Seting up a 14 gallon biocube
- Thread starter klok95330
- Start date
It does look hideous now with the diatoms all over everything :/ even a tad bit of brown hair algae. But at the same time, other things are popping up too. Spots of green algae and even what looks like some sort of fern macro algae now. The hermits are eating slowly as of now. But the snails are being shipped to me Monday and should be here within 48 hours. So I'll post before and after shots so you guys can see the transformation. And a guy in town has some awesome frags for sale for 10-15 bucks each. A few I know I'm going to want are various zoas and hammer coral, GSP, mushrooms, maybe a Kenya tree/leather/colt. Still on the fence on others but for now these I am going to have.
I think I would have done everything differently. First let me say this. If I do it differently its for my own desire/ideas.
First I would have saved the money up and bought all live rock from my lfs. Also sand and water all at once. Then two days later(or once sand settles) add a fish. Then a week later add more. And after that same week put my cleaners in. This eliminates all ammonia spike and doesn't give room to putting a shrimp in to let it rot or losing a fish to high ammonia.
And the order that I put things in is different from yours. What will cleaners clean if there is nothing to clean. (Also shrimp are more fragile with ammonia spikes and when you add your fish in you WILL see one because your bacteria will not have survived for so long with such little food. And the ones that do will not be able to keep up with the fish once they are there).
I know everyone will do things their own way and that's fine but I would not have done them the same as you. Sorry
First I would have saved the money up and bought all live rock from my lfs. Also sand and water all at once. Then two days later(or once sand settles) add a fish. Then a week later add more. And after that same week put my cleaners in. This eliminates all ammonia spike and doesn't give room to putting a shrimp in to let it rot or losing a fish to high ammonia.
And the order that I put things in is different from yours. What will cleaners clean if there is nothing to clean. (Also shrimp are more fragile with ammonia spikes and when you add your fish in you WILL see one because your bacteria will not have survived for so long with such little food. And the ones that do will not be able to keep up with the fish once they are there).
I know everyone will do things their own way and that's fine but I would not have done them the same as you. Sorry
I did use all live rock, I decided against man made simply because it cost more to ship than to buy. I said no and used all live rock.
But true, I wouldn't use a fish to cycle because ammonia and fish aren't cool together. So yes, we will do things differently. Don't feel sorry. I did it my way for a reason. And when I ask for opinions, I receive them as such.
But true, I wouldn't use a fish to cycle because ammonia and fish aren't cool together. So yes, we will do things differently. Don't feel sorry. I did it my way for a reason. And when I ask for opinions, I receive them as such.
Progressing nicely !
Before cycle
After cycle
One of the scarlet hermits chillin
Blue leg hermit about to switch shells
Some sort of fern algae, its really hard to see. iphone pic, no camera :/
Cheato in sump with LED external sump light hard to see
Bubbles only during the day when light is on.... never happens when its off
Mess bag in back to prevent micro bubbles from getting to the return pump, bag has filter floss and some left over crushed coral which can help with bacteria back there too
More bubbles and some green algae and brown... diatoms or some form of ugly algae? waiting for clean up crew to save the tank!
After cycle
One of the scarlet hermits chillin
Blue leg hermit about to switch shells
Some sort of fern algae, its really hard to see. iphone pic, no camera :/
Cheato in sump with LED external sump light hard to see
Bubbles only during the day when light is on.... never happens when its off
Mess bag in back to prevent micro bubbles from getting to the return pump, bag has filter floss and some left over crushed coral which can help with bacteria back there too
More bubbles and some green algae and brown... diatoms or some form of ugly algae? waiting for clean up crew to save the tank!
Ok so there are my updates. Will do a short video tonight when kids are in bed.
My levels are as follows.
