New member with new 29g Biocube

[Dexter1258]

I will have a million questions I'm sure. My first is about adding a 100 watt cobalt neotherm heater to the 3rd compartment. It seems dangerous to have the heater right next to the pump cords. I've seen other setups like this but I want other opinions before I burn my house down. Thanks

[terrypercula]

I will have a million questions I'm sure. My first is about adding a 100 watt cobalt neotherm heater to the 3rd compartment. It seems dangerous to have the heater right next to the pump cords. I've seen other setups like this but I want other opinions before I burn my house down. Thanks

That wouldn't be a problem assuming the water level stays maintained. That's where you'll notice the evaporation and if the heater is exposed to s
air for whatever reason that could cause problems. Personally on mine I have my heater in the first chamber.

[Dexter1258]

How do I know the proper water level. Keep in mind my pump isn't on as I'm letting the tank settle. We just set it up last night. The water is all the way up to the top of the tank and all 3 of the compartments are all full. I thought the intank from compartment 1 should flow onto the top of the filter and pad in compartment 2. Again, probably a silly question but want to get everything right

[Dexter1258]

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/10/b9216ce210c4687179b9bc552a496cbb.jpg

[Dexter1258]

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/10/11ceced6f64abb4063b1747a23861e31.jpg

[NanoNathan]

I wondered the same thing when I first filled up my biocube. There is a water level display on the side of the return pump chamber on mine. Good Luck, I just started mine a month or so ago.

Nathan

[goby12345]

Do you have a sump? if so you should get a top off system even if you dont have a sump you can hook up the top off on the rim of your tank.

[Dexter1258]

Do you have a sump? if so you should get a top off system even if you dont have a sump you can hook up the top off on the rim of your tank.

I played with my setup and removed about 3 McDonald's cups of water now the first compartment flows directly onto the filter pad in the second compartment and the water level in the tank is almost to the top of the tank. Can u explain a simple automated top off system to a noob?

[cherubfish pair]

See this thread:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2470576

[Dexter1258]

Here are some more pix. Can some one identify the purple algae on the rocks and in the last picture there is a blue dot. Anyone have any ideas. I'm on day 4 of my cyclehttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/13/3884db8a01c717f0f1e44fb3fcb9deb2.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/13/0a15e27c3d20612043f280109bd37c81.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/13/ae7d785de2203b57d919da8b33f4a8d9.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/13/11054afd0ffb9b060b9856680555255b.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/13/e49dad48d3aeb74663792e16548a5f9f.jpg

[Zwickm]

Do you have a sump? if so you should get a top off system even if you dont have a sump you can hook up the top off on the rim of your tank.

Buy the Hydor auto top off unit ($50ish) and a Toms Aqua Lifter pump for ($15) all from Amazon. Get a 1-2 gallon container for your ro/di water to use to fill the tank from. You can put the Hydor sensor in the third compartment. It'll stay in place there because it has a magnet that will hold through the side of the tank. Keep the water level in the third compartment at or slightly above the max line.

Never fill compartment 2 or 3 to the top. It should pour over from compartment 1 into 2. I put a foam block in the 2nd compartment so it's more quite when spilling over from 1.

Algae looks like some type of coralline algae which is great in a tank. It'll die off though during cycling then come back later.

Oh and If you need a skimmer, get the AquaticLife 115. Works great for the size and price. Fits in compartment 1.

[Dexter1258]

Here's day 5 of my cycle...http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/14/ee60d2c6c41091cac78c08102819ba86.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/14/14b9df3983733fe5d2ac025f5862332e.jpg

[Dexter1258]

Cuc went in last night. Serpent star, 2 turbos and 3 hermit crabs. Now for a question. About an hour after putting them in I noticed one of the turbo snails upside down. He was there for about an hour. My wife thought he couldn't flip himself over so I put him on live rock and all was good. I went down this morning and he's flipped over in the same spot. Do I have a dumb turbo? can he not flip himself over?

[terrypercula]

Most turbos, if not all, are not capable of flipping themselves over. I found one of mine this morning upside-down I flipped him up and sent him on his way ha

[cherubfish pair]

Buy the Hydor auto top off unit ($50ish) and a Toms Aqua Lifter pump for ($15) all from Amazon. Get a 1-2 gallon container for your ro/di water to use to fill the tank from. You can put the Hydor sensor in the third compartment. It'll stay in place there because it has a magnet that will hold through the side of the tank. Keep the water level in the third compartment at or slightly above the max line.

Never fill compartment 2 or 3 to the top. It should pour over from compartment 1 into 2. I put a foam block in the 2nd compartment so it's more quite when spilling over from 1.

Algae looks like some type of coralline algae which is great in a tank. It'll die off though during cycling then come back later.

Oh and If you need a skimmer, get the AquaticLife 115. Works great for the size and price. Fits in compartment 1.
Or you could buy a slightly used Tunze Osmolator Nano 3152 from me. PM me if interested.