Meghan's 14g BioCube Options

[drowsyfirefly]

Got my 14g today!!

Spent about an hour and a half putting together the stand--the instructions that came with could definitely have used some serious improvement.

I put the aquarium on the stand and had a heck of a time getting that stupid tray thing out to get to the bioballs. Pulled those out as well as the carbon filter and the sponge. Planning on putting LR rubble in there and some chaeto.

Looked at the lights--the actinic is, well, BLUE. The 10000K 24w looked quite bright. All in all, a very nice set up.

I'll take pictures to post soon. Anyone have any advice on how to get light into the back for the algae? Someone with a 29 said they just scraped it off with a razor blade, but it didn't look like it was going to come off for me--it didn't even look like it was painted.

That's all for now. Putting in water after I can get advice on the light in back.

--Meghan

This post has been edited by drowsyfirefly: Oct 26 2006, 02:52 PM

[tinyreef]

Anyone have any advice on how to get light into the back for the algae? Someone with a 29 said they just scraped it off with a razor blade, but it didn't look like it was going to come off for me--it didn't even look like it was painted.

do they mean to cut/carve the plastic for an opening?

maybe you can drill a couple of small holes and pop thru a couple of LED's instead.

there's probably some DIY ideas in the DIY forum though.

[drowsyfirefly]

do they mean to cut/carve the plastic for an opening?

maybe you can drill a couple of small holes and pop thru a couple of LED's instead.

there's probably some DIY ideas in the DIY forum though.

Sorry, the other person was talking about the black in the back of the tank. The LED idea is a really good one, I'll look into it. I may also just put some LEDs in the part of the tank that's above the filter in back.

[drowsyfirefly]

Got water today, along with 13lbs live rock and 20lbs live sand.

Spent a long time mixing water and then had to take a break to go get a heater--the water was a chilly 60ºF when I started.

So after microwaving some R/O water and adding it and mucking about in general I was finally able to add the sand--OH MY GOD THE CLOUDINESS. As I speak I have turned off the pump to try and let this stuff settle--goodness there is a lot of it.

I also took pictures all throughout the process but am too damn lazy to update them tonight.

And I found a hawaiian feather duster on a piece of LR so I will have to hope it makes it through the cycle *crosses fingers* as there is no other place to put him that wouldn't have to go through a cycle as well. I'm ordering some phytoplankton along with the refractometer I'm ordering (good lord I hate hydrometers and I only had to mix up three batches of 2.5g salt water), so it will at least have a food source for now. There's also a itsybitsy white worm with a red cap on the same rock as the feather duster--probably no more than 2 or 3mm long. I hope he gets big and strong. And doesn't kill my feather duster.

The temperature is 80.6ºF, pH is 8.2, Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates are all 0. I guess this means I can add livestock... Just kidding. I put in a tiny piece of salmon that had no preservatives or any flavoring to start up the cycle a little more quickly--I hope it works.

And that is all for this evening. Since I have spent all day not working on homework and instead doing fish things, I must go work for class tomorrow.

--Meghan

This post has been edited by drowsyfirefly: Sep 24 2006, 09:28 PM

[tinyreef]

you probably won't need the salmon to kick start the cycle. it sounds like your LR is pretty fresh and should have sufficient hitchhiking fauna to do that. the duster and other worm will likely be doing some excretions/secretions to start the cycle for you.

if you've got a fair amount of LR life then you might want to keep an extra close eye on the water parameters to "soft cycle" the rock. i.e. waterchange if the levels get too high so that hitchhikers can survive and really give you a very biodiverse ecosystem.

sounds like things are moving along, good luck!

[mahi mahi boy]

I hope I get some decent hitchhikers like you did as well. Get a picture of that salmon while you're at it too.

Goodluck with your tank

Mahi

[drowsyfirefly]

I hope I get some decent hitchhikers like you did as well. Get a picture of that salmon while you're at it too.

