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Sadies Biocube 16


sadie

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I don't get my tank till Monday (hopefully)  But I had a couple questions before it gets here. 

A little history:

I started my first SW tank in 2000 with a 12 gal Aquapod.  I was part of a forum like this and got tons of great advise and my tank was great.  I didn't really keep up with the forums after about 2 yrs so as things changed in the fish world, my knowledge did not.  Life got a little crazy for a while and my poor tank got neglected.  I almost threw in the towel twice, but just couldn't. I moved in 2012 and all my LPS died in the 4 hr move (frogspawn, acan, candy cane).   My last attempt to bring my tank back to life was a huge mistake when I bought a JBJ 12 gal with LED in Nov 2015.  I thought I was upgrading my lights and found out they were actually too weak to even grow the softies I had.  That's when I joined this place and tried to figure out what was wrong. I lost my star polyps, red mushrooms, yellow polyps and some new frags I had bought.  Basically everthing except m y toadstool.

 

My Plan:

*I am staying with the stock lighting.

*I upgraded my pump in the 12 gal to the maxijet 900- not sure if that will be anybetter then the pump that will come with the Biocube 16

*I have a 50watt heater I  just bought (thinking that might have caused my coral to die) it is preset to 78 I believe.  It keeps my tank about 79

*Right now I have a black activated sponge in the intake chamber with purigen on top.  I have been reading the sponges are a no no?  I read a lot about filter floss, I have never used that, but think I will switch, but don't know what exactly to do with it.

*My heater is in the 2nd chamber and my pump in the 3rd.

*I will be taking the balls out of the Biocube, I have read and seen pictures of the Biocubes chambers, looks a little wierd.  Not sure about this.

*I want to add some more LR to my tank (going from the 12 to the 16) I will get it at my LFS .

*I have a power head I bought in 2015 with my new tank it is a Korlina or something like that for a nano

 

My Maintence:

I do weekly water changes (2 gal withRO) Instant Ocean Sea Salt sometimes getting the reef crystals if they have it.  Was thinking of switching to Distilled, everyone seems to talk about that now.

I add Nano A&B everyday 

I vacumm the floor every time I do a WC and sometimes stir the top of the sand in hard to reach places.

I just started blasting my rocks with a turkey baster (read it on this site)

My tank didn't come with a moon light so I instaled an LED strip just to give it a "moon light" appearence.  I leave this on all the time, but was just reading my tank should have a total dark period?

I turn my lights on around 8 am and off around 7pm

 

My Parameters:

Amonia 0

Nitrates 0

Nitrites 0

PH 8,2

Calcium 420 (I think this might be too low when I start adding LPS not sure how to raise it)

Salinity 1.025 (checked with a refracto meter calibrated every day)

temp 79

phosphates 0

Alk I can't remember, tested it with a dip stick (don't like those) and it was within range, but can't remember what it was.  Will be picking up a test kit at LFS soon (not a dip stick one)

 

I think that's it.  Any help advice would be great.  I know this is a pricey hobby, I don't have the funds to go out and buy top of the line everything, but have some money to tinker and do what I need to do. I am so excited and so nervous.  I Just want my tank back.  

 

 

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14 minutes ago, sadie said:

I don't get my tank till Monday (hopefully)  But I had a couple questions before it gets here. 

A little history:

I started my first SW tank in 2000 with a 12 gal Aquapod.  I was part of a forum like this and got tons of great advise and my tank was great.  I didn't really keep up with the forums after about 2 yrs so as things changed in the fish world, my knowledge did not.  Life got a little crazy for a while and my poor tank got neglected.  I almost threw in the towel twice, but just couldn't. I moved in 2012 and all my LPS died in the 4 hr move (frogspawn, acan, candy cane).   My last attempt to bring my tank back to life was a huge mistake when I bought a JBJ 12 gal with LED in Nov 2015.  I thought I was upgrading my lights and found out they were actually too weak to even grow the softies I had.  That's when I joined this place and tried to figure out what was wrong. I lost my star polyps, red mushrooms, yellow polyps and some new frags I had bought.  Basically everthing except m y toadstool.

 

My Plan:

*I am staying with the stock lighting.

*I upgraded my pump in the 12 gal to the maxijet 900- not sure if that will be anybetter then the pump that will come with the Biocube 16

*I have a 50watt heater I  just bought (thinking that might have caused my coral to die) it is preset to 78 I believe.  It keeps my tank about 79

*Right now I have a black activated sponge in the intake chamber with purigen on top.  I have been reading the sponges are a no no?  I read a lot about filter floss, I have never used that, but think I will switch, but don't know what exactly to do with it.

*My heater is in the 2nd chamber and my pump in the 3rd.

*I will be taking the balls out of the Biocube, I have read and seen pictures of the Biocubes chambers, looks a little wierd.  Not sure about this.

