Diggman's BC29 journal (currently out of commision)

[divecj5]

I think the way that you change it is to go to the first post on the first page of your thread. Click on the Edit and Full Edit on the lower right side. There you should be able to change it and then just save it.

 

I guarantee that changing the bulb will probably resolve some of the algae issues and I'm thinking the water changes will help with the rest...and not using tap

 

It's kind of a personal preference about the bulb....just depends on if you want really blue (XM 20K) or more of a mix (XM15 or Phoenix 14k). You will get more growth out of the lower K bulbs but the higher the K value, the more color and flourescence you will get.

 

I actually only have cleaned the glass on my Sunpod ONCE so I will have to check it today when I get home. Probably way past due on cleaning that off. I don't get too much salt spray up there but I'm sure it has a nice coat.

 

So are you going to try and SPS when you get the tank nice and clean?

[yardboy]

I'd recommend avoiding the XM 15K as they are some of the worst as far as PAR output is concerned.

[diggman08]

no dive i think ima stay away from sps.. i actually still have a red monti cap and it grew out nicely but just recently its starting to turn while so i gueess its dieing as well..

 

thanks yard.. what about the USHIO and RADIUM bulbs... the RADIUM is like $ 100 buckss... i just want something totally different.. so im sold on a 20k.. and hey if i dont like it,, its not permanent... i can always go back...

[diggman08]

well guys in the mitst of my recovery ive decided to take the plundge and also start a PICO TANK... my gf loves my BC so i decided to setup a pico for her and let her have fun with it and stock it.. ( under my strict supervision and guidance of course) neway ill be getting the jbj 3gal pico.. im thinkin black moon sand!!! think it will look sweet... im gonna try not to mod the tank and get carried away like i did with the BC.. just keep shrooms, zoas, maybe a goby.. nothing crazy... .. im more exited about this than my bc when i set it up..

[divecj5]

Awesome Digg....should be a cool little tank. Are you going to start another thread in the Pico Forum? Damn, just another thread to follow

 

I'm sure it will be a fun project with you and your girlfriend. I've tossed around the idea myself of starting up a tank for my wife to try and get her more interested in the hobby. Just haven't done it yet though.

 

Did you decide on a bulb?

[diggman08]

yeah dive , i guess ill have to start another one ... dang it.... took a year to get this far.. now starting from scratch..... i went to the lfs today on my lunnch break and ended up gettin the TOM 2 gall.. couldnt wait... plus the tom 2g has twice the light ouput has the jbj 3gall. and twice the gph on the Powerhead... i ended up gettin white super fine sand.. they were out of black...dam them.. ha my luck... neway when get it up and running tonight illl get pics.... a yes im not puttin anything from my BIOWASTE, i mean BIOCUBE in the PICO... everything is gonna be brand new from lfs..

[diggman08]

havent had a chance to snap pics yet , but i will do so today... my tank is a lot better than a month ago... i wish i had picture of it then to compare to now.. im mean itss stilll horrible now dont get my wrong.... neway.. i bough 2 of the REAL Mexican Turbos.. holy crab these dudes like riding lawn mowers . i also got 3 redleg, 3 blue leg herms, 1 Scarlet Hermit(gonna move to the pico prob) & 3 nass snails.. i did a 4 gal WC also... before that i blew all the gunk off the rocks with turkey baster.. it was the worst thing ive ever seen,, it was so bad... i mean every where i squirted load of detrius and gunk . i also have some cool lil star polyps frags i bought that will be going to the pico

 

pics this evening guys..

P.S. i thought about it long and hard and ive decided that i will NOT be dosing ANYTHING to my tank anymore period...

[divecj5]

Hey Digg. I told you that you should have taken a picture at it's worst I'm sure it's not as bad as you think. Love your description of the REAL mexican turbo snails.....like little John Deere tractors. Just make sure that all of your frags, etc. are glued or secure as they are like bulldozers as well.

 

Glad to hear that things are on the up and up with the tank. Looking forward to seeing it progress back to its glory.

[diggman08]

what are yalls thoughts on me just draining all the water and sand and starting over from scratch... it will save me alot of headaches.. and i would do things alot differently... Even new LR.. i would uses Seeded water,sand, LR of course.. so i wont have to worry about much of a cycle and (new tank syndrome) just wanting to hear your thoughts on that idea.

 

i wonder if all the calcium covering everything would disepate..? i would uses a skimmer and take out the BioBalls,, i would use Black Moon Sand w/ 20k lighting, and a total different scape of the rocks.. and never Not Once use Tap water

 

it makes me sick that my tank is about to turn 1YEAR OLD.... all that time and money..

[divecj5]

Hey man....it is really up to you if you want to do that....just a lot of work but it would definitely change things for the better I would think.

