BioCube 14 question

[Itz_Koolio]

I am looking into a biocube 14 to create a nano reef. I was wondering what my coral options were with the stock lighting in the biocube. Are the stock lights even good enough for corals? Are they good enough for anemones?Or do I need to add more lights?
Thanks guys:D

[username in use]

I'm going through the same setup now. You can guaranteed keep softies and most lps under the stock lights. An anemone it's pushing it. I ended up ordering an led retro fit kit as I want some sps in this tank.

[Itz_Koolio]

oh, cool. Thanks for the quick response! If I added the biocube led bar, could I keep an anemone? Clams?

[username in use]

I looked at the additional led bars. They aren't providing any usable light. If you want clams and high light corals you really need a full retro kit to replace the existing lighting.

[Itz_Koolio]

Ok, Thanks Joshua!

[Nate1984]

I loved my 14g nano. I eventually built a retrofit hood with a fan 1x actinic LED bar 1x 50/50 LED light bar combined 24w. I bought a clamp on viper 70w MH with a 12k bulb. Without the stock hood I was able to put a nano skimmer as well. I found the stock lighting very under powered.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160331/9d0cfd91b6f17cc9fd9e7c08447b908b.jpg

Photo taken before I upgraded. As you can see it was well over grown.

[Itz_Koolio]

So basically what I am trying to ask is whether or not I need to add ANYTHING (additional lighting, pumps, etc.) to the stock biocube stuff in order to keep hardy corals such as mushrooms, zoas, and ricordea and that sort of coral.
Also I plan on adding the biocube protein skimmer, fyi

[donut0079]

You would be fine for those corals. You may see a little browner color than in a high light tank but as far as health they would do fine.

[username in use]

Those corals would all be fine and so quite well in that tank. Most will even do fine with the stock flow.

[Nate1984]

+1 on the corals. I started with the Biocude skimmer it worked pretty good for its size.

[blake2shay]

In my BC29, I'm still rocking the stock lights and I would describe the situation of my livestock as surviving not thriving. I'm looking forward to upgrading. Will definitely follow along.

[Itz_Koolio]

blake2shay, what corals do you keep in your BC?

[cougareyes]

pretty much anything except for high light corals; no sps, clams, etc.

[Itz_Koolio]

pretty much anything except for high light corals; no sps, clams, etc.

I see you have (what looks to be) a coralia. Is that with the stock lights and everything?

[cougareyes]

Yes that's stock lighting, I started with 2 head acans and euphyllias that grew like crazy, ricordia mushrooms were crazy. I added some Ecoxotic led strips blue/magenta and it added more pop to the color and a little sparkle. The stock lighting gets some undeserved bad mouthing. You can do quite alot with the stock lighting, yes high quality leds will give you more vibrance and sparkle but you can always upgrade later. I ran a 14 and a 29 biocube with stock lighting for 3 and 4 years and had to frag and sell pieces back to my lfs because of the growth and all the pieces were as healthy as could be. I upgraded to a 90 and all these corals were frags I grew out in the biocubes with stock lighting.

[Itz_Koolio]

Wow, Its beautiful!

[homer1475]

The stock compact T5's that come in the biocube are more then enough light for most LPS and soft corals. Just remember to change the bulbs like every 6 months(this is where it gets expensive compared to LED's).

[Itz_Koolio]

Thanks for ALL your help, guys. But what about the flow? can I keep these corals with the stock flow?

[Nate1984]

I was able to put a slightly larger maxflow PH in mine to increase flow rate.

[cougareyes]

I played with changing the pump and found I preferred the stock pump. In the 14 I added a Hydor nano circulation pump, I don't think they make it anymore, but a small circulation style pump would be good. In the 29 I added 2 small circulation pumps one on each side. That worked for me. If it's a 14 don't cut the tab in the overflow that every mod thread tells you to, your pump controls the flow not that tab; it will just lower the water line in the display.