Wiggles' Biocube 16 w/ Steve's 42W LED Upgrade: The Next Generation

[Cpl_Wiggles]

On 7/27/2017 at 8:03 AM, cfaye@Delaware said:

Why hello there, just popping in to say, what's going on in your world of saltwater. The word fixation, I have not heard in years do we know each other because I'm known for that. The last time I heard that, I was fixated on horses, I love my horses. This was like a million years ago, once I get stuck on something I take it to the max. I hope things are running smooth for you. You could also look into calcium for the coral and also what Lula_Mae said. Then I'm not too sure about your tank lighting, when I upgraded mine, things got a lot better. I want to thank you again for stopping by.....PM me if you have traveled around the states or went to summer camp as a child.....I swear only a few people have linked that word with me......anyway I hope all is well with you and the tank.....have a great weekend......

Ha thanks! No I haven't been around camps or horses too much! I add a calcium block to my tank once every 2-3 weeks as well as upping my water changes. As far as lighting - more to come on that!

 

I had an outbreak of cyanobacteria that I'm in the process of attacking through spot removal, water changes, and reduction of sunlight. I'm still balancing out the bioload of the clown, scooter blenny, and goby. I suspect my spot-feeding strategy is also contributing to bioload. I turn off pumps and turkey baster brine/mysis into the path of the scooter blenny. I leave the pumps off for a bout 5 minutes while he takes his time running around and picking up what he wants - hopefully enough. The goby darts in and grabs a few too - helps with cleanup. Then I turn on the heads and the current catches and picks up the remaining that the clown darts out to eat. 

 

I've gotten away with small half gallon changes for an 18 gallon without fish - now that I've increased the bioload it's time to step up and get serious about full 10% changes once a week or so, as well as judicious replacement of the filter floss. 

 

On 7/27/2017 at 9:28 AM, Weetabix7 said:

Adding another smaller Clown would likely get your current Clown out of the back corner somewhat. 

If I can get the current bioload under control I will consider another clown to try to bring him out. I might stick him in a breeder net for awhile too to see if he acclimates to another spot? Or use the gutter guard to 'wall off' that back corner to try to make him pick another spot. 

 

I also need to buy some coral putty and follow the nice step instructions shown in the beginner thread. I've probably lost $20-50 in corals that have been knocked loose and dropped to the sand and irritated/picked at by CUC. Definitely want the corals to get there and stay there. 

[Cpl_Wiggles]

Will post pictures soon - but updates:

 

News:

1. Scooter Blenny became stressed and died - possibly from light deprivation trying to get rid of cyano

2. After he died, pod population rebounded and took down two zoa polyps - of this I am certain. 

3. Got rid of cyano by vacuuming sandbed and larger water changes - alot of cloudy nasty junk was removed. Will probably vacuum a spot once every other month - also forces a large(r) water change since it pulls out so much water.

4. Duncan has been temperamental, hasn't fully spread in a few weeks. 

5. Added yellow clown goby - love him, lots of personality. 

6. Acan doing well - might take the risk to cut away calcified dead coral in hopes it will spread and grow. 

7. Mounted pump to far right corner of tank to help facilitate circular flow as well as flow into filter floss - I think it's helped.

 

To-do:

1a.Get new scooter blenny - I liked him and feeding him wasn't bad at all. 

1b. Other option - get another clown to bring corner clown out to play

1c. Third option - exchange clown at LFS for one more cooperative with environment

2. More Nassairus Snails to help with algae control - two? three? 

3. New bigger shells for blue-leg hermits

4. Bigger/more frequent water changes, improved water quality

5. More corals? 

 

Questions:

1. How to control pods/protect corals? 

2. How to keep thick algae from coating lower glass?

 

[Lula_Mae]

Sorry about the scooter. Regarding the clown, I've seen many people say that adding a second clown made the first come out from their corner spot, so I'd try that before trading it in.

[Cpl_Wiggles]

2 hours ago, Lula_Mae said:

Sorry about the scooter. Regarding the clown, I've seen many people say that adding a second clown made the first come out from their corner spot, so I'd try that before trading it in.

Good advice. Where I'm torn is for overall tank cohesion it appears I need a bottom dweller to keep the pods in line. Clowns produce a lot of waste, so I'm told, so four fish (two clowns, blenny, and goby) will push the bioload to the limit. I'm relatively convinced I need something to keep the pods in line.

 

I think four could work, but a serious water change regimen will be needed.

