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Gromit's 8 Gal Bio Cube. Updated 10/25/10


Gromit1710

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Gromit1710

Here's the run down on my set up. It's been up for almost 2 years now:

 

Equipment:

 

Replaced fans with slightly better 50mm X 10mm fans...still have noise issues. Cut out the fins in the reflective shield to improve airflow.

 

Nano-Tuners LED Retrofit. 6 Cool White, 6 Royal Blue. Crees. Meanwell dimmable.

 

Chamber 3:Pump - Mini Jet 606 @ 156 GPH output to a Hydor flo deflector

 

Chamber 2: In Tank Media rack with Filter floss/Polyfilter chunk - Half unit Chemi-pure Elite - Micro algae with LED light shining through the back.

 

Chamber 1: Empty

 

'scape:

About 4 to 5 lbs of LR purchased from my LFS

Another 7 to 10 pcs of various rubble ( some just added the day before I took this pic )

1" thick crushed coral bed. ( Kinda regret this now as it looks dirty all the time.. oh well. )

 

Corals and such :

 

Green star polyp colony. - currently climbing the back wall of the tank. Yay! living background!

Another strain of GSP.. Smaller fronds with textures... interesting.

A Brown and neon green Zoa colony

Pulsing Xenia

Rapidly spreading white polyp infectio.. I mean colony :happy:

Pink Pocillopora

Purple Maze/Brain

Brown Mushroom

Green Ricordea

Green Acropora

 

Other assorted Tube worms and such that came in on the LR

 

 

Livestock:

1 Lawnmower Blenny

Asterina stars seemingly everywhere.

 

CUC:

 

2 Astrea Snails

3 Caribbean blue legged hermits

2 Red legged hermits

2 bumblebee snails

 

 

Light Cycle:

Actinic Royal Blue Crees - 10 hrs

Full light : 8 hrs

 

Current parameters:

Temp: 80F

Salinity : 1.025

Nitrates : 0 - 5

Calcium : 480 mg/L ppm

Carbonate Hardness ( KH ) : 9 dkh

Phosphate : 0 - .025

 

It's summer here in the desert, so I have to wedge the tank's lid open to hold the temps at 80. Otherwise it will climb up to 83 or 84. Speeds up the evap rate a bit.

 

Usually do a water change every week to two weeks of 30 to 40% with pre-mixed saltwater from my LFS. It's pretty cheap to get their water and with an 8 gal.. it's not like I'm going broke just buying it myself. + it's guaranteed analysis.

 

My greatest weakness is the 'scape. I didn't know what I was doing when I put the LR in. Everything with the exception of the 3 new corals has settled into place and I don't want to disturb it.

 

So now I have a bunch of frags placed around, hoping that they will grow together.

post-39026-1288057218_thumb.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

I can actually see coralline spotting and some age on that setup wow man. You mean nitrates for the readings, and that's exactly what Id expect thanks for being willing to post all that up not a lot of setups this old and purple-hued are as clean and free of algae you've done well with what Id consider to be a high bioload tank.

 

If you have had that clown in there and that's all the nitrate you are getting Id say really well done that's better management than usual for a tank that old that size that stocked

B

  • Like 1
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Wow...

 

Thanks :lol:

 

I just added more flow by changing the pump to a mini 606

 

And in two weeks...

 

An LED retro fit from Nanocustoms! I WILL get SPS to grow in this little thing! lol.

 

I have since gotten the Nitrates down even further. The Micro Algae started sucking that stuff out finally.

 

I appreciate your encouragement. Thank you.

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