*I want to add some more LR to my tank (going from the 12 to the 16) I will get it at my LFS .

*I have a power head I bought in 2015 with my new tank it is a Korlina or something like that for a nano

 

My Maintence:

I do weekly water changes (2 gal withRO) Instant Ocean Sea Salt sometimes getting the reef crystals if they have it.  Was thinking of switching to Distilled, everyone seems to talk about that now.

I add Nano A&B everyday 

I vacumm the floor every time I do a WC and sometimes stir the top of the sand in hard to reach places.

I just started blasting my rocks with a turkey baster (read it on this site)

My tank didn't come with a moon light so I instaled an LED strip just to give it a "moon light" appearence.  I leave this on all the time, but was just reading my tank should have a total dark period?

I turn my lights on around 8 am and off around 7pm

 

My Parameters:

Amonia 0

Nitrates 0

Nitrites 0

PH 8,2

Calcium 420 (I think this might be too low when I start adding LPS not sure how to raise it)

Salinity 1.025 (checked with a refracto meter calibrated every day)

temp 79

phosphates 0

Alk I can't remember, tested it with a dip stick (don't like those) and it was within range, but can't remember what it was.  Will be picking up a test kit at LFS soon (not a dip stick one)

 

I think that's it.  Any help advice would be great.  I know this is a pricey hobby, I don't have the funds to go out and buy top of the line everything, but have some money to tinker and do what I need to do. I am so excited and so nervous.  I Just want my tank back.  

 

 

Sounds like you are off to a great start. Slow and steady wins the race in reef keeping. 🙂 

 

about sponges:  they tend to trap a lot of bad stuff and are difficult to clean. Most reefers use filter floss instead which is polyfill batting you can buy by the bag at Walmart or on Amazon. You pull off a chunk and use it as your filter medium and as it gets gross you change it out every few days so that the bad stuff cannot accumulate.  

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10 hours ago, WV Reefer said:

Sounds like you are off to a great start. Slow and steady wins the race in reef keeping. 🙂 

 

about sponges:  they tend to trap a lot of bad stuff and are difficult to clean. Most reefers use filter floss instead which is polyfill batting you can buy by the bag at Walmart or on Amazon. You pull off a chunk and use it as your filter medium and as it gets gross you change it out every few days so that the bad stuff cannot accumulate.  

Do I need to put the filter floss in something or is it solid enough it will just stay in the back chamber?

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15 minutes ago, sadie said:

should I add my fish first, then some coral?  Does it matter?

I don’t think it matters. I added most of my corals first just because I wanted to have the environment fairly settled the way I wanted it first but I could have easily added fish first.  I’m finding I am still adding and moving corals after the fish have gone in anyway.  🙂 

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okay.  i have a really good salt water store, but it is an hour away.  i have had a hard time buying fish and critters from them.  They don't seem to live long.  I don't think it's their store, I think it's the hour long drive home.  But they do have amazing coral!  So I will be getting my coral from them.  I have a PetCo about 15-20 from me where I will probably get my fish.  I know ppl don't like PetCo But I have had good luck with their fish over the years  and I like to pick out my own fish. (character and all).

 

I was planning to go to one of them on Tue (if my tank gets all set up and no leaks on MOn)

 

Quote

 

 

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13 hours ago, sadie said:

Do I need to put the filter floss in something or is it solid enough it will just stay in the back chamber?

The filter floss is used instead of a filter/sponge. Just don’t use too much or it will slow the water flow. 

 

You can get coral or fish first it doesn’t matter. Just don’t add too many things at once and you’ll be fine. 🙂

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I have a couple ?s on switching the tanks over

* should I rinse the LS, or disturb it as little as possible?

*Will adding new LR spike my levels at all (remembering I have an hour drive.  Last time I brought a container and transported the LR with their tank water, but obviously didn't use their tank water in my tank

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56 minutes ago, sadie said:

I have a couple ?s on switching the tanks over

* should I rinse the LS, or disturb it as little as possible?

*Will adding new LR spike my levels at all (remembering I have an hour drive.  Last time I brought a container and transported the LR with their tank water, but obviously didn't use their tank water in my tank

There can be die off from the rock or sand that can cause a spike in your levels. I would just go slowly and keep an eye on your levels so that you can do a water change if things get yucky. 

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12 minutes ago, sadie said:

so should I rinse the sand? I think I remember rinsing it in saltwater till it almost ran clear.  then put it in the new tank.

It’s really a personal choice. Some rinse it clean and some just put it right in. 

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Ugg!  I just got my tank, filled it on the deck to make sure there are no leaks.  And now we are under a tornado alert!  Thunder and lightning just started and now it's down pouring!  I guess not the best time to be tinkering with my tank.  I have to work tonight and a meeting in my house tomorrow morning.  I was hoping to have it all switched over so after the meeting I could go get more stuff.  Oh well, at least it holds water.  😊

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WOO HOO!!!  They are switched.  The Biocube is so much bigger!  It's funny what just 4 gal does.  

