PuterBlenny Posted December 8, 2015 Share Posted December 8, 2015 Hi, I recently got a 29 g biocube as I am getting back into the hobby after 7 years away. I had a 90g DT with a 40g sump. I learned a lot back then and have to brush up! I am considering a Tunze 9001 skimmer, a Jebao RW-4 wavemaker, and thought of running a Phosban 150 reactor off the back if it fits. I will eventually upgrade the CFs to LED when my budget allows. I like the thought of a refugium of some sort with cheato in the back. Any advice would be great, still planning and relearning! Pics of your biocube compartment set ups and filtration explanations would be appreciated! .. and to clarify, I am going to use 25lbs of rock and 1 inch sand substrate. I was thinking of stocking a pair of nice percs and maybe a blenny in the cirripectes variety. Eventually adding some LPS and softies. Link to comment
BRN Posted December 8, 2015 Share Posted December 8, 2015 Sounds like a nice plan, i wouldnt run a reactor though, i dont think youll need it if you run good media - like purigen, and chemi blue. Will follow along. good luck and happy reefing Link to comment
PieMan2k Posted December 8, 2015 Share Posted December 8, 2015 Check out Stella's old biocube. She took it down because she upgraded and I'm getting it for Christmas. While it was running i think she did a very good job of keeping up with everything and showing what was going on in the tank. This might be a good example. http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/357514-stellablues-da-vinci-cube/?p=4955179 Link to comment
Reefington Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 The Intank media baskets are a nice upgrade so you can easily run purigen and whatever else you want in there and some macroalgae. My chaeto always bleached though and I'm not sure why my parameters were and are perfect. ATO highly reccommended I got so tired of topping the water off every day and worrying about salinity. Without the hood that water goes FAST. Oh and I've had my run with RW in my biocube. I prefer two mp10's Link to comment
PuterBlenny Posted December 20, 2015 Author Share Posted December 20, 2015 I am wondering if the Oceanic media rack would work in the Coralife Biocube. When I read the dimensions of the racks I see the Oceanic version is roughly an inch shorter but the other measurements are the same. The fuge racks seem to be interchangeable for both Oceanic and Biocube. Anyone know for sure? The reason I ask is I can purchase a used one for a good deal! Link to comment
PuterBlenny Posted December 22, 2015 Author Share Posted December 22, 2015 I purchased the used InTank media and fuge racks as well as a I JBJ fuge light. Thanks Nick! Also I installed a GFCI outlet for the tank and bought a power bar with built in timers. The timer outlets don't seem to be able to be programmed seperately though so I will be likely returning that... Link to comment
PuterBlenny Posted December 23, 2015 Author Share Posted December 23, 2015 ... I want to fill my tank.. Don't have rock yet though. Just sand. Have to wait till Christmas though before I know what I still need to buy. Link to comment
PuterBlenny Posted December 26, 2015 Author Share Posted December 26, 2015 My beautiful wife got me a titanium finnex 100w heater, an electrical ground probe, and a Jebao RW-4 wave maker for Christmas. I took advantage of Boxing Day sales (Canada's Black Friday) and purchased 20 lbs of Marco Rock, Purigen, Chemi-Pure Blue, two Seachem Bags and a little fishies nano mag glass cleaner. The tank is now filled and running. I have the lights off for now but am running the heater and pumps while waiting for the cycle. Waiting for the InTank racks and JBL LED refugium light. Also ordered an API kit to get started on the basics. Link to comment
PuterBlenny Posted December 26, 2015 Author Share Posted December 26, 2015 A pic...Nothing exciting. I have three rocks in there until my dry rock arrives. Link to comment
PuterBlenny Posted December 27, 2015 Author Share Posted December 27, 2015 Already looking clearer... Link to comment
PuterBlenny Posted December 28, 2015 Author Share Posted December 28, 2015 Picked up some LR today to help seed the tank. Hopefully some nice bugs came with it. Already saw a tentacle that may be a mini brittle star. Some tube worms as well. Will see if anything else opens up or peeks out once it settles. I just piled it in until my dry rock arrives. And mini brittle hopefully... Link to comment
PuterBlenny Posted December 28, 2015 Author Share Posted December 28, 2015 Found another hitchhiker this morning... Link to comment
PuterBlenny Posted December 29, 2015 Author Share Posted December 29, 2015 My InTank racks arrived today as well as my fuge light. Now I need some cheato! Link to comment
PuterBlenny Posted January 1, 2016 Author Share Posted January 1, 2016 I have been reading a lot about various corals to be able to properly stock my tank. I am trying to avoid corals that grow too fast, are aggressive, or grow too large. I am also looking for moderately easy to care for corals. So far, I know I will want some colourful Ricordea. I am on the fence about zoas because of how much I believe they spread (have never owned them myself). Input is welcome on this subject. Other corals I like and I BELIEVE would be good additions for the long term are a neon pineapple tree coral (Capnella sp.), sun coral(tubastrea sp.), chilli coral, Duncans and maybe a hammer coral (euphyllia). Any advice, for or against is welcome. I am usually pretty good at keeping things alive so if any of the above require extra care I am capable as long as I am aware. Thanks in advance. Link to comment
