homer1475's Biocube 29 Build Thread

[ReefWreak]

Is this because I'm not using the spacers on my biocube? Or is something else going on with my vortechs? Should I be using the spacers?

AHHHH gotta use the spacers on a biocube!!!! That's what burnt out the bearings on my old one. I wish it were more clear with the instructions. I bought my original one second hand so it didn't include a spacer, and by the time I realized I needed one, it was too late

 

[homer1475]

Well it seems as though my very first coral (hammer) has decided to split, both heads at the same time!!

I noticed the other day that both mouths looked very closed up(almost fused together). Today it looks as though they are splitting, but was me a little worried(never experienced this yet), is this large bubble between the 2 mouths. Both heads have this bubble between the mouths.



I've read that when they decided to split in this manner, that it's normal for the original mouth to fuse together then split into 2 mouths resulting in another head. Someone correct me if I'm wrong?

 

[soulpatch]

I got a similar bubble with my one split of my hammer

 

[ReefWreak]

I haven't noticed a bubble in the mouth, but I have noticed that before mine split, they're all shrunken up for a week or so. It's a good sign though! Keep the good times rollin'.

 

[homer1475]

Just placed an order from austin corals for a few acan frags. Their prices are pretty decent(any 2 to 4 head frag is roughly 12 to 15$ bucks), and shipping is a measly 39$ to anywhere in the continental US. Even with shipping, it beats the h*ll out of my LFS prices. The frag I have as my avatar was 40$. I got 5 frags for what 2 would cost me at my LFS, and in colors I've only seen online(think lots of purples, blues, and yellows).

 

[soulpatch]

link? I would like to check them out

 

[Henry1953]

I bought the same puck you have from rapid led but I also installed the 120 degree lens and I get full coverage. You should get one and try it. It installs very easily.

 

[homer1475]

Small update:

Hammer coral has finished splitting, and I now have 4 heads instead of 2. I also noticed that my frogspawn split at some point(2 heads now). Where its located I did not notice the very small second head that is directly behind the first. Everything seems to be going well and everything is finally starting to grow.

Killed a few aiptasia I found using just boiling water(assuming I got them as I don't see them today, but will keep an eye on them) and a syringe. Fish all doing well, Cocoa worm grew his crowns back and bigger then they originally were, so he's apparently happy and being well fed. Still having some issues with my MP10's though. I changed my programming to lagoon at night and reef crest during the day, and sometimes they decouple and the dry side chatters on the glass. I'm worried the banging could eventually crack the glass? I do have the spacers in place, but when they decouple, if I remove the spacer they will recouple, if not they just sit and chatter. Quite annoying, and I'm beginning to think these vortech pumps aren't all they are cracked up to be.

 

[soulpatch]

Sorry to hear about the vortech. Those stories and the inability to aim are why I have thus far stayed away.

VERY cool with the hammer and frogspawn. It is awesome to know you are doing something right and they corals are growing. I also understand how you cant see all the heads. I have a torch that easily has 7 heads when I bought it with 3 but I can't easily see the other heads as they all are on one another when it is open and she never fully closes...

For killing the aipstasia did you just have a pot of boiling water, syringe it up, and then shoot into the hole where the aipstasia was? I wonder if that would work for my palys. I could stick a needle on it if needed to ensure I shot into the actual polyp...

 

[homer1475]

That is exactly what I did. Couple full syringe shots of boiling water directly on it (open)took care of it.

First full syringe made is wither up, waited a while and it was still there and open(GRRR!!!), second shot made it lose some tentacles, third shot caused it to really wither up and I was able to reverse the syringe and suck it right out of the rock.

 

[ReefWreak]

I'm not sure how I feel about the boiling water (including exposing a plastic syringe to boiling water then injecting that into the tank). If you need to kill something, just use kalk, and do a little bit at a time. That way it dissolves it too. I'm not sure if the boiling will just explode the aiptasia, potentially spreading it, or kill it in a way that keeps it dead.

That's really annoying with the vortech. I would email ecotech and tell them you're using the proper spacer and everything (only 1 spacer, on the outside only, right?) and still having problems with it chattering and falling off.

The chattering I could see if there was too much space between the wet and dry sides, then leading to it falling off. I would just double check that when you bought one, it wasn't one pack, which might have been two stacked together. I know my pump got much better with one spacer on it, so I'm surprised that you're having disconnection issues with only one, particularly since we have the same tank and presumably the same pumps.

 

[homer1475]

I did do a lot of research(from kalk paste(cant get to its hole for that method), boiling water, aiptasiaX, to boiling lemon juice) on it before coming to the conclusion of boiling water. It kills it in a manner that doesn't allow it to spread(kills and melts it).

Only one spacer was in the box, now you have me thinking..... going to go check if there is 2 stuck together(they are pretty thick, probably 1/4 inch?).

