ScubaRyan Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Hey guys! Been researching tanks and saltwater for months and reading nano-reef and reef central for months ontop of that. I finally took the plunge and ordered a Biocube 14 and it will be here Thursday. I also ordered 10lbs of dry rock from John at reef cleaners and got it today and it looks aweome! I ordered 12lbs of live rock from Sea Life which will be here Friday so hopefully that is just as nice as John's dry rock. Plans StevieT intank media basket maxi-jet 900 Hydor Koralia Nano Evolution 240 GPH 50-75w Heater (not really sure on type yet - which would be better? 50 or 75? Knock out false floors in chamber 1/Remove sponge JBJ ATO (eventually) Reefkeeper Lite (eventually) Light upgrade (maybe/sometime) Stocking 2 True Percula Clownfish, Tank Bred 1 Cleaner Shrimp One question, would I eventually be able to add a pistol shrimp/yellow watchmen goby with the above or would I be overstocked? Looking forward to getting into this hobby! I'll try to keep the thread updated as much as possible! Link to comment
cees Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Good start, i just started my bio14 i had the same stock list as you do but i think 3 fish is a lil to much but thats my 2 cents they say 3 is the max. I get my media basket from steviet on tuesday of next week and ill be ready to stock. It funny to see just how many other members have started the same tanks itll be fun to see everyones tank progress Link to comment
ScubaRyan Posted May 26, 2011 Author Share Posted May 26, 2011 Yea, ive seen several starting and have read a lot of established ones. I was originally going for a BC29 but decided to go smaller and put it on my dresser. Only reason I think the Goby/shrimp combo would be good is because they arent active swimmers like clowns and spend all their time in one other, or so i've read. Hopefully somebody with anlot of experience will chime in. I dont want to post without some pic so here's a dive pic i took, my favorite one of a blenny. Link to comment
ScubaRyan Posted May 27, 2011 Author Share Posted May 27, 2011 No bioballs!!! Only thing that isnt working is the led moonlights so i guess ill need to contact oceanic Link to comment
LarryMoeCurly Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Most people don't use bioballs in reef tanks. (I'm not sure if you already know that or not) Link to comment
cees Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 you can have my bioballs lol no but really no one uses them you should get stevieT's media basket i get mine tuesday. ill post pics up once i get it Link to comment
LarryMoeCurly Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 In the first post, it says he is planning on using the intank media basket. Link to comment
ScubaRyan Posted May 27, 2011 Author Share Posted May 27, 2011 Yup, I am planning on getting it. Filter floss, chaeto, ??.. I orginally was going to use LR rubble on the bottom, but have been thinkin otherwise after reading about it being a nitrate factory. So I am unsure of that Link to comment
cees Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 U can do chaeto. Am doing floss chemipure and purigen Link to comment
ScubaRyan Posted May 27, 2011 Author Share Posted May 27, 2011 Just ordered: Biocube 14 Media Basket Filter Floss Maxi Jet 900 Chemi-Pure Still have a bunch of stuff to buy, perhaps next month...have awhile to cycle anyway...lol Link to comment
cees Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 I got the very same order i also added purigen to my order. StevieT is a great guy i had to do some changes to my order i emailed him and wasnt expecting a reply till the next day, he emailed my back 5 min later. Link to comment
ScubaRyan Posted May 27, 2011 Author Share Posted May 27, 2011 Got my LR from Sea Life and I think it's pretty good looking! I also only used 1 piece of dryrock, i may change up the scape, but I'll see it after it settles in the tank. Pics! Some of them are a little blurry, i took them in a hurry with my iphone. Shoulda grabbed the DSLR, but I wanted them in the tank Link to comment
ScubaRyan Posted May 28, 2011 Author Share Posted May 28, 2011 Yea i will. Ill be in St. Augustine till Monday so it'll be when I get back. I was looking at the LR and a crab came out of one of the holes so hopefully he'll make it through the cycle. Link to comment
ScubaRyan Posted May 28, 2011 Author Share Posted May 28, 2011 I snapped 3 quick ones before I left.. Front: Left: Right: There is a little swim through area in the middle but the rock in front blocks it when looking straight at it.. Ill take some more when I get back home! I may also add a small piece of dry rock towards the big open area in front... Not sure yet Link to comment