Newstead Posted January 1, 2016 Share Posted January 1, 2016 Sounds good, but be aware that sun corals need to be target fed pretty much every day. Not broadcast - you must feed each head. I love mine, but with 40+ heads now, I run Tunze 9001 skimmer, media rack with carbon, phosgard and purigen, change a filter pad daily, do 10-20% water changes every 5 to 7 days, and my nitrates still run around 25 in my biocube 29. Just a heads up (but all my softies and LPS seem to do fine and are growing/multiplying). I can imagine, though, that SPS with a sun coral would be a bad idea. Link to comment
PuterBlenny Posted January 1, 2016 Author Share Posted January 1, 2016 Sounds good, but be aware that sun corals need to be target fed pretty much every day. Not broadcast - you must feed each head. I love mine, but with 40+ heads now, I run Tunze 9001 skimmer, media rack with carbon, phosgard and purigen, change a filter pad daily, do 10-20% water changes every 5 to 7 days, and my nitrates still run around 25 in my biocube 29. Just a heads up (but all my softies and LPS seem to do fine and are growing/multiplying). I can imagine, though, that SPS with a sun coral would be a bad idea. I think I will just stick with softies and lps in this tank due to size and ease of care. How long did it take to get 40 or more heads on your sun coral? Link to comment
PuterBlenny Posted January 1, 2016 Author Share Posted January 1, 2016 I'd like to add some chalice corals to my list. Saw some beauties tonight. Link to comment
Newstead Posted January 1, 2016 Share Posted January 1, 2016 I think I will just stick with softies and lps in this tank due to size and ease of care. How long did it take to get 40 or more heads on your sun coral? In August when I got it it was about 20 heads but had been starved for a while. Seems like it took about a week or two to begin opening for food, then another 4 weeks or so to start developing baby heads between the others. Link to comment
PuterBlenny Posted January 2, 2016 Author Share Posted January 2, 2016 A few short videos of the life on my LR from Andrew.. More and more bugs and pods scuttling about. Saw a pod on the glass at the sand bed line too. I have been feeding the tank a pinch of Cobalt flakes each night to feed the bugs, etc and to feed the nitrifying bacteria. So far I have not seen any ammonia or nitrite, maybe due to the LR. Nitrate also is 0 for now. Will test again in a day or two. https://youtu.be/2slXg1-FIW0 I have another video I was going to post but it has been finalizing on YouTube for nearly two hours.. I'll post it when it's done. If anyone can Id those bugs that would be great! Link to comment
PuterBlenny Posted January 2, 2016 Author Share Posted January 2, 2016 Next LR video.. YouTube wouldn't take it.. Kept getting an error once it finished so uploaded to photo bucket.. There is a pod, snail, mini star.. And I think a mini brittle star sticks it's arm out.. Link to comment
Reefington Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 I am wondering if the Oceanic media rack would work in the Coralife Biocube. When I read the dimensions of the racks I see the Oceanic version is roughly an inch shorter but the other measurements are the same. The fuge racks seem to be interchangeable for both Oceanic and Biocube. Anyone know for sure? The reason I ask is I can purchase a used one for a good deal! . They do NOT work lol I ordered the oceanic ones on accident. I couldn't even use them and had to wait until the right ones came in. I think the fuge might have fit somebow but im forsure the 3stage chamber did not Link to comment
PuterBlenny Posted January 5, 2016 Author Share Posted January 5, 2016 . They do NOT work lol I ordered the oceanic ones on accident. I couldn't even use them and had to wait until the right ones came in. I think the fuge might have fit somebow but im forsure the 3stage chamber did not The fuge is the same for both. The media rack is smaller for oceanic. The only mod I had to do was to cut a peice of the trim so the media rack fit tight against the divided between area 1 and 2. Link to comment
PuterBlenny Posted January 5, 2016 Author Share Posted January 5, 2016 Well today was like Christmas Vol. 2. My 20lbs of dry Marco Rocks came (18.8lbs according to my scale), as did my purigen, Seachem The Bag x2, Chemi Pure Blue and my little fishies nano glass cleaner. I got my aquascape all set up, it's still a little cloudy from disturbing the sand to put the rock on the glass bottom. Then, I checked to see when my aquatic life 115 skimmer was set to arrive and it said Delivered! So I drove to the mail box and there it was! Here are the aquascape pics. I need maybe one or two more really nice small to medium peices to round it out, on the right side. Link to comment
PuterBlenny Posted January 6, 2016 Author Share Posted January 6, 2016 Tested my parameters tonight. API kit to keep it simple for the beginning anyways. Nitrate test is darker than I recall it being 5 days ago (scientific eh?), ammonia 0, phosphate close to if not 0, I used the digital PH meter and it said 7.14. I hope I used it properly. But that is quite low is it not? My lights have been off most of the time during this past week and a half, would that lower Ph? I have more reading to do... *edit: used a test strip and PH showing 8.4.. I need to calibrate my meter it seems. Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.