[cfaye@Delaware]

I'm so sorry you lost the little fish, I wish there was a way I could offer help. I do know that pest algae and cyano is very bad, also that there is something wrong with the water chemistry in your tank, tank water. Your water parameters can't be good if all of this is going on. Right now I'm doing 25% water changes every 4 days because my tanks are small, 25% or more. When you do your water changes try 25% or a bit more of the water, slowly work up to this amount. If corals are having problems something is wrong off balance. I see your sand bed, clean on a regular routine. Be very careful on cleaning sand bed, it can hold things that can hurt tank, clean bed in small sections. Clean one small section, then wait a few days, then clean another. Maybe, I think you should post somewhere for help, I don't know what is going on but something is wrong, I wish I knew and could help !!!!!

Thank you for the update........

[Cpl_Wiggles]

Still fighting water quality issues. Corals have been unhappy lately, getting some cyano outbreaks. Vacuumed gravel yesterday to remove some gunk. 

 

Any suggestions on stock additions to help water quality? Or just good old fashioned water changes?

 

CUC

3x Astrea snails

3x Turbo

1x Emerald

1x Scarlett

4x? Blue leg

[cfaye@Delaware]

Hi, I do know one thing, Turbo snails are and can be huge, like little bulldozers, they plow over everything, you have to be careful of the coral.......

Emerald crabs sometimes will eat coral......

Hermit crabs might eat snails, I like land hermit crabs, salt water hermits, not so much......

With so many hermit crabs you have to have extra shells, they out grow them.......

Check out the CUC thread here they have good info about it. 

Hang in there the battle could be a long one. 

[Lula_Mae]

What's your filtration like/what are you using in the back chambers?

[Cpl_Wiggles]

On 10/4/2017 at 1:16 AM, cfaye@Delaware said:

Hi, I do know one thing, Turbo snails are and can be huge, like little bulldozers, they plow over everything, you have to be careful of the coral.......

Emerald crabs sometimes will eat coral......

Hermit crabs might eat snails, I like land hermit crabs, salt water hermits, not so much......

With so many hermit crabs you have to have extra shells, they out grow them.......

Check out the CUC thread here they have good info about it. 

Hang in there the battle could be a long one. 

Just saw this for some reason - notifications must be weird! Luckily for me they all get along. Turbo snails stay in the sand bed and on the glass, no problems with corals so far. Emerald has taken to chomping bubble algae and is keeping things under control. Luckily the CUC generally gets along at this point. 

 

On 10/7/2017 at 2:28 PM, Lula_Mae said:

What's your filtration like/what are you using in the back chambers?

Eco-fleece "filter floss" chamber 2 basket 1 change every 3-4 days

Media bag with carbon chamber 2 basket 2 change every 2 weeks

10% water change weekly

 

 

[Cpl_Wiggles]

Big update. Bought hexagon end table, moved BioCube into corner. Copied the bravery of @Jackal227 and pulled out the false floor of chamber 1 to put my heater in there. Fun fact, you just stick a knife in the floor vent and twist and it pops right out!

 

Got a new shell for the Scarlett. He's been slow lately. Hope he pulls through. Got some assorted snail shells for the blue legs.

 

Chaeto!

 

Now running: Eco-fleece, rubble, chaeto, BRS carbon media bag from top to bottom. Tank has a neat background glow now. How long light on chaeto? Most say 24/7 is fine?

 

Big water change and blasted all rock. Going to do a 5 gallon this weekend. Biggest I've done in awhile.

 

 

New friends.

 

And a candy cane!

[Jackal227]

Glad to see your expansion in chamber 1 went well. 

 

On the Chaeto, what light are you using on it?   It's hard to tell from the picture,  but is it inside of a bag of some sort? 

[Cpl_Wiggles]

17 hours ago, Jackal227 said:

Glad to see your expansion in chamber 1 went well. 

 

On the Chaeto, what light are you using on it?   It's hard to tell from the picture,  but is it inside of a bag of some sort? 

Thread: "Biocube filtration?" Recommended this LED strip.

https://www.amazon.com/Mingdak-Aquarium-Light-Tanks-7-5-inch/dp/B00X84LMHK/ref=sr_1_5?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1508939043&sr=1-5&keywords=led+aquarium+light

 

Suction cups won't hold so far but I'll fix that soon enough.

 

I used the flimsy stock media basket and made a "chaeto cage" out of Gutter Guard mesh and zip ties. Wanted to make sure it got plenty of light.

[Cpl_Wiggles]

FTS

[SelectedByNature]

It can be challenging to get the correct flow for a particular aquarium I'm finding... Tank looks good.

[Cpl_Wiggles]

On 10/26/2017 at 8:50 PM, SelectedByNature said:

It can be challenging to get the correct flow for a particular aquarium I'm finding... Tank looks good.

