Filter upgrades for Coralife Biocube 29

[LauraL]

So after three months with this tank up and running, I've come to the conclusion that the included filtration system really doesn't do much filtering. Thinking about pulling the bioballs out of chamber 2 (what exactly do they DO, anyway?) and replacing with something else.

Am willing to do a little tank modification, but not much - I'm not all that handy. Whatever I do has to allow the lid to close properly because I have a cat who sits on top of it and hangs over the edge to watch the fish (don't ask).

I've seen some media basket set-ups designed to fit in chamber 2. Any thoughts or advice? Thanks in advance.

 

[Ace25]

Bio balls allow bacteria to colonize on the plastic surface. The bacteria that grows on bio balls breaks down ammonia and nitrites into nitrates. The problem with bio balls though is that is where their usefulness stops. They don't do anything to lower nitrates. They are good for initial setup of the tank to help with cycling but after that they tend to not do much good. If it were me I would take the bio balls out and just put 2 mesh bags in the chamber, one with Rox Carbon and the other with GFO. The tank itself and water changes will deal with the nitrates and ammonia and nitrites shouldn't really be an issue after a couple months of running unless you severely overfeed because the tank/rocks/sand will have enough bacteria to do what the bio balls do.

 

[LauraL]

Well, I just figured out PART Of the problem. User error. I hadn't rinsed the sponge out in weeks. It was totally bricked, so water wasn't flowing all the way through the bioballs - just the top ones.

Unfortunately, I discovered this by pulling out the sponge when the pump was on. This enormous gout of algae-soup crap came spewing out of chamber 2 and into my tank. Aaaaaargh!

An hour and a five gallon water change later, the tank looks okay again, and the fish and corals are fine - polyps up, even. I'll probably do another 5gl change later just to make sure there's no ammonia spike from all that nasty sludge.

Lesson learned: rinse the sponge every week and turn the d*** pump off FIRST. Sigh. What a noob.

 

[authmal]

It's really unlikely that the sludge would cause an ammonia spike, since it was already in a position to impact the water quality. It would seem that sludge is one way to help seed a new filter faster, as it would house some beneficial bacteria, and would get lodged in the new filter surfaces.

 

[Rbishop]

Thick sludge can be an issue....if the surface area isn't exposed to direct contact with the water. Just as lengthy times between disturbing the substrate in a FW tank can cause issues.

 

[authmal]

Thick sludge can be an issue....if the surface area isn't exposed to direct contact with the water. Just as lengthy times between disturbing the substrate in a FW tank can cause issues.

You think? How much time would constitute a lengthy time? I need to know if I have anything to worry about.

 

[LauraL]

Actually, the tank looks WAY better now. Maybe this explains some of my algae issues. Live and learn. I'd still like to upgrade the filtration, though.

 

[LauraL]

Authmal, you were right. Four hours later, water tested PERFECT. Nitrates = 0. Added two new frags - a gorgeous seriatopora and blue-green mushroom. Yay!

 

[Narwhal72]

A lot of people will replace the bioballs with macroalgae like Chaeto. (pronounced Key-toe) and add a refugium light like the Coralife Refugium light that clips on the back of the tank to light up the chamber.

The macroalgae absorbs nutrients from the system which reduces nitrate and phosphate levels. Simply harvest the excess algae every month and you export those nutrients from the system.

Andy