PGeek's 14G Biocube

[Proudgeek]

Well, salinity was high as per the swing arm so I just finished another water change with an ro mix to bring it down somewhat. I will take some water to the LFS tomorrow for a refractometer test just to validate. Maybe I should have done that before the water change but they would have closed by the time I would have arrived... Wish my stock luck

[Proudgeek]

So salinity is OK and the clavularia is not extended but the polyps are no longer swollen and the shape of the tips can now be seen across most of them. The acan and the others also don't look recovered but look from stable to a bit better...

[Proudgeek]

All corals are doing great! I am confident the scare is behind me at this point.

 

 

I got a tip for a guy who sells frags near my office and I stopped by after work. Not that I needed more corals but I ended picking up four new frags . Don't have ids as usual.

 

 

Since I still have all my frags on the sand bed, I had to make some room as I was pretty much out of real estate. Plus there was still something odd about my original scape as the main rock formation was in the center of the cube. I maintained the same spirit of the original scape but moved the rock just a bit towards the outer edges to maximize space -- closer to the back and the sides but leaving enough space for the magnet and scraper to function. It looks much better now!

[Proudgeek]

And I am loving reef dip as every time I dip a frag, something swims off the coral at lightning speeds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are a strong pink but have not opened up yet.

[14biocubeGuy]

Looks good! I have a BC14 and just found some nudi's on them. Had to take the frags off and dip them in coral RX and boom! problem solved. Just mounted them back on the rock scape and they are opened up and look awesome

[Proudgeek]

Looks good! I have a BC14 and just found some nudi's on them. Had to take the frags off and dip them in coral RX and boom! problem solved. Just mounted them back on the rock scape and they are opened up and look awesome

 

Yes. I quickly learned that dipping is a good thing. Glad you got your issue sorted out! "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". We have have to at least try, right?

[Proudgeek]

So today I bought the last coral for the year ( I've actually said that twice before already). I had been looking at reefgardener's web inventory for a little while as they are local to me and decided to get an acro frag with local pick up. It was a great decision. Highly recommend Morgan! Buy with confidence and I am certain I will be buying more coral from her in the near future.

 

 

My original intention was to get two. When I walked her through my setup, she quickly reminded me that clown gobies go to town on these. So I brought home just one instead. Let's see how it goes.

 

 

[14biocubeGuy]

Are you looking at acro's or plating corals. I have a few monties but they encrust. I really wanna get at least one plating coral. I think it would look pretty kewl

[Proudgeek]

I wanted to get another acro (blue/purple) yesterday but I need to see how the clown goby will react to the green one before adding it.

 

 

 

I like plates as well but I am all out of sandbed space. Once the existing frags grow, i'll be able to move them to the rocks and figure out what's next. That will take a few months. Or I can always get a bigger tank

[Proudgeek]

So the livestock had their first full service happy hour. Pellets, mysis, and brine for all residents including the snails.

 

[Proudgeek]

So far, I've been using the camera on my nexus tablet to capture the life in the tank. Today, I fired up the DSLR and took a few shots. It will take some time to figure out macro photography -- or photography as a whole lol. I hope you like them.

Kermit on the treadmill



Popeye on the porch at home



Zoa garden





Frogspawn



Acan during coffee



Older photos

Lobo



Ms. Piggy and Kermit days after moving in



Da rock… from Marco Rocks



FTS of the first aquascape

[Proudgeek]

Ok. I am on the edge of obsession

 

 

 

[HIppieRose]

very nice. Keep posting. Please.

[Proudgeek]

My typical feeding routine is to feed the clowns NLS pellets and then feed the goby frozen brine with a syringe and a tube. As he likes to stay in the rocks to eat, every day I pull the tube closer and closer to the top so that he has to come out. Well, today he came out to the top rock and went for pellets! He just ate a pellet but did not go for seconds. Still progress...

 

Next step for the tank is to get some mushrooms from reefgardener and start gluing corals to rock. I hope I don't kill anything

 

 

very nice. Keep posting. Please.

 

 

 

Thanks

[Proudgeek]

Well, nature is incredible. I caught the clown goby red handed on the acro last night. Crappy photo but now I have evidence on file. I hope the acro makes it and grows well in order to provide the goby a better habitat.

 

 

I am also going out of town for a few days and I have some anxiety over leaving the tank. My GF and her daughter will be able to feed pellets every other day. Will try to teach them how to do the frozen tonight. Wish the tank luck.

 

 

[HIppieRose]

Since it is only a few days I would not feed them anything. That way you wont have to worry about over feeding and bad water.

[Proudgeek]

I know it's the right thing to do but I feel horrible 3-4 days.

[Proudgeek]

I'm still in Orlando and I stopped by world wide corals to check it out and consider their black Friday sale. Remember I already said that I was done buying frags for the year...

 

They had all frags at 30% off so I picked up two zoa frags from their $10 rack, a one head rainbow acan, an orange ricordia, and a pink center w green favia. Will be picking them up tomorrow before I drive back home. Will post photos once I have them set up.

 

 

BTW, I saw a fluval m90 in person and it is a beautiful tank. I also saw an IM fusion 30g and it looks nice as well. Too bad they are too wide for me. With all this coral, I will need a bigger tank soon.

[HIppieRose]

I think you might be addicted. lol

[Proudgeek]

 

I think you might be addicted. lol

The people close to me look at me as if they were telling me the same thing but I think they don't have the courage to do so. Thanks for helping them out lol

[Proudgeek]

Ok. Here are some new photos....

 

New acan

 

 

New ricordia

 

 

Other frags

 

 

I guess Popeye did not like the fact that I left for a few days and kept posing during the whole shoot. What a character...

 

 

 

 

This is my lovely acan after dinner. Stunning..

 

[14biocubeGuy]

Love the new Acan! super nice extension. I just picked up the nano mag for my bc14. So awesome

[Proudgeek]

Everyone is thriving! Very happy overall except Popeye is munching on the acro. Nature is taking its course. Will take some photos over the weekend.

 

Oh, and I did a second water change using instant ocean instead of LFS water and the tank is much clearer. That and the seachem fusion are making a difference.

[Proudgeek]

Happy new year!

 

 

So it has been a while and many things have transpired with my tank. It is a long story with many chapters but today wraps it up. I will post the details some other time...

 

 

After having temperature fluctuation issues that killed a few frags during early december and my clown goby bullying my female clown right after Christmas ( unbelievable), I just got back from trading in the clown goby. I came home with a peppermint shrimp and a super cool green banded goby. These guys are being acclimated as we speak. Two eagle eye type zoa frags made it home as well.

[Proudgeek]

So the shrimp molted and the goby ate a pellet almost half its size ( ok I exaggerated). Corals looking great except the favia frag that refuses to recover...