I am from Mexico City, but I bought my Bio Cube in the States a few weeks ago. I read a lot in this community and I found out that my choise was a good one. This type of aquariums are difficult to find in Mexico in a good price.

From what I read in the past few days is that I have to kick out the Bio spheres and replace them with a Swimmer, also that I have to make some modifications to the wall between chambers number 1 and 2.

My questions are:
How many live sand and live rock I have to buy?
I can use the live rocks instaed of the Skimmer in the second chamber and place the skimmer in the third chamber or the skimmer outside the chambers with the live rocks in the second?
Between the second and the third chamber there is a spounch, I have to take it out?
In the first chamber there is a filter, I have to take it out?

Thanks to all for your time

Julio Rubio

Hi There,

:welcome: to Talkingreef!

Question #1: 1 to 2 pounds of live sand and live rock per gallon. (Remember that the display area of a BioCube 29 is considerably less than 29 gal.)

Question #2: You can put Live Rock rubble in the 2nd chamber, or even put a small light and macroalgae for a refugium. As for where to put the skimmer, it depends on which skimmer you use. Some are specifically designed to go in the second chamber. Click here for an example (http://www.sapphireaquatics.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=4&zenid=746281cb5aecea7491a7be44e1e4c4c9).I haven't done any of these things myself, so I can't comment from experience.

Question #3: I didn't take out the sponge, I think it helps reduce micro-bubbles (could be wrong about this) I do rinse it at least once a week in RO/DI water. As far as the filter, I stopped using the stock carbon filter insert and started using a product called Poly-Filter (http://www.poly-bio-marine.com/polyprod.htm), with good success.

Hope this helps, and good luck with your new tank!:)

Psycojam:

Thanks a lot in answering. Another question, you mention that I have to put a small light in the second chamber, how many watts is this light? and what type of light?

Regards

Julio

Here's an example. (http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=97202&view=findpost&p=894044)

I'm sure there are other ways to go about doing this. Like I said, I've never done this myself, so I can't speak from experience. (Right now, i just have a ball of Cheato floating in my display :))

Hi Julio, "welcome" to TR.

I have the sponge in my first chamber and run carbon second.

I have had one of these for a year now and i have about 20 pounds of both live sand and rock and i got a nano skimmer about 6months ago and its been work just fine so i would strongly recomend this. i would not recommend putting more than 30 punds of live sand in the tank because when you have a very deep sand bed in such a small tank it builds up various amounts of ugly algea wich is hard to get rid of i took some sand out of my tank after a while of pesky algae

Hi Plastic Reefer,

What kind of skimmer do you have?

i think that the company is CPR (cprusa.com) its model is SR3 it works great...