# Setting up a 30gal Biocube for the first time.



## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

Hey i just bought a used 30 gal biocube. i really want to set it up and i know its a long process so i want to get started. i want to start this up right to avoid problems in the future. any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

This thread will also help anyone who is starting.

I've done a bit of research on here and on google. i read ameekplec's sticky and it was excellent. i now have some idea of what to do but i am still missing the details on the little things. 

like, do i need Deionized water? (DI), i just bought a RO unit specifically for this cube but i didnt know if i also need DI.

i want to set up a reef with beginner corals. nothing too fancy. yet

so far from what i read i now need to buy some LR and sand. I am listing my steps i plan to do and questions i have about it, please answer them and tell me if i am on the right track.

1. clean tank with warm water.
2. buy protein skimmer, uv sterilizer, filter floss, heater, a power head. (Any thing else?)
3. Build a DIY media rack using light defuser 
4. place filterfloss on all the racks and nothing esle.
5. get some Liverock and sand. (how many lbs?)
- Add salt + water mix at 1.025 ppm salinity
6. let it run to start cycling. 
7. keep all powerheads on during cycling and keep lights on for first 2 days to see if anything grows. if nothing grows lights can be off for remainder of cycle. (right? do i also need to run protein skimmer during cycling?)
8. monitor with test kit, until all levels reaches zero.
9. check ph and salinity then add inverts, snails, crabs.
- if they are still alive after 2 weeks then add fish. 
(when do i add chemi-pure?)
(when do i add purigen?)
(when do i add cheato into refigium)
(Do i need to do water changes during cycling?)

many other questions too.
like what other equipment do i need? i dont want to spend too much now but i dont want to cheap out then have something go wrong in the future.

please help me. please give me some detailed steps i may be missing.

Update Feb 10/11
- bought a aqualife 115 protein skimmer
- bought TLF Phosban Reactor 550


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## Fish_Man (Apr 9, 2010)

lybrian1 said:


> 2. buy protein skimmer, uv sterilizer, filter floss, heater, a power head. (Any thing else?)
> 
> test kit, reef builder, reef complete
> 
> ...


Those are my suggestions


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## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

thanks alot fish man. do you still have any cheato to give away?


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

I use RO, not DI. Reason being that I got a "drinking water" filter to slide it past the hubby, which I also use for my tanks  
My TDS is usually around 6, rather than 0 (it's almost 200 out of the tap) so it's not perfect, but I haven't had any problems. Burlington doesn't use chloramines, though, and I believe I've read that RO alone does NOT remove chloramines? Perhaps an expert will pipe up on this?



lybrian1 said:


> like, do i need Deionized water? (DI), i just bought a RO unit specifically for this cube but i didnt know if i also need DI.


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## Fish_Man (Apr 9, 2010)

lybrian1 said:


> thanks alot fish man. do you still have any cheato to give away?


No sorry, gave it all away to another member on here.


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## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

so should I get a DI unit too?


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## Kweli (Jun 2, 2010)

lybrian1 said:


> like, do i need Deionized water? (DI), i just bought a RO unit specifically for this cube but i didnt know if i also need DI.
> 
> *Its really up to you, DI just reduces the TDS to 0. Most people use RO/DI, but theres also a group of people that use tap water. The purest water is RO/DI.*
> 
> ...


please see text in red


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## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

many thanks for those replies. I will go shop around for LR and Live Sand. 
I currently have one powerhead in the top right corner. and I have a deflector on the output from the biocube pump. is that enough water movement or should I get another powerhead for the left side?

also should I get a pellet reactor?


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## sig (Dec 13, 2010)

What skimmer you are planning to buy. If it is Bio Cube, it should have it. If it does, it is useless
you can perfectly be safe whitout Skimmer if you are going to WC of 5G prt week.
I got tank from the guy and looks like skimmer never worked there. No problems at all. I run this tank for a month and also no problems.
In Big All on Steeles they had BIocube without skimmer for 4 years and never got a problem.

How you are planning to attach reactors if it is closed tank?

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## sig (Dec 13, 2010)

carmenh said:


> to slide it past the hubby, ?


I think, I have your phone#. Sorry, Sorry, Sorry, Sorry 

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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

sig said:


> I think, I have your phone#. Sorry, Sorry, Sorry, Sorry


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## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

Update: i bought a aqualife 115 protein skimmer! (i had the original biocube one)
Update: I also got the TLF Phosban Reactor 550

currently working on DIY media rack and deciding if i need deionized unit.


