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I just got one of these for 'early' Christmas and I was wondering if anyone else has one... What have you done for mods and aquascaping? Pics? I'll post some in the near future... I clipped the plastic in between chamber 1 and 2 to increase the flow and distribute it across the chamber, as I've taken out the bioballs. Other than that, no mods as of yet, although I'm thinking about swapping out the stock pump for a MJ 600 or a Rio...
I would hold off on the power head switch until you get the tank rolling. You might want to add a small pump for more circulation depending on what you want to keep. Buying a bigger pump and running all the flow through the back chambers may cause issues.
It would be better to add a small powerhead rather than to upgrade the return pump. Increasing flow in almost any aquarium is a good thing, but increasing flow through a filtration area may be counterproductive.
I want to switch out the stock return pump for a number of reasons...
1. The stock pump is quite noisy.
2. I've heard from many others that it is unreliable and has failed at inopportune times.
3. The display in this little tank is roughly 8x10x10, and adding a powerhead would greatly intrude on the all-in-one look of this nano (even a Koralia nano, I've seen it done in a few pictures).
4. Right now, I haven't decided on filtration in the back chambers. I have removed the bioballs and haven't yet used the stock filter cartridge. I'm thinking about possible making a small refugium out of the second chamber, but I may just put a bag of chemipure elite or some other such adsorbant in there. Alternatively, I could either make of buy a protein skimmer to go in that chamber. Others have put 2x2 chunks of LR in there for added filtration, so that may be an option as well. But in any case, I'm not sure an increase of 60-100 gph of flow through the rear chambers will have an adverse effect....
you mean a BC14? Which chamber(s) did you drill? I never really understood adding a sump to an AIO, kind of defeats the purpose for me. How is it working so far?
Oops, I meant a NanoCube, not a BioCube. It's been great so far. I really just liked the shape of the tank, even though it's not really an all-in-one anymore. Although the way it's set up, the rear filtration chambers still work as designed. The drain is in the 3rd chamber, as is the return, but it's plumbed THROUGH the 3rd chamber straight into the display.
I want to switch out the stock return pump for a number of reasons...
1. The stock pump is quite noisy.
I have a Bio-Cube 14, and a Bio-Cube 29, I do not find it noisy. I bought an 8 for my wife's neice and it is sitting on her her nightstand, I have not heard any complaints yet. Perhaps you are very sensitive to noise, or maybe it is not sitting properly...causing vibration or flutter?
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2. I've heard from many others that it is unreliable and has failed at inopportune times.
I just phoned my LFS buddy and asked him about this. He said he must have sold over 100 Bio-Cube 8's and have not had a single defective pump. He is a good friend and have no reason to lie. He did say that he had a lot of problems with Cube Master's pumps failing.
One possible scenario that I can see is perhaps some people got sand or other abrasives into the pump chamber.
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3. The display in this little tank is roughly 8x10x10, and adding a powerhead would greatly intrude on the all-in-one look of this nano (even a Koralia nano, I've seen it done in a few pictures).
I understand, the concern that I would have is the increase suction forces through the intake slots. Secondary concerns would be the compromise of filtration with excessive flow through the chambers.
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4. Right now, I haven't decided on filtration in the back chambers. I have removed the bioballs and haven't yet used the stock filter cartridge. I'm thinking about possible making a small refugium out of the second chamber, but I may just put a bag of chemipure elite or some other such adsorbant in there. Alternatively, I could either make of buy a protein skimmer to go in that chamber. Others have put 2x2 chunks of LR in there for added filtration, so that may be an option as well. But in any case, I'm not sure an increase of 60-100 gph of flow through the rear chambers will have an adverse effect....
It is not just the flowrate increase, as that is factored into the entire volume of the Bio-Cube, but the turnover ratio in that small compressed area of the chamber.
Will pods and other things tolerate such flow.
Will water have enough contact time with certain filtration media?
Will excessive particulates make it's way into the pump chamber, causing mechanical failure? (Hmmmmm..........maybe that brings us back to your point 2.
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I thought that it might not have been sitting properly, so I took it out and looked at it, cleaned it a little, and placed it back in a n umber of positions, ensuring the suction cups were adhering properly, and it still makes a rattling noise. I've heard of the same thing in a number of other posts on Reef Central an Nano-Reef.com... Also have heard of the pump failing on numerous occasions...
Can you explain why the increased suction through the intakes would be a concern? I'm not sure I follow you...
As for the excessive flow through the filter chambers, it's really only going up 1.6x the flow from the baseline... Will this make a huge difference? Maybe, depending on what I use for filtration. Remember, I have trimmed the slot that funnels the water to the back of the first chamber, and this allows for more even flow through the second chamber (and eliminates the option of using the trickle filtration with the bioballs)... Possible a little too much for a refugium, but definitely not too much for chemical filtration or a skimmer.
