Desert Dream BioCube 29

[davidcwoods]

I decided to start a thread documenting my progress with my Bio Cube 29-gallon reef tank. I failed to document the initial set up and am a couple months behind but wanted to start keeping track of my experience in this hobby.

 

I’m new to reef keeping but have always been a lover of the ocean and grew up in San Diego. Five years ago I moved to Arizona and living in the desert made me long for cooler weather and being back in the water. Finally, I decided to start with a beginner tank (from what I’m told) and see if I enjoyed the hobby and could keep up with its rigorous demands of my time and finances.

 

Two months into it and I can say I’m definitely addicted to reef keeping and find myself constantly reading books, going from forum to forum to expand my knowledge and stopping at every LFS I pass. So starting from the two-month mark of my cube this is the current break down of what I have:

 

Tank: Biocube 29G with black stand

 

Lighting: Nanobox retro fit (modified to fit inside the stock Biocube hood)

 

Filtration:

MP10 Wireless Quiet Drive

Hydor Slim Skim Nano

InTank Media Rack: Filter Floss, Seachem Purigen, Chemi-pure Elite

Santa Monica Drop .6 Algae Scrubber

Cobalt MJ1200 return pump

 

Aquascape:

40-45 lbs. of Caribsea Reef Rock

20 lbs. Caribsea live reef sand

 

Stock List:

Fish:

Maroon Ocellaris Clown x2

Flame Hawkfish

Orange Spotted Goby

Sunburst Fathead Anthias

Inverts:

Banded Coral Shrimp

Ritteri Anemone

Corals:

Blue/Green Favia

Devils Hand Leather

Australian Toxic Branching Hammer

Green and Purple Bi-colored Branching Hammer

Green with Purple Tips Branching Hammer

Pink and White Torch

Green Torch

Green and Purple Wall frogspawn

Blue and Teal Mushrooms

Unknown Green Zoas

Unknown Green Palys

GSP

Orange Montipora

 

Current Tank Pictures:

 

Front:

 

Left Side:

 

Right Side:

[davidcwoods]

So I'm currently running a 9-7 light period. 90-minute ramp up to 60% blues and a 3-hour ramp up to 20% whites. I’m thinking about decreasing my light period by an hour a day because I’m beginning to see some hair algae popping up in the rockwork.

 

Should I decrease the lighting period or possibly decrease the strength of my lighting?

 

Also I put a tester piece of green bird’s nest at the upper portion of my tank, approximately 5” below the surface. Over the last month, along with the hair algae bloom, I’m noticing my nitrates increasing from between 5-10 to now 15-25ppm. The acro started fading and now has died off except for a few polyps here and there?

 

Trying to determine if this is a nitrate issue or a lighting issue? My anemone has had no issues since I got it or shown irritation towards my lighting schedule.

 

Current Parameters:

Temperature: 79*

Salinity: 1.024

Ammonia: 0

Nitrites: 0

Nitrates: 15-25

PH: 8.0

DKH: 9.3

Cal: 445

Mag: 1140

 

Bluefish Diagram of Lighting Schedule:

[Astinus]

Ur Nitrates seem a tad high. From what folks have told me, Phosphates can be a trigger for Algae.

I Would try and cut ur Nitrates and test for Phosphates. Phosphates should be 0.

[davidcwoods]

Ur Nitrates seem a tad high. From what folks have told me, Phosphates can be a trigger for Algae.

I Would try and cut ur Nitrates and test for Phosphates. Phosphates should be 0.

Thanks for the input. I'm going to the LFS tomorrow and I'll pick up a kit to test that parameter. I'll post the results and hopefully get some headway on dropping those nitrates and resolving any PH issues.

[Astinus]

1 way to help drop Nitrates is to cut down some feeding. Get some nutrient export going. (Macro algae)

I Hope another, more experienced reefer drops in and gives ya better advice and understanding.

[davidcwoods]

Went to the LFS yesterday to pick up a phosphate test kit and ending up purchasing a small colony of Indo duncans and grabbed three heads of teal branching hammer Euphylia to add to my garden. Got home acclimated everything and put them in the tank and they're doing well.

 

As far as phosphates go the test kit read 0 so that's a good sign to me that my acro and monti are suffering from a nitrate issue. Did another 5 gallon water change and tested everything today.

Current Parameters:

Temperature: 79*

Salinity: 1.024

Ammonia: 0

Nitrites: 0

Nitrates: 12

Phosphate: 0

PH: 7.9

DKH: 11.2

Cal: 380

Mag: 1200

I haven't been dosing Cal or Mag but think I'm going to start here in the near future as my coral stock has been increasing. I pulled out the Santa Monica Drop .6 which has been online now for approximately two weeks. I'm not very impressed with the growth (next to none) but I don't have any slime in it. I still scrubbed it out with a toothbrush and am going to try running a 14 hour light period for the next week instead of the 12.

