Oceanic 29 Gallon BioCube HQI Aquarium w/ Stand
Reviews
Good all-in-one Plug and Play
by
DANA SANDVIG
Great
Posted: 4/26/2013 from MOUNT PLEASANT, SC UNITED STAT
4.0
5
Experience Level:
Intermediate
Comments:
I have had Biocubes before, but this was the first Hqi. The light fan started making a horrible noise within a couple months of owning it, so I had to unplug the fan. Seems to be doing ok without it but I don't know how this will effect the longevity of the lighting over the course of time.
The lighting is very effective...corals love it and growth is great. But it isn't pretty lighting. It would be nice to have some actinic or LED to enhance the colors of corals at night. The supplied lighting is bright but nothing glows or pops like you want it to. I added a nanocube actinic light as a supplement so I could see some color.
Overall it gets the job done and the tank is happy and healthy. The tank is so healthy that I use it as a recovery tank for corals from time to time that are dwindling in one of my other tanks. Some SPS have actually come back from the dead in there...
My only other complaint is the protien skimmer air pump doesn't adjust conveniently, so unless you have a top off to keep your water level perfectly consistent, it does not work at optimum level.
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HQI BIOCUBE 29
by
AONGKORN PREMON
Great
Posted: 4/18/2013 from JERSEY CITY, NJ UNITED STATES
4.0
5
Experience Level:
Beginner
Comments:
GREAT ITEM. HAVE IT RUNNING FOR 3 MONTHS AND IT LOOKS GREAT!!! NO REGRETS... FIRST SALT WATER TANK AND ITS VERY EASY TO TAKE CAR OF. WOULD RECOMMEND FOR BEGINNERS.
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Pretty but poor filter design
by
SCOTT C.
Great
Posted: 4/3/2013
3.5
5
Experience Level:
Expert
Comments:
The tank is really attractive but the filter setup is poorly designed. The back filter area becomes a trap for all kinds of detritus which is very difficult to clean out. Additionally, once the lights are put on it's hard to get to the filters to change them out. Could have been much better designed. There are various mods on the internet to fix some of this -- I'm simply going to cut the back out and drill it for standard overflows and sump.
The only other complaint is the metal halide build is too warm of a color temp -- they should use a 14k bulb.
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Outstanding
by
SHAWN DUNN
Excellent!
Posted: 3/20/2013 from REINHOLDS, PA UNITED STATES
5.0
5
Experience Level:
Beginner
Comments:
Great aquarium for a beginner like me!! I researched different tanks for months before committing and Biocube HQI from marinedepot is the best deal I could find for tank and stand anywhere. Tank packaging was GREAT, fast shipping!! Could have shipped it slow wouldn't have upset me I was more concerned about it arriving safely and not broken or damaged. Knuckle head UPS guy even dropped the box with the tank in my driveway. And there was NO damage to tank that's how great it was packed.
Tank is so easy I didn't even need to call customer support.
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Great
by
Random
Great
Posted: 1/5/2013
4.0
5
Experience Level:
Beginner
Comments:
Good tank.
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Great Nano Kit'
by
KACIE SALADA
Great
Posted: 1/31/2012 from PORT WASHINGTON, WI UNITED STA
4.0
5
Experience Level:
Beginner
Comments:
I received this item yesterday and have it almost completely set up for cycling. The quality of the tank and accessories exceeds my expectations for what I paid for the whole system including the stand and shipping! The tank and stand are easy to set up and put together. The lamp casing did crack a little in shipping; it is the plastic on the outside; nothing that effects performance or functionality. The only accessories that I wish I knew were essential and were not included are a circulation pump, heater, and thermometer. It would be nice if these units were bundled together and offered at a discounted rate. I am very happy with this tank and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good kit.
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All in One
by
BRICE HARADER PATE
Great
Posted: 1/11/2012 from TULSA, OK UNITED STATES
4.0
5
Experience Level:
Intermediate
Comments:
My last reef tank, I built myself. This time around I wanted everything in one with nothing hanging off the sides. There's a plus and minus.
My one negative is the compactness of the Biocube and the small spaces u have to work with to get everything installed. However, that's a plus as well. It looks very sleak and organized when all setup.
I found I need to add the UV sterilizer V2 because the cloudiness is not going away.
Also, when I received the tank the tubing from the pump does not properly fit the outflow valve. I had to tape it in place and called Oceanic for new tubing.
The stand seams a little wobbly, but I am confident it will hold in place.
If you have no experience setting up a tank....GOOD LUCK. I felt the instructions were sub-par and it took me about 2 hours to set the tank up because I had to figure out things myself on the ballast, protein skimmer and lighting.
Overall, I WOULD purchase again but make sure I ordered the UV sterilizer and refugium light at the time of purchase.
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Very Cool Nano System
by
JAKE CAVIN
Great
Posted: 12/29/2011 from PHOENIX, AZ UNITED STATES
4.0
5
Experience Level:
Intermediate
Comments:
This system is really cool, built with high quality, and all the components run well together. The skimmer is sensitive (but which skimmer isn't) and the return pump could be stronger. However, for the money you spend everything works great together. The system is quiet when running and the overall look is very modern. The only downfall to this system is the HQI lighting. While the halide fixture is powerful and provides ample light, you have to plan on buying a chiller, fans for the water surface, or running your A/C at 50 degrees. Within one hour of turning the light fixture on my tank temperature raised 3 degrees. This is in the middle of winter with a very cold inside temp in my home. Other than that, I would highly recommend buying this system and replacing the HQI with a cooler, more efficient LED lighting system like I did.
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29G HQI Biocube
by
DOYLE LOVIL
Excellent!
Posted: 9/5/2011 from HOUMA, LA UNITED STATES
5.0
5
Experience Level:
Beginner
Comments:
The stand and aquarium come nicely packaged even though UPS was not careful with it at all. The packaging is what saved both which were in great condition. The stand's instructions are not the best but it's a straight forward setup with both items. They look way better in person than they do online and I am quite happy with my purchase!
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Off to a Great Start
by
ALBERT BIANCALANA
Excellent!
Posted: 7/20/2011 from Des Plaines, IL UNITED STATES
5.0
5
Experience Level:
Beginner
Comments:
We had always thought that setting up an aquarium would be an ordeal, but the BioCube makes it easy. With all of the workings included, we didn't have to worry about choosing a pump, which filter will fit best, etc. Instead, we had our system set up in no time. Our live-rock is thriving, and we'll be adding the "cleaning crew" of snails and crabs soon.
One Note: If your floor is crooked, the only way to level the stand is to shim (or cut) the feet, since there is no built-in adjustment. I was able to cut 1/8" off of the top (so that the bottom stays smooth) of one foot with a hacksaw to level our unit.
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