Rantipole's BioCube 32

[rantipole]

Greetings!

I'm coming out of lurker status to post about my new tank! I bought a BioCube 32 a few months ago and got it set up in early May. I transferred all the livestock from my Fluval Evo to this tank a little over a month ago. If you wanted to look at my old tank, the thread is here: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/rantipoles-aio-nano.299658/

I want to get some corals and fish at Reef-A-Palooza next weekend. So I'd like input on my stocking plans.

Parameters as of yesterday:
Temp: 80.2
Salinity: 1.025
pH: 8.15
Nitrates: 2ppm
Phosphate: 0.04 ppm
Alkalinity: 8.3 dKH
Calcium: 370 ppm (a little low, I know)
Magnesium: ? I need to get a new test kit for this.

Current livestock:
1 Ocellaris clownfish
2 Neon green finger leathers (Sinularia)
1 Palauan toadstool leather (Sarcophyton)
1 Green polyp leather (Sarcophyton)
2 Candy cane corals (Caulastrea)
1 Frogspawn coral (Euphyllia paradivisa)
1 Blastomussa wellsi
Green star polyps (Pachyclavularia violacea)
Clove polyps (Clavauria)
Zoas
Blue tuxedo urchin
Emerald crab
Assorted snails

Now the things I'm considering adding are:
Rainford's goby
2-3 Starry gobies
Banggai cardinalfish (small group? I know they don't always get along)
Royal gramma or Orchid dottyback
A few Goniopora/Alveopora
1-2 Favia/Favites
Pink sea fan
Bird's nest coral

I certainly wouldn't get everything at once. I'm thinking this weekend I'll pick up a couple fish and 2-3 frags. Does anyone see any problems with my potential stocking?

Pics included!

Thanks everyone!

Cheers,
rant

 

[1112-425XL]

Looks good!
If you decide to go with the dottyback put it in last.
If I could get mine out, I would.

 

[Knight420]

I'm looking to do the upgrade, but as another tank. I still have my Fluval 13.5 running. How is the Biocube compared to the Fluval Evo?

 

[rantipole]

I'm looking to do the upgrade, but as another tank. I still have my Fluval 13.5 running. How is the Biocube compared to the Fluval Evo?

It's similar but the light is better. The light has a timer built in and you can program daylight, sunrise/sunset, and moonlight features. So that's cool. The thing I most don't like about the tank though is that there doesn't seem to be a way to just turn the lights on and off. If I want to do maintenance outside the daylight time I've set, I can't turn on the lights to do it.

You don't gain as much floor space as I would've liked, but you gain a lot of height.

I upgraded the pump to a Sicce 1.5. The BioCube media basket is flimsy trach. I upgraded to an InTank basket. I'll be adding a protein skimmer soon.

So far, I like it more than the Fluval Evo for the space and better lights. I do miss the peninsula shape and simplicity of the Evo sometimes.

Cheers,
rant

 

[Knight420]

It's similar but the light is better. The light has a timer built in and you can program daylight, sunrise/sunset, and moonlight features. So that's cool. The thing I most don't like about the tank though is that there doesn't seem to be a way to just turn the lights on and off. If I want to do maintenance outside the daylight time I've set, I can't turn on the lights to do it.

You don't gain as much floor space as I would've liked, but you gain a lot of height.

I upgraded the pump to a Sicce 1.5. The BioCube media basket is flimsy trach. I upgraded to an InTank basket. I'll be adding a protein skimmer soon.

So far, I like it more than the Fluval Evo for the space and better lights. I do miss the peninsula shape and simplicity of the Evo sometimes.

Cheers,
rant

I just had an idea you could do as an upgrade to the tank. I added more blue lights to my Evo and turned it up slowly. You could add another light for cleaning. Like red since it won't disturb anything in the tank. Or even a royal blue light would work. LED strips are cheap since you are only using it as a light for you to see the tank.

 

[TarheelGrey]

The thing I most don't like about the tank though is that there doesn't seem to be a way to just turn the lights on and off. If I want to do maintenance outside the daylight time I've set, I can't turn on the lights to do it.

I just hit the power button on the top when I open the lid to maintain. When you hit the button again, all your settings are still saved, but you don't have your lights in your face while you work. Depending on the lighting at the time, you might have a ramp up time, but its the best solution I have come up with.

 

[rantipole]

Thanks for the light ideas, folks! I'll futz around and see what I can come up with.

How good is the Coralife skimmer for this tank? I was considering a Tunze but that would have to go in the middle chamber and I wanted to add a fuge there.

Cheers,
rant

 

[Knight420]

Thanks for the light ideas, folks! I'll futz around and see what I can come up with.

How good is the Coralife skimmer for this tank? I was considering a Tunze but that would have to go in the middle chamber and I wanted to add a fuge there.

Cheers,
rant

Following, as I want a fuge too.

 

[rantipole]

Does anyone have any concerns with my plans for the livestock in the OP?

Thanks!

Cheers,
rant

 

[TarheelGrey]

Other than the Emerald Crab's potential for picking at the corals I don't see anything to be concerned with.

 

[kevgib67]

The coralife V2 skimmer is adequate but takes awhile to get it tuned in. It took me a few months to get it the way I wanted. I’m comparing it to the way oversized skimmer I previously had on my previous tank. I added 2 actinic blue LEDs from 21 USA leds not for more par , just for more blue since the color of my corals looked a little washed out under the whites.