SlowGoing - 29G Biocube ♣ Contest Tank ♣

[SlowGoing]

Started in July 2010.

 

CURRENT FTS (Dec. 2010 - One month after the move!):

 

After much research and continued excitement over it all, we took the plunge. I really want to say thank you to every member of this board and site for making it what it is. There is no way I could have started this puppy without the continual commitment and knowledge you all share here. Thank you!

Let's get started.

 

Family project that my father and I had great interest in for a really long time. 12 years ago we had a fresh water tank that I really did not have much knowledge in and it didn't last too long. I seriously over stocked it and wasn't the best at understanding water parameters and doing the most efficient water changes.

 

We purchased the Biocube 29G from www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com ... First one arrived within three days with a broken ballast. No worries ... I called F&S and they immediately sent a second one and I shipped back the first. Second one arrived only three days after the call to customer service and everything worked out great. (5 star customer service, IMHO.)

 

Bought my sand, live rock, premixed RO water, containers, and some chemicals from a LFS.

 

Maintenance:

• Clean the sand weekly.
  
• Water change weekly of about 2.5g.
  
• Replace the filter floss every three days.
  
• For any algae on the class, I use a razor to scrap it off during my water change.
  

Equipment and things worth mentioning:

• Removed the tab restricting the flow between chambers one and two.
  
• Removed the false floors in chamber two and the floor in chamber one. Had a really hard time with chamber one, but it finally budged. I used a utility knife and the back end of a screw driver to push down.
  
• Chamber one has a Hydor Theo 150W heater in it.
  
• Chamber two: Removed the bioballs. In its place is a media basket with filter floss, chemi pure elite, and purigen. Next to the basket is a fuge basket. (Currently empty) All purchased from inTank @ shop.mediabaskets.com .
  
• Chamber three: I removed the sponge and replaced the pump with a Rio HyperFlow 6HF. Reason for picking it over the Maxijet was of the low temperature consistency it has. I plan to remove the elbow soon, once I find somewhere to purchase the proper tubing.
  
• Attached at the exhaust of the powerhead is a Hydor Rotating Deflector.
  
• Koralia nano powerhead attached outside of chamber one.
  
• Stock lighting with the hopes of moving onto T5's with LED.
  

Clean up crew:

• 1 Electric Blue Hermit Crab
  
• 3 Red Legged Hermit Crabs
  
• 4 Assorted Hermit Crabs
  
• 4 Assorted Snails
  

Livestock:

• 1 Fire Goby
  
• 2 Ocellaris Clownfish
  
• 1 Springer Dottyback
  
• 1 Green Bubble Tip Anemone
  
• 1 Coco Worm
  

Coral:

• Atomic Candy Cane
  
• Candy Cane Coral
  
• Xenia
  
• Neon Green Hammerhead
  
• Purple Tip Frogspawn
  
• Eagle Eye Zoanthids
  
• Fire Cracker Zoanthids
  
• Absolute Orange Zoanthids
  
• LA Lakers Zoanthids
  
• Green Dragoneye Zoanthids
  
• Blue Sponge
  
• Blue Mushrooms
  
• Green Mushrooms
  
• Purple Mushrooms
  
• Orange Mushrooms
  
• Spotted Mushrooms
  
• Two Random Mushrooms (Need an ID for them)
  
• Green Star Polyps
  
• Chili Coral
  

 

Videos and more pictures to come soon.

 

Thank you for looking!

[streetsong]

I really like your scape. A great alternative to the same old "rock wall" look. Looking forward to more posts!

[bhskicker18]

Blue fish in the first picture, what is it? A damsel?

[SlowGoing]

Yes, it is an Electric Blue Damsel. Very friendly and easy going with the rest of the life in the tank.

[cameraman_2]

The rock work looks awesome.

[Abhi]

Nice Scape ! It definetly is not going slow lol . But GL with it

[SlowGoing]

Photo Journal commence!

 

 

My new stand that I picked up at IKEA for about $170. Took an hour to assemble.

 

 

The new tank! First tank came in with a broken ballast, so I had another one sent in. Everything was in working order.

