ComponentFault's 28g Nanocube LED

[ComponentFault]

Hello All,

After a couple of weeks of construction on our basement office, I'm finally getting started with the nanocube that's been staring at me for a couple of weeks now. I've been really inspired by the tanks people are running, and the waiting to get started has been painful. :headwallblue:

The cube actually came without the stock media basket, which turned out fine - gave me a great excuse to just upgrade to InTank's.

I snapped a couple of quick pictures with my Blackberry last night, but the blues seemed to really mess with the focus on the camera. I'll aim for a better picture tonight with a different camera.

So, this first post will be pic-light, unfortunately.

Equipment list:

28g Nanocube LED Advanced
InTank media basket
Aquamaxx HOB-1 Skimmer
~25 lbs dry rock from goreef.com (highly recommended for Canadian mail-order)
~25 lbs Aragonite 1-2mm substrate

Thoughts so far:

• Wasn't comfortable with the stability of the JBJ stand, and added somes upports
• Was very impressed with the quality of the InTank basket. I'm quite glad I had the opportunity (read: excuse) to upgrade!
• I really like the look of the LED lighting. No PAR readings yet, but the light is pretty intense. I hope the livestock likes it as much as I do

I have leveled and leak-tested and I now have the dry rock and substrate in, and salinity and temperature are good. I will drop in a piece of live rock tonight when I get home and really get the cycle kick-started.

Fish-wise, I'm thinking of this (comments/criticisms are welcome):

Goby/shrimp pair (interested in suggestions of peoples' favourites)
Royal Gramma
White-banded possum wrasse
Multicolor Angel
Firefish

In no particular order and spread out over time as the tank matures. Suggestions are definitely welcome.

Pics coming soon!

Cheers,
CF (Russ)

 

[ange062]

Sounds like a nice start! Welcome to the NC28 club!

 

[image]

Welcome! It sounds like our tanks are about the same age. I'm currently in the cycle wait (ammonia has peaked, nitrites on the way up).

 

[ComponentFault]

Sounds like a nice start! Welcome to the NC28 club!

Thanks very much! You've got an amazing 'cube going - I'll be happy if mine is anywhere near that when it matures!

Welcome! It sounds like our tanks are about the same age. I'm currently in the cycle wait (ammonia has peaked, nitrites on the way up).

Thanks! Sounds like you might be a few days ahead of me, but we're pretty close, for sure. Looking forward to seeing how both builds progress!

 

[ComponentFault]

Ok - I think I'm making progress on de-bluifying (a totally cromulent word) my pictures. Let's try this as a test (believe it or not, this is a huge improvement over my aliens-are-invading pictures I took last night)...

FTS:

Left Side:

Right Side:

As you can see, there are still a lot of microbubbles, mainly from me still working in the tank. Next round of pictures should get rid of those... it is already better than when I took the photos.

Also next up... CF learns to use a camera! :reading:

Cheers,
CF

 

[ComponentFault]

Well, after adding a couple of pieces of live rock yesterday (bang-on 2lbs), it is safe to say that the tank is cycling:

pH: 8.1
Salinity: 1.026
Ammonia: ~0.50 ppm
Nitrite: ~0.25 ppm
Nitrate: ~5ppm

While it was good to see Nitrite and Nitrate at measurable levels, I was surprised by how quickly the ammonia spiked with the addition of the live rock. While I expect that there was a little die-off from the live rock (even though it was fully cured), I wouldn't have thought it would have spiked so far so quickly.

I will see what tomorrow's tests look like, and if they don't seem plausible, I'll try a different test kit or get my LFS to test it and see. Heck, I may just do that anyway.

And now I wait...

 

[ange062]

What camera are you using? The key is to turn off auto white balance (wb). If your camera has a manual Kelvin setting then use 10,000k, if only presets try using "daylight" or "cloudy".

 

[ComponentFault]

Those were just taken with my Blackberry, so it's about as bad as it gets. I'll snap some pictures with my P&S (which has quite a few more options, including both 'daylight' and 'cloudy').

I've rearranged some of the rockwork, so there is actually something to take a picture of, too.

I do think a decent DSLR is in order somewhere, but that probably won't make this month's budget!

 

[ComponentFault]

Alright - took a few better pictures with my point-and-shoot. A decent DSLR and macro lens probably is not in the budget for a few more months. Still, these pictures are dramatically.... less blue. :worried:

First up, the slightly rearranged rockwork. I tried to make a better sand bed in front, and leveled out one of the rocks to make a better platform for corals later.

Also, I took a picture - as close up as my camera could focus - of some of the interesting macro growing on one of my pieces of LR. So far, it looks as though it is liking the intense lighting.

Finally, thanks Ange, for the camera tips - my P&S has a daylight mode for high-intensity blue (like beach scenes), which got me part way there. Then I cranked the brightness all the way down and - oddly enough - turned on the flash. I got a small reflection of the flash off the glass, but the pictures turned out about as well as I can expect out of my little camera. I appreciate the pointers - they helped a lot!

 

[ComponentFault]

Oh, and as you can probably tell, my microbubble problem is gone. I didn't have a lot to do with that, other than getting some of the ones building up on the glass off. The rest took care of itself.

 

[ComponentFault]

Looks like the cycle is on its way... amonia is dropping, and nitrite is showing on the tests. No nitrates to speak of.

