boxofh2o Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Hey everyone! I've kept freshwater tanks in the past and have been pretty much tankless for several years. I've always wanted to have a saltwater tank, and when researching several years ago it seemed both difficult and expensive. Fast forward to a couple of years ago when the bug hit me again, I started researching again and found that it seemed easier than before, and people were now keeping nano, and pico sized aquariums with out too much difficultiy. One thing that hadn't changed.. it's still expensive After reading quite a bit on forums I finally decided recently (translate : my wife gave me permission) to make the plunge and ordered an 29 Gallon Oceanic Biocube. The big day came last Saturday. From left to right: 1 pint sized cat - Darby (already had this..), container for mixing & storing salt water, Oceaning Biocube Stand, Home depot buckets for water changes (one contains my chunk of live rock), 29Gal BioCube, 20 lbs CaribSea Fiji Pink Live sand, MaxiJet 1200, Hydor Theo 150W, ChemiPure, Instant Ocean Salt. Setup Unboxed and assembled the stand, unboxed the tank and test popped it on to see what it would look like. I tested the lights and fans and all worked well. The stand went together fairly easily, and I'm satisfied with it for what it is. The only thing that seems a bit odd is that it seems like the holes for the magnetic door catches seemed to be drilled slightly ahead of where they should be, so the doors dont shut flush. I'll revisit this later -- will be looking at childproofing the doors as we watch small children in our home. I have a friend who lives close by that was providing me with RO/DI water, however I wasn't able to get ahold of him. Not being able to contain my excitement, and wanting to get the tank wet, I did a fresh water leak test. Note: The tank is NOT leaking, the papertowel was wet from pouring the water into the tank from buckets. (and no, I did not use the Hard Rock Cafe shotglasses in the background to fill it! They're there in case it DID leak! haha ) I took this time to do some of the "Mods" to the tank by removing the false floors in chambers 1 and 2. The floor in chamber 1 is tricky to remove, but a wire coathanger strung through the slots worked pretty easily to pull it loose. My small chunk of live rock (approx 4lbs) sat in the bucket with some water, but I decided to further ensure it stayed wet by wrapping it in newspaper. Once the leak test passed, I dried out the tank thoroughly and I set the tank up in its final location. But there it sat empty... until Monday when I was able to reach my friend with the RO/DI water. Luckily he also brews homemade beer, and I got to sample a couple and take one for the road! This made up for me not getting a hold of him on the weekend (my fault, not his). We put to the TDS meter to it (the RO/DI water, not the beer) and it showed 0. Awesome! Carrying 25ish gallons in from the car was not fun (and i'm lucky hes 2 mins around the corner) -- I will buy my own RO/DI as soon as I have budget $$ for it. I poured the water in my storage container, put in the heater (do you think the suction cups would stay attached to the container?? .. nope..), MJ1200 powerhead, and salt -- then let it mix up for the evening. I unwrapped my rock from the newspaper, and discovered what appeared to be an astrea snail in the bottom of the bucket. I grabbed him placed him on the rock and put both in the bottom of the tank. Next I placed the live sand in the bottom of the tank, and began filling it with water. Transfered the heater into chamber 1 of the biocube, and hung the MJ1200 on the side of the tank (This will later replace the stock biocube return pump as it has more flow, and a smaller nano powerhead will replace it). Dropped the chemipure in Chamber 2 for now, just loose (will need to make a DIY media rack until I can order the InTank media rack and fuge). Sandstorm: Everything set to go. This is a picture of the sandstorm immediatly after setting everything up. The MJ1200 blew the sand around quite a bit. I let it run like this for 2 days, then shut the MJ1200 off to let things settle in, and spread the sand back out evenly. It cleared up pretty quickly. Im sure the MJ1200 wouldn't be so bad in the display if I had more rock to dispurse the flow. Mess: Need to clean up the wires at some point. Wasn't sure how to get the appropriate drip loop, so the powerbar is sitting on a step stool for now. Also thinking I may stash the power bar in the stand with cords leading in... not sure? I always thought if the tank leaked water could easily get under there and short it