My 40 gallon cube reef tank

[RapidReefer]

Color according to taste, I wouldn't put the intensity any higher than 30 maybe 40% to start and increase it about 5% every 3 or 4 days. You'll have to judge when to stop if you see bleaching on the corals.

okay will do once im home !

 

[W1ngz]

Great.
If you have lighting specific questions I suggest a post in the lighting sub-forum:
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/aquarium-lighting-by-dana-riddle.956/

 

[RapidReefer]

UPDATE :

So I added the api ammo-lock and I think it helped a lot I then added activate carbon pellets to the media that also detox the ammonia after i let it run for 4 hours then I did a 20% water change and plan on doin another Sunday.....


I just got the kessil 360 but the goose neck hasn’t arrived yet so it’s just sitting on some glass above the tank for now but man what a nice light lol

The anemone still alive and still reacting to feeding it loves pieces of shrimp I started the light out at 20% intensity and am going to increase to probaly about 50% over a couple days I ordered the controller for it so I can get the sunset and sunrise set up on it ..... ammonia badge coming tomorrow and Sunday seachem prime with more beneficial bacteria on its way hopefully I’ll get it on Monday !!!!!! Feeling a lot better about the ammonia issue will keep y’all posted....

I did test the water and it’s down to .25 already

 

[RapidReefer]

UPDATE :

So my tank is soooo much clearer after doing a water change yesterday !!!! The ammonia badge from seachem and the light controller came in today from amazon as well as some beneficial bacteria also after adding the ammonia lock for api everyone in tank seems so much happier.....

So on hour after installing the ammonia badge the results are surprising it is telling me that there is no harmful ammonia in the tank ??? Soo confused was there ever actually a ammonia problem ? Throwing away the api tests probably they still are reading a .25 ammonia level ! See pic

Tank looks so much clearer !!

So even with the ammonia level down and the lighting of a kessil 360 at 40% intensity the anemone still bidding in the cave is only expanded from like 1:00 pm to 9pm the vanishes into the hole in the rock there is a bubble on the tip of the tenticals but not very big still a very bright green color and defiantly still alive


So no ammonia problem any more and tank is still cycling it’s still not as clear as I’d like it to be !

 

[W1ngz]

Here's my guess:
You never had an ammonia problem. API is known for false positives, but also shows total ammonia. Toxic ammonia is only about 10% of total ammonia. It takes very little toxic ammonia to be lethal.

You probably just had a bacterial bloom, which is entirely normal during the process of cycling and stocking a tank. Bacteria reduced the oxygen levels a bit, or a lot depending.

At this point the best thing you could do is stop changing or adding things, and put all your effort into monitoring and keeping what you have alive as things mature a bit more. If you want to start planning to buy another fish, you can always get a 10gal starter kit and get that cycling now. You already have the ammonia badge and the bacteria ready to kick-start it!

 

[RapidReefer]

Yea for sure no issues here got scared I feel like if I had a actual ammonia issue everything woulda died by now shrimp crabs anemone


Okay so seriously why is my anemone hiding in this rock it really likes that spot new light and still no relocation dosent it need light ? How’s it getting light in the cave ?

 

[W1ngz]

Anemones aren't quite like dogs that come running for food. Give it time, it probably doesn't know there's a new light yet. It will come out to explore eventually. Just stick to the plan with slow increases in intensity over several weeks and things will sort themselves out.

 

[RapidReefer]

Update:

Tank is looking good sun corals only open at night wish they could open during the day lol

Anemone still chillin under the rock it’s not even bubbles up ? Waiting to see if it relocates can’t be getting much light under the cave lol

Kessil controller is now installed and waiting on the goose neck to arrive tommorrow ....

Clowns are starting to explore maybe they will make friends with the anemone

Been sticking to one feeding for corals and fish then about one hour later I give my Duncan coral some little pieces of shrimp... everything else gets ROid rage the anemone gets feed once twice a week

 

[RapidReefer]

Update :

The goose neck has arrived and the kessil is mounted on the tank. The sun coral are starting to come out during the day around 6:00pm when the lights at 40 % intensity. The anemone still is in the same spot has not moved ive been feeding twice weekly some peices of shrimp to the anemone since its not getting much light under there in the cave. still looks healthy we will see what happens if it moves. Other corals seem to be fine. ive segregated the pulsing xenia on a rock in the sand bed. everything seems to be good.

