29g bio setup questions

[jason401]

hello all, getting ready to setup a 29g biocube purchased from another friendly boston reefer. i have a few questions to get started and im positively sure there will be many more to come as time passes.

lighting, i would like to eventualy have a clam as well as some sps and other corals.of course a a couple fish as well(goby, clown, and one or two more small non aggresive fish) any recomendations on direct fit to origional hood or upgrades?

skimmer, cube does not have a skimmer as of now. any recomendations on that? will i need it during my cycling period? and are they direct fits or some mods in need?

i live about 7 min from skptons, plan on filling my tank their water(brandy new home depot buckets). i hope this will significantly reduce my cycling period. should i buy live rock after cycling and start with dry then add live rock afterwards? i plan on using the bagged live sand also.

also i have been reading on here about bad test kits? any recomendations for a first and second choice selection, as i will be getting two test kits...just like my girlfriends occasional prego tests..

thanks guys,also im right in back bay, if anyone wants to link up for a beer and fill me in on all the ins and outs of the hobby.

 

[MPevine11]

hello all, getting ready to setup a 29g biocube purchased from another friendly boston reefer. i have a few questions to get started and im positively sure there will be many more to come as time passes.

lighting, i would like to eventualy have a clam as well as some sps and other corals.of course a a couple fish as well(goby, clown, and one or two more small non aggresive fish) any recomendations on direct fit to origional hood or upgrades?

if you want it dimmable:
http://www.rapidled.com/servlet/the-189/Biocube-29-Dimmable-Retrofit/Detail
if you dont want dimmable:
http://www.rapidled.com/servlet/the-199/Biocube-29-Retrofit-Kit/Detail

also a half decent fish guide
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=74703&hl=lgreen


skimmer, cube does not have a skimmer as of now. any recomendations on that? will i need it during my cycling period? and are they direct fits or some mods in need?

a tunze 9002 skimmer may fit in the 2nd chamber (take measurements of the 2nd chamber)


i live about 7 min from skptons, plan on filling my tank their water(brandy new home depot buckets). i hope this will significantly reduce my cycling period. should i buy live rock after cycling and start with dry then add live rock afterwards? i plan on using the bagged live sand also.

*what kind of water is it? from an existing tank? or just pre-mixed water(salt with RO/DI)??
*i would recommend marco rocks. they have dry rock you can seed with live rock, or just all live rock (i preffer all live rock) but if you have patiance you can get dry rock and seed it with live rock

also i have been reading on here about bad test kits? any recommendations for a first and second choice selection, as i will be getting two test kits...just like my girlfriends occasional prego tests..

i like elos kits. they are expensive but absolutely worth it. i wish i used them from the start

thanks guys,also im right in back bay, if anyone wants to link up for a beer and fill me in on all the ins and outs of the hobby.

replies RED

 

[JonsReef]

Hey Jason-

i live in the south end between tremont and columbus and have a 14G biocube with a custom-build LED fixture in the original hood. it maintains the sleek all-in-one look of the tank. you're welcome to stop by sometime this weekend and check it out. ive had the tank up for 3+ years and have the same fish that i originally put in the tank (knock on wood). i did the LED work myself so can show you what i used and talk you through the process and maybe help you out a bit also with some of the fab work. will work for beer!

PM me if you want to come by and discuss all things biocube.

also, the rapidled retrofit kits are pretty new to the market. for a while, nanotuners had the only upgrade kit for the stock hood on a biocube. im pretty impressed with the price and the components seem decent. for comparison, i spent about $225 on the components for my BC 14 but i have some different power supplies, drivers, dimmers, etc.

i sometimes buy the skipton's RO water but have never used their salt pre-mix. i'd be interested to test it before you put it in your tank. i personally like making my own mix and testing it before putting it in the tank. a spare powerhead, heater, and an orange bucket make the job pretty easy.

 

[jason401]

mp- thank you for all the info, skimmer looks perfect. that fish list is a great referance as well. question about seeding dry rock? what is seeding? how do i know when and if it has been seeded?

jonsreef-pm sent, thank you for the invite

 

[MPevine11]

Hey Jason-

i live in the south end between tremont and columbus and have a 14G biocube with a custom-build LED fixture in the original hood. it maintains the sleek all-in-one look of the tank. you're welcome to stop by sometime this weekend and check it out. ive had the tank up for 3+ years and have the same fish that i originally put in the tank (knock on wood). i did the LED work myself so can show you what i used and talk you through the process and maybe help you out a bit also with some of the fab work. will work for beer!

PM me if you want to come by and discuss all things biocube.

also, the rapidled retrofit kits are pretty new to the market. for a while, nanotuners had the only upgrade kit for the stock hood on a biocube. im pretty impressed with the price and the components seem decent. for comparison, i spent about $225 on the components for my BC 14 but i have some different power supplies, drivers, dimmers, etc.

i sometimes buy the skipton's RO water but have never used their salt pre-mix. i'd be interested to test it before you put it in your tank. i personally like making my own mix and testing it before putting it in the tank. a spare powerhead, heater, and an orange bucket make the job pretty easy.

i just put the DIY LED on my 14 gallon biocube from rapidled, and i am super impressed with them!

i highly recomenfd rapid Led







jason-
i'll dig up a good link on seeding dry rock for you

 

[jason401]

rapid led says kit doesnt fit as well in 29 as does in 14g? any input on that? i have access to full machine shop at work so im not afraid of modificatons?

 

[JonsReef]

they said that their kit for a 29g doesnt fit well in a 29g? or that the kit for a 14g doesnt fit into a 29g???

 

[jason401]

copied from the link you gave me at rapidled

Completion
After the fan kit and wiring is complete, put the hood back together. In the pictures below, we
managed to fit the drivers into the hood. This is not necessarily true for all nano hoods. The drivers will
fit in the AP24, but not the BC29.

 

[JonsReef]

interesting. so although they market the kit for the BC29, it may not actually fit into the hood.

nevertheless, extending the wires on the driver/power supply would not be a problem. the drivers could live in your stand and run the wires up to the hood. no biggie.

my unit has separate drivers and power supply and my power supplies are in the base.

 

[reeferpj]

i have a 29 and dont use the hood but will prob mod it soon because i need new bulbs. i have a 6 bulb t5 on it now. and i went with black sand and love it