Thanks for your reply, you've got me thinking for sure!
with my tank a 24nano I figured the engineers for JBJ knew best and just went with their design and havent had any problems. Tanks are usually build for good functioning and why mess with something that has been tested and proven to work? just a thought
I thought that it might not have been sitting properly, so I took it out and looked at it, cleaned it a little, and placed it back in a n umber of positions, ensuring the suction cups were adhering properly, and it still makes a rattling noise. I've heard of the same thing in a number of other posts on Reef Central an Nano-Reef.com... Also have heard of the pump failing on numerous occasions...
I'm not there to hear it, so I take your word for it. That is why I like to shop at my LFS. In this scenario, the owner would have simply pulled a pump from another unit and I would go home with it to see if it made a difference. If it did not, he would troubleshoot with me to see if the noise was indeed the fault of the pump or some other factor. He would even lend me a pump of another brand to see if it made a difference.
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Can you explain why the increased suction through the intakes would be a concern? I'm not sure I follow you...
1) Feeding may require a pump shutdown because the food is pulled into the slots too quickly. Off course the pump can be turned off, but I do not like to turn magnetic pumps on and off, the wear and tear besides for the mystery of whether they will turn back on or not.
2) Small fish, crabs, and shrimps getting too close and being pulled in.
3) Snails and anenomes walking across being pinned down.......
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As for the excessive flow through the filter chambers, it's really only going up 1.6x the flow from the baseline... Will this make a huge difference? Maybe, depending on what I use for filtration. Remember, I have trimmed the slot that funnels the water to the back of the first chamber, and this allows for more even flow through the second chamber (and eliminates the option of using the trickle filtration with the bioballs)... Possible a little too much for a refugium, but definitely not too much for chemical filtration or a skimmer.
Thanks for your reply, you've got me thinking for sure!
1) Say you have a tank that is 10 gallons in overall volume and the filter chamber is 1 quart of the overall total of 10 gallons.
2) Say it comes with a pump that is rated at 100 gallons a hour. That means in the overall volume, (100gph/10) you are getting 10X turnover. But because the 1 quart filter chamber is in line with the pump, (100gph/.25) it is getting a 25X turnover.
3) Say now you upgrade to a pump that is rated at 160gph, for a flowrate increase by 1.6X
Now your 10 gal overall gallons increase in flowrate from 100gph to 160gph have increased by a percentage 62.5%, but the flowrate through the 1 quart filter chamber has increased by 640%.
I see what you mean, but I have to disagree. The filter chamber in the Biocube 8 has to be at least a gallon, probably more like 2... and yes, there would be a substantial increase in the flow through that chamber, but it would still only be flowing 1.6 times faster than before. This would still be more than acceptable for a product like Chemipure or for a skimmer (which I'm starting to think wouldn't be a great option either).
I wish I had a good LFS around here. Unfortunately, the Biocube 8 at our only LFS in Fort McMurray is priced at $280, and I got this one in Edmonton (5 hours from here) for $160. I suppose I could send the pump back to them, and they are a pretty good LFS, so I'd probably get a replacement fairly quickly, but I'm looking at increasing the flow anyway, so it would just be a big waste of everyone's time and money.
As for the increased flow through the grates, I see what you mean here too. Only thing is, I'm not looking to stock with fish, and certainly not an anemone. I was thinking about some non-photosynthetic corals, and the feeding could become an issue. In that case, I'd just turn off the pump. I think even if I kept the stock pump, I'd have to turn it off though, so there you go I guess...
PhotoJohn: I used to think the same way as you: if it ain't broke, don't break it yourself. However, when I learned some of the reasoning behind the manufacturers designs, I started to realize why it might work for the majority of people, but wouldn't work for me. You see, the vast majority of people who want a small, desk-type all-in-one saltwater tank are looking to buy a "Nemo". For the purpose of keeping fish, a wet-dry trickle filter is a great solution. Fish can tolerate much higher levels of dissolved nitrate in the water without showing any ill effects; however many sessile invertebrates cannot. Since I'm not planning on having any fish, and exclusively corals, water quality is of much greater concern, and to this end, I am making modifications to the stock filtration that are designed to achieve pristine water quality. One of the best ways to do this (as far as I know) is to set up a macroalgaerefugium that will use up excess nitrates in the water. There are other ways, such as chemical adsorbants, some corals (Xenia for example) and protein skimming (to remove organic compounds before they break down into nitrates), and all of these work with the natural process of denitrification via LR and LS to keep nitrates to a minimum. What it's going to come down to is what will work the best in a small tank such as the BC8.
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