My Biocube 14!

[alpha]

Thanks, hopefully next time I can post something a bit more interesting

 

 

Considering your patience, I'm sure you're gonna have an awesome tank!

[Gvtv44]

Thanks. A lot has to do with not having the money though lol.

[Gvtv44]

Initial Tank Parameters:

SG: 1.025

Temp: 82.4-83.2

Calcium: 400 ppm

pH:8.3 (I think- test kit is hard to read)

Phosphate: 0 ppm

Ammonia: .1 ppm (I don't know why this is??)

Nitrite: 0

Nitrate: 0

Alkalinity: 240

Looks good?

[rev138]

Temps are above average.

[Gvtv44]

Yea, it's from the Modded Hood... It'll be ok though, right?

[rev138]

Yea, it's from the Modded Hood... It'll be ok though, right?

 

I would guess so. Natural reefs temps are like bathwater, at least in the summer months. I'd just keep an eye on it as the weather gets warmer. Do you have AC?

[Gvtv44]

Yes, my room is a steady 72 degrees. (It would be like 68, but I have a 4 ft Bearded Dragon Cage w/ heat lamps)

[Gvtv44]

I GOT MY LIVE ROCK! HURRAY!! Finally!!!

I purchased 3.5 lbs of Fiji cured rock and 11 lbs of fiji uncured rock. I got 14.5 lbs for only $25 from my local lfs. I went with my LFS vs. an online store so I could pick what I wanted. I will post pics later, because right now you can't see an inch into the tank!

[Gvtv44]

Withour further ado (sp?? lol) my live rock!

The box:

I packed it myself:

THe cured:

macro:

 

 

All of it:

Macro

Lowering the water:

Cloudy tank!

Clearing:

Almost clear:

w/ flash:

Overall I'm pretty happy with it, especially at $2 per lb!

Now begins the cyling...

What do you think? Post a comment!!!

[Gvtv44]

BUMP

[RaSooch]

Looks like you got some nice pieces of rock there. How many LBS did you get? How are your water parims after a few days of your rock being in there? Are you seeing much a of cycle yet?

 

It's looking good so far but you should get some updates without it being so cloudy and with the lights on so we can see your scape better.

[DeMartini]

$2 a pound!!! you won the live rock lottery! Your tank looks great.... I love the aquascape!

[Gvtv44]

Rasooch: Thanks! I got 14.5 lbs, and plan on getting 5 more on thurs. I'm yet to test my water parameters, but plan on doing so later this week/ on the weekend. I will try to get better pics up soon, I've been using a turkey baster to get the sand off, so it is cloudy every night, lol, but I will post pics soon!

DeMartini: Yes, I guess I did! lol Thanks! Can't beat your tank though! Not yet anyway!

[archimed]

Rasooch: Thanks! I got 14.5 lbs, and plan on getting 5 more on thurs. I'm yet to test my water parameters, but plan on doing so later this week/ on the weekend.

 

I didn't see a welcome forum, so I might as well start off posting in a thread

LOL. Apparently I've been registered here for years and haven't posted anything since '03 - the last time I was in the hobby. Woops

 

I recently decided to give reef tanks another shot after a major let down with my last tank (55g), which I shut down after 2 years of constant struggle. I saw BC14 at a LFS this weekend, and fell in love all over again! I've spent a few days reading people's experiences with the different all-in-one nanotank vendors, and I'm most impressed with Oceanic so far. I'll be picking up my BC14 later on this week, hopefully.

 

I like the LR in the shots - it reminds me of the Tonga rock I ordered a few years ago. Nice algal growth, especially considering the price!

 

It's hard to make out in the photo, but the display looks a bit clumped together. In my experience, I got the best growth with a fair amount of spacing that allowed for maximum light penetration and surface area to ensure good flow - at least particulate from the curing process won't get lodged in the rocks and rot too much. Just a thought!

[Gvtv44]

Can't wait to see yours set up!