Salinity (SG) 1.028 (tad high, I want it around 1.027. Using refractometer)
Temp 78.3 (digital thermometer with probe)
All tests done using API test kits
Ammonia 0 (non detectable)
Nitrite 0 (non detectable)
Nitrate 0 (non detectable using color table)
Phosphate 0 (non detectable)
Alkalinity 9
Calcium 520 (going up? any ideas as to why?, could have been a messed up test. going to redo test tonight, its normally around 480 using API test kit)
PH 7.8-7.9 (taken when display light was on and sump LED light off)
Brown algae is not getting worse or anything but it is unsightly for now. I'm not cleaning or anything. The hermits are slowly doing what they can, until the snails get here. They shipped today.
Green algae is also growing too. So it looks like it is normal thus far.
My levels are as follows.
Salinity (SG) 1.028 (tad high, I want it around 1.027. Using refractometer)
Temp 78.3 (digital thermometer with probe)
All tests done using API test kits
Ammonia 0 (non detectable)
Nitrite 0 (non detectable)
Nitrate 0 (non detectable using color table)
Phosphate 0 (non detectable)
Alkalinity 9
Calcium 520 (going up? any ideas as to why?, could have been a messed up test. going to redo test tonight, its normally around 480 using API test kit)
PH 7.8-7.9 (taken when display light was on and sump LED light off)
Brown algae is not getting worse or anything but it is unsightly for now. I'm not cleaning or anything. The hermits are slowly doing what they can, until the snails get here. They shipped today.
Green algae is also growing too. So it looks like it is normal thus far.
Clean up crew got here today! Some good news and bad new. Since weve had like 90 degree + days they were in bad shape. The package was not handled well at all by USPS. The box was all kinds of beat up. So I did loose all 5 florida ceriths though
but on a positive note.... instead of giving me 12 dwarf ceriths I got like 65 haha I only ordered like 12. But I got a ton!!!! ranging from 1/8th inch to 3/8ths of an inch. But they are all in there and going to town! will post pics in a day or so!
but on a positive note.... instead of giving me 12 dwarf ceriths I got like 65 haha I only ordered like 12. But I got a ton!!!! ranging from 1/8th inch to 3/8ths of an inch. But they are all in there and going to town! will post pics in a day or so!
almost all of the brown algae is gone. except for on the back wall and they are working on that. there is some green hair algae in there on 1 particular rock and where the old coralline algae is (now bleached white) bright green algae is covering the now white dead coralline algae.
They also sent me some sea lettuce... so... I trimmed my cheato in the media basket and added the sea lettuce to the sump as well
pics and video coming tonight!
They also sent me some sea lettuce... so... I trimmed my cheato in the media basket and added the sea lettuce to the sump as well
pics and video coming tonight!
Video is uploading now. A small update...
I placed 2 little jars of copepods in the tank about 3 weeks ago... and today just a few minutes ago, I have hundreds... thousands of copepod babies or fry I guess, all over the walls and back wall of the tank. Soo many of them. All my diatoms are gone. I'm getting green algae and some hair algae and some other sort of algae that is in the video I'm not sure what kind good or bad. But it does give it a natural type of look. So I'm probably gonna keep it there but trim as needed.
Video coming soon you guys! But please bare with me its only an Iphone video, I don't have a camera/camcorder just yet... so will work on that soon!
Thanks you guys!
I placed 2 little jars of copepods in the tank about 3 weeks ago... and today just a few minutes ago, I have hundreds... thousands of copepod babies or fry I guess, all over the walls and back wall of the tank. Soo many of them. All my diatoms are gone. I'm getting green algae and some hair algae and some other sort of algae that is in the video I'm not sure what kind good or bad. But it does give it a natural type of look. So I'm probably gonna keep it there but trim as needed.
Video coming soon you guys! But please bare with me its only an Iphone video, I don't have a camera/camcorder just yet... so will work on that soon!
Thanks you guys!
