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Keith's BioCube 14


Nolesx4

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I did weigh it, and it was just over 15. Would be 40 with water weight!!??!!

 

Seriously like this rock. The LFS can't come close to this. Just gotta wait for stuff to start growing on it now.

Dang, must be really light. Usually 3-4 pieces weigh about 15 lbs. That's a lot of rock. Nice!

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Water treatment filters set-up and producing 0 tds water!

Going to load up the rock in a bucket and soak them overnight.

I'll up date the weight gain then.

 

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Edited by Nolesx4
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Ladies and Gentlemen... It's ALIVE!!!

 

I was only able to use about 1/2 of the 15# of rock. Used what I think were the best pieces and did the terrace look with the flat top rocks.

UPDATED PHOTOS

 

Front:

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Side:

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Other side:

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Front island:

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Edited by Nolesx4
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Looking good! Post pics when it clears! Did you glue or stack the rock? Are you getting a piece of live rock to seed the dry rock?

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The rocks are just stacked. The ones on the main area linked up good, and with a good pressing down they are pretty solid. The little island I will need to glue the two pieces together.

 

Yes, I'm planning to seed with LR or some rubble. Currently doing a fish-less cycle with DrTims (I know guys, I've read the posts. I wanted to spend $$ on bacteria and get rid of this burning in my pocket. And the thought of pee'ing in my tank was cool!)

Edited by Nolesx4
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Did the first water test today. I will be buying a refractometer!!!

 

But seriously folks...

Day 1

pH 8.0

Ammonia: 3ppm

Nitrite: <.25ppm

Nitrate: <5 ppm

Salinity: 1.022

Temp: 77.6° F

Edited by Nolesx4
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Added two small pieced of live rock from LFS, about 1#. Has some feather dusters on them. The wife likes how cute they are. Might have the green light for sure now!!!

 

FTS w/full lighting:

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FTS w/moonlights:

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Edited by Nolesx4
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Im with you on the need for a refractometer!! Getting the green light from the wife is great! Means more toys/tanks! My gf was annoyed at all my time spent researching for the tank and now after its set up she loves it. I often find her with her face against the glass if i leave the room for awhile.

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Tank is much clearer today. Changed out the blue pad filter as it was coated in sand film.

 

The ammonia is down to 1.5-2 ppm from the 3-4.0 ppm peak. I'll continue daily testing until it's 0.0 ppm.

 

Getting ready to order the clean-up crew. But was wondering, if there's no algae, what will they eat?

 

Looks like the family likes the Firefish Goby, and so do I. And a couple of Clowns are what our plans are for livestock.

Edited by Nolesx4
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The algae will come! I have hair algae on some of my rocks.. Im going on a cruise next saturday for a week... Im scared to see what the tank will look like when i get back!!

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Wednesday update:

 

Day 4

pH 8.0

Ammonia: 1 ppm

Nitrite: +5.0 ppm

Nitrate: 30 ppm

Salinity: 1.023

Temp: 85.5° (It got hot today and no one turned on the a/c!)

 

And looking around the tank I happen to find a rock turning bright green...

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Edited by Nolesx4
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Well today is the one week mark.

I see more bright green popping up on the rocks. Which is a good thing for the CUC that was ordered.

Appears that it's starting to have a pod bloom/sand storm going on too. Hoping it's pods.

 

I'm having issues with the temp swings thinking it might be the Ebo heater. The tank has been dipping to low 70° even though the heater is set for 78°. I've done some adjusting and hope it's fixed.

 

The cycle looks to be midway through. The ammonia spiked on day 3, and the nitrite is now dropping. Nitrate has stayed steady at 40 for the last couple of days, so getting prepared for the first water change to come.

 

Day 7

pH 8.1

Ammonia: <0.25 ppm

Nitrite: 4-5.0 ppm

Nitrate: 40 ppm

Salinity: 1.023

Temp: 78.5°

Edited by Nolesx4
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Well today the family and I took my middle daughter to SFO for her summer nanny job in Ill.

 

On the way back I stopped into Neptune Aquatics in Milpitas. WOW, was I impressed with the huge selection of frags!!!

The staff was great. I will make the trip again to get some stuff because I wasn't prepared to transport anything today.

 

Here's their BC14 sitting on the front counter.

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When I got home, the water level was down 3 qts, so I topped it off before I did my daily tests. That's 2 days worth of evaporation.

The ammonia has hit 0.00ppm!!!

The nitrites and nitrates are the same as before. Hoping they will end their part of the cycle soon.

 

I have finally got the temp calibrated better on the Ebo-Jager heater. Temps on the heater dial have matched the thermometer as close as I think I can get for two days. I did program the house a/c to maintain 78° which has helped too.

 

 

Day 8

pH 8.1

Ammonia: 0.00 ppm

Nitrite: <5.0 ppm

Nitrate: 40 ppm

Salinity: 1.023

Temp: 77.8°

Edited by Nolesx4
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Coral... still looking and planning. GSP is nice. I like frogspawn and elegance too. So many choices, so little room.

 

Fish... family has decided clowns. I decided on a Firefish Goby.

 

I want a Flame Angel, fell in love with it on first sight, but alas, tanks too small. But if PetCo is doing the $1 a gallon sale, a 75 or 90 gal would fit quite nicely on the other wall!!!

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Today I have noticed another algae popping up. This type is a yellow/olive color and is covered in tiny air bubbles. Start of the diatom bloom?!?

I will assume this is normal and nothing to worry about. Unless it sprouts fangs and tries to attack me, right?

 

John from ReefCleaners.org sent out the CUC today. Can't wait to get them in. The thought of visible life in the tank is 'cool', to quote Dr Who.

 

Day 9

pH 8.1

Ammonia: 0.00 ppm

Nitrite: 2-5.0 ppm (somewhere between those two colors)

Nitrate: 40 ppm

Salinity: 1.023

Temp: 79.9°

Edited by Nolesx4
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Diatom bloom!!!

OK, maybe not a full bloom like I've read some have had. But I got home today and I no longer have bright white rock.

 

Nitrites are dropping! When I do the test, the water doesn't instantly turn purple.

Nitrates are testing between the 20-40 color.

Looking like the cycle is in its last leg... YEA!!!

 

Also added some hermits from LFS to start working on some of the algae. I went with Scarlet Hermits after hearing about blue leg hermits being agressive. The CUC should be here tomorrow.

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Day 10

pH 8.1

Ammonia: 0.00 ppm

Nitrite: <4 ppm

Nitrate: 30 ish ppm

Salinity: 1.023

Temp: 79.8°

Edited by Nolesx4
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Well folks, nitrite has spiked!!!

Diatoms are all over the rocks today. I'm happy actually, it's almost finished the first cycle!!!

 

CUC will be here tomorrow, just in time to find low nitrites and food to eat.

 

Day 11

pH 8.1

Ammonia: 0.00 ppm

Nitrite: 1 ppm

Nitrate: <40 ppm

Salinity: 1.023

Temp: 80.6°

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CUC has arrived! Wow, 10 of those dwarf snails multiplied to 80-ish during shipping.

Larger ones are taking a little longer to want to move around.

Cheeto floating in main tank before I moved it to the 2nd chamber. Hasn't turned my fingers orange though!

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Day 12

pH 8.1

Ammonia: 0.00 ppm

Nitrite: <0.25 ppm

Nitrate: <20 ppm

Salinity: 1.023

Temp: 81.8°

Edited by Nolesx4
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