HS Biology 32g Biocube build

[rjd]

I had the best results in my bio I’ve with this setup, on the right wall, midway under the overflow grates. It creates a nice vortex for feeding driven by the return on the top left.

 

[Miamialum620]

Hey guys wanted to give a tank update. As many of you know @WWC had a massive sale this past weekend and I couldn’t help but get some new additions to the tank.

I was able to flip over a test tube rack (benefit of being a Bio teacher) and create a frag holder until I can determine where I want to place them. I’m using my GSP to keep the “frag rack” weighted down. The GSP has been looking pretty good and all fish are looking healthy.

The zoanthids that I mentioned fell off the frag plug and I relocated to the top has gone missing. I think it closed up small enough at night where it slipped through the hole I placed it in and I haven’t been able to find it.

I have to determine where I would like to place these new frags and if I have to move my circulation pumps to accommodate them.

The frags I got were:
Honeycomb leptastrea
Gorilla Nipple zoanthids
Green birdsnest
Golden pavona
Purpilicious echinata
Neon goniastrea
Mystery frag (I believe a lord)

Any advice on placement of corals considering the stock biocube lighting and my 2 circulation pumps would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Algaewarrior]

I was watching the live sale and was excited when I saw you were participating. I have done 2 or 3 and they are a blast. Your gsp is looking great btw. I would put the birdsnest on the top right pillar, zoas where you had the other ones, leptastrea mid to low shelf, echinata medium to high light with room to grow(they will kill and sting neighbors), not sure about goniastrea or povona(I've never had them), and your mystery frag actually looks like a chalice. Usually they hand write what it is on the shipping form. If it is a chalice I would put it in low light with low to medium flow. Place a powerhead so it is giving the birdsnest a good amount of indirect flow.

 

[Algaewarrior]

Updates?

 

[Miamialum620]

We are almost at the end of the school year and it’s been an interesting with the tank. This is my first saltwater tank so I relied heavily on forums like this and YouTube videos. Nothing makes up for hands-on experience and there are still a lot of things I need to learn.

Throughout the year I had some losses (both fish and coral) which was upsetting but i know is part of the hobby.

My current livestock:
2 chromis
2 clownfish
1 firefish
1 rainford goby
2 bangaii cardinals (newest additions)
1 cleaner shrimp
2 nassarius snails
Snails and hermit crabs
Green star
2 different zoas
Some SPS coral which are not doing so well

As far as modifications go I removed the lid and bought an off brand light to help with the coral. Still figuring out the best lighting settings for the coral to thrive.

I’ll adjust the light so I can take some better photos.

 

[Miamialum620]

Here are some better pictures of the light I purchased and modifications that were made.

 

[Algaewarrior]

Is that the hipargero from Amazon? I have the same light on my frag tank. What settings are you running it? Do you have an ato planned? That screen and light look great.

 

[Miamialum620]

Is that the hipargero from Amazon? I have the same light on my frag tank. What settings are you running it? Do you have an ato planned? That screen and light look great.

The light is a hipargero. I’m still tinkering with the settings to see which one the corals respond best to. Maybe one day this week I’ll just do a count of how many times I press each button so I can keep better track of the settings.

The screen I made for about $15 from stuff I got at Lowe’s and was surprisingly easy to do once i got the measurements down. The thing I didn’t account for is the amount of water loss I now have without the lid being on.

I thought about an ATO but it’s a pretty decent expense and my LFS says i can get away with just topping off manually. Tough part will be over the summer when I’m not in my classroom all the time.

 

[Algaewarrior]

I have mine at 90% blue and 10% white. Basically AB+ settings. Everything seems to be doing really well. I couldn't upload the photo I have of it. I will try later. You could try a simple gravity fed ato. As long as the snails don't get to the sump area you will be alright. They are pretty cheap.

 

[Algaewarrior]

5.5 gallon frag tank.

 

[Miamialum620]

I’ve had terrible luck with coral in this tank so far. My first GSP died and my second is doing great. Every zoanthids I’ve purchased (3 so far) has started off well and then started regressing. They’ve all also come off of their frag plug. Today for example I got to my classroom and noticed 2 heads of my zoa are missing.

My birds nest and goniastrea have also gone to the coral afterlife (maybe my pavona as well). The leptastrea and echinata that I have aren’t growing but also aren’t dying.

One mistake that I know I’ve made and i just started correcting was not dosing with calcium and magnesium. Hopefully the addition of those 2 makes a significant difference because if not then I have no idea what could be going wrong. I test myself and the levels are all good and I also bring samples to my LFS and they say the same thing.

 

[Algaewarrior]

Dosing may not be the issue. You barely have enough corals to be depleting that much calcium and magnesium. Regular water changes should be fine as far as that goes. How often are you changing the water? Did the coral losses happen after you changed the light?how often are you changing the filter on the media basket? How long are you running the new light for? You need to slowly ramp it up because it is way better than the stock lighting. Sorry for your losses. It's tough losing a coral. Had some tough coral deaths in a move I just made.

