I'm starting a build thread to keep me on task with my tank restart. I got my Coralife BioCube 29 three years ago Christmas. Before then, my husband and I had first a 110 tall, then a 90 gal reef when we lived in Cali. I had had freshwater tanks since I was a kid, usually a 55 gallon. The 110 tall actually started as a cold water marine tank (which I would love to do again) because my husband went lobster diving during season and brought me home one. He managed several days in a cooler and I just didn't have the heart to eat a survivor. So we built Pinchy's tank! We loved it, he was healthy and happy, eating shellfish we brought him and moulting. Unfortunately, we had a failure on the chiller overnight on a quite hot SoCal night and lost him. We rebuilt the 110 into a reef, and switched to a 90 a year later.
We were active members of the SoCal reef group and absolutely loved our tank. When we moved to Idaho, I knew that moving and maintaining a reef wasn't going to be feasible for a while. Breaking down that tank was the worst I've ever had to so. I'm grateful it all went to a very nice couple.
My BioCube ran just fine until exactly two years ago and was going swimmingly, if you'll excuse the pun, until we were gone on vacation a week. We came home to a compleate crash. I had been having an aptasia issue and I suspected a domino effect die off. But I didn't have the heart to do anything at all. It was completely dead, all the coral, inverts, fish. So it sat, for over 18 months. Finally this summer I had the heart to clean it up. I found the small pump I had in the back with my Chaeto was eaten through with exposed wires. I'm now pretty sure the crash was caused by stray voltage.
So, now I begin again. I cleaned up the rock, dried it and baked it in the sun and then left it out to freeze. One piece literally crumbled on me, but I always felt the tank was rock heavy before. I've added 20 lbs of Bimini Pink, 20 lbs of dry Aragonite and one new piece of live rock to seed things. I still think I want a little more height to the right side, but it needs just the right piece. I'm in no hurry this time, and will take it very slow to rebuild just how I want it.
We were active members of the SoCal reef group and absolutely loved our tank. When we moved to Idaho, I knew that moving and maintaining a reef wasn't going to be feasible for a while. Breaking down that tank was the worst I've ever had to so. I'm grateful it all went to a very nice couple.
My BioCube ran just fine until exactly two years ago and was going swimmingly, if you'll excuse the pun, until we were gone on vacation a week. We came home to a compleate crash. I had been having an aptasia issue and I suspected a domino effect die off. But I didn't have the heart to do anything at all. It was completely dead, all the coral, inverts, fish. So it sat, for over 18 months. Finally this summer I had the heart to clean it up. I found the small pump I had in the back with my Chaeto was eaten through with exposed wires. I'm now pretty sure the crash was caused by stray voltage.
So, now I begin again. I cleaned up the rock, dried it and baked it in the sun and then left it out to freeze. One piece literally crumbled on me, but I always felt the tank was rock heavy before. I've added 20 lbs of Bimini Pink, 20 lbs of dry Aragonite and one new piece of live rock to seed things. I still think I want a little more height to the right side, but it needs just the right piece. I'm in no hurry this time, and will take it very slow to rebuild just how I want it.
Your tanks going to be great!
