BC29 in the works...

[jiriki76]

I had a crocea under PC lights for a while. Previous owner had it for over a year. I DIY'd a 70W into the hood. The crocea is about 8 inches from the light I think. Seems to be doing pretty well.

 

I may have to jump on the RIO 6HF like you did from aquacave. I still have the stock pump.

[Elite Twit]

Right now I'd definitely say I have MORE than enough flow with my Koralia Nano and the Rio 6hf. Everything moves with the currents, even the ricordeas that are dead center in the front where nothing is directed to go. After I upgrade the lights and let the tank mature a bit after stocking fish in another month I'll have to see how I feel about the flow when i drop some sps in their spots.

 

Still waiting on Current to release the information on their 20" T5 setup. If it's not what I'm looking for 70w mh retro it is.

[c est ma]

I've been away for far too long.

 

You are practically a founding member!

 

Stocking

-Greenbanded Goby Threesome

(Elacatinus multifasciatum)

 

Oooh, I can't think of a better choice!

 

 

Clean Up Crew

-1 Stocky Cerith (One came in with the water/rock I got from a fellow Reefer. Been in since day one. Only the strong right? Die in a bucket or take his chances in the tank. After eight days he was out and about scavenging)

 

Nice story.

 

Ah I knew it began with a D.

 

And ended with an O, too!

 

 

Sweet rics and everything else!

 

--Diane

[Elite Twit]

You are practically a founding member!

 

If I wasn't a lurker after I found the site I would have been pretty close.

 

Oooh, I can't think of a better choice!

I've always loved them and the red headed gobies.

 

 

Nice story.

 

I hate putting something in on day one, but he's a trooper.

 

Sweet rics and everything else!

 

--Diane

 

Thanks. Once I get the pics sorted and up I'll be happy. I just haven't had any time. And after the June 8th bbq I'll have a lot more frags in the tank.

 

The tunze was in last night at like 2am after I finish everything. I tweaked it just a little bit to let is do it's thing. When I woke up at 8 it was perfectly adjusted and already pulling out a light tan skim mate. Almost time for the first fish additions!

[Elite Twit]

Didn't get a chance to post this up yet. This was 2 days after installing the Tunze 9002:

 

[Elite Twit]

2 Month FTS:

 

Rainbow Acan:

 

Zoas:

 

Stardust Micros:

 

Frogspawn:

[Elite Twit]

Ricordea:

 

Purple/Green Micros:

 

Shrooms with Xenia:

 

Right Side shot(you see this when you walk down my steps to my basement):

[jiriki76]

Love the purple rock!

[Mr.Pickles]

I have a 29 g BC and in my BC tank. I have a yashia goby with a pistol and i was think about getting a sand sifter, would it work?

[Elite Twit]

Sand sifting stars are never good in a small tank. All they really do is eat the fauna living in your sand bed that you want. Unless they are put in a larger, 100g +tank, they most always will slowly starve to death. Go to about mid way down this page:

 

http://www.chucksaddiction.com/cleanupcrew.html

 

There's a sand sifting star with a bed red X going through the pic. Pretty much states the same thing I said above, but you can see the pic to get an idea of what you want to stay away from.

 

Probably the only star I would put in other than my hitch hiker mini brittle stars would be a larger brittle star. But even then I feel they are too big for my 29.

[Acrophet]

BioCube 29 Mixed Reef (Started March 18, 2008)

 

Equipment

-Rio 6HF for stock pump replacement to Loclines

-False bottom removed in chamber 1

-BioBalls removed

-Finnex Digital 100x Titanium Heater (Chamber 1)

-Koralia Nano

-CPR SR3 protein skimmer or Tunze 9002 (Chamber 2)

 

Elite Twit,

 

I'm looking to start my own BioCube 29 in the next week or so. I'm currently researching mods before starting and have some questions about your chambers. if you don't mind:

 

1. After removing the false bottom in chamber 1 how do you keep the filter from dropping to the bottom of the chamber?

2. Are you using Chemi-pure and Purigen? If so where did you put it?

3. Did you expand the opening between chamber 1 and 2?

Is the Tunze 9002 the only thing in chamber 2?

