deagan14
New member
I agree completely
Biocube 32 build
- Thread starter deagan14
- Start date
deagan14
New member
Update
I now have a fully stocked tank!
Fish:
-Royal gramma
-Green Chromis
-banganii Cardinal
-2 sharknose gobies
-purple firefish
-baby picasso and snowflake clown pair
-diamond head goby
Clean up crew:
4 cerith snails
2 turbo
3 nassirus
3 astrea
4 margarita snails
1 skunk cleaner
Corals:
-neon green hammer
-hammer with pink/purple tips
-Hawaiian feather duster
-mushrooms (4 different kinds)
-Frogspawn
-xenia
Anenome:
-GBTA
Parameters
salinity: 1.026
Nitrates: 0
Nitrite: 0
Ammonia: 0
Magnesium: 1540
Calcium: 400
Alkalinity:9
Temp: 81
Maintenance:
20 percent water change monthly
remove half of the chaeto/caulepra in the refugium every month
clean glass with mag float
dump protein skimmer weekly
Fill ATO container bimonthly
The tank is doing well in my opinion. The rocks are starting to get coraline alage. It first started in a reddish pink phase and is now turning green, out of all my tanks I've had, this one has matured the fastest with already getting coraline. I didn't use any live rock but did use live sand. The clean up crew does a decent job the sand bed still has a slight layer of algae on it, but I stir the stand up often. In addition, the rocks have what I think is diatoms but it is long and stringy and slimy, (not GHA could be a variation of Cyano not sure) every day it gets less and less prevalent.
All of the fish are eating very well including the diamond goby who I spot feed so that he gets his fair share. I'm worried though because its been 3+ days since I have seen the goby, but I know they tend to be hiders. So I'm praying he comes out of his cave tonight. I feel as if there would've been a significant ammonia spike if he died, and I've checked everywhere. I know he didn't job the tank is tightly sealed.
The tanks parameters have been very stable and everything has grown. The mushrooms have all doubled in size and split, and the anemone has easily tripled size..(it's getting very large).
A few weeks back I noticed flatworms in the refugium, and having past experience with them I immediately took all the chaeto and caulepra put it in a 5 gallon bucket and treated it with flat worm exit than put it back in the tank. I haven't see any more flatworms in the refugium, unfortunately I did see two or three in the main tank but I sucked them up and haven't seen any since then. I'm keeping my fingers crossed cause I don't want to have to treat the whole tank.
I noticed one head of aptasia that must have hitchhiked on some other coral and I'd like to take care of it sooner than later. Whats the best way to kill them. Hot water? Kalk?
The clowns haven't started to host the anemone but I hope they do. They are two very unique fish with interesting markings, I prefer the coloring of the Picasso clown more. I thought clowns tend to get through an aggression period where they are establishing the genders, but these guys didn't?
I still haven't changed the chemi pure elite or the purigen for it still seems to be pulling nutrients out of the water
Stock wise this tank is done. Many will probably tell me its overstocked and the bio load is too large, but I have another tank set up right now that some will be transferred to in the future as they grow. Also I think I'm done adding coral because I really want these corals in here to get large rather than having tons of frags that will eventually compete for space. Sometimes I feel as tons of small corals take away from the tank.
I'm going to order a ranco heater controller soon because the I don't trust the thermostat in the hydor heater and I will also purchase a Jebao PP4 because the koralia 1600 is a lot of flow and it is very bulky, I'm hoping the jebao will give me a lot more variation in flow.
Overall there are a few downsides to the new biocube, but I'm especially impressed with their new lighting it is doing a great job keeping all my corals and anemone not only alive, but thriving.
I will post pictures soon!!
I now have a fully stocked tank!