Goodluck with your tank

Mahi

I'm hoping he makes it--there's also a sponge but he was exposed to air (the piece with the feather duster we noticed in the store--I mean it's at least two inches long, so it was packed in a bag with water) so I doubt he'll survive.

The salmon was about an inch long and maybe 3/8" high and wide, broken off (it was frozen) of a very nice filet--not very much at all. It was actually going to be dinner tonight for my parents but after all the reef set up took over the kitchen we opted for pizza.

you probably won't need the salmon to kick start the cycle. it sounds like your LR is pretty fresh and should have sufficient hitchhiking fauna to do that. the duster and other worm will likely be doing some excretions/secretions to start the cycle for you.

if you've got a fair amount of LR life then you might want to keep an extra close eye on the water parameters to "soft cycle" the rock. i.e. waterchange if the levels get too high so that hitchhikers can survive and really give you a very biodiverse ecosystem.

sounds like things are moving along, good luck!

I may take it out tomorrow. And *smacks forehead* duh, what a genius idea. I dunno why this didn't occur to me, because I've read about it. But that is a really good way to keep the feather duster alive--and his buddy, the strange worm. I have to get my tank uncloudy so I can take pictures and people can make with the guessing of species. Figure I'll be waiting a while for it to settle unless I take breaks with the pump--the first one helped some.

Thanks for the good luck wish and I absolutely LOVE your pico. Just for the record. Already posted a comment on your thread.

And now, I will really do homework.

[drowsyfirefly]

AAAH!

'Rents woke me up at 6 this morning (grumble) about the temp being up at 83.5º!!

Went down, unplugged heater and added a little top off of fresh water (has anyone else noticed that EXTREMELY irritating gurgle that happens when your tank is not filled to nearly full?). On the plus side the feather duster is looking all right. I'm mixing up a gallon of saltwater tonight and testing again for ammonia--hoping the first spike comes soon--and if there's a spike in it already I'll change out some water as suggested by tinyreef.

And I took some pictures today (the tank is clearing up pretty well, though when I tried to shift rocks around it clouded up right quick) but I'm going to have to work on being able to take photos without the flash--there's a little tripod that I used today but it was not very easy to get a good shot.

The salmon is still in the tank, didn't feel like pulling it out--though I did touch it, felt about the consistency of lochs, which is to be expected--and it is time for me to leave for class. Have a good day everyone; hopefully the first pictures will be up tonight (of my awful rockscape ) and you'll get to see the feather duster!! I've named the tiny worm/white and red thing Tanto but I doubt I'll be able to get him in pictures.

--Meghan

P.S. I am avoiding work (still) and did a search for "feather duster worms" and I found this page. Oh good lord I wantses all of them! They are overpriced a little (maybe a lot? But I just like them and they have a much larger selection than most places...)

Must...fight...urges. Good lord I am going to spend so much money on this tank if I am not careful.

This post has been edited by drowsyfirefly: Sep 25 2006, 10:23 AM

[drowsyfirefly]

Tested for ammonia!! .2 mg/L (it's either ml or mg, have to check).

Should I switch out about a gallon or so with fresh saltwater for a soft cycle? Any opinions on the soft cycle?

Didn't test for nitrites...hmm...think I should?

The piece of salmon looked like a quarter of an inch had dissolved on it--was getting kind of oddly clear--and then there was some shifting (or I have a hitchhiker) and it somehow moved six inches. And got uniformly smaller around the egdes--clear stuff gone.

Since the tank is viewable from the dinner table and the kitchen, everyone has kind of just been watching it. Including two very curious siamese cats who are going to bear the brunt of my wrath if they mess up my tank...

They're not really interested in it though.

And all the cloudy cleared up!

This post has been edited by drowsyfirefly: Sep 25 2006, 10:02 PM

[tinyreef]

remove the salmon, now you have ammonia it's unnecessary (and detrimental imo) to keep the salmon in there. the LR should be able to process out the ammonia/nitrites if it was very fresh.

if the ammonia keeps rising tomorrow, i'd do a little waterchange. also, watch the hitchhikers for reaction. if they're acting normal, no probs. if they're looking like death warmed-over, i'd do the waterchange. hth

[adinsxq]

take out the salmon.

