Biocube vs sump setup, went with the cube and here's what happened

I finally had to make the call between a 32 gallon Biocube and drilling my 40 breeder for a sump. The sump route felt like the 'right' way everyone preaches, but I just didn't trust myself with plumbing in my apartment after a leak last year. I picked the Biocube, set it up last month with 20 pounds of live rock and two clowns. So far the filtration is fine, but my nitrates are creeping up to 15ppm and I'm already shopping for a HOB refugium. Has anyone else regretted skipping the sump for a simpler all-in-one when stocking bigger corals?

2 comments

2 Comments

park.troy2d ago

Did you run the Biocube with the lid on and the stock filter media still in there? That's honestly the first thing I'd pull before blaming the cube itself. I went Biocube three years ago and never looked back, but you gotta ditch the carbon cartridge and let the back chambers breathe. The nitrates are just a sign that tank is still finding its legs at a month in, not that the sump would've saved you. Corals will be fine once you get that refugium going, or even just stick to softies. Trust the cube, it's a workhorse if you give it a little patience.

blair_green861d ago

My LFS guy told me the same thing when I was freaking out about a diatom bloom at week three, and it got me thinking about how we do this with everything, not just tanks. Like when I got a new phone and immediately blamed it for bad battery life when really I just had too many apps running, or when people buy a new car but drive it the same rough way. The cube is just a tool, man, the real variable is what you put in it and how patient you are with the settling period. Nitrates at 15 after a month is honestly normal, my 40 breeder with a full sump ran higher than that for two months before it sorted itself out. The HOB refugium is a solid add, but I'd give the cube another month before you start stacking gear on it. Sometimes the simple setup just needs time to catch up to your plans.