 

I think that your approach is a good one, if you are going to change things, you might as well change EVERYTHING. I was thinking that even if you removed the rocks and water, your sand would still hold some of the funky dissolved solids that have probably saturated your sand. Might as well do it all

 

Just know that when you take your sand out, be ready to do it OUTSIDE. When I emptied my 55 gallon completely inside my apartment, it smelled like a salt marsh for about 2 days....won't ever do that again.

 

Just think of it as a learning experience and a change of pace. Believe me, I've thought about taking everything out and doing it all over again once or twice....just can't bring myself to do it though.

[TUDIZZLE]

If you got the time and money, and are just flat out not enjoying what you have...I would definetly press the grand reset buton.

 

Some of the best part of reefing is setting the whole thing up, watching the hitchhikers pop outta the LR and the whole newness of the experience. I think it is why people end up setting up multiple tanks.

 

Besides now you have more experience and will know what you want from the get go.

 

 

but we still want pics....just wanna see

[diggman08]

ya know i just woke up this morning and said.. i think i just wanna start over...PLUS the tap water here is soo bad since Hurricane Katrina and all... they say its not even drinkable... so i think the right decision here would be to start over, instead of beating a dead horse.. ok ok.. i will get pics up today i promise... thanks for yall inputs,, its leaning more toward hitting the (reset button)... but as you said.. im just not happy with it anymore i want something different... i think thats the main reason i set up the pico..hehe.. i hope my ole lady doesnt ready this...

 

i have some much coraline , i mean the koralia 1 is about 98% covered it in it.. it looks awesome...my back wall too.. im sure there are ways of keeping it all purply and still starting over...but well further discuss all that when i make my final decision.. Ill have to change my thread name again to the "diggmans BC29 REDUX" if i do it

 

what would i do with all my Live Rock.. its gotta be worth something.. i mean covered in coraline with critters and what not.. and over 1 year old... i hate to just Chunk It.

 

sorry if im talking out of my #@# right now guys.. its just a big decision to make here:scarry:

[TUDIZZLE]

If you wanted to keep some livestock and the LR you could easlily set up a five gallon bucket with a powerhead, heater and cheap light. The glass is just for us. That way you could then gut the tank and get it all sanatized (definetly and outside job). Set it up with new sand and maybe 50% new large LR and use the old LR to break up to build shelf and what not, and to seed the tank. That way it wouldn't be a total loss?

[diggman08]

thanks tudd. i also have my pico my 3 lil rics in.... that about the only coral i have left...lol..yes i know its sad........ i think instead of a skimmer. i may make a custom fuge in chamber 2.. might as well while its cleaned out and gutted...i want to do it right ya know.. still iffy on black sand or fine carrbean seeded sand like a put in my pico.. the stuff is awesome.. and only 1per lb.. i just think the black would look sweeet...... thats the leaast i need to worry about right now though..

[bberning]

I love this thread! Keep it up!

 

Quick question. I am thinking about upgrading to a 20inch 150 W HQI Sunpod. I just wanted to make sure you still think it is a good choice for your BC29. Is there any other lighting mods you have done?

 

Thanks so much!

[diggman08]

the 150MH sunpod was by far the best mod ive done to my tank.. and im sure the other BC crewmembers will 100% agree

nope no other lighting mods.. its ready to go out the box... just put it on a dual timer strip to create a dusk/dawn effect...

dont question yourself GET THE SUNPOD!!

[diggman08]

ok i snappped a bunch of pics , too lazy tonight to upload them.. i will do so tomorow....

 

this is bothering me so im gonna touch base on this right now..

on my lighting forum everyone is tryin to talk me in to Phoneix 14k... pheonix this and pheonix that... but im really wanting a 20k.. but they all say 20k sucks get a pheonix14 .. blahhhhh.... i wish i could see the different bulb setups on a tank.. that woulld prob make my desicion fairly easy... anyway..

 

on a more important note.. Where am i gonna put my CUC and CLOWN FISHESSSS... during the Transformation..

[divecj5]

Hey Digg. Sounds like you are pretty much decided on redoing it which I think it a great idea. I can only imagine all of the dissolved solids that have been soaked into your sand and rock from your tap water. I just tested my tap water yesterday since I wasn't sure how accurate my TDS meter was and it was 95. Not too high but high enough to screw things up if used enough.

 

As far as the lighting, honestly if you're not going to go with any SPS, I would just get a 20k bulb and be done with it. I was told that my XM 15k bulb was crap as far as PAR is concerned but I can tell you that my corals may say otherwise. Like I said before, from what I read it sounds like some of the more serious SPS reefers will run a 10k bulb for a month or two to get the growth they want and then switch over to a 20k bulb to bring out the colors in the corals. There have been several articles noting that using 20k or higher Kelvin bulbs will bring out more of the color pigment so in the zooxanthellae. It really is just up to your color preference.

