Filtration Setup For Biocube 32

Hey all! I have begun setting up my aquarium and finished the hardscaping today. What I need help with is the filtration setup. This tank (Biocube 32) has a wet/dry filtration system built-in. The pic attached can show what it has. Please note that my setup does NOT have the balls. If this is something I need I can get them. But until then, this is my setup: The water is vertically through a ladder which can hold several types of filters, etc... The tank came with one type of filter cartridge that may be activated carbon?? The other steps on the ladder are empty and could hold various types of filter media. After it passes through this ladder, it goes through a filter pad of some kind and then gets pushed back into the tank. So my question is - setting up a freshwater and live plant tank, what filter media do I need?

 

You can easily substitute the bio-balls with another type of media.

My first thought is to have the top and middle baskets filled with blocks of foam sponge.

Fluval sells 3-pack refills of foam sponge blocks for their Aquaclear filter. Either the refill pack for the AC50 or AC70 would work, depending on the size of the media baskets. The blocks can be cut to fit.

Aquaclear 50 Sponges

• Islandvic
• Dec 24, 2018

Aquaclear/Fluval sponge replacements are available in 3-packs for $3-$5. Perfect for DIY media!

As the water enters from the top, it will pass through 2 baskets of the blocks of foam sponge. They will act as both your mechanical and biological filtration. The Aquaclear sponges are a medium density foam of around 20 ppI (pores per inch). They will do a great job at catching muck, yet will not clog up and limit flow.

The bottom basket can hold a bag of your choice of bio-media for example. This could be from any brand. A media bag can hold this.

Here is a pic for reference of Fluval's Bio-Max.

Fluval 500gram box of Bio-Max and Top Fin Media Bag

• Islandvic
• Dec 24, 2018

Fluval 500gram box of Bio-Max (large ceramic bio-media rings) can be found $6-$8 online and Top...

How do you plan on having the bio-cube stocked ?

 

That is exactly the guidance I was hoping to get. Thank you! I was going to get the bio-cubes from the same manufacturer as the tank (Coralife). But if I can substitute it with the Fluval Bio-Max inside a media bag, I would rather go that route. I'm guessing I still need to leave in the filter that came with the tank. It sits on top of the media baskets and I believe it is activated carbon. Here's a pic for reference.

 

You may have to experiment as to what works best.

It's been awhile since I last saw I Bio-cube in person, but from what I recall the cartridge lays flat in the top basket and is what the water hits first as it enters the center chamber.

If it were mine, I would want the water to first flow through some layers of sponge foam. This will catch the large and medium sized muck first.

Next I would want the water to flow through the fine mechanical media to catch the small muck.

This would be the cartridge, but I am unsure if it will fit in the bottom of the middle basket or top of the bottom basket. I would attempt to place it after the last block of foam sponge.

If the cartridge was on top, in my opinion it would see that it would clog rather quickly.

I've made my own replacement cartridges before from a roll of bulk filter media from Amazon. You can usually find a 12" x 72" roll for $12-$18 depending on the brand. It can be cut to size.

Cutting replacement for cartridge from bulk roll media

• Islandvic
• Dec 24, 2018

The replacement for the cartridge cut from bulk roll media was 5.5" tall, slightly shorter than...

A couple of layers of Polyfil batting material cut to fit the space would also serve this purpose. It can be found at Walmart and crafts stores relatively cheap.

The cartridge that's included may contain some carbon, but it's not much and would be depleted rather quickly due to the small volume. Using carbon is 100% optional and not required. Unless you're removing trace amounts of medications after a treatment or removing tannins from driftwood, carbon is usually not needed.

After looking at the pic again, if it were mine, I would pick up a 3-pack of the Aquaclear refill sponges for the AC70. Online they are around $5-$6. I would cut them to fit the 3 baskets and take up the entire center colum, leaving room in the bottom basket for some Polyfil batting or some layers of bulk roll filter media cut to fit the space.

A bag or 2 of bio-media can then be placed in the far right chamber with the return pump.

If the center and right chambers had the water level risen to about 3/4, instead of the 1/3 level as in the pic, placing the bag of bio-media on top of the pump will work fine.

Water will still circulate around and through it before entering the pump.

I think the water level is lowered in the center and right chambers in the pic, so the bio-balls are in a wet/dry quasi-sump arrangement. But if you're not using the bio-balls, then in my opinion there probably isn't a need for the wet/dry action.

A liter of Sechem Martrix (or Pond Matrix) or an entire box of 500g bulk Fluval Bio-Max would fit nicely in a bag or 2 on top of the pump. Or have the bags on the bottom and the pump lay on top.

A set up like that would have a very large volume of mechanical and biological filtration from the triple stacked foam sponge blocks alone. The additional bag of media in the pump chamber will ensure you don't lose your cycle in case you are overly aggressive when it's time to clean the foams, and a lot of beneficial bacteria gets knocked off.

There are many other ways to set up that Bio-Cube for freshwater, and I'm sure other members will chime in with their suggestions.

That is just the path I would look into first, if I had a Bio-Cube for Freshwater use.

 

Thank you again for the guidance! Here is the setup I went with: I cut up two pieces of the foam sponge and put them on the top and second tier. Underneath that, I cut the filter that came with the aquarium and put it in the 3rd tier. I filled the bottom with the Fluval Bio media.

 

Sounds like a winner!

If you want, please feel free to post pics and description of your BioCube's filter mods in the DIY Filter Media Guide for HOB Filters thread that is at the top of the forum's Filter section.

Although my original intention with that thread was to give examples for adding your own media to HOB's, and a place where members can post their own DIY mods, your all-in-one BioCube would be an excellent addition to that thread !