Ok, I have tons of feather dusters on my back wall. These things are multiplying fast! I like them though. Also, I have a couple hundred, of what only resemble baby starfish to the naked eye. They are small and are clear/white with a center body and 5 legs like a starfish. They are too small to make out a breed as of yet though. But they are all over my glass. The copepods are also multiplying like crazy as well! I haven't as of yet noticed any coralline growth though. My calcium is 500 and my Alk is 10, but I cannot for the life of me get my Ph above 7.6-7.8. Day, night lid open or dosing does not raise it. Im wondering if the Ph this low could pose a problem?
I have a check coming in the mail and wife has gave me the ok to set aside 200 dollars for corals any ideas? I'm gonna stay away from SPS for now. So far I'm thinking of, GSP, various zoas, mushrooms/rics, a leather coral/tree coral, torch coral/duncans, acan, brain/hammer
Any ideas on these issues is greatly appreciated!
I have a check coming in the mail and wife has gave me the ok to set aside 200 dollars for corals
any ideas? I'm gonna stay away from SPS for now. So far I'm thinking of, GSP, various zoas, mushrooms/rics, a leather coral/tree coral, torch coral/duncans, acan, brain/hammerAny ideas on these issues is greatly appreciated!
Wooooohoooo! We got corals!
Went to the LFS today cause I got some extra money..... and picked up some frags! 2 zoa colony frags, 1 blasto frag, 1 chalice frag, 1 acan frag, 1 hammer, 1 Duncan, 1 candy cane with 1 head and another splitting into two more
everything but the zoas were 15 each. going back in the next week or so to another store for some more.
Pics once they open up! Maybe after a day or so! Also picked up some oyster feast so I can target feed every now and then. I would like to feed the Duncans.. but would they take that? I'm going to do some more research on them. Pics like I said once they open up!
Went to the LFS today cause I got some extra money..... and picked up some frags! 2 zoa colony frags, 1 blasto frag, 1 chalice frag, 1 acan frag, 1 hammer, 1 Duncan, 1 candy cane with 1 head and another splitting into two more
everything but the zoas were 15 each. going back in the next week or so to another store for some more.
Pics once they open up! Maybe after a day or so! Also picked up some oyster feast so I can target feed every now and then. I would like to feed the Duncans.. but would they take that? I'm going to do some more research on them. Pics like I said once they open up!
Any pics yet?
Ok small update:
I picked up some corals as you can see. I noticed my light was not really spreading so for now, I removed the lenses off the LED's, so its dispursing better, but looks a tad dimmer, so..... I pulled the trigger and ordered 6 more cree LED's, 3 royal blue and 3 neutral white and 2 drivers, 1 just in case. Corals seem to love it. I do target feed my acan, hammer, blasto, candy cane, chalice?(coral furthest to the right with oyster feast), Duncan. They seem to love it.
I have since adding the corals, noticed a few flat worms.... wondering if I should pick up a 6 line wrasse to take care of them? Suggestions? Oh and I picked up a small clownfish. He seems to be doing great. Nitrates 0, calcium 500, alk 10, ph 7.8, temp 77.3, phos 0, nitrite 0, ammonia 0, salinity 1.027
I picked up some corals as you can see. I noticed my light was not really spreading so for now, I removed the lenses off the LED's, so its dispursing better, but looks a tad dimmer, so..... I pulled the trigger and ordered 6 more cree LED's, 3 royal blue and 3 neutral white and 2 drivers, 1 just in case. Corals seem to love it. I do target feed my acan, hammer, blasto, candy cane, chalice?(coral furthest to the right with oyster feast), Duncan. They seem to love it.
I have since adding the corals, noticed a few flat worms.... wondering if I should pick up a 6 line wrasse to take care of them? Suggestions? Oh and I picked up a small clownfish. He seems to be doing great. Nitrates 0, calcium 500, alk 10, ph 7.8, temp 77.3, phos 0, nitrite 0, ammonia 0, salinity 1.027
Thank you sir! I do appreciate it when people let me know what they think
update:
Picked up a magnesium test kit.... levels are at 1200 .... so once lights go out today, I'm doing a 4g water change. Also picked up a six line wrasse. We'll see if he cant help with the flat worms issue.