29 Bio-cube Planted idea

[Wom001]

Well iv wanted a true planted tank for a while but my roommates being typical jocks and *******s want the big aggressive fish ( gar, catfish, bichirs, etc.. ) with all that its kinda hard to run a nice planted setup. So now my new idea is turning my now saltwater micro-algae / seahorse tank into a planted beauty for my room. Im in college up in Huntsville so im basically kinda stranded up here with no close (worthwhile that is) LFS to get constant supplies from so im setting up this post from beginning to end so i can bounce ideas off of fellow members so as not to forget anything that leads to another 100 dollar trip down to H-town. So far im at the point where the bio-cube is still being inhabited by my pair of snowflake clowns micro algae and display cleanup crew, iv got to sell off a few fish from my reef tank to be able to move them all over (Big female maroon clown, majestic rabbitfish, Rabbitfish, Saddleback puffer). When thats done ill be ready to make a move to planted.

Now that the intros out of the way this is what im looking at so far as mods wise to the cube itself.

1) New fans, old ones are crap and i know it they need to be replaces

2) New bulbs switching out the 50/50 for a 6700k or something along those lines (would love some input) plus the old 10k is about done. Iv noticed a drop off of algae growth so im pretty sure its needed.

3) Im thinking a dirt / sand substrate but im currently doing research on whats best (Thickness, grain size, type, or combination)

4) Co2 - i know a pressurized system is ideal but im a college student on a budget so im thinking DIY Jello method

5) Co2 Diffusion - iv got a glass diffuser laying around however, iv found a thread that says i can take a little 10 dollar eclipse and turn it into a super efficient reactor/ diffuser that works better apparently.

6) Filtration - Bioballs and carbon filter etc all taken out same with drip plate. Per saltwater standards iv got LR with a light on the back so thats gotta go. I was thinking 2 different size filter sponges with some sort of chemical filtration wedged in bags between layers.

7) Background - I love the idea of having a moss wall as a background but i also saw someone have one of those fiberglass textured rock backgrounds and it looked great i was thinking a possible combination of both.

8) Pump- Iv got an upgrade as is but i feel like its too slow but idk (more research nessisary)

9) Stocking - some shrimp, snails, ottos, small nano type tetras, possible beta, elders, something lively yet zen and peaceful. (havent checked the compatibility of my choices so dont hate on my for that im currently looking around for a nice combo)

Its going to take some time for me to piece everything together on a budget so im really in no hurry. Im also interested in the idea of fixing my outflow pipe to curve around (hidden by my hood) to the front i remember something about flow from front to back from one of Takashi Amano's videos idk though. Also since im wanting shrimp their going to breed i hope and i need a way to fix the inflows to not allow them to slip through.

In the end its still all up for debate, id love input on any and everything thanks for reading!

[mistahoo]

Re: 29 Bio-cube Planted idea

2) 6700k bulbs are perfect now you need to determine what kind of setup you want (low light, hight light)
3)eco-compete is a good sand substrate and Amazonia is a good dirt substrate

Sent from my spaceship using Tapatalk 2.

[mistahoo]

Re: 29 Bio-cube Planted idea

6) if you use chemical filtration don't use carbon. It's a waste of money and doesn't do much unless you're trying to remove medication or whatnot. Get some Purigen, it's magic beans

Sent from my spaceship using Tapatalk 2.

[Totenkampf]

2) New bulbs switching out the 50/50 for a 6700k or something along those lines (would love some input) plus the old 10k is about done. Iv noticed a drop off of algae growth so im pretty sure its needed.
you can get something in the 6000-6700k range and that will be great. better quality bulbs are worth the cost IMO

3) Im thinking a dirt / sand substrate but im currently doing research on whats best (Thickness, grain size, type, or combination)
Fluorite and/or eco complete are perfectly useful. i'm still not big on all the exotic stuff for the cost / results. cheap soil alternatives are pure clay kitty litter or turf conditioners like turface or masterturf or a mixture of all the above. be aware the cheaper alternatives float around easily and are harder to plant.