I plan on employing a very industrious cuc. I wanted the max surface area I could get, as well as different lighting levels, to aid in coral acclimation. Thanks

[Gvtv44]

I had time to test parameters:

pH: ? My test kit sukks, I think 8.3 though!

Temp: 82.4-83.5 (No sweeping motion on the powersweep, thus slightly higher temp- they sent me a new one though

Calcium: 460- This is high enough, right??

What you've been waiting for, lol :

Ammonia: .2

Nitrite: .5

Nitrate: 20 ppm

Kinda weird, isn't it? lol

Oh, and boy do I have a lot of microfauna of all kinds- white worms, pods, and other weird "bug" things.

Oh, and my sand is already turning yellow along the glass- a good thing??

[Gvtv44]

Ok, I finally got the last of my live rock! (No more room!) I got it at $2 per lb again, and IMO this rock has more life than the last batch. I got 1.5 lbs of the cured rock (pretty stuff) and 1 lb of the uncured (was selective in shape, not so much look, as I needed a filler piece).

The rock:

Before:

After:

 

 

A chunk of gold- the best piece of LR I've seen yet:

I've got Macro algae- what kind?

The New Look!

 

How's it look???

 

I will post SUPER CRISP pics as soon as it clears up!

[Needreefunds]

Its about time, been waiting all night for these pics !!..Looks good man. Keep it up.

[Gvtv44]

That's a total of 17lbs, or ~1.25 lbs per gallon!

 

Thanks- which do you like better? Before, or after?

[Gvtv44]

Update- no pics this time- sorry guys/ gals

Anyway: I got an American Marine Wireless Thermometer- I love it, it's so cool!!! And it solved my temp issues- turns out the tank is only 81.5, and it reaches a max of 82 (good, right? ) I found a feather duster And I have all sorts of algae growing- pink, read, lime green, brown, purple, red- pretty much everything on this one rock

Tank Parameters update:

Ammonia: 0 (may be .01, lol)

Nitrite: 0

Nitrate: 5-8

pH: 8.2-8.4

Temp: 81.5 (better?)

So am I cycled??? It has only been set up for 2 or 3 weeks... I do have brown stuff all over... that's a good sign, right? lol

How long should I wait before adding a CUC? 1-2 wks?

Oh, and how does the aquascape look? (better now, or before?)

Thanks!

[Gvtv44]

Wow, this slipped to page 5 of the all in one forums! I must not be entertaining enough- do I have to dance?

Anyway...

NEW FTS!!!!

Kinda scary, ain't it?

Water Params-

Temp: Day: Peaks @ 81.5 Night: Goes down to 80.5 - Is this ok???

Ammonia- 0

Nitrite-0

Nitrate- 0

pH- 8.2

That was before my 1st Water Change I made today!! I changed out ~2 gallons, to prepare for my CUC that I will hopefully get next weekend.

So.. what is this?

 

 

In other news... a random pic of my Discus I though was share worthy!

[Gerber77]

Hair algae, you need to pull it off because it will spread like crazy. Nice discus.

[rev138]

You might want to keep the lights off, or only on minimally, until you get your CUC, to help keep that algae in check.

 

Any plans to grow chaeto or something similar? That should also compete with algae for nutrients.

 

My girlfriend is jealous. She wants a discus tank really badly

[Gvtv44]

Gerber: Thanks, I will. Thanks for the compliment!

Rev: I think I'll try to go for the soap dish chaeto method. Think that will solve the problem?

The thing about discus is that they need to be kept ALONE with no other types of fish, and need regular w/c's. It took me 2 years to perfect my method, and I have lost a bunch, but now they are doing great- just buy the biggest tank and filter you can get, cycle with other fish for 3 months, move them out, and buy them as a group, at a decent size. Good Luck- they are majestic fish, but can be real PITA's If you need advice, just pm me.

Here's more of a tease:

Rev's GF- keep at it! He'll have to break down eventually and buy them

[Gvtv44]

Guess no one likes Discus...