out.. but see many people with powerbars in their stands. Whites: Like my aquascape? More rocks to come! My car had issues last week and ate into my rock budget! Actinic : Bluer than in real life. Need to white balance correct pics next time. Please ignore the mess on the table in the background. We're painting the kitchen and the table became a catch all for loose odds and ends. It's Alive!: My snail had sat in the corner for a couple of days and hadn't moved. I thought it might be dead, but decided to place it on the rock right side up. Sure enough when I went back a few hours later it had moved. It's still alive! It has moved various places over the rock the last few days. (I know its hard to see, but can anyone confirm this is an Astrea Snail?) And so the cycle and waiting begins... I'm happy with the setup so far. The sound from the fans isn't too loud at all. The big noise factor comes from the water dropping from Chamber 1 to Chamber 2. The level in chamber 2 and 3 is around the height of the bottom of the elbow that connects the hose from the pump to the return. I'm not too sure I can go higher with the water level? its already above the Max line. I'm thinking the media rack might cut down on noise. Obviously my next purchase is more rock. Will likely get another 4-5 pounds of live, and 10-12 dry (or maybe seeded...) rock. Trying to source out Acrylic Rods to slide down through the rocks to keep them stable. A couple acrylic places were suggested to me, but they are only open M-F from 8-5ish when I'm at work. Maybe I need a vacation day Next purchases: - Test Kit, Refractometer. - Run to the dollar store to pick up a turkey baster, and might as well get some superglue gel while I'm there. - InTank Media Rack and Fuge (chaeto in the back!) -AquaticLife 115 skimmer for chamber 1 - RO/DI Mods to be done: - Cut tab between chamber 1 and 2 for more flow. - Replace the Stock return pump with the MJ1200. Get a Hydor Koralia Nano for the display (or maybe an MP10...) - Stock pump will be used for mixing salt water. Will also need a second heater. - Down the road... DIY LED lights retrofit in the stock hood. Fish: I'm considering some of the following, not commited yet: - Purple Firefish - Pair of clowns - Watchman / pistol pair - Midas Blenny Still researching this.. Would like to have some cool inverts as well. Corals: Start with some like: -zoas -mushrooms -frogspawn -torch eventually would like to get to: -sun corals -acropora - monti again.. still figuring some of this out ... Also thinking of possibly having some macro in the display. I like the look of it, but may be more trouble than anything. So there's my start in the hobby documented! Please feel free to comment and make suggestions. Be nice though.. I'm a noob. Link to comment
derekf15 Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Great start man, very detailed write up! I would have to agree that the snail looks like an Astrea as I have 5 in my tank and they look identical. Looking forward to seeing your aquascape with additional rock added. Link to comment
HVani Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Good start and awesome write up! You seem to be well on your way Link to comment
boxofh2o Posted June 2, 2012 Author Share Posted June 2, 2012 Great start man, very detailed write up! I would have to agree that the snail looks like an Astrea as I have 5 in my tank and they look identical. Looking forward to seeing your aquascape with additional rock added. I hope to pick up some rock this week. Next weekend at the latest. Inlaws came to visit today... They said it was an awful fancy tank for snail... Grrr... Good start and awesome write up! You seem to be well on your way Thanks! I still have a lot to learn, but so far so good! Love the FTS on your thread! Very nice! Link to comment
Tinola Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Nice start! Good luck! Just wondering, how are you measuring your salinity right now since you don't have a refractometer? Link to comment
boxofh2o Posted June 2, 2012 Author Share Posted June 2, 2012 Nice start! Good luck!Just wondering, how are you measuring your salinity right now since you don't have a refractometer? I have a hydrometer that i'm using for now. I know these aren't as accurate as a refractometer, and that bubbles can throw off the reading, but it should suffice for a week or two until my LFS gets some in. Link to comment
