d2mini's 130g Rimless Cube

[artchang]

may i know what kind of the bulkhead fitting you use? is the sch 40 or 80?
thanks a lot.

 

[d2mini]

may i know what kind of the bulkhead fitting you use? Is the sch 40 or 80?
Thanks a lot.

40

 

[d2mini]

Here's a few quick pics of the rock. I had to do a water change already (ammonia was getting up near .5 - 1.0) and I moved the rocks around now that I can actually see but was still a little cloudy when i took the pics. And it's still all pretty much temporary. These are just the base rock. More rock with more life on it is coming in the next shipment.

Oh, and I did catch a Mantis Shrimp! Found him scurrying around after I moved the rock. Scooped him up with a net and tossed him in the sump. Now he keeps going back and forth between my fuge and skimmer section. Still some popping noises though. Could just be Pistols. We'll see...

 

[Briney Dave]

If you had one its a safe bet there will be more. Might want to set a trap now before they get too settled in.
I did not have any mantis on the Florida rock that I got but there were lots of cool sponge and macro algae on it. I was hoping for some coral nubbings ect but there were any on my rock.

 

[d2mini]

If you had one its a safe bet there will be more. Might want to set a trap now before they get too settled in.
I did not have any mantis on the Florida rock that I got but there were lots of cool sponge and macro algae on it. I was hoping for some coral nubbings ect but there were any on my rock.

Ya, I'll be setting a trap. I'm drinking a bottle of diet coke right now.


Check this out. These windows face north, so no direct light but the room still lights up pretty good. This pic is from this morning with NO lights turned on! I think I may be saving on electricity. LOL!

 

[Luckylouse]

Corals wouldn't do very well while cycling the tank anyways. It's rare for them to live through a solid cylce.

I would be doing water changes, running a skimmer for the first 2 weeks of cylling. You are defeating the purpose. You want the Ammonia at this point. Feed that bacteria.
I would also reduce the light period. That's just going to cause unwanted Algeas while you have high nutrients with the cylcing. You might want to drop the curtains in the area of your tank too to reduce the light to the tank. You don't want to have to be dealing with Hair ALgea.

PS.. Tanks is really nice. It's a very good use of the space in your home. Cubes work very well in open concept homes.

 

[d2mini]

Thanks, Lucky.

The cycle should be pretty short. I'm following TBS's strict instructions.
http://tampabaysaltwater.com/thepackage/setup.html
Richard even sends a packet of new tank bacteria. And with the minimal die-off the cycle should be pretty short. Ammonia looks good today. Holding steady at .25

 

[XtremeFromHell]

wow, your tank and house both look awesome!

 

[theyammieguy]

You might want to watch those windows when summer comes around. The sun will be coming in from a different angle.

Looks good though.

 

[d2mini]

You might want to watch those windows when summer comes around. The sun will be coming in from a different angle.

Looks good though.

Thanks!
Luckily those windows never get direct light. There's an overhang and we have big old trees. And they face directly north. So it's always indirect.

 

[cubical]

Wow, a very nice cube, inspirational! I love the stand and tank and the overflow box itself is a piece of art! LOL
Awesome house as well.
Where did the second Vortech go?

 

[d2mini]

Thanks!
I'm running just the one vortech for a little while just to see what that was like before adding the second. Even just the one on medium power is blowing my sand around.

 

[d2mini]

So i tossed a bottle trap in my tank last night but no luck yet in catching any Mantis shrimp. I saw two of them in one rock so I pulled it out and did a high salinity dip (1.045) but that didn't accomplish anything. Any other tips for catching these little guys?

Meanwhile my ammonia is holding steady at .25 and I have been working on getting the wiring cleaned up and getting my ReefKeeper Lite moved over from my other tank.

 

[theyammieguy]

I'd say since your still cycling, take the rock out and leave it out for a day.

 

[d2mini]

That would defeat the purpose of getting TBS rock, and it's most likely not the only one affected anyway. The initial ammonia spike seems to be over so I should be able to get Part II of The Package soon.

 

[cet98]

That would defeat the purpose of getting TBS rock, and it's most likely not the only one affected anyway.

I totally agree....TBS rock is known to be filled with an abundance of rich life...both good and bad

I would suggest staying the course and maintain patience in your attempts to capture these "pests"....

wishing you continued success.....things are looking just spectacular so far!!!!

 

[theyammieguy]

Yeah, for some reason I was thinking you had marco rock.

 

[d2mini]

marco

POLO! :lol2:

 

[Reefer Wannabe]

Beautiful tank. I was in love with this thread (and your tank) from the start, but when you said you were getting TBS rock, I subscribed. Nice.

 

[theyammieguy]

Fish out of water