29G biocube suggestions?

[Proteus]

a niiiiice garage sale find that I couldn't pass up. Brand new 29g biocube that was collecting dust. Has everything but the stand! never used, still in the plastic wrap.

I think the 10,000k lights is an overkill so might switch it out to the 6,700k- still considering the options.


My idea was to set this tank up as the L046 tank (only have 3 left- more likely not to get any more for the time being) and only use the blue lights to keep them comfortable or just pimp it out and plant it to keep people entertained. I will probably be more likely to get a school of tetras -

I have L270 reverse trio, L046 (3), L066 (2 pairs), L260 that I have to figure out how to get their own tanks.

Ideas on which pleco sp. would benefit from this tank? Saltwater isn't an option. Don't want to get hooked.

[Narwhal72]

I work for the company that makes Biocubes so I have setup a bunch of them over the years.

A 10K and 6700K lamp have only a slight difference in color. The 6700K is slightly warmer but there isn't a lot of difference. I would just keep the 10K and the LED nightlights. I would replace the actinic light with another 10K or the 6700K.

I am keeping one now that has about 2 dozen long fin bristlenose in it. It's decorated with round river stones and various species of Crypts growing in the substrate. I also have some various cichlids and a half dozen orange lazer cory's in there too. I think it's cool as the Orange Lazers like to perch up high on top of the rocks in the back which is behaviour I did not expect from them.

Plants do grow really well in the Biocubes and you may want to try some with the plecos.

I breed my ABN regularly (it's not hard in any tank) but I also spawned my L15's in there a couple of years ago too.

Good luck with the tank.

Andy

[crkinney]

What is a biocube ? pictures?
sounds neat

[MatsP]

http://www.oceanicsystems.com/products/biocube.php

--
Mats

[Proteus]

Andy, do you have suggestions on where I can get a good price on the stand as I've looked online, and everywhere today for the stand but no one had em in for a 29g size.

Will plug in the lights as haven't seen what they really look like and see if I should switch em out.



ALSO would L226s (6x) be good combination with the L046 (3x) - they have no issues with each other and usually is found in the different areas in my mixed pleco tank? Or should I just go ahead and just do the L046s alone and do tetra school

[crkinney]

Thanks mats those are very nice
cr kinney

[Narwhal72]

Fosters and Smith or MarineDepot should have the stand. We started making them domestically a few months ago and they may be out of the old style and not gotten in the new one. But they are available.

Andy

[Proteus]

I can't bring myself to order a pricy stand for that amount of money when the tank itself was only a fraction of that price. Think I'll just find something else to use instead and just wait til the alternative stand comes around.


Now its L046 or one of the L066 pair once I get the stand situation figured out.

[Narwhal72]

In my last fish room I had 12 of them straddling 2 x 4's in a rack. Looks like a row of old tube TV's. Not really pretty but worked well from a utility standpoint.

Working on buying a house now and the tanks are in storage until the next fish room.

You might be waiting a long time for an alternative stand (unless you are going to make your own). The old stands were imported and used HDF material with inset glass doors. Holds up really well to water damage but was expensive. The new ones are MDF but need to be bladder wrapped with a water proof laminate to hold up to water damage. The glass doors are gone but the stands still look nice. Not really any cheaper though.

Andy

[Proteus]

Wow, maybe I should just bite the bullet and get the older stands once I find them up for sale as I really liked the glass doors.

[Narwhal72]

I liked the glass doors too. But I didn't like that the doorknobs came off too easily. The new ones are more secure.

I spent a couple of months testing the waterproof material and the way it was applied to the components to make sure it held up well and I was pretty impressed in the end. The design is simpler but it still looks nice.
The new black also fits room decor a little better than the older dark gray.

Andy

[Proteus]

Maybe I should hold out and wait til later on in the Fall to see the prices on the new stands, but a shelf would do for now. Probably would be plugging it in by the end of next week as I really just can't wait to plug it in and see how insane it looks in the room I'm planning on putting it in.


I'll try to switch the actinic lights to another 6,700 or 10,000k light whatever just happens to be cheaper tho my question is how much of an impact on the electricity bill will that be though on that switch? I just know that I'm a noob with that kind of stuff and really got to figure out how to lower my bills.


I'm really stroked about this cool tank unit though.


Now its L046 now need suggestions on tetra stock that won't be a threat to the L046 fry if theres ever any in the long run. Might sorely be too tempted to try the L183 (x8) that I have growing out but per suggestions shouldn't do that due to the L046 shyness factor.

[racoll]

I'll try to switch the actinic lights to another 6,700 or 10,000k light whatever just happens to be cheaper tho my question is how much of an impact on the electricity bill will that be though on that switch?

I think the 10,000k lights is an overkill so might switch it out to the 6,700k

The brightness and power consumption of the lights is governed by the wattage. The "k" value is colour temperature, i.e what kind of hue the lights have.

[Narwhal72]

Personally I would just leave the actinic light off and just run the single 10K. You don't really need a lot of light unless you are growing plants and you can save on electricity that way too.

As racoll said, color temperature of the light has no bearing on electrical consumption. A 10K will have a little cooler look to it (crisp whiteness) compared to a 6700K (a little warmer, more yellow). But there isn't a whole lot of difference.

Andy

[Proteus]

Thanks guys! I'll keep one for now and keep easy to grow plants that's doesn't demand intensive lighting. I'll stick with the 10,000k if its more crisp as I like that type of lighting myself.