I guess I started my "build thread" in the Meet & Greet section. Feel free to visit, Newby with a Nano Reef! And I liked @Blopple's build format, so borrowing that... thanks!
Growing up, I had several freshwater tanks. Probably wasn't great at it, but had fun with it. Recently, a friend's mom finally evicted his 125 gallon tank, after he moved into his new home, so he gifted me his BioCube 29 HQI. I have a 3 year old, so this has been fun for her to watch and "help."
Dry/Equipment:
Growing up, I had several freshwater tanks. Probably wasn't great at it, but had fun with it. Recently, a friend's mom finally evicted his 125 gallon tank, after he moved into his new home, so he gifted me his BioCube 29 HQI. I have a 3 year old, so this has been fun for her to watch and "help."
Dry/Equipment:
- Tank - Oceanic BioCube 29 HQI
- Stand - Random nightstand that I got at a local furniture store's blemish section. Solid wood, with 3 drawers.
- Return
Stock Coralife pump for the BioCube.- 12/12/23 - upgrades to a SICCE Syncra Silent 1.5 to increase flow through HOB Coralife Turbo-Twist 3X.
- Lights - SMATFARM 60 Watt Reef light
, retrofitted it into the HQI canopy.- 11/22/23 - ditched the HQI canopy, and modified the tank rim (cut out some plastic spacers) to fit the hanging bracket that came with the light.
- Cycle - FritzZyme Turbo Start 900 with 2 clowns.
- Testing - API Master Kit, Salifert Ca/Alk/Mg/Nitrate, NYOS Phosphate, Digital PH Meter, 7-in-1 Bluetooth Meter, and ZeroWater TDS meter.
- Skimmer - Coralife BioCube Protein Skimmer in Chamber 1
- Since I modified the top of the wall between Chambers 1 and 2, I added the universal hanging bracket, and moved the skimmer to the backwall of the tank in Chamber 1.
- Power Heads - Hydro Koralia Nano
- Heater - Not sure brand, but it is one that my friend used with the tank, and provided to me. Monitored with JBJ Digital Thermometer.
- Filtration
Coralife BioCube Original Filter Cartridgein top of Chamber 2 and GKM 9W UV in Chamber 3 fit in just above return pump.- 12/7/23 - Ordered an Intank Media Basket,
going to remove top shelf and put in some filter socks. Before I commit to removing that shelf, I also bought an IM Replacement Sock holder. I'll see if that fits over the top edge in chamber 2.I ditched the GKM in favor of the Coralife Turbo-Twist UV 3X. Trying to up my dino battle game. Hung it on the back of the stand, and connected return pump out of chamber 3 through that and into the return nozzle.- Sock holder did not fit in the chamber of the BioCube.
- 12/12/23 - Hooked up the Coralife Turbo-Twist UV 3X, mounted at the back of the stand. Plumbed the SICCE 1.5 out through the UV and back to the inlet. UV runs from 23:30 to 17:30 daily.
- 1/1/24 - Modified tank to install the Intank Media Basket, cut the top edge between chambers 1 and 2 to increase flow and stall the water director provided, also cut some of the trim lip on the rear top to allow the media basket to be more easily removed without having to remove the light bracket. I had made some little sock filters out of 25 micron nylon filter sheet. Fit basket one perfectly, but the flow was too great for 25 micron, and quickly filled and overflowed. I'll just stick with some filter floss (for now). I went with the Pinky Filter Floss.
- 1/3/24 - added a @SantaMonica DROP1.2X Algae Scrubber with a dual outlet adjustable aerator. Scrubber runs from 18:00 to 12:00 daily.
- ATO - None
- Rocks - 40lb Real Reef Premium Life Rock... probably only fit like 32-35 lbs of it in the tank.
- Sand - Tank came with some sand, but added 20lbs CaribSea Arag-Alive Fiji Pink
- RODI - Aquatic Life RO Buddie Plus DI, into a 40 gallon Brute container with a Aquatic Life Float Valve Kit
Added a Shrimp Feeding Tube to try and train my Dragonet.Removed this. Dragonet wasn't really into it, and the top is annoying to get to with the trim lip of the BioCube.- Brine Shrimp Hatchery Dish & Brine Shrimp Eggs to grow my Dragonet (and other fish) some tasty treats.
- 2 Pod Hotels in the bottom of Chamber 2, weighed down with a piece of reef rock. Trying to give the pods a semi safe place to reproduce for the tank. Added an algae scrubber, which sits nicely on top of the pod hotels, but had to remove that piece of reef rock.
- Fish:
- Paired Ocellaris Clownfish (Vivid & Mocha) - added with the TurboStart. (10/1/23)
- Dragonet and Royal Gramma - added a few weeks later, about a week after tank was cycled and confirmed everything was zeroed out. (10/20/23)
- Hi Fin Red Banded Goby (11/5/23)
- Yellow Watchman Goby (11/30/23) - ORA sale at @SaltwaterAq
Midas Blenny (1/12/24)RIP (4/5/24)
- Inverts:
- Ordered a cleanup crew from @reefcleaners to counter the diatoms that were starting to settle in after cycling. (10/25/23)
- 11 - Astaea Snails
- 30 - Dwarf Ceriths
- 12 - Florida Ceriths
- 12 - Nassarius Vibex
- 4 - Nerite Snail
- 2 - Info Turbo Snails
- 2 - Scarlet Hermit Crabs
- Candy Stripe Randall's Pistol Shrimp (11/5/23)
- Skunk Cleaner Shrimp (12/7/23)
- Hermit Crew (12/7/23)
- 5 - Blue legged
- 5 - Red legged
- 5 - Scarlet
- Tiger Tail Cucumber (2/7/24)
- 2 - Tiger Sand Conchs (2/7/24)
- Ordered a cleanup crew from @reefcleaners to counter the diatoms that were starting to settle in after cycling. (10/25/23)
- Corals:
- Green Star Polyp - added with the Dragonet & RG. Made a small little island a the front corner. (10/20/23)
- Zoas - small frag with 5 heads. Very tiny heads with orange centers.
- Hammer Coral (11/11/23)
- @SaltwaterAq Cyber Weekend Sale (12/7/23)
- Mystery Gold Torch (going with "Ignited Dragon Soul")
- Mystery Zoas (5 pack) (ditto on trying to ID them)
- Japanese Toadstool Leather (2/7/24)
- TSA Slam Duncan (2/7/24)
- Green Stem Duncan (2/7/24)
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