GatorScott's Biocube32

[GatorScott]

I've been a lurker/ occasional poster for awhile and figured I'd share my biocube build. The tanks around 6 months old, and has been thru all kinds of changes, but has got to a point of very low maintenance(imo) and finally a point I'm content to share.

Started with a standard BC32, Steve's Leds upgrade, jebao pp4, mj1200 upgraded return pump, neo therm heater, corallife skimmer, intank media basket. Basically everything you could find on the web to upgrade lol.

BillysReefConnection is local for me here in FL so I got my rock from Billy(great guy,great products!)
Roughly 35lb rock and 15lb dry sand.

Day 1:

 

[GatorScott]

Obviously went thru the cycle and added first fish 2 Picasso clowns, followed by purple fire fish 2 weeks later.

I wish I would have waited for the uglies to come and go and also not to torture myself with my whites set so high(man Steve's leds are POWERFUL!) but needless to say we all rush something at first. But either way I picked up a torch with my firefish and some weeks later algae city!

 

[GatorScott]

For a couple months while the tank was doing its thing I battled algae like crazy added corals too fast while I was trying to figure out everything resulting in losing a few corals. Also got sold some damsels unknowingly(which were a pain to get rid of down the road! Soooo fast) but I'll post a few pics of all the changes my tanks gone thru.

 

[GatorScott]

I figured out that the few corals not doing so great in my tank (despite algae everywhere) were coming from the same LFS. Once I kinda stayed away from them I stopped losing corals.

I had to use chemiclean to get rid of a cyano outbreak from just be new to the hobby and over feeding, too much light, etc. Redid my lights, treated chemiclean and has been gone ever since.

Along the way I also rehomed my damsels and cleaner shrimp. The damsels were just too much for the tank and the shrimp was starving my nem by taking the food right out of its mouth even after it had swallowed it!

I started really loving zoas and palys. So it's slowly shifted to that style tank. I've never been one to care about names I just buy what I like, sometimes it's cost me high end sometimes it's cheap lol. Also added a couple BTA a rainbow and a green one along the way.

The green nem was too big and started moving all over the place so I rehomed him to my 125g(might post a pic in a few months [emoji51])

 

[GatorScott]

Green nem was rehomed to my 125g and more additions and rearranging.

Growth shot.

 

[GatorScott]

And now for my current setup:

Along the way I have really went to a simpler, "low maintence" tank.

I have ditched the powerhead, not needed the heater, and threw out the piece of junk coralife skimmer.

I now run a air stone in chamber 1, inTank media basket with filter floss and 3tbsp of BRS Rox.08 Carbon in chamber 2, and a Sicce 1.5 pump set to half power in chamber3. I have a Vivid Creative Aquatica's random flow generator return nozzle and that's it.

I change the filter floss every 3 days and water change 5g(Fritz salt mix) once a week which is about a 20% change for my volume. I test for salinity and nitrates once a week, I maintain salinity at 1.025 and nitrates 5-10ppm and change Carbon once a month. I feed the fish twice a day(frozen mysis and a mix of pellets) and Reefroids twice a week. Nem gets a shrimp once a week.

My lights are Steve's LED's with hurricane controller he provides. My schedule is as follows:

Ramp 3hrs
Delay 1hrs
Sunrise 8a
Set 10p
10p-8a moonlight

Blue 8a-10p
White 9am-9p(full power 12p-6p)
Moon 10p-8p

Blue 81.17%
White 23.92%

I run my lights a long time but with a very long ramp up and down.

 

[GatorScott]

Hopefully someone finds this useful and helpful in the future. I really wanted to post this because In the beginning I went way over board with stuff I didnt need and ended up so much simpler and easier to maintain in the long run. I'm really looking forward to adding a few more zoas and watching the tank grow out. It's so satisfying seeing everything grow. I've already fragged a couple polyps off a few zoas for my 125g.

 

[CindyKz]

That is a beautiful biocube!

 

[GatorScott]

Also forgot to put my stocking list lol

2- Picasso clowns (first fish ever still fat and happy)[emoji51]
1- purple firefish
1- blue green chromis
The damsels I had got rehomed as they were too aggressive for the peaceful tank I have going.

Also pretty proud my first coral ever, just the plain ole torch is still alive and waving lol.

Vid taken just the other day:




And a new fav addition already showing growth!

 

[GatorScott]

That is a beautiful biocube!

Thank you!

 

[LovesDogs_CatsRokay]

Wow! Your tank looks awesome! I just upgraded my biocube with the Steves LED kit in hopes my coral will color up some. I'm still at the acclimation stage using his example setup. Whites and blues are both about 35% right now, and I increase each 1% a day. How did you decide on such a high blue level and a low white level? Just personal preference? Or was high white too much for the coral?

 

[GatorScott]

Just noticed that video is blurry. Anyone know how to post it clear? On my phone it's crystal clear.

 

[GatorScott]

Wow! Your tank looks awesome! I just upgraded my biocube with the Steves LED kit in hopes my coral will color up some. I'm still at the acclimation stage using his example setup. Whites and blues are both about 35% right now, and I increase each 1% a day. How did you decide on such a high blue level and a low white level? Just personal preference? Or was high white too much for the coral?

His lights are super powerful and the higher the whites got the more algae that grew everywhere. So I started lowering it due to that. Then I realized I liked the look of the blue higher so bring out the color of the corals more, so VERY slowly starting adjusting blue up and white down. The more I adjusted it the better my corals did. At one point I thought I'd lose my torch as all the tissue had receded to the teeth of the skeleton. But kept at it and at my current intensity it's tissue has came back and now growing all the way down the sides. And I've been running this same lighting schedule/intensity for about 5-6 months.

 

[LovesDogs_CatsRokay]

His lights are super powerful and the higher the whites got the more algae that grew everywhere. So I started lowering it due to that. Then I realized I liked the look of the blue higher so bring out the color of the corals more, so VERY slowly starting adjusting blue up and white down. The more I adjusted it the better my corals did. At one point I thought I'd lose my torch as all the tissue had receded to the teeth of the skeleton. But kept at it and at my current intensity it's tissue has came back and now growing all the way down the sides.

Cool I'll be on the lookout for algae as I continue increasing. None so far though. I love the way corals look with higher blue but I don't like that it is harder to see the fish then. I'm searching for that perfect balance.

 

[LovesDogs_CatsRokay]

For your video ... are you using an iPhone? Somewhere there's a setting to upload high quality video. I don't remember if it's in the you tube app or in the phone settings though.

 

[GatorScott]

Cool I'll be on the lookout for algae as I continue increasing. None so far though. I love the way corals look with higher blue but I don't like that it is harder to see the fish then. I'm searching for that perfect balance.

It's really what color temp you like to look at the best. Just watch your over all intensity because these things are powerful for sure and the fact that they sit right in the water with the lid makes them even stronger. My over all intensity is only 52%

 

[GatorScott]

For your video ... are you using an iPhone? Somewhere there's a setting to upload high quality video. I don't remember if it's in the you tube app or in the phone settings though.

Yep thanks! I'll search it out and edit later

 

[MermaidTail]

Beautiful reef!

 

[BettyC]

Beautiful!! I've just started my biocube; so excited what it can look like with some patience and perseverance. My goal seems to coincide with yours, a easy to maintain beauty. Can't wait to get where you are!

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Looking good!