Very true. Current setup seems to kick particles up and into the filter a but better - the eco-fleece is getting dirty pretry fast. But that's a good thing. 

 

Alk is low so dosing with Reef Builder for next couple of weeks. Lost scarlett hermit crab and turbos looking lethargic.

[StinkyBunny]

I like smaller more frequent water changes. It will change the parameters slower, but there will be less stress in the system doing this. For example, we do 10g/week in our 80g tanks, so in a month we've done a 50% water change.

 

Scooter blennies are tough, feed them mysis, not brine shrimp. Brine shrimp has very little nutrition. Once they start on the mysis, I'll start them on smaller pellets soaked in Selcon, 1-2 drops. I have feeders set up to drop some pellets in to add another feeding when they learn to eat the pellets.

 

Steve's LED systems are my favorite LED systems, we've had 4 of them and we're still running 3 of them. One word of caution, start with the lower setting, bump them up a little bit every 3 days to avoid bleaching your corals.

[Cpl_Wiggles]

On 11/11/2017 at 3:12 PM, StinkyBunny said:

I like smaller more frequent water changes. It will change the parameters slower, but there will be less stress in the system doing this. For example, we do 10g/week in our 80g tanks, so in a month we've done a 50% water change.

 

Scooter blennies are tough, feed them mysis, not brine shrimp. Brine shrimp has very little nutrition. Once they start on the mysis, I'll start them on smaller pellets soaked in Selcon, 1-2 drops. I have feeders set up to drop some pellets in to add another feeding when they learn to eat the pellets.

 

Steve's LED systems are my favorite LED systems, we've had 4 of them and we're still running 3 of them. One word of caution, start with the lower setting, bump them up a little bit every 3 days to avoid bleaching your corals.

Thanks for comment, NR didn't notify me for some reason so I missed it. I seem to have hit a sweet spot with 2 gallon changes and a vacuum siphon. One gallon of gunk from the rocks and one gallon of water from the water clears up everything fast.

 

I ended up picking up mysis for the blend as well, but didn't get to really utilize. I think I will try agai, though.

 

So far, so good with Steve's, had to move an Acan but that's it. Not seeing the big growth people talk about. 

[Cpl_Wiggles]

Update!

 

Trimmed Chaeto, makes big difference. 

 

Trying to get Acan I've had since May to sprout new heads - any advice?

 

Haven't placed candy cane yet, thinking about pushing my arch to rear of tank to make more room up front for an additional rock (making a chair, if you will) but would require me to remove material from base rock - tricky to do in a smaller tank

 

New friends! Picked up a mature Frogspawn and red mushroom for Black Friday sales.

 

Steve's LED at about 65% after ramp up. Going to hold for a bitty. Seeing some more evaporation with LED, salinity is going up more frequently.

 

Fish are fine and happy.

 

Other BioCube friends - do you have an optimal placement for powerheads to push gunk into the filter instead of just spreading it around to settle in a new place?

 

[StinkyBunny]

Acans, which are actually Micromussa, like to eat. They come from inshore waters where it's turbid and they feed quite heavily. If you don't feed them, they grow very slowly.

[Cpl_Wiggles]

5 hours ago, StinkyBunny said:

Acans, which are actually Micromussa, like to eat. They come from inshore waters where it's turbid and they feed quite heavily. If you don't feed them, they grow very slowly.

Understood. Yes I need to actively feed them better. 

 

 

[Jackal227]

On 12/6/2017 at 12:26 AM, Cpl_Wiggles said:

Trimmed Chaeto, makes big difference. 

What differences did you notice? 

[Cpl_Wiggles]

47 minutes ago, Jackal227 said:

What differences did you notice? 

The chaeto in general makes a difference.

 

Trimming it back and keeping it a manageable size, so I understand, keeps detritus buildup from the outsides as well as promoting growth so nothing ever withers and dies, releasing nitrates back into the water.

 

Mixed responses on that, so take with a grain of salt. My clump is about the size of a large fist.

[StinkyBunny]

Make sure you're feeding them the correct particle size too, smaller is better. just because it's a larger polyp doesn't mean you should feed it larger sized foods, been there, done that, had hair algae out the whazoo.

[Cpl_Wiggles]

Things are looking good. In November I installed Steve's LED to my hood and slowly ramped up the settings. Getting some good flourecence - wish the blue was a bit more royal? Not sure. Still waiting to see how the corals react.

 

[Cpl_Wiggles]

New Sicce pump, removed 90 fitting and direct connected tube, dual loc-line with y splitter.

 

We have achieved flow.