I wasn't sure how much water to make up.  I knew it wouldn't really hold 16 gal and I was planning on using some from my 12 gal.  I had JUST enough!  I think it was a total of 12 gal.  

I was going to go out and get some new stuff today, but think I will let tank get adjusted for a bit.  The pile of rock looks so small .😁

 

I put my LR in a bucket along with CUC crew and my only coral and  a heater.  I had all my water mixed up before my meeting (in plain sight in hopes she would make it a quick meeting...it worked.  She only stayed 15 min) 

 

I put my tanks side by side on the stand and switched the sand over (decided not to rinse it) moved my rock and critters inthen the water.  took me 45 min.  Not bad.

 

I started my toadstool on the bottom and will move him up if he wants.  Not sure how much brighter these lights are then I had and I don't want to shock him.

 

Now I just have to figure out my lighting schedule.

 

DSC_1469.JPG

DSC_1470.JPG

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I found a schedule that looks like this: It said if the tank is new to maybe start with 8hrs of LC1 and work up to 12 hrs.  Would my tank be considered new?

LC1- 9am-9pm

LC2-8:30am-9pm

LC3-7:ooam-11:00pm

 

I was planning to do this schedule

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I did some research and I guess this tank is made of acrylic (even though the web site I bought it from says glass)  I guess you can't use the scrubby magfloats or it will scratch it up.  Someone said they used the magic eraser and several ppl tried it and loved it.  So I took a piece a bit bigger then my mag float, cut out a hole and stuffed the scrubby thing in there and it works great!  Can't go as fast, and not sure how it will do on stubborn algae but it cleaned it nice.  

tank cleaner.JPG

tank cleaner 2.JPG

 

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Day1 after adding new critters: 

*Cleaner shrimp is coming out now (not hiding)

* GSP starting to open

* feather duster not too happy, one moved out of it's tube and moved into my cave

* I think 2 of my 6 snails died

 

Parameters

Amonia-0

trites-0

trates-0

KH-11 (ideal is 8-12 with this kit)

temp 77.7

salinity  1.025

 

 

DSC_1484.JPG

DSC_1485.JPG

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8 minutes ago, Duane Clark said:

Did you acclimate the snails?   Just curious as they need to be acclimated as well to help prevent shock, etc. 

yes, I did.  I dump out half the water from their bag (into the sink of course) then I add 2 tablespoons of water every 10 min to their bag while it floats in my tank (I usually do with lights out, but didn't want to turn them off because I'm not use to the programmable light thing yet) so I just left the hood open.  I do this until the temp and salinity match (usually takes half an hour to 45 min)

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1 hour ago, sadie said:

yes, I did.  I dump out half the water from their bag (into the sink of course) then I add 2 tablespoons of water every 10 min to their bag while it floats in my tank (I usually do with lights out, but didn't want to turn them off because I'm not use to the programmable light thing yet) so I just left the hood open.  I do this until the temp and salinity match (usually takes half an hour to 45 min)

Sounds good to me then.  🙂 

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On 6/20/2018 at 1:39 PM, sadie said:

I did some research and I guess this tank is made of acrylic (even though the web site I bought it from says glass)  I guess you can't use the scrubby magfloats or it will scratch it up.

 

My biocube 16 is glass and I use the biocube curved glass cleaner and it does not scratch it.

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On 6/19/2018 at 3:10 PM, sadie said:

I found a schedule that looks like this: It said if the tank is new to maybe start with 8hrs of LC1 and work up to 12 hrs.  Would my tank be considered new?

LC1- 9am-9pm

LC2-8:30am-9pm

LC3-7:ooam-11:00pm

 

I was planning to do this schedule

Even though you are using live sand and rock, I would still only run your lights for no more than 6-8 hours at first. I have mine down to 6 hours now and still have green algae. As the tank ages I will increase light time.

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1 hour ago, jzp456 said:

Even though you are using live sand and rock, I would still only run your lights for no more than 6-8 hours at first. I have mine down to 6 hours now and still have green algae. As the tank ages I will increase light time.

My LR and LS are 18 yrs old, the tank is the only thing new.  But I was thinking of not running the lights for 12 hrs yet.  They have had such crappy lights for the past 2 yrs I thought it might shock them (like walking outside on a bright sunny day and being blinded.)  

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2 hours ago, jzp456 said:

My biocube 16 is glass and I use the biocube curved glass cleaner and it does not scratch it.

I wonder who I would call to find out if mine is glass or acrylic, the place I bought it or the Biocube company.  That would be awesome if it were glass!!  I thought it was a mistake on the website because all the reading I had done said it was acrylic.  I hope it's glass..fingerscrossed

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