My Shallow Cube Build Thread

[cham]

Some updates.

I added a 36w UV unit to my tank to hopefully help me keep my fish healthy. I don't plan on running it full time, maybe on for a few weeks anytime I add new fish or see an issue.


I also added a frag tank. 20g tall with a Koralia 3, Current four bulb T5 with two ATI blue plus, one GE 6500 & one KZ fiji purple.

 

[cham]

Picked up a few new corals.

Both are very large & I don't have room for them but I couldn't pass them up.

Some type of pinkish tabling acro with white polyps. Very large piece. Brought back from CA this week (I hate the people in CA!)

This is a teal colored stag with dark blue polyps. I couldn't get a picture of this guy from the top both corals are in my frag/QT tank to watch for a few days.

 

[ricefootball]

pump

pump

do you turn off your main pump when you feed? If so, what happens to your water? Are you able to keep it from filling the sump?

 

[cham]

Re: pump

Re: pump

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14611276#post14611276 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ricefootball
do you turn off your main pump when you feed? If so, what happens to your water? Are you able to keep it from filling the sump?

I don't, I've never been worried about the small scraps that go into the overflow. The tank is more than capable of handling it.

And yes, on the rare occasion I do turn the main pump off it does not over flow my sump. Thats a requirement for me.

No check valves either, they all eventually fail and also create a lot of head pressure.

 

[Colione]

awesome tank!

I just spent about 2 hours reading through it all.

I think I wanna buy a BRS GFO and Carbon reactor. Looks great!

 

[cham]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14613090#post14613090 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Colione
awesome tank!

I just spent about 2 hours reading through it all.

I think I wanna buy a BRS GFO and Carbon reactor. Looks great!

Thanks colione, there have been lots of changes and transformations to this tank and I'm still not happy. I've had a number of setbacks that have kept my corals brown but I'm hoping all this comes to an end soon.

I love my BRS reactor, great design.

 

[cham]

A LFS talked me into a clown goby for my tank and after acclimation I put it in the tank and see its a citron goby instead. No biggie, these guys like to hang out on SPS branches.

Yes, and eat them.

This guy has done a number on every piece of SPS in my tank. I've got several bare spots on colonies where he has chewed on them so long.

He is such a fast fish I was very anxious about catching him. I thought about it for a few days and decided to go get two pieces of metal strip and window screen from Ace hardware.

I zip tied the screen to the metal strips, found the citron on a rock on the right side of my tank and within 5 minutes he was out of my tank. I couldn't believe how easy it was.

Anyone with open rockscapes needs one of these.

You can almost see him under this rock circled in red.

 

[melev]

Glad you caught him. When I had to extract 'Fang' from my reef, I used 1" tubing and siphoned him out of his favorite colony.

 

[cham]

Some updates. The system overall is going well. I've had some cyano outbreaks on the sand. I was feeding Rod's food heavily every morning and someone suggested that may have too much small particles getting into the sandbed. Overall the tank is just now starting to settle and begin to mature. Hopefully I'll see some better colors over time.

Lots of pics from my DT & frag tank.

 

[cham]

 

[cham]

Going a new direction with my tank.

I started Prodibio this week along with Zeovit AA's.

<a href="http://s64.photobucket.com/albums/h187/cham_01/?action=view&current=Reef2912364.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h187/cham_01/Reef2912364.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[tufacody]

When I first saw this thread I said to myself - man, I've got to have a cube like that! So I went and got one, and like you I tore it down about 6 months later and replaced it with an oceanic tech. Just rediscovered your thread. Biggest mistake I've ever made in this hobby. The acrlyic would scratch if I looked at it, and it was so tough to get the algae off of it. I spilled water everytime I made the slightest adjustment, I had to be ultra-careful with powerhead placement, and my snails would crawl out. Man it was a "B". So much happier now, and I bet you are too.

 

[cham]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15060346#post15060346 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tufacody
When I first saw this thread I said to myself - man, I've got to have a cube like that! So I went and got one, and like you I tore it down about 6 months later and replaced it with an oceanic tech. Just rediscovered your thread. Biggest mistake I've ever made in this hobby. The acrlyic would scratch if I looked at it, and it was so tough to get the algae off of it. I spilled water everytime I made the slightest adjustment, I had to be ultra-careful with powerhead placement, and my snails would crawl out. Man it was a "B". So much happier now, and I bet you are too.

Exactly. Mine never scratched but I drove myself nuts trying to keep it perfect without scratching it. I am happier with the new tank. I spent way too much $$ on it though.

And the new tank isn't an oceanic. I don't think Oceanic even makes rimless tanks.

 

[tufacody]

i just meant we replaced with glass, not tech

 

[Pacific Reefs]

Wow tank is looking great. I love that clam.

Oceanic makes a rimless 58g now called the Illuminata and I don't believe its starfire.

 

[cham]

Wow, the new Illuinata is awesome! Why did you guys have to show me that!


Thanks guys, my colors look ok in the above photos but those are my best corals at the best possible angles. The colors really need some help. This is why I've decided to try Prodibio and I also bought 7 160g buckets of reef crystals so I can do some more agressive waterchages. I'm thinking about doing 5g per day until the tank clears up then dropping back to 2g per day moving forward. I have the waterchage set up so that I'm only throwing switches. I could program my controller to do it but I'm a bit nervous about doing that. It only takes me less than 2 minutes to change 5g so I'll stop being a baby and keep it manual for now.

I'll keep a log to keep track of what Prodibio is doing for me. I'm trying not to make any other changes so that I can get real data on what benefits I am or am not seeing.

 

[cham]

I've been very unhappy with my colors and growth to date. I've also noticed that he back corners of my tank are getting very little light even when I raise the fixture up. I suspect my water quality and lighting to be the biggest culprits of my issues right now.

My new plan of attack is three part. Daily water changes, full prodoibio dosing and change light fixtures (again!).

I bought some reef crystals, a total of 7 160g buckets on hand, a years worth of Prodibio suppliments and I just ordered an 8 bulb ATI powermodule with four ATI Blue+, three ATI Aquablue & a KZ fiji purple.


I did order the last ATI module that Premium Aquatics is expecting in early next week. Jeremy was great to deal with!


I hope to see nice improvements.

 

[cham]

I just got word that Premium Aquatics got their shipment of ATI fixtures from Europe today so hopefully mine will be in the mail tomorrow!!

I also stopped by the LFS today and they are expecting in an ORA pearlberry. I went ahead and stuck my name on that piece. That coral has been towards the top of my wish list.

 

[tatoofr]

Hi,
Looking Good, I see you use prodibio too,
Heres the pic. I dont think you got it in my PM.
Frank[[/ OPPS

[/IMG]

 

[cham]

WOW Frank! Your tank is amazing!!!

I just started Prodibio two weeks ago, along with my ATI fixture I'm hoping for some nice changes.