 

 

This is the skeleton key that came with the stand for locking things up from my niece. It also served as the "key" to removing the false floors. ... har har

 

 

My sea monkey

 

 

Chamber one, my Theo 150W heater.

 

 

What I've collected so far for kits and materials. July 17th, 2010

 

 

 

 

More to come! Need more space

[SlowGoing]

 

This was my initial plan for the 17 lbs. of rock I bought. I ended up adding more and changing the scape.

 

 

25gallons of premixed water. I paid $12.99 per 5 gallon container and then $1.00 per premixed gallon. Ended up only needing 20 gallons with all of the goods inside. The last five will be great for my first water change.

 

 

Fiji pink sand. I purchased two bags of the 20 lbs of sand. Well worth it.

 

 

Another 8 lbs of rock I purchased. The hitch hikers that came with this bundle was fire worms ... I managed to remove them by leaving the main rock that had them inside the container and letting it dry out until they came out to play. Then I removed them with tweezers. Yuck!

 

 

Oh cloudy day ...

 

 

Much better!

[SlowGoing]

 

This Scarlet Hermit is named Sergeant. I had a second one that passed away on his second day. Took him back to the LFS and it turned out the entire tank of Scarlet's passed. Sergeant is lucky.

 

 

Parameters were looking good, so I bought new friends for the hermits.

 

 

Looking good!

 

 

I named the first clownfish Rider because the first day he would run around the tank in circles until the Hydor Deflector would shoot him across the tank and then he'd run back for more. I haven't named the second one yet.

 

 

Now this coral was neat for about two days until it fell off its stand and disappeared. Haven't seen it since.

 

 

 

Torch hanging out in the moon light.

 

 

My Electric Blue Damsel named Scoot. First day when he was getting used to the new space, he'd scoot around in short bursts.

 

 

Torch getting a little braver in the daylight.

 

 

This little rock seemed to have some life that stayed with it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this is Zoa coral?

 

 

The three musketeers swimming together.

[SlowGoing]

 

Here's Scoot showing off.

 

 

Week two. A lot is changing. I realized that I need some more flow to combat the brown algae starting. So I purchased a Koralia Nano. Working out great!

 

 

Note: This picture is taken sideways. (As you can see my shoes) Filter floss is actually on the top, then the Purigen, and finally the Chemi Pure Elite.

 

My new media basket from StevieT @ shop.mediabaskets.com ! I've got filter floss from inTank, bought chemi pure elite, and purigen. First basket was abused by UPS, but Stevie quickly sorted that out and took care of it. Thank you, sir!

 

 

My chambers of awesomeness. Chamber one: 150W Theo Heater - Chamber two: Media basket, fuge basket, and two 10W underwater lights from inTank - Chamber three: Rio HyperFlow 6HF pump

 

Outside of that, I removed the tab restricting the flow between one and two. I also used the fish saver from inTank, as well.

 

 

Let there be light! Looking pretty sweet back there.

 

 

Here is Boxer, my Pom Pom crab. ($15 from LFS) Seriously awesome.

 

 

 

 

 

These are the most unique snails I've seen. I purchased them from a LFS for $1.50 each.

 

 

The crew at night.

 

 

Boxer hanging out ... He has claimed this rock and hasn't left it since.

 

 

The new Xenia ... ($20 from LFS) It's going to look really beautiful when it starts spawning out more.

 

 

The tank as of July 29th, 2010.

 

...More details to come!

Thank you for looking!

[Reefmonster]

Lemme get this straight...You set it up on the 17th, and you already have all this in it? Good luck, but it's cruel to add livestock before the tank is cycled. I hope your stuff doesn't die.

 

Too bad that you didn't let it cycle properly...you could have had a really nice nano...

[bird]

looking good so far.

Adding lots of livestock pretty quick though it seems don't ya think?.

[Reefmonster]

looking good so far.

Adding lots of livestock pretty quick though it seems don't ya think?.

Hmmm...I can't believe I'm the only one commenting on the severity of not waiting for the cycle...I'm also taken aback by the cavalier nature of how the OP said that the crab died... Like "oh well they are cheap"...I feel bad for this guy's reef, and sad for the inhabitants he will have...It's cruel to keep fish and corals in an environment that is not suited to their needs, and your tank definately is not yet suited.

