8G BioCube (25G Downsized)

[Tru2nr]

Hey everyone.... So background story on this tank. It originally started as a Mr. Aqua 25G, I then drilled the rear panel and added an external overflow that goes to a 10g 3 baffle sump with a Reef Octopus HOB 100 skimmer a TLF Phosban 150 running a quarter of the recommended amount of Biopellets. I have two digital dosing pumps for when needed and a bubble magnus return pump. For flow I'm running one Tunze 6045(740gph) and may be adding and additional 6025(425gph) once the tanks stocked. I have my return also split off to help with the common flow issues in Cubes. My lighting for now is a 24x3W DIY Bridgelux LED running at 50/50 but just ordered a Reef Radiance Lumentek Pro 120 for the tank. This will be an high end SPS dominated tank.

Now for what you all are waiting for....pictures

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[Tru2nr]

Sump area

Left side view

Right side view

Front view

Filled up and lit

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[Tru2nr]

So as of yesterday my trItes were sitting at around .5 so hopefully by Friday it'll be at 0 so I'll be able to transfer corals over if not I'm gonna have to risk it being out of town for a week and my holding tank essentially on life support will not make it a week without me lol

Here's a video of the system running so you have a better idea of the overflow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wL4GKyCxLRo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

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[plasma327]

Nice ! On your way to a good start:bouncer:

 

[Tru2nr]

Thanks it is hard going from a 180G total system to 35g but that maintenance was a bear when I'm out of town every other week for work.

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[DaveK]

.. so I'll be able to transfer corals over ...

What you want to do here is transfer only 1 or 2 corals over. If you have something really wrong, you only risk a small part of what you have. After they do well for a week or two, then move the rest.

The rest of the tank looks good. I don't think I've ever seen that much equipment on a 25 gal tank. Usually that's not really justified, but I can see that you need the tank to run unattended for long periods of time.

Good luck.

 

[Tru2nr]

What you want to do here is transfer only 1 or 2 corals over. If you have something really wrong, you only risk a small part of what you have. After they do well for a week or two, then move the rest.

The rest of the tank looks good. I don't think I've ever seen that much equipment on a 25 gal tank. Usually that's not really justified, but I can see that you need the tank to run unattended for long periods of time.

Good luck.

Yeah the equip is cuz I could be gone anywhere from 5-10 days at a time...I have a 15g ATO container. Also I don't have a choice on the corals and it really is only 1 colony and a handful of frags. I leave Sat. Morning for Hawaii and the tank the corals are in was a frag tank and the filtration/overflow system is shot on it right now(broke a few days ago). I have frags of what I have around town and I have more of a personal attachment to them versus what I actually want in my tank so as horrible as it sounds if they don't survive it won't be as if I'm loosing anything that I can't replace immediately. Its a horrible situation and the trItes are almost gone and my trAtes in the frag tank are near pretty high so I think it'll be a breath of freshwater for them.

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[whippetguy]

Following along.

 

[Tru2nr]

Glad to have you along!

Update we are at 0 trItes and around 20 trAtes...tmr is transfer day! Among many other things

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[Tru2nr]

Transfer done...

FTS

Hawkins Blue

Cali Tort

Birds of Paradise

Unknown Green Table

Unknown Acro(purple flesh cyan polyps)

Acan Lord(maybe ultra won't know until it colors up)

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[Tru2nr]

Ever wonder how nervous you can get when you set up a tank transfer everything and leave for 8 days the very next day? Let me tell you its freaking nerve wrecking. My buddy checked in on Weds and no water on floor n no death smell(he's experienced the smell of rotten coral once) but I hadn't thought too much about it( too distracted by Tahitian dancers and Hawaiian weather) until now when I'm sitting in an airport waiting to go home

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[Tru2nr]

Well everything is just fine...the usual cycle of algae is in full swing. My Cali tort is already coloring back up too

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[Tru2nr]

So I added a Red Planet from MRTY that me and a buddy had split as well as some snails

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[Tru2nr]

Ok guys ill post some pics soon....had an algae breakout thats just about gone...im seeing growth n colors on the corals thankfully...oh and ive added a black ice clown from a buddy. This is great because she was the female in her tank begore mine and ill have about a month or two before my next fish which will be a buckshot clown

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[Tru2nr]

OK I promised pics so here you go!

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[Tru2nr]

So....,its been a while, was supposed to be moving but now im not....needless to say the tank was in a state of concern...spent all day cleaning up, put a hob on to help grab up some of the gunk. Making water to do a 20% change tomorrow also put in peppermint shrimps to help the aiptasia and 2 turbos for the HA

Before

After

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[Tru2nr]

So just did first water change in god knows how long....pulled the filter off the HOB....new one in this is from 1 day of rock blowing and manual algae removal

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[Tru2nr]

So after all that work no headway was being made on the algae on the rocks. I went with the assumption that the rocks were leaching something and yesterday i pulled the rocks n power head replaced the rocks with dry rock plus a cpl small peices to seed and put in a new power head while the old one is in a vinegar soak before it goes back in....when lights come up ill post a pic

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[goma]

WOW that is quite the transformation. Keep in mind since it was in that state, it may take some time and good husbandry to get everything back in shape. Just keep up with weekly water changes using zero TDS RO/DI water and good things will start happening.

 

[Tru2nr]

WOW that is quite the transformation. Keep in mind since it was in that state, it may take some time and good husbandry to get everything back in shape. Just keep up with weekly water changes using zero TDS RO/DI water and good things will start happening.

Thanks, i had to change out rocks cuz i think that was the issue when i had my 120 everything was fine, i added a 40g inline n added these rocks i picked up on craigslist. I rinsed n soaked in rodi but never acid bathed them. The minute those rocks were added the hair algae became crazy only on those rocks until it spead...i used the same rocks when i started this cube forgetting the issues i had

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