Fish:
-Royal gramma
-Green Chromis
-banganii Cardinal
-2 sharknose gobies
-purple firefish
-baby picasso and snowflake clown pair
-diamond head goby
Clean up crew:
4 cerith snails
2 turbo
3 nassirus
3 astrea
4 margarita snails
1 skunk cleaner
Corals:
-neon green hammer
-hammer with pink/purple tips
-Hawaiian feather duster
-mushrooms (4 different kinds)
-Frogspawn
-xenia
Anenome:
-GBTA
Parameters
salinity: 1.026
Nitrates: 0
Nitrite: 0
Ammonia: 0
Magnesium: 1540
Calcium: 400
Alkalinity:9
Temp: 81
Maintenance:
20 percent water change monthly
remove half of the chaeto/caulepra in the refugium every month
clean glass with mag float
dump protein skimmer weekly
Fill ATO container bimonthly
The tank is doing well in my opinion. The rocks are starting to get coraline alage. It first started in a reddish pink phase and is now turning green, out of all my tanks I've had, this one has matured the fastest with already getting coraline. I didn't use any live rock but did use live sand. The clean up crew does a decent job the sand bed still has a slight layer of algae on it, but I stir the stand up often. In addition, the rocks have what I think is diatoms but it is long and stringy and slimy, (not GHA could be a variation of Cyano not sure) every day it gets less and less prevalent.
All of the fish are eating very well including the diamond goby who I spot feed so that he gets his fair share. I'm worried though because its been 3+ days since I have seen the goby, but I know they tend to be hiders. So I'm praying he comes out of his cave tonight. I feel as if there would've been a significant ammonia spike if he died, and I've checked everywhere. I know he didn't job the tank is tightly sealed.
The tanks parameters have been very stable and everything has grown. The mushrooms have all doubled in size and split, and the anemone has easily tripled size..(it's getting very large).
A few weeks back I noticed flatworms in the refugium, and having past experience with them I immediately took all the chaeto and caulepra put it in a 5 gallon bucket and treated it with flat worm exit than put it back in the tank. I haven't see any more flatworms in the refugium, unfortunately I did see two or three in the main tank but I sucked them up and haven't seen any since then. I'm keeping my fingers crossed cause I don't want to have to treat the whole tank.
I noticed one head of aptasia that must have hitchhiked on some other coral and I'd like to take care of it sooner than later. Whats the best way to kill them. Hot water? Kalk?
The clowns haven't started to host the anemone but I hope they do. They are two very unique fish with interesting markings, I prefer the coloring of the Picasso clown more. I thought clowns tend to get through an aggression period where they are establishing the genders, but these guys didn't?
I still haven't changed the chemi pure elite or the purigen for it still seems to be pulling nutrients out of the water
Stock wise this tank is done. Many will probably tell me its overstocked and the bio load is too large, but I have another tank set up right now that some will be transferred to in the future as they grow. Also I think I'm done adding coral because I really want these corals in here to get large rather than having tons of frags that will eventually compete for space. Sometimes I feel as tons of small corals take away from the tank.
I'm going to order a ranco heater controller soon because the I don't trust the thermostat in the hydor heater and I will also purchase a Jebao PP4 because the koralia 1600 is a lot of flow and it is very bulky, I'm hoping the jebao will give me a lot more variation in flow.
Overall there are a few downsides to the new biocube, but I'm especially impressed with their new lighting it is doing a great job keeping all my corals and anemone not only alive, but thriving.
I will post pictures soon!!
Smoke Inator
Member
good to hear things are going well...looking forward to some new pics!
deagan14
New member
Death
Death
I only had the green chromis for 3 days and I just found him dead, I think I can thank the royal gramma for that. When ever the chromis got in the vicinity of the royal gramma the gramma would become aggressive and chase him off although I never actually saw him bite the chromis just open its mouth real wide. The gramma has zero aggression towards any of the other fish in the tank, and yet the gramma was the first fish put in the tank. Also still no sign of the diamond goby.
Heres a link to a google docs folder with my biocube pictures
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1lZbp0sJyzhOXYzNmNsaEFtTkk
Death
I only had the green chromis for 3 days and I just found him dead, I think I can thank the royal gramma for that. When ever the chromis got in the vicinity of the royal gramma the gramma would become aggressive and chase him off although I never actually saw him bite the chromis just open its mouth real wide. The gramma has zero aggression towards any of the other fish in the tank, and yet the gramma was the first fish put in the tank. Also still no sign of the diamond goby.
