Pulling the Trigger

I've finally ordered my Biocube 29. After weeks of research reading forums, sites, reviews, and figuring out possible modifications, I figured it was time for action.

The current plan is:

• Lighting: Stock. I'll upgrade later, when high-power LED lighting is more widely available and cheaper. At the moment they're several hundred dollars for a DIY kit, but they are extremely efficient, have great output, and last ~50,000 hours. The savings really add up.
  
• Pump: Upgrade to Rio 6hf. It's got low wattage (imparts less heat into the water) and very high flow- 350gph. I am going to try and remove the elbow in the return path because it reduces flow, and use flex tubing instead. I'll also replace the output with Loc-Line; a Y splitter and a couple of flared outputs.
  
• Powerhead: Korallia-1 (or a Korallia Nano) for additional flow.
• Refugium: Scrape off the coating/plastic on the back glass that is obscuring chamber two and stick a JBJ Nano Glo on the back. Stick some egg crate in the bottom and turn it into a refugium. I will grow Chaetomorpha in there to help handle nitrates and phosphates, and the dedicated lighting will really help. The Nano Glo is the best product I've found for this.
  
• Open up the gap between Chamber 1 and 2 for more flow. Just a simple cut with a razor blade. I'm presuming that this is practically necessary with the pump upgrade.
  
• Junk the bio-balls and the stock filter pads. I'll go with some filter floss, and if I really need it a bag of Purigen or activated carbon in the top of the Chamber 2 refugium.
• Heater: ~100Watt, in Chamber 1. I'll need to remove the false bottom to fit the heater.

These are all somewhat tentative. I still need to get the tank and test it for leaks before I make any of the more significant modifications.