Tinola Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 I have a hydrometer that i'm using for now. I know these aren't as accurate as a refractometer, and that bubbles can throw off the reading, but it should suffice for a week or two until my LFS gets some in. As long as you have a rough reading, the bacteria living on your LR will survive then. You can buy ebay refractometers for half the price they sell at the LFS. Just another option for you I guess. Got mine for about $20 shipped I think. Link to comment
Tweaked29 Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 Good start. The more you read around here, the better you will be. All I can say is before you know it, you will have a slice of the sea in your living room. Link to comment
boxofh2o Posted June 3, 2012 Author Share Posted June 3, 2012 Good start. The more you read around here, the better you will be. All I can say is before you know it, you will have a slice of the sea in your living room. Yes, the forums are a great help. I was reading and lurking around well before i even created an account here. I have been reading on other forums as well. I have to say my favs are nano-reef and one local to my area. Some of it is hard to put into perspective until you start experiencing it, but I've retained more than I realized. I'll continue to update and post pictures as I go. I think its great to see the progression. Link to comment
boxofh2o Posted June 3, 2012 Author Share Posted June 3, 2012 It appears my snail may be a trocus snail (turban snail): Link to comment
boxofh2o Posted June 4, 2012 Author Share Posted June 4, 2012 Diatoms appear to be starting, rock is turning rusty brown, small spots on sand, also larger ones on the back wall and powerhead: Link to comment
ThatDude Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Looks like your off to a good start! I put my 1200 as my return and glad I did it. Link to comment
boxofh2o Posted June 4, 2012 Author Share Posted June 4, 2012 Looks like your off to a good start! I put my 1200 as my return and glad I did it. Yes I'm definitely putting the 1200 as the return, thats why i bought it. Its in the display for now until i pick up a koralia or something for flow. When i turn it on in the display, the sand all piles up in the corner, especially with the lack of rock i currently have. I think more rock will dispurse the flow a bit. The big question I have right now is what will happen when i add more rock. I'm thinking of adding mostly dry rock, but I'm contemplating adding another chunk of live rock. If i add another chunk of live rock, and then the rest dry, I assume this will start another cycle. If i just add dry rock or seeded rock, I'm wondering if there would be less of a cycle. I was hoping i wouldn't have to wait so long to get the additional rock. Link to comment
Spirofucci Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Welcome Mr. Box! Sounds like you've done yer homework. Great start. My first tank is about 6 mos old and so far so good, mostly due to help from the cool folks on this site. Link to comment
boxofh2o Posted June 4, 2012 Author Share Posted June 4, 2012 Welcome Mr. Box! Sounds like you've done yer homework. Great start. My first tank is about 6 mos old and so far so good, mostly due to help from the cool folks on this site. Thank you! I've been reading a lot over a long while. Mostly around biocube setup, equipment, cycle and general care. Hopefully I'll get lots of help when it comes to stocking fish and corals Link to comment
boxofh2o Posted June 8, 2012 Author Share Posted June 8, 2012 A little update I have some tiny little... Polyp.. In my powerhead: Diatoms on sand and rock clearing up a bit: More rock this weekend! Link to comment
Super CatPig Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 Lookin good. Sounds like you got a great plan for this tank! What rock are you leaning towards this weekend? I like all the tiny life that shows up on live rock. Just wish it had the price tag as dry Dry rock could also still start a new cycle. Just keep watching your parameters change. It depends on how "cleaned" out the dry rock is which is really impossible to tell what dead material might be inside of it. I ordered some online and found a bunch of dead stuff attached to the outside of it.. But anyway the good news is your inlaws will turn green with jealousy once you get through it and start stocking. Hard to see that tiny polyp. Is it the brown spot? Does it move? or does it look like any of these? Could be an aiptasia or mojano but hard to tell if I am looking at the right thing. Those were from one of my favorite hitchhiker resources. Link to comment