[drowsyfirefly]

remove the salmon, now you have ammonia it's unnecessary (and detrimental imo) to keep the salmon in there. the LR should be able to process out the ammonia/nitrites if it was very fresh.

if the ammonia keeps rising tomorrow, i'd do a little waterchange. also, watch the hitchhikers for reaction. if they're acting normal, no probs. if they're looking like death warmed-over, i'd do the waterchange. hth

take out the salmon.

Done and done amigos. Well mostly done. See, being the genius that I am (emphasis on that word here) I thought: shoot I'll just gently craddle it out and into the sink where it will take a magical ride through the Chicago sewage system.

Haha! Not so my friends! Because that thing, as soon as tried to pinch it to get it up was all: DISINTEGRATE! SALMON BITS FLOAT ABOUT YOUR TANK! *sighs* Got out the net and did a few sweeps to try and get stuff...

I'm an idiot.

I also did do a water change (and that required the set up of Meghan's Kitchen Salt Water Hour which is more like two in between waiting for it to get to a temp where I trust the hydrometer and getting the right salinity to add it), but I'll hold off on another one for several days (or just switch out a little at a time) and keep an eye on my friend the feather duster (and his buddy Tanto) as well as parameters.

And now--for the good stuff. I got off my lazy rear end and uploaded the photos! W007!

FTS:


There are many more, including one of my friend and Tanto (well, I can't see him, but I know he's there), but for now it seems that I have exceeded my maximum post size fiddly doo. So you only get the FTS and none of the "This is the water being cloudy" pictures. It isn't the final rock scape by any means, but I guess it's not bad for now.

--Meghan

EDIT: That photo is freaking HUGE! No wonder I was only allowed one...I'll go change the settings on my camera before any more shots are taken to be posted.

This post has been edited by drowsyfirefly: Sep 25 2006, 11:47 PM

[drowsyfirefly]

I won't be as wordy as usual (Ha! I'm a writing major in college, in case you couldn't guess) and will just post current params:

pH: 8.2
Ammonia: .2 mg/L
Nitrite: 0 mg/L
Nitrate: 0 mg/L
Temp: 80.9º
S.G.: 1.023 (USING MY NEW REFRACTOMETER!)

My buddy the feather duster is looking all right. He is usually part way extended and sometimes all the way (can see where the crown is divided into two parts and his very Georgia O'Keefe mouth/gills).

I have a drawing project to do as well as a bunch of reading/writing for my classes tomorrow. Basically I am doomed. Ooooooh well.

I will see you all tomorrow.

And as a gift, I give you a rather large photo of my buddy. Tanto not visible in here.



--Meghan

EDIT: YOU CAN SEE TANTO! He is the little white line shaped like an upside down "U" around the top middle part of the rock. Sorry the photo is so crappy, my dad's digital camera is starting to irritate me.

This post has been edited by drowsyfirefly: Sep 26 2006, 10:07 PM

[drowsyfirefly]

Even though I am just talking to myself these days (nothing that unusual) I have news with parameters.

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0

Which leads me to think that somehow the ammonia reading is wrong. There is a tiny dust weevil of algae in the tank that was on a LR but it is not enough to get rid of nitrates.

Buddy the feather duster looks pretty good--seen his little gill parts in between the crown, which is fully extended. Of course this could be a bad thing, but it seemed to me that for most changes he pulled into his tube.

Good thing? Bad thing? No idea!!

In the meantime, I finished my drawing project and am onto studying for my marine biology class quiz tomorrow on ocean forces. W007!

--Meghan

[tinyreef]

just curious, what kind of LR is that? (i'm guessing marshall but i'm not sure)

i'm just musing out loud, my brain tends to do that and type incoherent thoughts late at night.

the process/setup looks good so far!