[SlowGoing]

Hmmm...I can't believe I'm the only one commenting on the severity of not waiting for the cycle...I'm also taken aback by the cavalier nature of how the OP said that the crab died... Like "oh well they are cheap"...I feel bad for this guy's reef, and sad for the inhabitants he will have...It's cruel to keep fish and corals in an environment that is not suited to their needs, and your tank definately is not yet suited.

 

I took the Scarlet back to the store and they said their entire tank that stored those had died. Something came in contact with that one already.

 

Reason why I felt comfortable with adding the live stock so soon was that the parameters were in place. My ammonia was 0, nitrite was 0, nitrate was 0, even my calcium levels were set.

 

I'm sorry if you interpreted my writing of the crab passing as so nonchalant. The gentlemen who have been assisting me from these forums encouraged me to take my time with adding the stock. However, once they saw the brown algae starting and the new life growing on the live rock, that was a great indicator that my cycle was taking place rapidly and efficiently.

 

I encourage you, Reefmonster, to continue to follow my aquarium. I do not take the life in my aquarium for granted.

[KureReefer]

I really love the design of your aquascape!

 

I see Reefmonster's hesitation with you adding in the livestock so soon. Make sure you keep a strong eye on your ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite. If things go badly, they go badly quickly and I'd be a shame to see such a great reef go south.

 

Don't let others harsh words discourage you, either. From what I've noticed, some people are a little sharp with their words around here

 

I'll be following your tank! Keep it up!

[SlowGoing]

Thank you for your encouragement, Kure.

 

I stopped by my LFS today to make sure that I was doing the right thing and they affirmed me that given my current set up of filter media, RO premixed water, and the random growth that is taking place that I am doing fine and not to be overly concerned. They tested the water for free, as well, and all cleared perfectly.

 

They did offer to hold all of my stock for free, if it'd make me feel more comfortable, but I'm confident in the cycle right now.

 

Do you all have an opinion as to when I should start adding additional clean up?

[rO.oster]

Sorry to hear about your hermit. For my CuC, I went with the $15 pack from reefCleaners it had all the dwarf and regular cerinths, some nerites, and nasarius snails i needed! These are generally added after the initial cycle, but before livestock and coral. Just make sure you monitor your Ammonia levels, as your 3 fish, with their poop and the extra food you give them, may cause some irregular spikes in the parameters, since your liverock isn't cured enough to eliminate it. Slowgoing and enjoy the ride!

[jfarabaugh]

Thank you for your encouragement, Kure.

 

I stopped by my LFS today to make sure that I was doing the right thing and they affirmed me that given my current set up of filter media, RO premixed water, and the random growth that is taking place that I am doing fine and not to be overly concerned. They tested the water for free, as well, and all cleared perfectly.

 

They did offer to hold all of my stock for free, if it'd make me feel more comfortable, but I'm confident in the cycle right now.

 

Do you all have an opinion as to when I should start adding additional clean up?

 

your setup is looks really nice. like the scape.

 

my $0.02 though.... 80 % of all fish stores are out to sell stuff and most couldnt care if your stuff dies. If your stuff dies it just means you will buy more. I have over heard the crazyiest conversations between sales people and consumers at some of my LFS. All the time knowing that the sales guy knows the correct answer but is telling the consumer what they want to hear to make the sale. Long story short dont take your LFS word as the final word.

 

I have learned the most from collectively listening to members on this forum....keeping in mind that this hobby is extremely opinionated and some times you have to learn the hard way

 

Good luck

[animalmaster6]

to the Contest

[StevieT]

 

My new media basket from StevieT @ shop.mediabaskets.com ! I've got filter floss from inTank, bought chemi pure elite, and purigen. First basket was abused by UPS, but Stevie quickly sorted that out and took care of it. Thank you, sir!

 

inTank you! Sweet pics

 

Public Service Announcement: Yes this media basket pictured is upside down. No you can not install it like this into your filtration chamber. Please do not email me about why your media basket purchase is not working correctly if installed like this. inTank is not at fault for you installing it upside down and we will not replace it with one that is right side up. If you do I can make fun of you for 30 days. K-thanks.

