Back After 10 Years - Another 32 Gallon Biocube

[Greyhound]

Getting back into reefing after ~10 years. Previously ran a 75 gallon mixed LPS/SPS. So much has changed since then in the hobby and yet so much is exactly the same. Decided to start small with a 32 gallon Biocube I bought on facebook marketplace for a great deal - $250 for:
- tank + stand
- AI Prime 16HD
- Aquamaxx HOB 1.5 skimmer
- IM mighty jet (538GPH) with AquaGadget controller
- Kracken reef lid with evaporation cover
- ATO

It needed a major cleaning when I got it, but totally worth it.
I just needed to add a heater. Also decided to add a Maxspect Gyre (xf130) I had leftover from my prior tank.

Cycling now for ~1 week. Added old live rock I had thats been dry for 10 years and the guy I bought the Biocube from gave me a piece of rock from his new tank. Not sure that was the best idea since I immediately had a handful of planaria flatworms in the area of the rock I got from him... Treated promptly with Flatworm Exit which worked within minutes and skimming them out now. Also dosed MicroBacter Start to hopefully expedite the cycle, but not rushing it.

First question for the forum for anyone with this tank or AI Prime 16HDs, what schedule/settings are you running? I got this schedule from a facebook group, which looks similar to what BRS has in their video. It just appears pretty blue to me.

-Greyhound

 

[Idoc]

Welcome back to the addiction!

I don't use AI Primes, so I can't help you there. But I'm sure some AI Prime users will be chiming in with their lighting schedule.

 

[fishface NJ]

Welcome back to the hobby and to R2R!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Welcome back to the hobby! Looks like your tank is starting off strong!

 

[Greyhound]

First inhabitants in QT! Got these 2 "fancy" clowns from my LFS, 2 for $60, which I thought was a decent price for their patterns. One on the left has nice black banding and one on the right is a slight misbar.
Gave them a freshwater 5 min bath after drip acclimation and no visible signs of flukes so thats good. For the group, do you still treat with prazi after copper if no signs of flukes in freshwater bath?

 

[kevgib67]

A late welcoming, glad you are here! Fellow Biocube 32g here, O-H!

 

[Greyhound]

Picked up 3 aquacultured Ultra Rainbow BTAs from a local reefer. I know there are some mixed opinions about waiting until the 6 month mark for any anemones, however I keep a close eye on my parameters to keep stable and the guy I got them from had more BTAs than he knew what to do with since they were so prolific in his tank, so they needed a home anyway. Will monitor closely.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Picked up 3 aquacultured Ultra Rainbow BTAs from a local reefer. I know there are some mixed opinions about waiting until the 6 month mark for any anemones, however I keep a close eye on my parameters to keep stable and the guy I got them from had more BTAs than he knew what to do with since they were so prolific in his tank, so they needed a home anyway. Will monitor closely.

Great looking anemone!

 

[Greyhound]

Ordered the refugium starter pack from The Macro Lady. Knife for scale. Chaeto plus 2 red macros (not sure what type?). Created a fuge section next to the InTank tower using some eggcrate, filter sponge and added a cheap hygger full spectrum light from amazon. Added the reds to the DT because they looked nice. Not sure how well they'll grow under reef LEDs but will find out.

 

[Greyhound]

Update pics. Its been ~6 months now. I battled cyano for multiple of those months and it seems like I finally won (and I didn’t need to use the chemiclean I bought). In order to get nitrate and phos out of "double 0", I had to dose a ton of nitrate and phos over multiple weeks, turn off skimmer completely, and stop water changes and only do "water filtrations" where I just filtered all the cyano water I sucked out through coffee filters and returned to the tank to finally get numbers above 0. My theory is that because I used essentially dry rock to start that it was absorbing a ton of phos until it got to a stable point.

Corals:
-Atomic Blue/Green Sympodium (which has grown fast)
-WWC Raptor Peace Favia
-Red Montipora
-Neon Cabbage Mushroom
-Green Bay Packers Zoas

-Ultra Rainbow BTAs - started with 3, have split and grown fast, had 10. Sold 3.

-Red Ulva Macro

Fish:
-2 "Fancy" clowns - both have gotten significantly darker as they've grown
-New 6-line wrasse in QT currently for flatworms