homer1475's Biocube 29 Build Thread
- Thread starter homer1475
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soulpatch
New member
Your wife is better then mine. I went with Reef Cleaners just so I wouldnt have to deal with the entire curing process and primarily the smell. I might have been divorced by now otherwise...
homer1475
New member
Worst part is its in my spare bedroom. It's way to cold outside to let it cure in the garage. She enjoys the tank also so its more of an experiment together. In reality its her staring at the tank and me doing all the work.
On a side note, finally got the lights from TaoTronics. Now I just need a tank to show up. How long after ordering did you get yours soul? I know its coming from California, But I'm pretty sure it wouldn't take me a week to drive cross country.
On a side note, finally got the lights from TaoTronics. Now I just need a tank to show up. How long after ordering did you get yours soul? I know its coming from California, But I'm pretty sure it wouldn't take me a week to drive cross country.
champion6sigma
New member
Freight is always longer, plus depending on location....weather been up and down in some parts. Freight guy who delivered my tank was a jerk. Wouldn't let me have a minute to inspect package. I feel lucky to have a tank that was delivered not broken. I guess cad lights wrapped up important parts good, but freight person was mean. Outer packaging was damaged, wrapped too tight with that strips of something or other. Plus he didn't take it to my door. He wanted to leave it on sidewalk.
homer1475
New member
Never sign the shipping papers until you inspect the package.
Anywho, decided I would want 2 of the mars aqua lights (someone else mentioned they had an 18" tank and they had some shadowing front to back. My tank is 24" so I think I'll definitely want 2 front to back, so I just ordered another. Tomorrow I may tear into them and see if I need the Steve's board or I can wire them directly to the apex.
Now I just need to order a few plumbing parts, brace my floors, and fill it up. I think this may be wet sooner then I originally thought.
Anywho, decided I would want 2 of the mars aqua lights (someone else mentioned they had an 18" tank and they had some shadowing front to back. My tank is 24" so I think I'll definitely want 2 front to back, so I just ordered another. Tomorrow I may tear into them and see if I need the Steve's board or I can wire them directly to the apex.
Now I just need to order a few plumbing parts, brace my floors, and fill it up. I think this may be wet sooner then I originally thought.
champion6sigma
New member
I know..I didn't immediately. I ended up calling customer service, making that guy wait, and I talked to his boss on phone, and I was very upset. Plus I walked outside with a big knife at that point (for effect of course
and to open the packaging) ...but after I was satisfied....I signed. I could care less about the drivers busy schedule or last stop. Problem with not accepting with cad lights is that they took literally 2 or 3 months to get product in. I had ordered 4 months prior (I waited a LOOONNNGGGG time) so I didn't know what kind of crazy mess I'd be in if I sent it back...waited for there response (they never return calls) and how many more months it would take to get another one. I literally told that older freight guy that nobody comes to my home and pushes me around.
Interesting about lights...I think if I absolutely needed more lights I'd go with some kessils to fill in the perimeter since they take up so little room and can be positioned very well. All the flat lighting systems would seem a little weird being at an angle. A different LFS i've been going to lately has their tanks with kessils in various directions...I've had a change of heart about kessil. Simple and effective. No thought required.
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homer1475
New member
Yeah but with the mars aqua, I can light the entire tank for what it costs for one kessil. Maybe later on down the road I'll spring for some better lights, but it seems everyone who is using these, really likes them and they have no issues growing light loving SPS's. So for 300$ I'll give them a shot and see how they work out.
soulpatch
New member
Freight is not delivery so they typically do not take further then curb. You can call ahead to pay more for additional services.
champion6sigma
New member
i called ups prior to delivery date and they told me they would take to door...just not inside house. The worst thing was just the drivers attitude and rudeness. I'm usually never mean, especially when someone knows where I live, but i don't take kindly to being disrespected in my driveway.
cadlights said it was included in their delivery of product.....but day of was a different story.
oh well, its ancient history now, i've got new problems to fix
champion6sigma
New member
Thanks...I'm going to do the advice, do the water changes, I was hoping to make it until the rodi comes in but it wasn't to be. Plus looks like I will need to drop close to a 100 on the test kits....