ScubaRyan Posted June 2, 2011 Author Share Posted June 2, 2011 Here's a little update: The morning I was coming back from my trip my mom called me and said the pump was making a noise. So i told her to add a little bit of RODI water to the tank until it stopped. She said the noise started when the lights went on, I asked if it stopped when it went off. She said they did, so i told her it was the fan and not the pump and not to add any water. Well she added 4 cups of RODI water. Thankfully it's not a huge deal, but it did lower the salinity I believe. I never got to check what the salinity of the water was before I left as I bought the oceanic mini-hydrometer until my refractometer gets here. My first tests: Temp 77.6-79.8 it gradually goes down to 77.6 during the night salinity -> 1.023 pH - 8.0 Amonia - 1.0-2.0ppm Nitrite - 0.0-0.25ppm Nitrate - 0-5.0ppm Nitrite/Nitrate are between the 2 and not near the 0.0 colors so I'm assuming there are some levels, just not ones listed on the test. I'm using the API saltwater test kit. There's a little bit of life in the tank, I found some pods and 2 crabs. 1 is incredibly small while the other is quite big. I found his hiding spot during the day today in one of the pieces of live rock, no clue how he gets in and out of it as he's bigger than any hole that I can see, but whatever. I can never get a good pic of him as he only comes out at night. And have only seen the little crab once when he came out of the live rock when i first put it in before the sand/water and once yesterday night. There is also 1 feather duster and 1 either very small feather duster that closes up when I get close to the side of the glass. Is the pH a little low? Could it be due to my mom adding a lot of RODI water to the tank? I'm waiting for water to evaporate so I can add a little bit of salt water to raise the salinity to 1.025-1.026. I'm aware of the hydrometers are not as accurate, but need to wait a little before I can get the refractometer. I need to wait for the tank to cycle so I don't see it as a huge problem at this point. Comments, suggestions? Link to comment
cees Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Get a hold of the manufactor they should senda new fan i belive. And hydrometers are weird and never accurate. I need to pick up a refractometer Link to comment
sstuckey Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 She said the noise started when the lights went on, I asked if it stopped when it went off. She said they did, so i told her it was the fan and not the pump and not to add any water. BC14 fans don't last long. I'd contact the company for some replacements and save them for a rainy day. Talk to these guys about upgrading: http://www.nanotuners.com Your ph is fine. New rock looks good. Just sit back and enjoy the cycle. ...and ditch those stock fans while you wait. Link to comment
ScubaRyan Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 Get a hold of the manufactor they should senda new fan i belive. And hydrometers are weird and never accurate. I need to pick up a refractometer I already had an issue with the led transformer and received it, however it wasnt a real issue, the led connector became unplugged and i just needed to plug it back in behind the reflector. The replacement fan is otw. BC14 fans don't last long. I'd contact the company for some replacements and save them for a rainy day. Talk to these guys about upgrading: http://www.nanotuners.com Your ph is fine. New rock looks good. Just sit back and enjoy the cycle. ...and ditch those stock fans while you wait. Yeah ive looked at their site quite a bit. Ill eventually switch to leds as thats the more sensible option moneywise. Do you think I could add a frogspawn to the top rock eventually with stock lighting? Link to comment
sstuckey Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Do you think I could add a frogspawn to the top rock eventually with stock lighting? Yes, absolutely. I had (still have it) frogspawn under stock lighting (no longer have the stock lighting) in the middle of the tank and it was thriving. You can keep all kinds of LPS and softies with the stock lighting. Link to comment
ScubaRyan Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 Yes, absolutely. I had (still have it) frogspawn under stock lighting (no longer have the stock lighting) in the middle of the tank and it was thriving. You can keep all kinds of LPS and softies with the stock lighting. That's great to hear. I really like the hammer, frogspawn and torch.. May not have enough room for all 3 though... We'll see! Link to comment
ScubaRyan Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 I made another thread to ID a crab, hopefully somebody will be able to help me out... here's the link just incase somebody doesn't see that but views this thread: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=273412 Link to comment
cees Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 The vid is funny look like the crab is stuck and is trying to dig him self out lol Link to comment
ScubaRyan Posted June 4, 2011 Author Share Posted June 4, 2011 Lol yeah, it did. I caught him and set him free in the ocean. He came off the florida coast and that's where he was sent back Link to comment
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