 

I'm really looking to start this new adventure but as you can tell I'm struggling on how to setup the chambers.

 

Thanks for any help you can provide.

[Elite Twit]

Elite Twit,

 

I'm looking to start my own BioCube 29 in the next week or so. I'm currently researching mods before starting and have some questions about your chambers. if you don't mind:

 

1. After removing the false bottom in chamber 1 how do you keep the filter from dropping to the bottom of the chamber?

I don't use the filter. Once you get the flow going through it though it'll stay for the most part. I tested it before I got rid of it. I also realized I had no need to remove the false floor. I ended up with the heater in chamber two I like it there better.

 

2. Are you using Chemi-pure and Purigen? If so where did you put it?

Phosguard and Purigen. I forgot which is which but one is in chamber one the other in chamber three in the filter socks.

 

3. Did you expand the opening between chamber 1 and 2?

Yes. Much more flow going through it.

 

Before:

 

After:

 

Tools:

Snip the sides with the wire stripper/cutter, score with the razor then snap it off with the pliers. Shave the excess with the razor and it'll look like it should have been there.

 

Is the Tunze 9002 the only thing in chamber 2?

No I have my heater on the side close to chamber one and the tunze is on the wall seperating two and three. Just grabbed this pic, it should answer the chamber 2 question for positioning. Water flows right to left towards the Tunze.

 

 

I'm really looking to start this new adventure but as you can tell I'm struggling on how to setup the chambers.

 

Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

No problem, and

[Elite Twit]

Here's some new pics...

 

Cleaner Shrimp With Blue Chalice

 

Ric Garden Top Down

 

Ric Garden Top Down Actinics

 

Front Center

 

Front Center Actinics

 

 

My Ric garden is pretty much complete, of course with a few spots for something that catches my eye.

 

If my Green Banded Gobies come in on Tuesday they will be the last additions plus all the things I'm getting at the June 8th meet for at least two months till I decide where to go with the lighting and start adding some sps so it's a true mixed reef.

 

-Jay

[Elite Twit]

Short Codium pics.

 

I wanted to post these up now that I've finally found a good spot for them and I can check out the monthly growth. This is two months after putting them in the tank.

 

 

[Dooderino]

Looks good!

[johnmaloney]

Nice looking tank Elite!

[Elite Twit]

Looks good!

 

 

Nice looking tank Elite!

 

 

Thanks and thanks.

 

New additions tonight. I am the first to say I hate crabs, but I noticed a few too many bubble algae and random algaes(hair or bryopsis) off of my acans and purple micros so I decided to see how small of an emerald crab I could find. I watched him like a hawk for about an hour. I watched him stand on the acans and skim over all the heads as he rid the colony of all algae growing on the skeleton. I watched him pluck at my orange zoas from the bottom of the frag plug thinking the skirt was an algae strand. A few minutes later he left them alone and they opened up bigger than before. As much as I hate them, I can honestly say this little guy, at least at this size, is very welcome in my tank. I've seen and heard of terrible things they have done, hopefully this guy will stay just as a cleaner. If not, there's always the toilet. Or store credit, depending on how bad he may or may not piss something off.

 

Before arrival, we had a heart to heart about my feelings towards him.

 

Showing me his intentions are good

 

Floaters(what could they be?!)

 

Acclimating

 

First good pic of them all together

[c est ma]

Awwwwwwwwww! Sweet gbgs! That middle one in the second pic looks to be already quite gravid! Unless it's just well-fed. I really look forward to following your experiences with these guys!

 

And I love the pic of the emerald on your hand! I, too, have had some emeralds that started out about that size, were pretty trustworthy and did a good job on the algae. I love their industriousness and their habit of becoming tame and coming to the front of the tank when they see you, looking to be fed.

 

Of course, that's the part that leads to problems, too. Mine were always quick to learn the signs that meant I was feeding the fish or corals, and they found prepared or frozen food much easier to score and possibly yummier than algae. They are ravenous, so they would continue to eat algae during the hours I wasn't feeding the tank, but I eventually had one that ripped open a plate coral in order to get to the food I'd just fed it...I didn't blame him, but took him back to the lfs...

