I started an 8 gal Biocube, then decided to upgrade THAT to a 14 gal Biocube. In the course of that
, I decided that while I was setting up the Biocube, I would set-up my empty and lonely 29 as a reef as well. Well, I couldn't find a light for the 29, seems the better reef lights don't come in 30 inches, SOOOOOOOOOO, I decided to now upgrade the 29 to a 40 Problem is, now the 29 is lonely again and I don't have any more room to set it up again.I am a little low on liverock as it was curing in the 29, so I only have about 40 pounds at the moment with a good inch of sand and live sand mixed.
The light I have coming (to be delivered on the 8th) is a CF, 192 watts total. I also received, finally, the filter I wanted, an EcoSystem Pro 40 hang-on back refugium, which includes a protein skimmer..I just got it last night so it isn't set up yet.
Water parameters are just a ahir off. I had to use tap water for water changes and top-off during the curing process as my previous RO unit got lost in the move from Virginia to Maryland and I had never replaced it. My new unit has arrived so I will be making the water changes with RO/DI water from now on. Nitrates and Phosphates were readable, but low, and my calcium is also a hair low. Everything else is at optimum so hopefully a good 50% water change before Saturday will take care of the Nitrates and Phosphates. I have to investigate the reason for the calcium being low..it isn't too far off; pH is running 8.2 in both tanks.
CUC arrives on Saturday for both the 40 and the 14 BioCube. Both tanks have been curing for about 40 days and Ammonia and Nitrites have been consistently zero for about two weeks.