"Advanced" Newbie - What's in chamber 2 of your Biocube?

[nitschke65]

Hi everyone! I'm brand new here, and I've just set up my first saltwater tank. (I had a couple freshwater tanks years ago.) I'm working on a nano reef in a Biocube 29 and I've done a lot of research and home work up to this point and everything's going real well. Just added 25 lb. of live rock and a pair of green chromis over the last week and the tank is acting like it's already cycled! (No, I won't rush back to the lfs for more livestock, and, yes, I'll keep testing daily for ammonia, and nitrite, and nitrate.)
I removed enough of the "deck" in chamber one to allow for installation of the heater. The Oceanic protein Skimmer is also in chamber one, and, for now, the bio balls are in chamber 2 because I just can't decide what, if anything, to put in there. If I spend more money on live rock, it's going in the tank where I can see It! Chaeto with the sub fuge light running opposite the tank lighting seems like a pain. I guess I've always liked the "techie" stuff so I'm thinking about a UV sterilizer. Maybe this - http://www.nanotuners.com/product_in...roducts_id=319
Any thoughts? I'm wondering if I'll need to mod the barrier between chamber 1 & 2 to get more water flowing.

 

[nissan577]

I also had a problem wondering what to put in chamber 2. i have a 29 bio cube also. but i realized a refugium in back was the best way to go. so i did. i have a black filter in the back with chaeto floating and chemipure elite in the bottom. plus the light for the chaeto. and so far its going good.

 

[nitschke65]

Thanks Nissan,
I've seen where some folks use a submersable light, and others cut some of the covering from the back of the tank and shine the light through. I'm wondering exactly what light you used, and what your lighting program is like. It's my understanding that you should run the fuge light when the main lighting is off to help keep the pH leves balanced.

 

[nissan577]

well for the refugium im using a 7watt light. they said its good and hopefully it is. and the way i run it is turn the main lights on like at 12 or 1 and off at 9-10. and for the sump i put it on at night time and turn it off at day. but i wanna know if thats ok? do you think it is?

 

[nitschke65]

Sounds right to me, but I'm the new guy. I could swear I read in one of my books last night that that's the right way to go, because you don't want photosynthesis going on in the tank and the fuge at the same time because the pH will drop, but I'll be darned if I can find it today to quote the source! You use some kind of a clip light that you've suspended above the fuge though? (Not a submersable.)

 

[nissan577]

yep thats what i put. let me ask you something maybe you can help. i have the chaeto and chemipure elite on top of my black filter. but ive been noticing that my water level lowers every 5 hours. i find that kinda weird. do you think i should put the bottom tray on and put the black filter with chaeto and chemipure on top of that? anyone please help.

 

[nitschke65]

That sounds like a crazy level of evaporation to me. Did you go topless? Don't think it has anything to do with the filtration you have set up. How much water do you have to add daily?

 

[nissan577]

i dont add daily. its the black filter thats in the bottom. and i believe that is what is slowing the things down. if you read my thread the one of one quick question you will understand. can you check it out? to see if you can help me

 

[nitschke65]

I checked out the other post and am now convinced of one thing. You are asking the wrong person!

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "black filter". I was thinking that it was just some media installed to keep the macroalgae from getting to the pump, and I have know idea why having that in the sump would be any different from putting the lower tray back in. I know that I would personally not put live rock in the back of the tank. If I spend money on live rock I'm keeping it out front where I can see it.

 

[nissan577]

well its not big pieces. its rubble. which is like small pieces. and the black filter is like a big sponge. i really dont know the name. andi said to put it on the tray becuase maybe its not letting alot of water flow go to the pump

 

[nitschke65]

I think if I were you I'd try taking out the black filter and putting the plastic lower partition back in and the chaeto on top of that. Get the sponge back in chamber three in front of the pump and see what happens. Good luck! I'll be watching!

 

[nissan577]

thanks. i think ill be doing that. and put the chemipure ontop of that