 

I can't find the site I was really looking for that has pictures of the same tank under different bulb combinations. Here is a good one until I can find it: http://www.coralreefecosystems.com/ltg_bulb_color.htm

 

I'm not sure what you want to do with your CUC and inverts. I guess it just depends on if you plan on doing this all in one day or not. They will be able to survive, although stressed, in a 5 gallon bucket with a little air stone and heater for a good day or two I would think. Here is what I would do,

 

-Depends on how much seed water you are going to use but go ahead and make up about 75% of the water that you need for the tank. Get it up to temp, salinity, you know the drill

-Remove your rock and any corals. Put the corals that you have in the pico if they aren't there already. Move the rock to a 5 gallon bucket and either keep it to cook or take it to the store for credit.

-Maybe move your CUC over to the Pico as well just for the time being unless they are covered in nasty algae or something

-Catch the fish and put them in a 5 gallon bucket or container maybe with a piece of rock or two just to make them feel a little more secure

-Remove pumps, etc.

-Remove the water and then the sand ---> Outside

-Give it a good hosing down outside and wipe clean and dry

-Add sand and you know the rest.

 

I think the key is going to be having everything lined up and ready to go if you plan on doing it in one day. I wouldn't worry too much about the coralline on the back wall as it should come back pretty quickly.

 

These are just my thoughts on how I would do it....

[diggman08]

thanks dive.. your thinking just like me... i want to do it all in one day... im gonna have the new sand,rock and water ready to go.... i may keep 1 or 2 peices of old rock.. but i really just want all NEW.... you know what i mean....i have algae and gunk on just about every rock anyway... any way.. theres know way my whole CUC can fit it the pico.. .i have about 10 redlegs, 8blue, 1 Scarley, 10 margaritas, 4 nass, 4 cerith, 2turbo, 2 mexian turbo, Coral banded shrimp, sand sifting star, emarald crab...lol.. can you imagine that in a 2gal PICO.... illl prob just take some sand and put the CUC in a small wash tub or something since its all gonna be a 1 day processs... im really nervous about my fish.. i guess theyll be fine in a 5gal bucket.. anyway i started a sand forum on which is the best black sand... im thinking a may get the BlaCK tahatian Moon sand... .Yes 20k is my final answer...locked in..

and for the rock.. im thinkin 2 big show size rocks with lots of crazy shapes and holes... and then smaller ones to compliment it... (Maybe).. this time im gonna have the rock up against the back wall... last go round i had gap and lots of build up back there..( basically wasted spaces)

 

the REDUX will probably begin in the next week or so..

 

nice link by the way.... Man i wish i could somehow hook up supplemental Actinics along with a 14k bulb.. that would be

[divecj5]

Glad I could help. I think that sounds like a great idea overall.

 

I didn't realize that you had such a large CUC....that FOR SURE would not all fit in the 2 gallon Would be like a little snail and crab circus in there. I would just do like you said and put them all in a tub with some water and a piece or two of rock.

 

About the rock, honestly I would just ditch ALL of it and start fresh. Believe me, I had some Caulerpa and other algae on my rock in my 55 gallon and when I took it down, I just took it all and set it out in the sun to bake. It was kind of a waste of good live rock but I just didn't want to pass the problem onto someone else I just use it for the base for frags now since it is completely dry. I would just start fresh all together.

 

Honestly, don't worry too much about the fish. I was really stressed over my fish as well when I had to move my tank back last year. After I put them in the bucket with a large rock and plenty of water, they were pretty happy and looked no worse for wear when I put them back in the tank.

 

Sounds like you are on the right track man. I am really excited for you and the new start.

[diggman08]

yeah im just gonna ditch the rock... get some gooooooood LR.. the stuff i want is $8.99 lb. but it is awesome, alot of it has coral hitchikers on it and other goodies.... i cant wait...... im gonna have to buy all my FUGE modding stuff and have it ready also.... i think im gonna skip the LRR in the back. and just put CHaeto, and some filter floss in the CHamber 2 with a clamp on light... keep in simple.. but effective

[divecj5]

Awesome....gotta love good quality live rock.

 

I agree that Chaeto and some filter floss is the best route. The verdict is still out whether live rock rubble is really that effective to begin with.

 

Looking forward to all this bud....I'm sure you are too.

[divecj5]

Congrats on 1 Year!!!!!

[diggman08]

yeahhhhhh!!... what a goodtime to start over....now im gonna go buy a 5th of whiskey and sobb

[divecj5]

Hey man...the tank is still up and going at one year. You are just changing things out

 

Go and get that 1/5th and enjoy yourself