 

That Codium is really cool stuff...good luck with it. And of course I love the ric garden--sort of a ric waterfall!

 

Great picture updates!

 

--Diane

[divecj5]

Hey Elite. Just catching up on your thread.

 

First off, love your selection of corals. They look incredibly healthy and look like they are all thriving in there.

 

Like Diane said, awesome picture of the emerald....love that you had the heart to heart before you put him in there. Mine became a terror but I think that was because he was pretty freaking big when I got him. Not the best choice on my part. He did do an awesome job on ALL bubble algae that I had.

 

Congrats on the gobies as well....what a trio. Should be really cool to see them all in there swimming around. I am tempted to get one or two myself

[johnmaloney]

Emeralds are cool, I also am not a crab person, but I have come around to them. Just watch him near your codium. As he gets bigger you won't be able to trust him in the same room with the codium. When we have ours in stock we generally feed them Ulva, gracilaria and tall codium. For some reason they seem to leave the shorter stuff alone, but it is edible.

 

Now as far as the gobies go...AWESOME. They have always been on my fish list, as I am a big goby fan. Great personality, look great, and are curious. Got to love that in a fish. Well keep us posted.

[basser1]

Very nice tank! Enjoyed the pics, keep us posted!

[Elite Twit]

Awwwwwwwwww! Sweet gbgs! That middle one in the second pic looks to be already quite gravid! Unless it's just well-fed. I really look forward to following your experiences with these guys!

 

That's how I got them out of the bag. I did notice it was looking much bigger than the other two. I'm going to keep an eye out for anything good happening.

 

Congrats on the gobies as well....what a trio. Should be really cool to see them all in there swimming around. I am tempted to get one or two myself

 

You definitely should get a few they are great. That was just day one. Second day( yesterday) they were all over the place exploring.

 

Now as far as the gobies go...AWESOME. They have always been on my fish list, as I am a big goby fan. Great personality, look great, and are curious. Got to love that in a fish. Well keep us posted.

 

Exactly why I got them. They have everything good going for them.

 

They are ravenous, so they would continue to eat algae during the hours I wasn't feeding the tank, but I eventually had one that ripped open a plate coral in order to get to the food I'd just fed it...I didn't blame him, but took him back to the lfs...

Like Diane said, awesome picture of the emerald....love that you had the heart to heart before you put him in there. Mine became a terror but I think that was because he was pretty freaking big when I got him. Not the best choice on my part. He did do an awesome job on ALL bubble algae that I had.

Emeralds are cool, I also am not a crab person, but I have some around to them. Just watch him near your codium. As he gets bigger you won't be able to trust him in the same room with the codium. When we have ours in stock we generally feed them Ulva, gracilaria and tall codium. For some reason they seem to leave the shorter stuff alone, but it is edible.

 

I still don't trust them, but at least I witnessed how he was going to act for the time being. I have about 6 spots that I would like removed so I am watching them at all times. Once I see everything is pretty much gone he is most likely heading back or off to someone elses tank. I don't like to take chances with corals worth 10x a crab.

 

That Codium is really cool stuff...good luck with it.

 

If you want some I'll snip a bit when it's time and send it over. It's starting to look better and better the more it fills in. Cheap mans SPS till i get the SPS portion going.

 

 

Great picture updates!

--Diane

First off, love your selection of corals. They look incredibly healthy and look like they are all thriving in there.

Very nice tank! Enjoyed the pics, keep us posted!

 

Thanks for the compliments all! Wait till sunday, new eye candy will be in and hopefully ready to be photographed.

[Elite Twit]

Floaters:

 

Soakers:

 

Ultimate Frags Rainbow Brite Micro(I have the cut side facing me so I can watch the growth)

 

Tiger Stripe Chalice:

 

Chronic Chalice:

 

Unknown Pink and Red micros from JF2381(best pic I could get due to placement):

 

Acans Actinics(I love PnoyReefer):

 

Acans Top down:

 

Top Down Chalices(for now till i decide where they will stay):

[AZINDY]

Looks like your tank is coming along nicely. Nice pics too!

[divecj5]

Sweet frags man....all of them look nice and healthy and BRIGHT.