I should have been focused on water all along but my local LFS never stressed importance of the minerals in water......I thought salinity ph and temp were main things and that occasional water changes would keep things OK. I have such a light bioload...but maybe overfeeding and poor salt water was the problem...among others...
That expensive reef salt I bought today, the largest container, should help out a lot...
This hobby is ridiculous expensive...
homer1475
New member
Someone on here has a sig line that always amuses me.
Not sure what salt you bought, but a 200G box of instant ocean reef crystals is like 52$ and will last you a while. IORC is what probably close to 50% of the reefers on here use.
champion6sigma
New member
http://www.marinedepot.com/D_D_H2Oc...quarium_Water-D_D_H2Ocean-DD2211-FISM-vi.html
My lfs uses reef crystals. Don't know what the previous lfs's I've been buying from use
My lfs uses reef crystals. Don't know what the previous lfs's I've been buying from use
homer1475
New member
Have never heard of that salt, but its kind of on the expensive side! 75$ for a 5G bucket. IORC is about 52$ for the same size, and by what it mixes up to(KH, CA, MG) its pretty close to what IORC mixes up at. The only real difference I see is the organics that they add to that D-D salt, which IMO could cause issues when storing already mixed water for long periods of time(more then a couple days).
Salt is the one place you can really blow some cash as its something you use quite a bit of. I think in the last year I've had my cube up and running, I've used 3 160G buckets of IORC. I've gotten some for a song(petco special of 30$ a bucket), but with that salt your going to use, I could have bought 4 buckets of IORC for the price of 3 of those D-D.
Ultimately its your tank, your money, and your cash, but why blow the cash uselessly on something you'll use over and over again. Why not use a product that has been tried and trusted for quite a long time, and save a few greenbacks in the process?
I even went and bought a 25G bag of plain Instant Ocean for my QT tanks when I was doing that process, and also used it for curing my rock. For something like that you don't need the additives in RC, but just plain old salt water. FYI a 25G bag of IO is like 15$ and doesn't have all the additives IORC has.
Salt is the one place you can really blow some cash as its something you use quite a bit of. I think in the last year I've had my cube up and running, I've used 3 160G buckets of IORC. I've gotten some for a song(petco special of 30$ a bucket), but with that salt your going to use, I could have bought 4 buckets of IORC for the price of 3 of those D-D.
Ultimately its your tank, your money, and your cash, but why blow the cash uselessly on something you'll use over and over again. Why not use a product that has been tried and trusted for quite a long time, and save a few greenbacks in the process?
I even went and bought a 25G bag of plain Instant Ocean for my QT tanks when I was doing that process, and also used it for curing my rock. For something like that you don't need the additives in RC, but just plain old salt water. FYI a 25G bag of IO is like 15$ and doesn't have all the additives IORC has.
homer1475
New member
Just finished ordering my plumbing parts, breakout box, pipes, elbows, valves, unions, etc, etc, that I needed to finish this build. Man my wife is going to murder me when she wakes up and sees I spent another couple hundred on this tank!
All said and done I'm probably close to 5 grand into this build. Yes this hobby can get hella expensive super fast!
All said and done I'm probably close to 5 grand into this build. Yes this hobby can get hella expensive super fast!
soulpatch
New member
I think it depends. I use IORC for the most part on the nano and to cycle my large tank. That all said I have also tried Red Sea Coral Pro which raised my alk too high at one time but was perfect towards the end so might have needed to be mixed in more. It gave me more stable numbers and mixed better then IORC.
I bought a box of HW Marine Salt from BRS over black friday and while it too is expensive it is supposed to give much cleaner numbers, mix better, and hold better in a storage tote.
I am actually totally against you on the price of salt. Yes it is something you use constantly in the tank but it provides life for everything important in the tank. Spending a bit more to get more stable numbers and better mixing goes a long way. The caking agents in IORC have caused me a couple issues in the past year plus and going to a salt without them gives a better overall experience.
