reef cuber
New member
My 32 biocube tank has been up since March this year. I do a 25% water change weekly (sometimes it's 2 weeks I admit).. I also siphon all the sand I can access when I do every water change. I had the brown diatom bloom a few months after set up which cleared up on it's own.
Everything has been clean, no algae on the rocks, just the thin film on the glass. I have a sand sifter starfish that's been in the tank for 3 months and seems to be doing well, even growing back an arm he lost. Coraline is spreading. Cleaning crew is cleaning (hermits and snails). I have 2 small fish in the tank. Each fish had been added about 2 months apart.
I started out with well tap water but now use RO water, about the time the cyano appeared. (I plan to test just the RO water tonight) I have Ferris Oxide and carbon in my filtration. All levels tested by myself and LFS has been good, though my tests lately have shown higher nitrates and ammonia.
All corals are doing well and growing, the toadstool is the only one that stays "withdrawn" and he is in the lower current area of the tank which might be his problem. Nothing has died that I can find. I feed a tiny bit of reef roid, phyto feast and oyster feast when I direct feed corals and a few small 1/4" shrimp pieces for my hermits, shrimp and decorator crab, and 1/4" square piece of frozen brine shrimp for my fish. I feed every 3 days.
Since I started with the RO, I have a ton of cyno on the sand. Just in the corner where the 1 power heads current peters out. I've siphoned it out in the last two cleanings.
I am thinking that I shouldn't be siphoning my sand so much. I only have 1 to 1-1/2" of sand so not a lot.
Should I siphon it at all? Do half a side at a time? Am I taking out too much of the good bacteria?
I also want to know if my filtration needs to be change for something different. You read one way is good by one person and then next says it's bad.
The vendor didn't provide anything but a frame and flat carbon filter. I took it out and put bio media (porous stones) in a bag along with carbon and ferris oxide each in a bag, and 3 different coarseness of sponge filters, including floss in the center compartment. I don't have a skimmer though I am thinking about it. I am also looking at a Refugium to put under the tank and remove the sponges. I don't pull out the sponges to clean, just change the floss every water change.
Should I clean the sponges?
I need to do another water change tonight, I planned to use a baster to suck up the cyano on the surface of the sand and change just the water. Change my carbon and Ferris Oxide out for fresh, change the floss filtration.
I am also thinking of adding another power head to hit the area where the cyano is, and put them on a timer alternating 4 hours at at time.... so not to burn them out. Most of my corals are medium flow so I am concerned about too much flow.
I would rather not use any chemicals if I can help it. I am sure that I am doing something wrong or I need to change something in my set up. Any input would be helpful.
Everything has been clean, no algae on the rocks, just the thin film on the glass. I have a sand sifter starfish that's been in the tank for 3 months and seems to be doing well, even growing back an arm he lost. Coraline is spreading. Cleaning crew is cleaning (hermits and snails). I have 2 small fish in the tank. Each fish had been added about 2 months apart.
I started out with well tap water but now use RO water, about the time the cyano appeared. (I plan to test just the RO water tonight) I have Ferris Oxide and carbon in my filtration. All levels tested by myself and LFS has been good, though my tests lately have shown higher nitrates and ammonia.
All corals are doing well and growing, the toadstool is the only one that stays "withdrawn" and he is in the lower current area of the tank which might be his problem. Nothing has died that I can find. I feed a tiny bit of reef roid, phyto feast and oyster feast when I direct feed corals and a few small 1/4" shrimp pieces for my hermits, shrimp and decorator crab, and 1/4" square piece of frozen brine shrimp for my fish. I feed every 3 days.
Since I started with the RO, I have a ton of cyno on the sand. Just in the corner where the 1 power heads current peters out. I've siphoned it out in the last two cleanings.
I am thinking that I shouldn't be siphoning my sand so much. I only have 1 to 1-1/2" of sand so not a lot.
Should I siphon it at all? Do half a side at a time? Am I taking out too much of the good bacteria?
I also want to know if my filtration needs to be change for something different. You read one way is good by one person and then next says it's bad.
The vendor didn't provide anything but a frame and flat carbon filter. I took it out and put bio media (porous stones) in a bag along with carbon and ferris oxide each in a bag, and 3 different coarseness of sponge filters, including floss in the center compartment. I don't have a skimmer though I am thinking about it. I am also looking at a Refugium to put under the tank and remove the sponges. I don't pull out the sponges to clean, just change the floss every water change.
Should I clean the sponges?
I need to do another water change tonight, I planned to use a baster to suck up the cyano on the surface of the sand and change just the water. Change my carbon and Ferris Oxide out for fresh, change the floss filtration.
I am also thinking of adding another power head to hit the area where the cyano is, and put them on a timer alternating 4 hours at at time.... so not to burn them out. Most of my corals are medium flow so I am concerned about too much flow.
I would rather not use any chemicals if I can help it. I am sure that I am doing something wrong or I need to change something in my set up. Any input would be helpful.
