Coralife BioCube 29g Build

[timfederwitz]

Okay"¦ I don't want to make Soulpatch wait any longer, but I only have time to post some pics"¦ rather than a more in-depth post. So I'll post more later.

By the time my wife took this pic, I had already added the sand to the tank. In the sand, there was a urchin, serpent star, and a large'ish crab (thought to possibly be a Mithrax by some).

Here's pics of me and Soulpatch looking for bad hitchhikers. We found several.

Here is the serpent star. He's pretty small, but cool looking.

Here are some shots of the tank about 36 hours after putting things in the tank. Keep in mind, we couldn't see in the tank, so basically just dropped the rock in and this is how it landed. Kind of cool looking.

After I turned the lights on.

 

[timfederwitz]

The RW4 pump really blew the sand around the tank and created some bare bottom in the back.

Some great life on this rock!!

Here's the big crab before I removed him from the DT

https://vimeo.com/138928463

Okay"¦ hopefully that holds you over for a bit.

My wife and I just rearranged the rock a bit. Once the sand settles down I'll grab some pics.

 

[Chibils]

Lookin good!

 

[timfederwitz]

Thanks Chibilis!

The tank already settled down quite a bit. Here is the new layout (for now anyway). The pictures don't do it justice. In person you can see inside the cave really well.

Here's some other life

 

[homer1475]

Very nice looking rock!! I started with all live rock as well, but no where near the life you have on that rock. Saw nearly no cycle and was able to add a CUC within 2 weeks. Its nice starting with all live rock, but you open yourself up to bad hitchhikers. I was lucky with my rock and only got a few asterna stars, everything else was beneficial life.

Out of curiosity...Who's who in those pics?

 

[Chibils]

Lovin the new scape, looks 10x better I think.

 

[timfederwitz]

Very nice looking rock!! I started with all live rock as well, but no where near the life you have on that rock. Saw nearly no cycle and was able to add a CUC within 2 weeks. Its nice starting with all live rock, but you open yourself up to bad hitchhikers. I was lucky with my rock and only got a few asterna stars, everything else was beneficial life.

Out of curiosity...Who's who in those pics?

Thanks homer. Hopefully we found all the bad hitchhikers, but I'm sure we missed some. I know there is at least one pistol shrimp in the tank (snapping), but they don't bother me at all.

So far, 0 ammonia. Hoping I can get part two in two weeks.

As for who's who? I'm in green and Soulpatch is in orange. And I guess there's at least two of my five kids represented in there (the two youngest)

 

[homer1475]

It's always nice when you can put a face to the people you talk to on the interwebs.

Not sure what kind of crab that last one is, but those pointy claws might have me a bit worried.

 

[timfederwitz]

Lovin the new scape, looks 10x better I think.

Thanks! I'm definitely liking it so far.

Of course, the second rock shipment will have almost as much rock, but I asked for softball sized, so hopefully I can make this work with the new stuff.

 

[homer1475]

5 KIDS!!!! :eek1:

God bless you.

 

[timfederwitz]

It's always nice when you can put a face to the people you talk to on the interwebs.

Not sure what kind of crab that last one is, but those pointy claws might have me a bit worried.

I agree on faces with people!

That last crab is a porcelain crab, and he is pretty tiny (smaller than a dime I would say). They are filter feeders and seem to be peaceful from everything I have read on them. They actually put out little fans (like I've seen shrimp do) and grab food out of the water column. I saw one of my porcelains doing it earlier before moving the rock, and it is REALLY cool to watch.

 

[timfederwitz]

5 KIDS!!!! :eek1:

God bless you.

Not sure he blessed me. LOL

Just kidding. Love them all (most of the time).

 

[homer1475]

Agree on the porcelain crab, from everything I've read as well. Guess I've just never seen one. From everything I've always read about crabs and reef tanks, pointy claws bad, snubby claws is ok.

 

[soulpatch]

Well we got the other 5 or so oof those shrimp.

Homer - TBS bad hitch hikers is highly limited. Florida waters don't have most of the pests that are common in the rock from Fiji and such. Mainly pistol and mantis shrimp then stone and gorilla crabs.

Just wait till the next batch of rock comes and it has all the colorful sponges, gorgonians, and whatnot. Tons of instant life coming.

 

[homer1475]

Read the TBS rock thread the other day. My next build the rock most definitely will come from them. Like you said "tons of instant life." I like how they ship it in water to, less die off so it shortens your cycle.

 

[soulpatch]

Yeah I will have a shipment coming for my tank. Going to TIm's to help was also so I could see it in person before I ordered my 150 pounds or so of it. Now that my tank is apparently in I should be up in short order.

One thing I did learn with Tim though was that we need a spotlight, picks, and a turkey baster or such to find and get to all the critters. I had a blast going through the rock though. It really was like a chrsitmas morning for me. Plus it was fun to see how excited his kids were to see crabs and such. Them getting involved and interested in the tank will only help Tim get more stuff. LOL

 

[timfederwitz]

HOLY CRAP!!! This is so cool. I just was looking in the tank and noticed a bunch of motion and then figured out it was the barnacles putting out fans and pulling them back in! I've *never* had the chance to watch live barnacles. This is amazing! Absolutely loving it!!

I know it's a little hard to see in this video, but just watch for all the movement. So much cooler in person.
https://vimeo.com/138931794

 

[Chibils]

Thanks! I'm definitely liking it so far.

Of course, the second rock shipment will have almost as much rock, but I asked for softball sized, so hopefully I can make this work with the new stuff.

Honestly I would ask for smaller if Richard has any thing that size. It's very easy to make softball size pieces with epoxy and the smaller the pieces are the easier it is to make your structure look like one piece. IMO the smaller the better down to maybe tennis ball/rubble sized. Softball pieces are almost always round and you can't make arches, cantilevers, etc with them easily.

 

[timfederwitz]

Yeah I will have a shipment coming for my tank. Going to TIm's to help was also so I could see it in person before I ordered my 150 pounds or so of it. Now that my tank is apparently in I should be up in short order.

One thing I did learn with Tim though was that we need a spotlight, picks, and a turkey baster or such to find and get to all the critters. I had a blast going through the rock though. It really was like a chrsitmas morning for me. Plus it was fun to see how excited his kids were to see crabs and such. Them getting involved and interested in the tank will only help Tim get more stuff. LOL

No doubt on all accounts! Thanks again for the help Soulpatch!!

 

[Cabo2008]

Looks good Tim!

No more tap water now!