And as for expensive hobby. This one is fairly cheap honestly if you start to look over hobbies. If I remove the initial investment in the tank purchase I spend more on golf then my tank. And if you want to include the initial expenses then it still pales in comparison to motorcycle racing where a weekend alone can cost me over a grand if nothing goes wrong and well above 10K when it does...
soulpatch
New member
Wait till you start buying toys for the stand/companion stand to make it look nice since you are taking your time. Better dosing containers, ato container, and more.
homer1475
New member
Meh, already have pretty much everything. 5 gallon water specific jug for ATO, and just 1 gallon plastic jugs for dosing. I'm not that into making it look super pretty, its in a stand and not seen.
Even 20 years ago I never had a problem with IORC, and still don't to this day. I prefer to mix it up and dose it as needed(personally think this aproach is cheaper, and more stable in the long run). We all do things slightly different, and all use different salt.
For me IORC is more then adequate for my needs at the moment. Whether that changes with the bigger tank or not is yet to be seen, but when I cross that road I'll reevaluate my position.
Even 20 years ago I never had a problem with IORC, and still don't to this day. I prefer to mix it up and dose it as needed(personally think this aproach is cheaper, and more stable in the long run). We all do things slightly different, and all use different salt.
For me IORC is more then adequate for my needs at the moment. Whether that changes with the bigger tank or not is yet to be seen, but when I cross that road I'll reevaluate my position.
champion6sigma
New member
Ya...I don't have a problem spending 20 bucks more...I try to save where I can by buying tax free, or using coupons...I really dont see a problem spending more as long as the quality is there. I think its easier to get the better salt than to have dosing containers, measuring out more things, testing things more often. Time will tell if its keeping my tank stable. I've read for nanos that it really doesn't matter what you use...any reef salt should work. Bigger tanks probably see the benefit of the better salt, but every system is different, all livestock is different.
I just got a speeding ticket today going to get my dumb water. So whatever savings I got from buying an RODI on sale is now just a joke...my large clown died this morning. My green mandarin died a few days ago. My small clown died last week. I spent 50 dollars on copopods which ended up dying in tank and not reproducing. I spent 60 on a crap quarantine tank which i regret. All my own stupidity and all a true waste, thats the money that hurts me thats what I remember the most..the mistakes and the regrets....needless lost from my own stupidity. 20 bucks on salt...buying radeons, vectras, I'm buying quality from what i've been told....so I'm ok with it. And i never buy used....my other philosophy. Except for vehicles or a home....something like that is a possibility.
Speeding ticket , and I wasn't in a rush, is going to be maybe 250 to the city.
Soulpatch....10k on motorcycles issues....you are a true highroller!!!
You have no need to sweat the small stuff
I think I'm close to 6k on our 50 gallon.
LFS tested magnesium I'm at around 200 , ridiculously low. I've been using reef salt which is what he makes his salt with. He didn't have a magnesium test. My alkanity was 20 extremely through roof. I've screwed up by using seachem marine buffer for PH which doesn't stay put in the 8's. Using that product often caused my alk to rise to extreme, and he believes thats whats causing my coral issues.
I just got a speeding ticket today going to get my dumb water. So whatever savings I got from buying an RODI on sale is now just a joke...my large clown died this morning. My green mandarin died a few days ago. My small clown died last week. I spent 50 dollars on copopods which ended up dying in tank and not reproducing. I spent 60 on a crap quarantine tank which i regret. All my own stupidity and all a true waste, thats the money that hurts me thats what I remember the most..the mistakes and the regrets....needless lost from my own stupidity. 20 bucks on salt...buying radeons, vectras, I'm buying quality from what i've been told....so I'm ok with it. And i never buy used....my other philosophy. Except for vehicles or a home....something like that is a possibility.
Speeding ticket , and I wasn't in a rush, is going to be maybe 250 to the city.
Soulpatch....10k on motorcycles issues....you are a true highroller!!!
You have no need to sweat the small stuff
I think I'm close to 6k on our 50 gallon.
LFS tested magnesium I'm at around 200 , ridiculously low. I've been using reef salt which is what he makes his salt with. He didn't have a magnesium test. My alkanity was 20 extremely through roof. I've screwed up by using seachem marine buffer for PH which doesn't stay put in the 8's. Using that product often caused my alk to rise to extreme, and he believes thats whats causing my coral issues.
