Biocube Tank Build

tylo92

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Hi everyone!

I set up my first tank back on February 11th of this year. I have always wanted to get in to saltwater and did a lot of research before hand. I decided to go the live rock from the ocean to get the tank started right away. I wanted the tank stable right away. I proceeded with a budget with the impression I’d double it, which I easily did :).

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The first week I watched my live rock come to life while watching water parameters. I started with API test kit but found out right away I wanted to get something more specific to really narrow down the results to make sure things were stable. I then proceeded to buy some Salifert test kits.

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After the first week, algae was starting to take off so I picked up a clean up crew of 3 small snails, and a Mexican turbo snail. I also picked up two peppermint shrimp to eat some glass anemones, which they did.

By the end of the second week, the Dino’s in the sand disappeared but the sand was green. I knew that it was just doing it’s thing in getting equilibrium but decided to throw a fighting conch in there to shift the sand around. It was at this time the salifert phosphate test wasn’t specific enough so I bought a Hanna tester. Phosphates were a little high at .13 but seemed stable.


As the third week moved on, the tank was looking much better. I was already getting coralline algae on my glass. By the end of the third week I added two snowflake clowns, a watchman goby. Now there was a sale going on so I bought my first corals and anemone. I bought mostly cheap ones but fell in love with a mushroom bounce and a super cheap two head NY Knicks torch.

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I am aware many are going to say that’s too early. I read many things that some say wait but others start with everything live and the tank is good to go. I was testing the water parameters twice a day everyday to make sure things were stable. After I bought these I was honestly worried a bit, as the littlest thing could mess everything up and things were already adding up.

The fourth and fifth week things were going well in the tank. The anemone placed his foot in the cave but fills up every day out of the cave to catch light. The corals look good minus one free one I got that was thrown in with my order. It was already partially bleached so I took it out as I didn’t want it to mess anything up. The life in the rocks is really coming to life. I have many spaghetti worms, many micro bristle stars and the sponges are growing. I do find some more possible bad hitchhikers. I see one super small hydroid on the glass. I see one worm that came out of the rock (at least two inches if not more) that was brown and a couple inches long. Every time I got close it retreats super fast so no picture. I am hoping it was a peanut worm but it looked like it possible tentacles at the mouth. I also thought I saw some Bryopsis, but it was mowed down while only about an inch tall. I have 3 rock dwelling sea cucumbers that I try to do more research on but can’t find much. It is the one thing I don’t want to nuke my tank.

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We are currently on the sixth week of the tank. I found a great deal on a pre-quarantined Swissgaurd Basslet and just put him in the tank today. Bought a NPS sea fan and a birds nest coral too.

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Everything has been completely stable and have started a two dose of ESV Bionic as calcium was dropping.

Current Parameters:
Alk 8.3
Phosphate: .07-.08
Calcium 410-420
PH swing of 7.9 - 8.2
Salinity of 1.026

I know this was a lot in the first post. I’m sure there are going to be some that disagree with how fast I am starting. I agree that there are many things that can go wrong but stability should keep things in order. As I was writing this I was looking up vermetid snails and realize what I though was tube worms may of been vermetid snails on my sea fan plug. That was the only coral I didn’t dip (wouldn’t of killed them anyways) since it had to stay in water. Need to take a closer look later tonight.
 

vetteguy53081

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Tank is new and corals will be happy up front. Your comment about too early: The concern and consensus is, the tank is in cycle and there will be ammonia and nitrate spikes. Water testing will be of importance for accurate readings in which now stocked, tank needs to be monitored.
API test kits are NOT reliable, so assure you have kits such as hanna or Salifert. Although not yet needed, you may want to consider a skimmer such as IceCap K1-50 which will fit and work well with BioCube.
BioCubes are easy to maintain and takes up little space. I owned 2 many years ago and lighting was a challenge otherwise a pleasing tank.
Utilize a filter media basket which will hold Floss, carbon and a little GFO
 