[SlowGoing]

Sorry to hear about your hermit. For my CuC, I went with the $15 pack from reefCleaners it had all the dwarf and regular cerinths, some nerites, and nasarius snails i needed! These are generally added after the initial cycle, but before livestock and coral. Just make sure you monitor your Ammonia levels, as your 3 fish, with their poop and the extra food you give them, may cause some irregular spikes in the parameters, since your liverock isn't cured enough to eliminate it. Slowgoing and enjoy the ride!

 

Thanks, Rudy. I've been checking the ammonia levels daily. I'm feeding them every other night. Hopefully it stays consistent. The whole point of putting so much money and equipment into this is to ensure their survival in the long run.

 

your setup is looks really nice. like the scape.

 

my $0.02 though.... 80 % of all fish stores are out to sell stuff and most couldnt care if your stuff dies. If your stuff dies it just means you will buy more. I have over heard the crazyiest conversations between sales people and consumers at some of my LFS. All the time knowing that the sales guy knows the correct answer but is telling the consumer what they want to hear to make the sale. Long story short dont take your LFS word as the final word.

 

I have learned the most from collectively listening to members on this forum....keeping in mind that this hobby is extremely opinionated and some times you have to learn the hard way

 

Good luck

 

Thanks for your 2 cents, J. I know these two gentlemen personally. They are friends of the family and have a combined experience of 30 years and a successful business due to their honesty. That's one reason why I stopped going to the first fish store until I realized I knew some friends already.

 

I walked out of one fish store with my 10g tank with complete confidence and until I came on here and that confidence crashed quickly. After a lot of research and hard work, that's when I dove into the Biocube.

 

 

Given the fact that I already have all kinds of algae growing and the parameters in the tank are looking good, do you all suggest that I pick up the $15 CUC?

 

inTank you! Sweet pics

 

Public Service Announcement: Yes this media basket pictured is upside down. No you can not install it like this into your filtration chamber. Please do not email me about why your media basket purchase is not working correctly if installed like this. inTank is not at fault for you installing it upside down and we will not replace it with one that is right side up. If you do I can make fun of you for 30 days. K-thanks.

 

Haha, I need to rotate that picture apparently!

[rO.oster]

Long story short dont take your LFS word as the final word.

 

I now actually get a different vibe from my LFS since they know I have forum knowledge power behind me. They even are quick to snark in a comment against it if I stumble on some specific topic (im new still) Even though I never really saw them or their styles much before gaining knowledge, I can imagine them still self assured and commanding as ever in their way. I use these forums, with everyone's .02 cents in a bucket and plow my own direction, so far its been ok. There are a lot of old timers, and a lot of old, wrong outdated tricks. I say protect your interests by researching it online as much as you can before purchasing! Tagging along.

[jfarabaugh]

Thanks for your 2 cents, J. I know these two gentlemen personally. They are friends of the family and have a combined experience of 30 years and a successful business due to their honesty. That's one reason why I stopped going to the first fish store until I realized I knew some friends already.

 

I walked out of one fish store with my 10g tank with complete confidence and until I came on here and that confidence crashed quickly. After a lot of research and hard work, that's when I dove into the Biocube.

 

 

Given the fact that I already have all kinds of algae growing and the parameters in the tank are looking good, do you all suggest that I pick up the $15 CUC?

 

Glad to hear that. It took me a while to find a LFS that I trust after learning the hard way.

 

Was the Rock already cured?

 

IMHO you should have keep the fire/bristle worms they are great at cleaning up.

 

A CUC cleans but also produces waste. I would maybe start with a samll crew and go from there.

 

I would be testing the ammonium evey day for next 2 weeks as it can spike really fast. Have at least 5 gallons of saltwater ready to go incase you get a spike.

 

It took my tank almost 2 weeks to show anything bad during my cycle....then it got real bad. I was not using cured rock.

[SlowGoing]

Yes. All the rocks are cured. $15.99 a pound.

[jfarabaugh]

Yes. All the rocks are cured. $15.99 a pound.

 

 

WHAAAAT???? That seems really high