Heres a link to a google docs folder with my biocube pictures
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1lZbp0sJyzhOXYzNmNsaEFtTkk
I'm so sorry to hear about the death! Just wanted to drop in and say great job on your build and tank. I'm just getting started on a 32g BC myself -- added rock and sand last week so I'm just starting my cycle.
I've ordered redsea aiptasia X for a couple of hitchhikers that came with my rock, but they moved to the sand and I was able to scoop them up with a plastic spoon and toss them.
I've ordered redsea aiptasia X for a couple of hitchhikers that came with my rock, but they moved to the sand and I was able to scoop them up with a plastic spoon and toss them.
Scurvy Dawg
New member
I can only go from my experience with Royal Grammas, but I have had 3 of them and have never seen one do anything more than the open mouth posturing. The only time I have had a Royal Gramma and a chromis in the same tank, they never ever really crossed paths. The Royal Gramma usually sets up camp in front of the tank toward the middle bottom, and the Chromis does his thing closer to the top. The chromis never every really spent alot of time in the Royal Grammas zone.
Were there obvious wounds to the Chromis?
deagan14
New member
Just put a few new photos of the new ranco and the jebao pp-4 I just got
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1lZbp0sJyzhOXYzNmNsaEFtTkk
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1lZbp0sJyzhOXYzNmNsaEFtTkk
Great pics thank you !! What was your thinking in placing the PP-4 under the pump return?
I just unpacked my PP-4 today and set it up opposite the return (right) and it's producing a lot of flow. I'm liking the random mode and the sine wave mode.
How is the light sensor working for automatic night mode? I mounted my controller inside the cabinet, but might pull it out if you're finding that feature useful.
Thanks for sharing !!! Great looking tank.
I just unpacked my PP-4 today and set it up opposite the return (right) and it's producing a lot of flow. I'm liking the random mode and the sine wave mode.
How is the light sensor working for automatic night mode? I mounted my controller inside the cabinet, but might pull it out if you're finding that feature useful.
Thanks for sharing !!! Great looking tank.
deagan14
New member
The reason I have it on the the side of the return is simply for looks. When you walk into the room my tank is in you see the right side of the tank first and it would be an eye sore that would take away from the tank if you saw the jeabao first thing.
With regards to the light sensor I haven't checked how it's working yet, but I've had many jebao pumps in the past and I had to buy a small reading light put it on the same timer as my lights, and the reading light would shine on the light sensor. When I did this it worked well, but I'm not sure if it's worth it to do it again
With regards to the light sensor I haven't checked how it's working yet, but I've had many jebao pumps in the past and I had to buy a small reading light put it on the same timer as my lights, and the reading light would shine on the light sensor. When I did this it worked well, but I'm not sure if it's worth it to do it again
I've been trying to visualize water flow patterns in the tank and it's been making my head hurt. I'm guessing as long as I'm getting flow, I'm good... What setting are you keeping it on? Are you adjusting it at night?
deagan14
New member
I'm probably gonna keep it 3/4 of the way cranked up on else mode to get a random flow. And I doubt I'll adjust it maybe rarely, my last setup I way over complicated it in a 125 with two wp 40 s linked to a apex with a about 2 pages of code to ramp it up and down during the day, and so it would change each day. but this tank I'm trying to keep it as simple as possible. In my opinion it's important these fish corals inverts all get flow and it's as simple as that. Don't over think it, you'll get more growth and progress if you focus on the water chemistry and lighting instead of the water flow!!
I really appreciate your help.. I was going down the apex+dual MP10 line of thinking and that seemed to be overly complicated. I've had mine at 100% and that's been whipping sand all over the place. On the bright side, the diatoms have flown away. I can't wait to see more progress pics! Apologies for hijacking your thread... Everything is looking good.
I like snowflakes more but it's all a matter of personal preference...
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