4) Co2 - i know a pressurized system is ideal but im a college student on a budget so im thinking DIY Jello method
i think the jello method is best, i used plain gelatin and wine makers yeast in multiple bottles started a week apart. use a prefilter bottle so you dont get yeast water in your tank.

5) Co2 Diffusion - iv got a glass diffuser laying around however, iv found a thread that says i can take a little 10 dollar eclipse and turn it into a super efficient reactor/ diffuser that works better apparently.
running the co2 ouput through the powerhead impellor intake works pretty well too, not sure what the 10 dollar eclipse is

6) Filtration - Bioballs and carbon filter etc all taken out same with drip plate. Per saltwater standards iv got LR with a light on the back so thats gotta go. I was thinking 2 different size filter sponges with some sort of chemical filtration wedged in bags between layers.
i would use mechanical and biological only, look into the In Tank media racks. i am going to build one for my aquapod soon

7) Background - I love the idea of having a moss wall as a background but i also saw someone have one of those fiberglass textured rock backgrounds and it looked great i was thinking a possible combination of both.
its a lot of work but looks cool. i personally will probably never go through the trouble again since you can get good effect with tall plants and driftwood in the background

8) Pump- Iv got an upgrade as is but i feel like its too slow but idk (more research nessisary)
5 - 10x volume is plenty for plants, some shrimps and bettas dont like high flow

9) Stocking - some shrimp, snails, ottos, small nano type tetras, possible beta, elders, something lively yet zen and peaceful. (havent checked the compatibility of my choices so dont hate on my for that im currently looking around for a nice combo)
betta and endlers probably dont flourish in the same water parameters but are good choices. i have otocinclus and nerites in all my tanks, they are a must IMO

Its going to take some time for me to piece everything together on a budget so im really in no hurry. Im also interested in the idea of fixing my outflow pipe to curve around (hidden by my hood) to the front i remember something about flow from front to back from one of Takashi Amano's videos idk though. Also since im wanting shrimp their going to breed i hope and i need a way to fix the inflows to not allow them to slip through.
i have seen some people fix the outflow from the pump in their cubes to flex tubing and wraping this around the tank top perimeter, flow going front to back would keep the taller plants from shading the foreground plants. sponge prefilters on the intakes are what i do.

the scale of the biocube is cool, it will turn out great!

[Totenkampf]

6) if you use chemical filtration don't use carbon. It's a waste of money and doesn't do much unless you're trying to remove medication or whatnot. Get some Purigen, it's magic beans

Sent from my spaceship using Tapatalk 2.

purigen is definately worth having if you like crystal clear water, not so much if you like natural stained water effects

[Wom001]

i agree completely about the purigen, im looking for a 6700k bulb but i cant find one that fits the biocube hood thats not 40 bucks, what would be a suitable planted / shrimp / endlers pump upgrade flow wise x7?

And substrate wise what would be the best for my plants i want something uniform and looks one solid color.

and what about ceramic rings, eheim's bio filter media, with the purigen between lik 3 different big to small filter pads in the middle chamber

[mistahoo]

purigen is definately worth having if you like crystal clear water, not so much if you like natural stained water effects

+1 forgot to mention that. If you're trying for a blackwater or tea stained look, then you wouldn't want to add purigen or add very little of it.

[mistahoo]

i agree completely about the purigen, im looking for a 6700k bulb but i cant find one that fits the biocube hood thats not 40 bucks, what would be a suitable planted / shrimp / endlers pump upgrade flow wise x7?

And substrate wise what would be the best for my plants i want something uniform and looks one solid color.

and what about ceramic rings, eheim's bio filter media, with the purigen between lik 3 different big to small filter pads in the middle chamber

Not sure about the bulbs. If you're talking about a return pump for like a wet/dry filter, Mag 1.9 or Mag 2 are good choices. They're about x7 flow. The endlers would do fine in a x7 flow. It all depends on what fish or shrimp you are planning to get.

I have Totenkampf's Zoo Med 501 running on a 5g. Their site says it runs about 79gph at max. With how much I stuffed it and taking consideration of the prefilter, I'd say it's running about 50-60gph? So that's about x10-12. It seems perfect for me since the fish aren't having a problem and the shrimp definitely love it.