Santa Monica Drop.6

Acclimating Corals:

 

Indo Duncan Colony:

 

 

Teal Euphylia:

 

 

 

 

[davidcwoods]

Went back to the LFS and bought five turbo snails to help put a dent in the algae growth in the tank. I must say, within the last day they have pretty much cleaned the tank out. Everything is looking much better as well. Did one more water change to put a dent in the nitrates and am sitting right around 8 so I'm reasonably pleased with the progress!

 

Everything else in the tank is doing well. I cut back on feeding and also on the reef roids I've been using to help gain some control of my parameters.

 

[reefrookie082]

_{Neat little setup you got going on! I also am running a biocube 29, also my first tank.}

[Astinus]

That does look Sweet

[davidcwoods]

_{Neat little setup you got going on! I also am running a biocube 29, also my first tank.}

Thanks! I really like the biocube, definitely a great beginner tank IMO. I'm debating on upgrading in a month or so already but not sure if I should really mature this tank out or start with a JBJ 45 or the Red Sea Reefer 250? Decisions decisions! lol

 

That does look Sweet

Much appreciated! I need to work on getting some better shots and also stop buying Euphylia, I'm overly obsessed with them!

[Astinus]

Thanks! I really like the biocube, definitely a great beginner tank IMO. I'm debating on upgrading in a month or so already but not sure if I should really mature this tank out or start with a JBJ 45 or the Red Sea Reefer 250? Decisions decisions! lol

 

Much appreciated! I need to work on getting some better shots and also stop buying Euphylia, I'm overly obsessed with them!

lol! I Hear ya on the Euphyllia!

Regarding ur Tank Decisions... I'd hate to be in ur shoes.

I have heard good things about both.

I Believe with the RS Reefer 250, it comes with Sump and plumbing. I could be wrong. It is also harder on the wallet.

The JBJ 45 is less harder on wallet and is an AIO.

Both are nice.

[davidcwoods]

lol! I Hear ya on the Euphyllia!

Regarding ur Tank Decisions... I'd hate to be in ur shoes.

I have heard good things about both.

I Believe with the RS Reefer 250, it comes with Sump and plumbing. I could be wrong. It is also harder on the wallet.

The JBJ 45 is less harder on wallet and is an AIO.

Both are nice.

That's where I'm hung up. Make the plunge into a tank with a sump which means a lot more out of pocket cash but some definite benefits about having everything housed beneath the tank. The jbj would be a lot cheaper and I already have the majority of equipment I'd need for it.

[davidcwoods]

Well today was a bit of a sad morning for myself. I noticed my sunburst anthias over the last couple days was showing some fin shredding. He hangs out low in the tank and within the rocks which is common behavior from what I've read. I decided to investigate after the lights went out and found that when he gets in a spot for the night my CBS (Coral Banded Shrimp) attacks him. At one point the CBS actually grabbed a hold of him with both pinchers and shook him.

 

So as of today, no more banded shrimp. Took him back to the LFS and traded him in. The anthias already seems much happier and has been swimming through the rockwork much more than previously so hopefully he'll make a full recovery. 10$ shrimp vs. 60$ fish (and my favorite fish at that). The majority of people I've spoken to haven't had issues but maybe because this is only a 29gallon tank, the limited room made him a bit more territorial.

[Pjanssen]

Your tank looks great. Euphilia for the most part are great beginner corals, plus they look awesome. With what you have in your tank, and where your levels are, I don't believe you need to dose calcium. Weekly water changes should be plenty to replenish what is used. Your magnesium however could be a bit higher-might help with some algae issues.

[CrazyEyes]

De rim it. I like it though.

[davidcwoods]

De rim it. I like it though.

 

Thanks, I debated on doing that but I retro fitted the lights with nanobox so I'm committed to keeping the hood on for now.

 

Your tank looks great. Euphilia for the most part are great beginner corals, plus they look awesome. With what you have in your tank, and where your levels are, I don't believe you need to dose calcium. Weekly water changes should be plenty to replenish what is used. Your magnesium however could be a bit higher-might help with some algae issues.

 

Thank you! I talked to another reefer who's doing biweekly 5 gallon water changes to keep all his parameters in check so I may start doing that which would be easier for me than figuring out dosing. Fattening up my CUC definitely has helped the algae issues subside.

[urbaneks]

Great start to the nano! Look forward to meeting up with you in the near future. Always good to connect with local reefers.

[davidcwoods]

Great start to the nano! Look forward to meeting up with you in the near future. Always good to connect with local reefers.

 

Thank you and much appreciated! I'm sure I'll have a ton of questions for you!