 

[Miamialum620]

Dosing may not be the issue. You barely have enough corals to be depleting that much calcium and magnesium. Regular water changes should be fine as far as that goes. How often are you changing the water? Did the coral losses happen after you changed the light?how often are you changing the filter on the media basket? How long are you running the new light for? You need to slowly ramp it up because it is way better than the stock lighting. Sorry for your losses. It's tough losing a coral. Had some tough coral deaths in a move I just made.

I’m changing the water every 10-14 days. The coral loss happened prior to me buying the new light but it hasn’t improved significantly since having it.

The filter floss i change once a month sometimes a little more frequently. The chemipure and purigen I haven’t changed since March. All the parameters continue to test in range.

I think I have the light running for 12 hours since March (I’m only in class until 3pm). I believe the settings on the blue are one button press short of max. For white I think I’m somewhere in the middle, the tank has a dark purple hue to it.

 

[Grootzilla]

I’m changing the water every 10-14 days. The coral loss happened prior to me buying the new light but it hasn’t improved significantly since having it.

The filter floss i change once a month sometimes a little more frequently. The chemipure and purigen I haven’t changed since March. All the parameters continue to test in range.

I think I have the light running for 12 hours since March (I’m only in class until 3pm). I believe the settings on the blue are one button press short of max. For white I think I’m somewhere in the middle, the tank has a dark purple hue to it.

You should probably up your water change schedule to at least once a week. The tank is still new and unstable. Water changes are a great way to gain that stability back in a small way. The first year of a tanks life is just an all out war on every surface for prime real estate with all the beneficial bacteria as I'm sure you know given your bio teacher status lol.
Filter floss should be changed once a week AT LEAST. And given how many fish you have in the tank it should probably be more. All the detritus and waste gets trapped and collected there and since it is being allowed to breakdown over time, you are letting nitrates, phosphates and other impurities leech into the water that you would otherwise have been removing.
Don't know if you still have those emerald crabs but those guys are notorious for picking and munching at corals like zoas.
You are also really pushing it with the fish stocking now. I have a biocube as well and seeing that you have 8 fish in such a smallish tank is something I wouldn't be brave enough to do. You are doing great things for the kids but keep the well being of the fish in mind too. There is only so much room in there...

 

[Miamialum620]

I was going to check up on the tank every once in a while over the summer but I decided just to take it home so I can give it the attention it deserves.

Update in regards to livestock... I decided to remove the emerald crab and the zoas seem to be doing a lot better. Still figuring out which hipargero lighting setting is best for coral growth.

I wanted to upload a video but I guess I can’t do that on the Tapatalk app. Based on the pics do you think I should adjust the settings at all?

 

[AngryMike2016]

Eight fish seems like A LOT for a BC32. How are your nitrate/phosphate levels looking?

 

[Hemmdog]

I was going to check up on the tank every once in a while over the summer but I decided just to take it home so I can give it the attention it deserves.

Update in regards to livestock... I decided to remove the emerald crab and the zoas seem to be doing a lot better. Still figuring out which hipargero lighting setting is best for coral growth.

I wanted to upload a video but I guess I can’t do that on the Tapatalk app. Based on the pics do you think I should adjust the settings at all?

Looks good!

 

[Vince7177]

I was going to check up on the tank every once in a while over the summer but I decided just to take it home so I can give it the attention it deserves.

Update in regards to livestock... I decided to remove the emerald crab and the zoas seem to be doing a lot better. Still figuring out which hipargero lighting setting is best for coral growth.

I wanted to upload a video but I guess I can’t do that on the Tapatalk app. Based on the pics do you think I should adjust the settings at all?

Hi ,
First congratulations for your initiative.
It’s very important for kids to understand our beautiful ocean and how to respect it.
I’m from Miami too and I have two biocube 32.
1 is setup for seahorses.
I tried a lot of things before coming from this great result.
So if I can help, let me know.
Everything on the biocube is original.
I upgraded with corallife skimmer and uv sterilizer.
I change the filtration system by intank basket ( only because I wanted to setup a refugium.
I have only 1 wavemaker jebao pp4 in the up corner right.
That give more than enough waves.
My lighting setup is
P1: 1pm -7pm
P2: 11am - 9pm
P3: 10:30am- 10:30pm

My parameters are :
Gravity 1.025
Ph 8
Alk 9
Calcium 440
Magn 1350

Here are some pictures . The second one is seahorses

 

[Algaewarrior]

I was going to check up on the tank every once in a while over the summer but I decided just to take it home so I can give it the attention it deserves.

Update in regards to livestock... I decided to remove the emerald crab and the zoas seem to be doing a lot better. Still figuring out which hipargero lighting setting is best for coral growth.

I wanted to upload a video but I guess I can’t do that on the Tapatalk app. Based on the pics do you think I should adjust the settings at all?

The corals look happy. I wouldn't adjust the light at all. There is no way I could leave my tank at school all summer if I were you.

 

[Algaewarrior]

Any updates? Did you move the tank back to the classroom?