AIO Corallife biocube 29g questions

[brondondolon]

Hey guys. This is my first post to this forum. Reason I come is because I just bought a Corallife biocube 29 gallon. Ive had many fish tanks in the past ( 10g, two 55g, 60g long, & 225g ) All in which have been fresh water. This will be my first salt water. I have no personal experience but a couple of my friends have salt water so ive been exposed to them and know enough to get me started. Problem is I've been reading about these biocubes and I keep reading all sorts of things about them. Some say the light is fine others say its junk, some say the filter media it comes with is junk, ive read that it needs .5" of sand and then i recently read that it needs 3" of sand. So i figured id come here and tell you what my plan is with this tank and listen to suggestions.

Im not going balls out on this tank. I mainly bought it to get my feet wet with salt water tanks. My plan with this tank is to get some clown fish some anemones and a few other small fish along with live rock. Thats pretty much it.

Here are my questions

1. Is the light in the Coral Life sufficient for how i want it set up? If not what upgrade would you recommend that will not break the bank

2. Is a protein skimmer needed for a tank of this size?

3. How many pounds of sand would be adequate for a tank of this size?

4. Water temp would be in the 65 - 75F range will i need a chiller or heater?

5. Are there any recommendations any one has for one of these tanks?

6. What is the time it takes for the water to mature in a salt water tank before i can safely add fish and if its longer then a month is there a product i can add like Cycle to speed up the process?

7. I haven't seen this tank in person so im not sure on the size. Im also not familiar with how big some of the salt water fish get so forgive this question if its ridiculous. Some fish im interested in are Clown Triggers, Picasso Triggers, and Lion fish as well as a small octopus later on. Would that size tank, set up, and lighting work with any of those fish?

8. Are there any parts you would suggest before I start adding fish?

Thanks guys. Also I know that for the price i could have bought a glass tank and done it that way but I like the look of these tanks and the size is perfect. Plus i dont have the experience yet to go out buy a glass tank and know every thing i need. So im using this tank to get me up to speed with things then ill get a larger one and give this one to my son.

[brondondolon]

Any one?

[tabasco122]

You need to take a step back and read some threads in the beginner forum. All of this stuff can be answered by reading the getting started threads.

[thegrun]

Welcome to Reef Central!
1. To save us from doing a lot of research please tell us what light your Bio-Cube came with.
2. No, you do not need a protein skimmer for your tank (or any tank), but having one has a lot of advantages. You will likely need to make more frequent water changes without a skimmer.
3. Assuming your tank is about 15" x 15" square, it will take about 10 pounds to give you a 1" sand bed. I like to run a 1"-2" sand bed, I would not recommend a deep sand bed in a small cube tank.
4. Most of the livestock commonly kept in out tropical tanks (like your listed clown fish) are tropical and should be kept in water 75 to 82 degrees. Many shoot for a tighter 78-80 degree range. You will likely need a heater. Two heaters at half the required wattage is best, as they usually stick in the on position when they go bad which can cook a tank if you don't catch the problem in time. Using two half wattage heaters gives you time to catch the problem. Two 75 watt heaters would work well for your tank.
5. No comment.
6. It usually takes 4-6 weeks for a new tank to cycle. Please read the articles under the "How to set up a tank" banner at the top of this forum. I would not use any of the additives, just let the tank cycle on its own.
7. No, your tank is much too small for the listed fish. Be sure to study up or ask questions before you add any livestock to your tank.
8. Read the articles above, you will save yourself a lot of money and grief if you study and make good informed purchases. Some fish stores will be happy to sell you a lot of merchandise you don't need, so come up with a good plan and follow it.
You will get better and quicker responses if you limit your questions to one or two per post. If you have a lot of questions (we all do!) make several small posts rather than one long one, you will get quick answers that way.

[mmontag]

I'm thinking about making the same purchase. Have you started to setup yet? Any mods you are going to make?

[newatsalt]

I am doing the same... I myself am adding a internal skimmer which will fit the tank. The skimmer is a CPR SR2. From what I have read, it is wise to stay away from the Biocube 29 skimmer intended for this tank. Judging from the price I can see why.

Myself, I am doing a reef tank with one Dwarf Lionfish and that is it. I have expectations in the next year of transferring the Lionfish into a 100 gallon with sump.

Will also be running a Ecotech Vortech 40 wavemaker which will be transferred over also. My friend sold me a used one (6 mos old) for $50. Really couldn't pass that up.

For right now, I might do a retrofit light system, but not real sure. I need to research lighting a lot more before a pull the trigger. Any advice on this matter would greatly be appreciated.

I think a general rule is 1 pound of sand per gallon and 2 pounds of live rock per gallon.

Heater is a definite, but depending on what type of climate you live in would tell the tale of a chiller. On a biocube, I would say no, but I am new to this hobby.

Good luck on your venture...