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## marblerye (Jul 25, 2010)

carmenh said:


> I use RO, not DI. Reason being that I got a "drinking water" filter to slide it past the hubby, which I also use for my tanks
> My TDS is usually around 6, rather than 0 (it's almost 200 out of the tap) so it's not perfect, but I haven't had any problems. Burlington doesn't use chloramines, though, and I believe I've read that RO alone does NOT remove chloramines? Perhaps an expert will pipe up on this?


Carmen-
You can always add on a DI unit to your setup like I did and still keep the drinking water aspect. I have a 5 stage RO system (sediment, carbon, cto, RO, and carbon odor and taste reducer for drinking) with a water tank and faucet setup in my kitchen and then worked the tubes around with valves to add 2 DI units which only work when I close the water tank valve and open the valve PAST the carbon odor/taste reducer. The result is water travelling through all 5 filters plus 2 DI units to get me pure 0 TDS..  Once I'm done I close the valve and reopen the water tank valve and my RO faucet draws RO water from the tank.

lybrian
Whoa.. are you sure you got the right TLF PhosBan Reactor model? Is it the 150 or the 550? If I were you I'd pickup the PhosBan Reactor 150 because if you got the 550 that is DEFINITELY overkill.. and HUGE! lol On the TLF website it states the PhosBan 150 would be suitable for upto 150 gallon tanks whereas the 550 is rated to upto 600 gallons!


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## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

whoops, its actually the 150 model.
i think im suppose to put 2 cups of pellets in. 
i will use vortex biopellets

also marblerye, can you explain how you attached the two DI units, i think i have the same RO system as you. i have a 5 stage system and a tank. what do i have to buy to do that? i know i can get a DI unit for $20 but what kind of valves and stuff do i need to buy to hook it up to the system?


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

That was my plan if I had any issues, but I haven't, and the space where it's mounted is small and full, so I don't see that it's necessary in my case. That said, if our municipality used chloramines, it would be a no-brainer 



marblerye said:


> Carmen-
> You can always add on a DI unit to your setup like I did


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## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

hey guys, what substrate should i get? I was thinking of getting Aragamax Aragonite Reef Sand

or just go with the crush coral for $10/20lbs


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## marblerye (Jul 25, 2010)

lybrian1 said:


> also marblerye, can you explain how you attached the two DI units, i think i have the same RO system as you. i have a 5 stage system and a tank. what do i have to buy to do that? i know i can get a DI unit for $20 but what kind of valves and stuff do i need to buy to hook it up to the system?


The setup is simple; you need two quick connect Tee's that will screw into the 1/4" of the inline taste/odor filter effectively splitting the line. Make sure you apply teflon tape to the threads before you screw it into the inline filter. Then the line with CLEAN water that exits your RO membrane and goes through the auto shut off valve etc etc goes into the entrance (input) of the taste/odor reducer and the other end of the entrance goes to your tank. This will cause new RO water to fill in your tank and sit there, and when you need drinking water it transfers from the tank through the inline filter to your faucet.

Then one line of the exit (output) of the inline taste/odor filter goes to your RO faucet and the other one goes to a line that has a quick connect ball valve. from this ball valve you attach a line directly to your DI canister/inline DI filter whichever route you choose to go. You can link up as many DI canisters as you want; I do 2 DI canisters because I picked up a tip from a youtube reefer that does a 2 stage DI and when it comes time to replace the resin the canister in the first DI stage gets exhausted sooner than the second so you swap the canisters and replace the second DI stage with new resin. It's overkill, but I'm nitpicky like that I guess.

When you want RO water from the faucet to drink you open the tank valve, and close the ball valve closest to the DI. When you need DI you do the opposite; close the tank valve and open the ball valve.

Sounds confusing when it's typed out and read.. I know..


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## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

so far i got 30lbs of fine sugar size aragonite for $30 at big als.
i got about 20 lbs of cured indo live rocks


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## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

i bought the live rocks from NAFB. the selection wasnt too good and i am not sure if it is really cured as they said. my ammonia is still 0. plus they all have nothing growing on them like zoas. 

here is a picture of my set up. i dont really know how the rocks should be arranged or where the power heads should be pointed to but here is it and please give me some feedback.


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