Instructions for the BioCube

Remove the Biocube and all accompanying parts from the box and packaging. Check the owner's manual to ensure that all parts came with the tank. Save the packaging to make transporting or selling the tank both safe and simple.

Read the instruction manual, paying close attention to the electrical warnings and requirements. The Biocube's manufacturer, Oceanic Systems, stores a digital copy of the instructions online at its website.

Place the aquarium on a stand capable of supporting it. Estimate the total weight of a filled aquarium at about 12 pounds per gallon. The saltwater weight is 8.5 pounds per gallon, but rockwork and sand weigh considerably more. According to this estimate, the 8-gallon model weighs around 110 pounds, the 14-gallon model weighs about 170 pounds when full and the 29-gallon model weighs in at around 350 pounds.

Assemble the overflow and filters according to the manufacturer's instructions. Many aquarists and several companies modify the overflow and filters to increase their effectiveness. These modifications usually void the warranty but greatly enhance the tank's usefulness. Examples include filing out the overflow filter to increase the flow rate, installing an aftermarket protein skimmer or refugium, and replacing several of the filter compartments with live rock or a deep sand bed. Research any of these modifications before attempting them.

Assemble the canopy and lights according to the manufacturer's instructions. The standard BioCube comes equipped with two power compacts fluorescent (PC) lights capable of supporting soft corals such as mushroom corals and leathers corals. Upgrade the light hood with aftermarket modifications if the BioCube houses hard corals. Upgrades either cram more PC lights under the hood or replace them entirely with a metal halide setup.

Leak-test the tank with reverse osmosis, deionized (RO/DI) water. Measure the volume of water added to the nearest half-gallon. Look for any signs of leakage after the tank is totally full. Adding unfiltered tap water introduces a wide range of undesirable and sometimes fatal contaminants to an aquarium, so avoid anything but RO/DI water. If the tank leaks, return it.

Add aquarium salt mix to the tank at the rate of 1/2 cup per gallon. Several companies make salt mixes: choose one suited to the eventual tank inhabitants. Adding table salt, sea salt or any other culinary "salt" ingredient to the water makes the tank unable to sustain aquatic life.

Turn on the tank pump to mix the salt and water. Total mixing usually takes several hours. Check the specific gravity with a hydrometer after the tank water is totally clear, with no remaining undissolved salt mix. The specific gravity should be around 1.025 for a reef tank or 1.022 for a fish-only tank. Add salt if the reading is low, or remove saltwater and replace it with RO/DI freshwater if the reading is high.

Remove about half of the tank water by siphoning it into 5-gallon plastic buckets. Owning enough plastic buckets to completely hold the contents of a tank in an emergency is a very wise investment.

Add live rock to the tank. Build a stable yet open structure. Most BioCube owners create a single "mountain" in the center of the tank. The rock should rest solely on the bottom of the tank, and not lean against any of the walls. Occupy at least one-quarter of the tank's display volume with rock.

Add sand to the tank once the rock structure is placed to ensure that any burrowing creatures don't accidentally dig underneath the rock and cause a cave-in and subsequent collapse. Collapses in BioCubes can crack the walls if the rocks strike the glass with sufficient force. Adding sand last also provides a moderate support structure by filling in the areas around the rock, rather than literally building a foundation on a bed of sand.

Use the siphoned saltwater to top off the BioCube after completing the rockscaping. Once the tank is full, plug in and turn on the tank's electrical components.

Cycle the tank by leaving it completely alone, untouched, and unstocked for at least one month. Run the lights for only three to six hours each day during this time. Many aquarists leave the tank fallow for two or three months to eliminate any lurking pathogens. Replace evaporated water with an equal volume of RO/DI water at least once a day. Do not try to hurry the cycling process. This period of time is akin to preparing a planting bed: good prep work eliminates many future problems and sets up the tank's eventual inhabitants for success.

Perform a 20 percent water change at the cycle's conclusion and stock the tank. Add inhabitants from least to most aggressive at a rate of one inhabitant per week.