 

[homer1475]

yup only one spacer, and its an 1/8 inch thick. I do notice better adhesion to the dry side if I don't use the spacer, but it makes a squealing noise. I'm going to call ecotech to morrow and see what they say. It's really odd since its only one pump, the other stays connected and doesn't chatter at all.

 

[homer1475]

Seeing as my PH has been dropping to around 7.3 at night, and never getting over 7.5 during the day, I decided to add an airline to my skimmer that stretches outside. So far just an hour after I added the hose, my PH has raised to 7.7. Hoping this increases it even more, or perhaps my PH probe needs to be calibrated?

Been thinking about heavily modifying the biocube......

Been thinking about doing a 20G sump with an overflow, drilling the back of the biocube and removing the back wall for more display room. I can get just a bare biocube tank for like 120$, do the modifications to that, then transfer everything over. Any recommendations or thoughts on delving into this project?

My thinking is I can get my feet wet with a sump setup for when I finally decide to upgrade to a larger tank. It will also offer me the chance to use a real skimmer, pull some of the rock from the DT and throw in the sump allowing for more room for the fish, and room for growing macro algae.

 

[cmcoker]

Seeing as my PH has been dropping to around 7.3 at night, and never getting over 7.5 during the day, I decided to add an airline to my skimmer that stretches outside. So far just an hour after I added the hose, my PH has raised to 7.7. Hoping this increases it even more, or perhaps my PH probe needs to be calibrated?

Been thinking about heavily modifying the biocube......

Been thinking about doing a 20G sump with an overflow, drilling the back of the biocube and removing the back wall for more display room. I can get just a bare biocube tank for like 120$, do the modifications to that, then transfer everything over. Any recommendations or thoughts on delving into this project?

My thinking is I can get my feet wet with a sump setup for when I finally decide to upgrade to a larger tank. It will also offer me the chance to use a real skimmer, pull some of the rock from the DT and throw in the sump allowing for more room for the fish, and room for growing macro algae.

Google "biocube resource guide", several tanks in there that had been modified for a sump, don't know about removing the back wall though..

 

[ReefWreak]

I would calibrate, even if you can just compare test results against a test kit you might already have. Better than nothing. If not, then you can order online a few of the pH solution packets. I bought larger tubs off ebay, with the hopes that I can re use them a few times. I haven't re-calibrated my pH probe since initial installation

I run my skimmer intake to the outside of the cube, but not outside of my home (as I can't). It helps keep the pH between 7.7 and 8.1. 7.5 is low (but could be a calibration issue).

I wouldn't bother doing that project in the biocube. If you really want to get a setup going, get a 40B from petco on their dollar per gallon sales (or used locally or something), drill that, and then do a sump too (maybe another 40B with a skimmer and refugium or frag tank?). And just keep the 29g going as a QT tank, or separate themed tank (anemone tank) or just sell it when the other system is up and running.

Always gonna have the bug to upgrade! I want to so bad, even to 75g. I just can't/won't right now. no upgrades till I leave NYC. And we have a frag swap this weekend but my tank is already too full

 

[homer1475]

I was thinking of doing(and still heavily leaning towards) doing a 40B DT and 40B sump, with a coast to coast bean animal overflow. Would be roughly 70 to 75G total water volume, and give me a big enough sump to pod farm(my wife really wants a mandy!!).

I've already decided I'm going to keep the cube running with 90% of the coral thats in it, and only transfer the fish, and some of the larger corals to the new tank. I've never used a sump setup before, wet dry filtration with bioballs was just becoming popular when I originally got out of the hobby, so it intrigues me.

Unfortunately I have the upgrade bug, but don't have the funds to get a totally new setup going properly yet. So this idea gives me a project and satisfies the upgrade bug for a while. I have seen a few drilled biocube threads around, but none have removed the plastic wall. It's only siliconed in place and should remove fairly easy.

 

[homer1475]

Upgrade bug slightly satisfied. I just bought a 1G halfmoon tank for my wives beta. Actually got it for 2$ at petco with all my reward points that were about to expire. LMAO!!

 

[soulpatch]

Yeah go 40b tanks as opposed to doing anything with the cube. I might grab the overflow and sump from CABO for mine but just as a test and something to tinker with. I might have a tank day at my house where he can come up to bring it over or I will meet him in MD somewhere.

Coast to coast isnt really needed. Nice sure but figure if you are processing the same amount of flow through the plumbing then it will just create more or less "pull" on the surface and with pumps in there you will get everything. If I were you and did a 40B project I would get the synergy overflow from BRS and call it a day. 2 holes drilled and you are good to go. You could drill for returns as well but I would just run them over the rim personally until you get the money to buy the "next 10 year tank".

 

[ReefWreak]

Also, if you really have the bug, just keep your eyes on craigslist. I see so many deals on medium-sized (65-120) tank setups for as much as you'd spend on a biocube and plumbing that you'd be amazed... There's fun to be had in DIY, but it all depends on your priorities, and more often than not, as much as it pains me to say it, DIY ends up being more expensive than just buying fully done (particularly if it's used).