That's fine. I use ceramic rings in a mesh bag in my sump and bioballs in the 'dry' chamber of my wet/dry (100g). With purigen, I would put it in a bag or pantyhose that is unless you buy "The Bag" (100ml box comes in a bag). It just makes it easier to recharge when needed, and even with the 3 different sized filter pads, the purigen can still escape.

[mistahoo]

Toten already gave a list of substrate.

Fluorite and/or eco complete are perfectly useful. i'm still not big on all the exotic stuff for the cost / results. cheap soil alternatives are pure clay kitty litter or turf conditioners like turface or masterturf or a mixture of all the above. be aware the cheaper alternatives float around easily and are harder to plant.

If you don't mind spending a little more, you can get a bag of ADA Amazonia soil for about $30. It's a uniform soil and often used in a lot of planted tanks.

[Totenkampf]

which biocube hood are you running? I assume the CFL version? CFL is a great technology, the same as T5HO in fact, and they are great bulbs when you consider that a single 55W CFL has more PAR than a pair of T5HO of a similar physical size. The only reason that I have moved away from them is that quality bulbs for them have gotten harder to find and are pricey. They may still be the best value for smaller sized aquaria unless you go DIY LEDs.

for a uniform solid substrate i use eco-complete black, amazonia is great but more expensive and harder to plant in since it is so light.

ceramic rings work okay as a mechanical prefilter and they are used in many small canisters but they dont have near the surface area that something like eheim ehfisubstrat pro or fluval matrix would provide. i personally feel that you need the most effecient media possible in smaller filters unless u plan on a very small bioload.

i would make sure that they purigen bags are last in your filter stuffing. its harder to get good flow around and through them so keep that in mind. its pretty common for the bag to look brown on the outside but if you shake it up again all the purigen in the middle is untouched and still white.

[Totenkampf]

I have Totenkampf's Zoo Med 501 running on a 5g...It seems perfect for me since the fish aren't having a problem and the shrimp definitely love it.

im glad to hear that, i thought it was a great design but putting it on a 10-12 gallon was just too much for it. i will try the 511 sooner or later.

[mistahoo]

ceramic rings work okay as a mechanical prefilter and they are used in many small canisters but they dont have near the surface area that something like eheim ehfisubstrat pro or fluval matrix would provide. i personally feel that you need the most effecient media possible in smaller filters unless u plan on a very small bioload.

i would make sure that they purigen bags are last in your filter stuffing. its harder to get good flow around and through them so keep that in mind. its pretty common for the bag to look brown on the outside but if you shake it up again all the purigen in the middle is untouched and still white.

+1 You could always use a combo of both, but I like to run full bio media because I tend to have heavy bio loads in my tanks. Even if you have good flow, there will still be some of the purigen that will be untouched or less used especially if the purigen in a bag. IMO the only way to use the full potential of purigen is in a reactor free flowing with a very low tumble.

Here's a pic of how my canister is setup at the moment. Pay no attention to the stray matrix on the left side. I just added some to the other side on top of the sponge for more bio because the other side was full. I still need to get some purigen and that will be going before the sponge (underneath it).

Basically my flow will go like this: Prefilter sponge → Intake tube → Quilt batting → Matrix → Purigen → Coarse Sponge → Return

[Wom001]

yea its the tube version biocube not the halide. im down for paying more money for an odd bulb (that is i cant find any cheaper), should i get one or both fluval matrix and eheim ehfisubstrat? im trying to do a 3 tray rack in the back so im just trying to figure out a good combo. Also soil wise have you seen that fluval shrimp strata for shrimp and plants?

[mistahoo]

Re: 29 Bio-cube Planted idea

Seachem Matrix and Eheim Substrat pro are both bio media. I wasn't aware Fluval made matrix but it should be similar. I would choose one or the other unless you have a canister like the eheim pro series with drawers or separate chambers. Make sure not to get pond matrix because they are a much larger version of matrix

Sent from my spaceship using Tapatalk 2.

[Totenkampf]

oops meant seachem matrix, not fluval. i dont see any problem mixing the two nor any benefit.