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tylo92

tylo92

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Tank is new and corals will be happy up front. Your comment about too early: The concern and consensus is, the tank is in cycle and there will be ammonia and nitrate spikes. Water testing will be of importance for accurate readings in which now stocked, tank needs to be monitored.
API test kits are NOT reliable, so assure you have kits such as hanna or Salifert. Although not yet needed, you may want to consider a skimmer such as IceCap K1-50 which will fit and work well with BioCube.
BioCubes are easy to maintain and takes up little space. I owned 2 many years ago and lighting was a challenge otherwise a pleasing tank.
Utilize a filter media basket which will hold Floss, carbon and a little GFO

Yes, I switched to Salifert, Nyos for nitrates, and Hanna for phsophate early on to keep track. I currently am running purigen, which was recommended by my LFS and chemipure elite. I am also running filter floss. I understand that corals can take months to show issues from earlier on.

Thanks for the advice! I have been thinking about adding a skimmer but I currently cannot get my nitrates over 5 as it is. My bioload should change that as I am feeding slightly on the heavy side and more fish, but I thought I should wait until I see it raise. Maybe I am wrong on that.
 

vetteguy53081

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Yes, I switched to Salifert, Nyos for nitrates, and Hanna for phsophate early on to keep track. I currently am running purigen, which was recommended by my LFS and chemipure elite. I am also running filter floss. I understand that corals can take months to show issues from earlier on.

Thanks for the advice! I have been thinking about adding a skimmer but I currently cannot get my nitrates over 5 as it is. My bioload should change that as I am feeding slightly on the heavy side and more fish, but I thought I should wait until I see it raise. Maybe I am wrong on that.
Chemipure Elite excellent. Tank will pan out.
This was one of my biocubes and one of my favorite- I called it my weed tank

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tylo92

tylo92

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Tank is still going well. I added my last fish, a male ruby red dragonet. I had him in QT for two weeks while I got him to eat frozen food. I had a good supply of pods already in my biocube and will be adding more every couple of weeks. Since they are slow feeders, I am unsure if he will still eat frozen food or turn back to only pods. I wish he would show is large dorsal fin more as it is almost always down.

I also am admitting to a mistake I made. I was going to add a six line wrasse that was in my QT but purchased a QT Swissguard basslet when he came available that is in the main tank already. I put the Six Line in the tank for a couple of days, but it ended up harassing my basslet. After putting in a bottle trap for 30 minutes, the six line was back in a now empty cleaned QT tank till this weekend to give to another tank owner. I was worried the bottle trap was not going to work. I wanted to have him eat all the extra critters on the live rock (was aware he would make the pod population even less). I don't know really if there is anything else that is known to eat critters that is small enough.

My phosphates also raised slightly up to .14 since I am feeding more. I was feeding excessively to see if nitrates would rise. My nitrates have not raised at all, staying stable around 1-3ppm. I did pickup a biocube skimmer that was on sale and phosphates are already lowering. I am not planning on running it all the time. I have been feeding newly hatched brine shrimp to help feed the NPS in the tank along with BRS Chili.

My clowns have been fighting quite a bit the last week. They still are both doing a pairing shake at times, but am watching closely if I need to separate. I don't know if it is best to let nature do its course at the risk that one or both don't make it. They are close to the same size, so I understand it can take time. I noticed the original bully is now being bullied.

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tylo92

tylo92

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My clowns have both come down with an infection. The fighting has stopped but there was tissue damage in their mouth area for the last week. It has not gotten better and the areas seemed inflamed. One last night even got some cloudiness in one eye.

I did a freshwater bath last night on both for just under 5 minutes each and neither showed flukes coming out. One had a white spot floating on top of the water but nothing ever sank. It seems like I should of seen multiple white “seeds” sinking to the bottom.

Today I ran out and bought kanaplex and melafix. I just put them in the QT tank (which was tough as they were hiding from the net after yesterday) and hopefully they respond positively.
 

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JumboShrimp

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Good move getting a Fighting Conch. You do seem to be going a little fast, in my opinion. I hope a dam of problems doesn’t give way on you. Wishing you the best for a great salty experience!
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

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