Ninjafish's new cube diary.
- Thread starter ninjafish
- Start date
ninjafish
New member
Hey bud. Actually, I go back to work tomorrow and it will be the first visit after five days. I am taking a water change with me and planning on cleaning the glass and topping off my topoff bucket...
I may take the damsel out too...
I'll let you know how it goes.
Cheers,
- Chad
I may take the damsel out too...
I'll let you know how it goes.
Cheers,
- Chad
ninjafish
New member
Haha thanks Pat... I think 
My topoff is a little unconventional... I am using a laboratory/industrial grade metering pump by Advantage Controls. I had to use it because of my 'no visible equipment but no sump either' plans, but really, any topoff should do the trick if you are just dripping it into a sump or main tank.
And you wont be dissapointed with that bulb - great color.
- Chad
My topoff is a little unconventional... I am using a laboratory/industrial grade metering pump by Advantage Controls. I had to use it because of my 'no visible equipment but no sump either' plans, but really, any topoff should do the trick if you are just dripping it into a sump or main tank.
And you wont be dissapointed with that bulb - great color.
- Chad
ninjafish
New member
Well, I was in for a bit of an unpleasant surprise when I got in to work. I found hair algae growing on the sand! I've never had hair algae before.
A co worker of mine 'helpfully' added a green chromis and two damsels to the tank. I siphoned out the affected sand and removed the fish. I believe that my setup has reasonably good filtration but one little mantis places a surprising amount of bioload on the ststem. Fortunately things are now looking more as they should. I have let everyone in the office know that I will stuggle to care for the tank with my own meager skills and I do not need anymore 'help'.
I have tried fish myself in the past. But this experience has made up my mind that this aquarium is not a 'fish tank' - it is a nano reef showcasing a mantis shrimp, that's it.
Cheers,
- Chad
A co worker of mine 'helpfully' added a green chromis and two damsels to the tank. I siphoned out the affected sand and removed the fish. I believe that my setup has reasonably good filtration but one little mantis places a surprising amount of bioload on the ststem. Fortunately things are now looking more as they should. I have let everyone in the office know that I will stuggle to care for the tank with my own meager skills and I do not need anymore 'help'.
I have tried fish myself in the past. But this experience has made up my mind that this aquarium is not a 'fish tank' - it is a nano reef showcasing a mantis shrimp, that's it.
Cheers,
- Chad
ninjafish
New member
Sorry man. I haven't picked up any more corals. Last weekend I added $30 worth of hermits and snails, but... they're all gone now...
I am going to swap some of the sand in the sand bed next week and take some more photos then. I am pleased to announce that Ike has been much more active now that there are no fish in the tank.
- Chad
I am going to swap some of the sand in the sand bed next week and take some more photos then. I am pleased to announce that Ike has been much more active now that there are no fish in the tank.
- Chad
leeweber85
New member
I love your thread and am proud of your success with it, but Wow, I can't believe somebody would just add fish to it for you.... I would be so angry! You got lucky that nothing extremely bad happened.... I bet it's hard to tell them "do not touch" without coming off as an ***.
ninjafish
New member
Lee,
I know. I was really ticked off. I felt like "I've got over $1000 invested in this tiny tank and you were going to ruin it all. Seeing as I have a few years' experience and have spent hundreds of hours studying this hobby, how 'bout you just let me take care of it." In the end I didn't have to say anything at all. My other coworkers jumped on him pretty good - and me taking the fish out and giving them away sent a pretty clear message as well.
Thanks,
- Chad
I know. I was really ticked off. I felt like "I've got over $1000 invested in this tiny tank and you were going to ruin it all. Seeing as I have a few years' experience and have spent hundreds of hours studying this hobby, how 'bout you just let me take care of it." In the end I didn't have to say anything at all. My other coworkers jumped on him pretty good - and me taking the fish out and giving them away sent a pretty clear message as well.
Thanks,
- Chad
Patio
Member
This is weird, I am even angry at your coworkers.
When are you going to start selling these setups?
www.deskcube.com is not taken yet.
When are you going to start selling these setups?
www.deskcube.com is not taken yet.
ninjafish
New member
Pat,
Haha I would love to build these things and sell them. Infact, building them is what I enjoy even more than keeping them. Unfortunately I don't think there is any margin for profit in it. Maybe if I was just selling the cubes with bulkheads drilled, but the other equipment that goes into the setup is kinda pricey and you have to find it second hand or off of ebay to keep the prices down. Even then, it costs more than what a sane and rational person would spend on a nano-sized tank . And if I actually paid retail prices for this stuff... :eek1:
The eheim I am currently using was given to me by a buddy but sells for $350-$400US in the stores. I was fortunate to pick up my dosing pump for 'only' $300 but it usually sells for $1200US
. If I ever sold this tank, I would be really pushing it to recover the money that I spent, nevermind what it would cost someone else to put together...
- Chad
Haha I would love to build these things and sell them. Infact, building them is what I enjoy even more than keeping them. Unfortunately I don't think there is any margin for profit in it. Maybe if I was just selling the cubes with bulkheads drilled, but the other equipment that goes into the setup is kinda pricey and you have to find it second hand or off of ebay to keep the prices down. Even then, it costs more than what a sane and rational person would spend on a nano-sized tank
. And if I actually paid retail prices for this stuff... :eek1: The eheim I am currently using was given to me by a buddy but sells for $350-$400US in the stores. I was fortunate to pick up my dosing pump for 'only' $300 but it usually sells for $1200US
. If I ever sold this tank, I would be really pushing it to recover the money that I spent, nevermind what it would cost someone else to put together...- Chad
leeweber85
New member
Hey, how hard was it to install the heater and top-off into the canister filter? I'm thinking about doing that with my 5.5 It's a really good idea! oh and what size of bulkhead are you using?
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ninjafish
New member
The heater and lights were really simple to install inside the cannister. The topoff is just tied into my return line. Just make sure that you drill the hole so small that the wires will just barely squeeze through if forced. Then silicone both sides of the hole like crazy!
Cheers,
- Chad
Cheers,
- Chad
pnsnowboard
New member
great looking tank
