets. They have all the upgrades you need and great customer service. A BC14 was my first tank too. With that water volume, be careful how you feed and be consistent with water changes. Bio balls should come out. They collect detritus fast. Keep researching. There are some beautiful BC14's out there. I'm sure you've heard it's harder to keep a small tank than a large tank, but its definitely cheaper. Good luck.

 

[Polishpower]

Thanks for the help

 

[Reef_a_holiks]

im currently running bio balls in my 29g cube. but gonna put replacing the middle chamber with chaeto and hook on a light to back of the tank so the chaeto can grow.

 

[Singlefin]

I had a bc14 and bc29. One thing I didn't like was how the detritus built up in the back chambers. I have big hands so it was hard to clean. It's fine unless you stir it up or don't clean it regularly.

 

[larangcon]

I would also leave out all bio balls, +1 on chaetos