boxofh2o Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 Lookin good. Sounds like you got a great plan for this tank! What rock are you leaning towards this weekend? I like all the tiny life that shows up on live rock. Just wish it had the price tag as dry Dry rock could also still start a new cycle. Just keep watching your parameters change. It depends on how "cleaned" out the dry rock is which is really impossible to tell what dead material might be inside of it. I ordered some online and found a bunch of dead stuff attached to the outside of it.. But anyway the good news is your inlaws will turn green with jealousy once you get through it and start stocking. Hard to see that tiny polyp. Is it the brown spot? Does it move? or does it look like any of these? Could be an aiptasia or mojano but hard to tell if I am looking at the right thing. Those were from one of my favorite hitchhiker resources. Its the light brown / tan colored spot at the base of one of the vent slots. To me it looks like a tiny zoa. There is a light spot in the center, a skirt, and a crown that goes around it. I haven't seen it move. It just showed up one day, no idea how it got there. Didn't seem to look like any of the hitchhikers on the link you provided. I checked the sticky thread on the ID forum already too. I'm hoping it means it isnt anything too bad as most of the common nuisances are on there! Link to comment
boxofh2o Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 I finally picked up some more live rock today! Front: Front-right angle swim thru: Right side: Left side: I'll probably re-arrange it at some point. I still have another 4-5 pound rock that i can put in but not sure how it would fit. I'm trying to leave space at the sides and back to allow for cleaning access. Also trying to see how the rock fits together naturally. I might break up the other piece of rock and make ledges. Link to comment
Super CatPig Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 It's not the end of the world if it's harmful. I actually have two aiptasia nems that are hanging on my acan frags. Rotten bastards!!! LOL.. Haven't messed with em.. yet. I ordered them online and never saw the nems from the camera angle. I suspect its a mojano of some variant of another anemone for some reason.. I guess because zoas don't really move to new locations without a "mover". And on the powerhead seems an odd spot for one to be moved to by a creature in your tank. I had some mojanos that resembled zoas. And actually they were very pretty I was really excited when I found them but they multiplied like bunnies. keep an eye out for that. it might split. It could be anything though. I still find things that I don't understand in my tank Something you might want to try with that powerhead turned off so if it moves it doen't get chopped up is obstruct the light. Anemones want to go toward the light. They LOVE it! I had some on the dark underside of a rock i noticed the second day after setting up my tank.. and in a few days they were all on the top of the rock going toward the light. Nice rock looks pretty pourus. I really like the way it flows. That actually is something I need to work on when scaping my tank. Link to comment
ward827 Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Awesome thread of your set up and progress. I'm also a noob and need to post my BC14 build. FYI, I put a pep shrimp in my tank to take care of the couple aiptasia's I had. Did a great job! W- Link to comment
boxofh2o Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 Something you might want to try with that powerhead turned off so if it moves it doen't get chopped up is obstruct the light. Anemones want to go toward the light. They LOVE it! I had some on the dark underside of a rock i noticed the second day after setting up my tank.. and in a few days they were all on the top of the rock going toward the light. Nice rock looks pretty pourus. I really like the way it flows. That actually is something I need to work on when scaping my tank. I took the powerhead out today while i was putting the rock in. Whatever was on it wasn't attached as it must have fallen off when i took it out. The MJ1200 has now replaced the stock pump in Chamber 3. The rock is great! Very porus! I got it at my lfs, and I think it's Marco rock. Link to comment
Pippin Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 I actually like the rock the way it is. I think you should keep it. Link to comment
boxofh2o Posted June 10, 2012 Author Share Posted June 10, 2012 I actually like the rock the way it is. I think you should keep it. Thanks! I'll see how I feel in a week or so! Hopefully it grows on me! Two of my co-workers have their aquascapes as columns that I wasn't sure I liked before, but I think its a cool look now. Link to comment
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