GTi's 29 Gallon BioCube

[GTi]

Looks so awesome!

Thanks! I think your tank looks awesome , mine looks ok! I'm finally on top of the cyano/dinos and will post another FTS in a few days time.

[FlCandy]

I am still fighting cyany myself, but I know why, I overfeed the corals. SO I added a few more snails and they are getting it clean. Every day it's a bit more clean.

 

Thanks BTW I was a total newb to the reef tank world until I came to this site and started the tank I have now. I have run FOWLR before and planted FW tanks but never a full blown reef tank. I love it, keeps me busy on the days off.

[GTi]

I am still fighting cyany myself, but I know why, I overfeed the corals. SO I added a few more snails and they are getting it clean. Every day it's a bit more clean.

 

Thanks BTW I was a total newb to the reef tank world until I came to this site and started the tank I have now. I have run FOWLR before and planted FW tanks but never a full blown reef tank. I love it, keeps me busy on the days off.

I think mine may have been to low pH but I'm not sure. I bumped it up a bit and also supplemented the CUC. With a little sand vac in the bad areas at water change time, I'm almost clear.

 

Before this, my kids had a 3 gallon fresh water with a few neon tetras. This was a steep learning curve but there's so much great information here that I have learned a lot in 6 months.

[FlCandy]

Yep!

You'll never learn it all though, something new is figured out every day!

[GTi]

Yep!

You'll never learn it all though, something new is figured out every day!

Too true. I saw a Stomatella spawning in my pico today - it looked like he was sneezing bubbles! I knew snails were hermaphrodites but I didn't think I'd have one self-fertilizing in my tank! If we knew everything, it would lose its appeal.

[FlCandy]

Life would be boring!

[GTi]

I added a second emerald crab to the tank today. As soon as it hit the sand it started eating off the rocks. It looked like it started with some snail slime and then some hair and bubble algae that was on the edge of the scoly's skeleton. Next I saw it rip off a Radioactive Dragon's Eye zoa from the rock and eat it. Luckily it stopped after that.

 

I think I'll have to keep an eye on this one!

[FlCandy]

They can change their minds at any time.

 

[GTi]

I'll be sure to keep a very close eye on it then! The current one in the tank has one claw and 3 legs on one side and one leg on the other side. It still manages to climb the rockwork. I saw a sad looking emerald at the LFS that had no claws and was biting algae off the rock. I was hoping mine would molt and regrow the missing limbs but it seems like he has either stopped growing or isn't molting for another reason.

[GTi]

I ordered 2 red and 2 turquoise LEDs to add to the array to see if they help bring out fuller colours in the tank.

 

Yesterday the cooling fan wasn't running and the tank got to 82F. I think the controller isn't putting out enoug voltage for some reason. Today I set up a floor fan blowing across the lid of the tank as a temporary solution.

[GTi]

The cooling fan is up and running, the new LEDs are installed and I had to add a diffuser material to the splash shield to help with colour blending. The turquoise and red LEDs bring out the red, orange and green in the tank.

 

http://www.berlinwallpaper.com/dcfix/Transparent.htm ( the sand type).

 

The diffuser was mentioned in another thread on this site and does a good job of helping to colour blend. It also reduces shimmer but does not eliminate it.

 

I took a couple of FTS and will post in the next day or so.

[NanoCuber1]

Lookin good!

 

Love the chalice, it just glows under the leds.

[GTi]

Thanks! I owe everyone an updated FTS. With the LEDs it is tough to get a good shot because the blues seem to oversaturate the image. I need to play around with the settings and post processing. For now I try to take a shot in the daytime and the ambient light seems to help a bit.

 

That chalice is very vividly coloured. I was at the fish store with my son and he was adamant that we bought that piece. I think he has a good eye!

[GTi]

New FTS on Page 1

[GTi]

Well it has been a while since I last posted. The weather in Michigan has been nice but that leads to higer tank temps.

I bought an Apex Jr to control my heater (I will also be adding a back up heater in case of failure also to be on the Apex). I think this gives more control and allows the heater to maintain a more precise set point. It didn't seem to make a lot of difference to the peak tank temp reached due to a warm room and lights. Leaving the rear door of the cover open helped by about 1 - 1.5 degrees. Based on this, I drilled some holes in the flap and attached an 80mm fan to it. I used an old phone charger to power the fan and used the Apex to control it if temperatures hit 80 degrees. Looking at the temperature graph and when the fan kicks on, it works pretty well.





I also reversed the fan cooling my LED heatsink so it blows in to the hood. This seems to keep things a little cooler too which seems odd to me.

I will put some photos up and a new FTS soon.

I borrowed a macro lens and have a few nice shots of my coral that I will also post but I am hoping to take some even better ones soon.

Edit: Added photos

[GTi]

New FTS on first page.

Alien Eye Chalice:




Duncan:




Blue Mille:




Monti Cap:




Miami Hurricane Chalice:




Setosa:

[GTi]

Ric:




Magic mushroom:




Dragon Eye Zoas:




Birdsnest:




Strawberry Fields:




Anemone:

[GTi]

I have ordered a 60gallon tank and stand from Great Lakes Aquarium, a tank builder not too far from me. I will be transferring the contents of this tank in to it withthe exception of the sand and a few pieces of rock. I already have the new sand and some reefcleaners rock.

[Rollermonkey]

7 months?

 

I hope I'm not outgrowing mine that fast!

[GTi]

7 months?

 

I hope I'm not outgrowing mine that fast!

9 months - tank stared in August, thread in November.

 

I guess I have got everything working just right so it's time to change it!

 

I prefer a rimless tank with somewhere underneath to hide all the wires and controllers. I also want something with a bit more space so there is more sand bed and mor space for coral.

[ThatDude]

9 months - tank stared in August, thread in November.

 

I guess I have got everything working just right so it's time to change it!

 

I prefer a rimless tank with somewhere underneath to hide all the wires and controllers. I also want something with a bit more space so there is more sand bed and mor space for coral.

 

I'm approaching the same crossroads with the hobby! Just don't know how to tell the wife yet

[got2envy]

Looks great ! nice schtuffs I have changed tanks many times...look at the sig

[GTi]

I'm approaching the same crossroads with the hobby! Just don't know how to tell the wife yet

My wife told me if I wanted a bigger tank it had to go in the basement. I didn't want to do that because it would be out of sight most of the time (or I'd never emerge from my underground lair). I got her buy in that the new set up would be tidier with all the wiring and electronics in the 'furniture -like' cabinet and as the new tank was rimless, it would not look as big as it really is. She really isn't in to the reef thing but she put up with it! I ordered a bigger skimmer (Urchin Pro) and she saw the confirmation email ($200) and she did comment on that!

 

Looks great ! nice schtuffs I have changed tanks many times...look at the sig

Thanks! If I change tank again, it will have to change location - I have 42" between the windows so there is no spare real estate left! (Unless I go wider and taller which I don't want to do).

[subsailor07]

How did you get the green starry polyps on the wall?

[GTi]

How did you get the green starry polyps on the wall?

 

Superglue gel! Once the first few are on there, the new ones adhere pretty well.

 

New FTS in first post.