BioCube 14

[Waelch]

So I decided to start my own reef aquarium.
I bought a used BioCube 14.
Is there any upgrades to the tank that I should consider to make my tank better

Ur help is appreciated

 

[little_fish]

Hello and Welcome to the reef!

I dont know a ton about biocubes but im sure someone else will chime in on this!

 

[Northstar24]

Welcome to the site

 

[SarahSmile]

Hi there!
Make sure that you pull out the bioballs from chamber 2. I like to put filter floss on that top tray in chamber 2 and every other day I pitch it and put a new batch in, it's cheap. Picks up the big particles, just needs to be changed frequently, cause of nitrates....
Also, you may want to get a chiller. The temp can climb high fast in that tank-I found that out yesterday-the first nice day we've had since I've had my tank.

 

[Waelch]

Thank you guys.

do u know if I should use one of those filter baskets with 3 different media on top of each other?

 

[little_fish]

Sarah - i highly doubt you need a chiller. Almost no one does. Just clip a fan to the top of your tank and that will cool it significantly.

 

[jen_1122]

Hi there.
If you are looking for upgrades, www.nanotuners.com has them for the biocube.

 

[BL1]

Here's a great resource for Biocube owners

The Biocube Resource Guide - Nano-Reef.com Forums

 

[SarahSmile]

Sarah - i highly doubt you need a chiller. Almost no one does. Just clip a fan to the top of your tank and that will cool it significantly.

Thanks little fish, yeah, I don't know, on Wednesday we finally had a 80 degree day and my tank went from 78 to 83 pretty fast. Had me pretty worried, I've never had a temperature swing...
I would hate to leave a fan on all day every day while I am at work-wouldn't a chiller be easier? Plus, the tank is so small, even a tiny fan would look bulky stuck on top-

 

[BL1]

Chillers are just waaay too pricey. Also for a chiller to be effective you'd need to have it outside somewhere and have the pipes run into your house. If nit, and you just keep the chiller right next to the tank, you're just going to send the heat created from the chiller right back into your room/tank.

 

[Bifferwine]

Chillers cost $300 to $400 even for the cheapest and smallest models. Like Brian said, they work like an air conditioner: they remove heat from the tank, and exhaust it back into the room. So your room will get heated up by the hot air it blows, which makes your tank warmer, which makes the chiller work even harder. They are effective if you can vent them to the outside; however.

It is better if you take a clip-on fan and have it blowing across the surface of the water. This can be difficult in closed-top tanks, but it's still better than using a chiller, IMO.