[drowsyfirefly]

just curious, what kind of LR is that? (i'm guessing marshall but i'm not sure)

i'm just musing out loud, my brain tends to do that and type incoherent thoughts late at night.

the process/setup looks good so far!

I think it's Bali. Or Fiji. It's one of the two.

Thanks for the comment--so far it's basically me talking. Oh well. I'd like it to start cycling already--geeeez. But today I noticed I've got very fine green strands (thinner than hair) coming off of my lr. Also starting to see brown stuff on the sand.

So we'll see what's going on in the tank.

Buddy is looking pretty happy with the scheme of things and I've noticed a few more worm type things on the rock. Will have to look up pictures of flatworms and hope that I do not have them. Sigh.

But now, it is le dinner.
--Meghan

P.S.: Have looked up pictures of flatworms and these don't look anything like I've got. The things on my rock really just look like worms. Any idea?

[tinyreef]

P.S.: Have looked up pictures of flatworms and these don't look anything like I've got. The things on my rock really just look like worms. Any idea?

any pics?

[drowsyfirefly]

any pics?

Will get some this weekend. I have to get a better tripod or start using my SLR film camera to take pictures.

They are worm-like, cling to the rock, and are white for the most part. They also go in holes in some parts of the rock, but I never see them move.

I'll take pictures tomorrow and post them, along with hopefully a picture of Tanto and Buddy. And the stuff that is on the tank.

--Meghan

[drowsyfirefly]

Took pictures. Realized that since we have lost cord for camera, the pictures that I took without the card in cannot be transferred to computer.

So, to give you a hint of what is going on with buddy, I have included a handy dandy image that I did not take but will give you a clear idea of what is happening.



See that first diagram? Where you can see his little rib like structures that stick out from his body? I am seeing those. I assumed that that meant that Buddy was a very unhappy feather duster.

So I busted out the test kit (using the one put out under the Instant Ocean label that has pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate and alkalinity) and STILL ALL ZEROES! Raawawrrrwrwrwrwrg. I'm not saying that the kit can't be wrong--I am suspicious of it--but still, this is flustering.

On the plus side, there are all kinds of new worms I am discovering (new fan worms as well, I think--though none are Buddy-sized). There is a field of short, hairy green algae that Heidi would be proud of, as well as brown stuff starting to coat the tops of the rocks and sand. I can't remember the name of it, but I know it is a good thing.

The words "Patience, young grasshopper," come to mind. But I cannot help it! I am worried for Buddy! So this weekend I am ordering some live phyto to add--I figure if it's live it's less likely to increase the bioload and there are all sorts of things that may start popping up if I put it in. I hope. Maybe Tanto will grow big and strong.

But it seems in general that Buddy is glad to be king of his realm. He waves his tentacles at you in greeting, loyal subjects.

On an unrelated note, I added this "betta fish plant" that had finally sprouted from its seed to my tank 5.5g a few days ago. This thing is now breaching like six inches long and it's sending out new fronds all the time. I have no idea what it is but it is doing very well under an almost no-light situation (the tank is lit primarily but a window a few feet away during the daytime and a room light at night). I may ask Mr. Fosi about it because I know he has freshwater plants.

Now--to the computer lab at school to work on my web-design final project. Five week classes are weird.

Lemme know what you guys think about Buddy's situation, I'm a little worried about the poor dude.

--Meghan

[drowsyfirefly]

Okay. Ummmm.

Have fed Buddy the Feather Duster Worm DT's live phytoplankton, which was actually at my LFS--who knew?

He was still coming out of his tube though...so who knows? I tried to make his tube more perpendicular to water flow, which I read was normally how they put it all together.

However, I have some pictures of him out of his tube pre-feeding (he's still out but not as much) so you guys can see what I'm talking about.

It's another big picture:



--Meghan

This post has been edited by drowsyfirefly: Sep 29 2006, 10:18 PM