The macroalgae continues to grow. I think it is C. Prolifera (white tips with colour filling in over the course of the day is one hint)... I think there might be a bubble algae of some sort there, too, which I'm watching closely. If anyone can make an ID on these based on this small pic, I'd appreciate it!:

I discovered two tiny shrimp (1/4" long, tops) darting around my live rock earlier. I'll try to snap a picture if I can, but they are quick little suckers...

It is nice to see living organisms in the tank, though!

 

[ComponentFault]

What a difference a few days makes!

Tests are all showing zero, and diatoms are... plentiful. I put in the beginnings of a cleanup crew today to see what kind of dent I could put in it:

• 8 Astrea Snails
• 5 Nassarius Snails
• 1 Emerald Crab

I wanted a few more Nassarius snails, but I cleaned my LFS out. Next week I'll add another half-dozen or so. The emerald crab hit the water and immediately went to work. I think he was eating before all of his legs touched bottom! The snails have been a little slower getting going, and I think I may have lost one Astrea during acclimation - keeping an eye out.

The caulerpa from a couple of posts ago definitely seems to be prolifera, and it was doing quite well until the diatom bloom, but now seems to be slowing in growth a bit.

Pics!

FTS, with diatoms in all their glory:

Critter shots:

Edward Scissorhands (Eddie):

We'll let the cleaning crew get set up and see how that goes with the algae bloom, and I'm hoping to get my first fish into quarantine in the next couple of days (looking for a Helfrichi firefish).

 

[ComponentFault]

Today I introduced my first fish, a great little Yasha goby (probably 1.5" long) along with her Randall's pistol shrimp buddy.

The pistol shrimp made for a hole in the rock like a shrimp possessed, and the Yasha seems to have lost it. Hopefully, they will find each other relatively soon. In the meanwhlie, the goby seems to be adjusting well - she's very curious, and even took enough time out of her own hole-in-the-rock to pose for a couple of pics (apologies for the low quality of the pics... it was hastily done).

The shrimp has taken the time to shovel some rubble out of its hidey-hole, but hasn't really shown himself, yet. I'll snap a pic if he makes an appearance.

I skipped my planned quarantine process for the Yasha (we'll see if that comes back to bite me...) because I wanted to the introduce the shrimp and goby as close together as possible. Each fish added from here on in will go through the QT tank first, though!

 

[ComponentFault]

Two days later and the shrimp and goby still haven't met. We'll see what happens.

I did have an amusing moment last night, though. My emerald crab parked his rear end over the hole that the pistol shrimp is occupying while reaching for something above him. Two loud clicks later and the emerald crab is bolting for the other side of the aquarium faster than I have ever seen him move. He appears to be uninjured, but it will be interesting to see if he goes near that spot anytime soon!

 

[ComponentFault]

Well, they found the same rock, I guess that's progress... However, the pistol is in a hole at the very top of the rock, and the goby is in a little dug-out underneath. :facepalm:

It wouldn't bother me so much, except the goby really doesn't go any more than a couple of inchess off the substrate, and the pistol never really strays from his hidey-hole, which is 6" off the substrate. I actually wonder if it could happen that the two of them could live in a 28g tank for years and never actually see one another.

Oh, well...

 

[NMC]

I have the same tank. It's new, still working on cycling. I was also thinking my first critters would be a shrimp/goby pair. I'm watching to see if and when yours pair up!

 

[-RYknow]

Seems like a great start! I gotta say. I see more and more people getting the yasha goby and pistol shrimp pair, and I'm falling more and more in love with the Yasha! I had planned on getting a pistol shrimp, probably with a yellow watchmen goby. But that damn Yasha goby has really peaked my interested!

What are you feeding your Yasha? Mysis?

-RYknow

 

[ComponentFault]

Good luck with the tank, NMC!

The funny thing is that they were paired at the LFS... so I know they CAN and even probably WILL once they become aware that one another still exist. I think I just botched it up when introducing them by letting the shrimp escape before I got him near where I hoped he would set up shop. In theory, this shouldn't be hard!

On the plus side, the goby is quite a character even on her own, so it certainly isn't a wasted attempt!

 

[ComponentFault]

Seems like a great start! I gotta say. I see more and more people getting the yasha goby and pistol shrimp pair, and I'm falling more and more in love with the Yasha! I had planned on getting a pistol shrimp, probably with a yellow watchmen goby. But that damn Yasha goby has really peaked my interested!

What are you feeding your Yasha? Mysis?

-RYknow

Thanks! I do love the Yasha - great character. It was a toss-up between a Yasha and a Randall's for me, but I'm glad I chose the way I did.

She has been eating mysis so far (I decided to give her what she was familiar with from the LFS while she got used to her new space). I'll start varying it up with pellets and possibly a bloodworm or two later on this week.

 

[ComponentFault]

I have the same tank. It's new, still working on cycling. I was also thinking my first critters would be a shrimp/goby pair. I'm watching to see if and when yours pair up!

They did!

Unfortunately, I didn't witness it happen, but when I got home from work they were in their own hidey-holes. I fed them, then went off to do other things... when I came back two hours later, they were in the goby's spot under the rock. :celeb3:

They could have picked a better spot for viewing, but they could have just as easily picked a worse spot... so I'm not complaining.

The pistol is now working on setting up camp, pushing ridiculously large amounts of sand around. This is by far the most I've seen him.

I have to admit... I'm now tempted to see if I can find a male Yasha to complete the trio! Hmm... I'll have to think about that, maybe instead of the firefish.

Very fun to watch, though!