brand new biocube

[greg1186]

hi my 14 gallon biocube just came in the mail today... i set up its little table and put the cube on top. i have been inspecting the "guts" of the filter and stuff. checked out the filter pad in the 1st chamber and made sure i can put it in and take it out properly. I had trouble removing the "overflow" tray, i still cant remove it. its the thing over the bioballs. anyone else have this problem? im not sure if its sitting correctly either. now i am looking at the ballast assembly.. can someone explain to me what the ballast is? and what is the compact fluorescent lamp connector? the lunar blue moon glow led connector?

thanks for the responses in advance!!:bounce:

 

[greg1186]

ok so i researched ballasts.. the ones on the biocube apparently break fairly easy.. i hope mine are the lucky ones... so about that overflow tray? anyone know how to remove the dam thing lol?

 

[sen5241b]

I have a Biocube. Do not bend the light/ballast cables too much. There is a limit on how much they can be twisted or bent. I think the company has fixed their ballast issues.

 

[oleolson1]

I changed my lights last night for the first time, long overdue. The rubber ballasts broke but the clips seems to hold the lights in good. I suppose you figured out how to get the tray out by now right? I have to do it with two hands and pull up on the side toward the front of the tank. I keep the phosphate remover bag on top of the bio balls.

On another note, I talked to a guy at my LFS and he suggested taking out half the bio balls. He said they may be working against my rock. Has anyone heard of this?

 

[Bifferwine]

Yes, if they are not kept clean, bioballs can actually lead to higher nitrates in your water.

If you are diligent about cleaning your bioballs (every week or two), then it's not a big deal. But if you don't want to put in the extra time to maintain them, you can remove them.

 

[sen5241b]

Did you ever look at this? It is excellent.

The Biocube Resource Guide - Nano-Reef.com Forums

 

[oleolson1]

Yes, if they are not kept clean, bioballs can actually lead to higher nitrates in your water.

If you are diligent about cleaning your bioballs (every week or two), then it's not a big deal. But if you don't want to put in the extra time to maintain them, you can remove them.

Thanks so much for pointing out that guide for biocubes. I'll be making some moss on my tank for sure.