Just arrived is the salifert reef testing kit. came with calcium, kh/alk, po4, mg, no3, ph test. but no no2 so ive been using the api kit for that.

ammonia badge from seachem has been installed for a couple days and it says there is no ammonia in tank ! 0 lol that great. look below to see my results from the new test kits

9-10-19
ammonia = 0ppm
Nitrite = .5 ppm
nitrate = 5ppm
phosphate = .25ppm
calcium = 520 ppm
alkalinity= 9.3dkh
magnesium = 1500 ppm
saltinity= 1.027 d SG
PH= 8.2

Should i be worried about the nitrate and nitrites?

 

[W1ngz]

try and lower your salinity a little. Just scoop out a cup of water a day from the tank and let the ATO top if off, until you bring it down to 1.025-1.026. That will also help bring down your alk and calcium closer to the typical range. It will take several days, which is what you want.

With no ammonia, and the presence of nitrate, the nitrite test is suspicious. Probably another bad test. You can just stop testing that altogether. All you need to know is if there's nitrAte, then the nitrite is being consumed.

Phoshate could be lower, but I'd still suggest leaving the tank alone for another week or two unless you start to see a huge algae outbreak. A bit of GFO for a day or two will help if you need it, but if the tank is happy there's no need to obsess about a specific number.

Go easy on the feeding. If the anemone is inflated and not moving, it's sufficiently happy.

 

[RapidReefer]

will do i do not have a ATO just usually add a cup or two a day to help with evaporation.

 

[RapidReefer]

should I worry about this red algae ?

 

[RapidReefer]

Update:

Turns out the algae is diatoms and will clear up in time !! get to work CUC.
Everything seems to be in check gonna do a water test again tonight to check everything. Anemone still is in the cave it has like sunk into the hole in the rock sometimes i see it completely extended and sometimes it vanishes and goes into the hole inside its foot? WHY WONT THIS THIS THING COME OUT ?

i would really like if this anemone would come out into the light and find a nice view-able spot to chill. but hey as long as its happy idc were it chills.

Is a anemone suppose to retract and hid but sometimes extend its self or is it always suppose to be extended and enlarged? ive backed off on the feedings to about every two weeks

 

[RapidReefer]

Update:

So the anemone moved but now it’s chili. On the back black wall of my tank like near the tanks water line ? Still not fully inflated

 

[RapidReefer]

Update:
since my last post my anemone has died sadly. Everything else in tank is doing fine But i have a crazy out break of some kind of algae. Not sure how to fix it seems to be taking over my tank it is a brown algae the only way i am able to control it is to scrub it off the rocks and the back of the tank. seems to be a hairy algae i thought it was the uglies ?

 

[Rabadanmarco]

came across your post because i just ordered the same 40 G and let me start by saying I'm sorry about your anemone.

second thanks for posting your process. im looking at absorbing all knoledge about the 40G aquatop system and not much out there now for the long stuff.

Sadly it sounds like you rushed/distubed through the cycle process.
I know that feeling when you do that water test that finally shows 0 ammonia 0 nitrites and low nitrates but at this stage your aquarium is still fragile to change and adding livestock immediately after that completely reset your nitrogen cycle. I think at one point we've all been guilty of impatience. Usually after i'm done cycling i give it at least a week or 2 before i do anything to it. at this point you have nothing to lose other than your mind for not being able to put anything in yet. and the first you you should do is a 10-20% water change to do your first Nitrate export. and even then you should still wait to see how your aquarium deals with its first water change.

The one thing that made your ammonia problem worse was probably doing 20% water changes every 2-3 days. yes you may have been dropping ammonia/nitrites/nitrates but you were also removing good bacteria that your system needed to reach equilibrium. we sometimes want to rush in and change a bunch of things to help but "STABILITY IS KING" in this hobby. and sounds like you put your system through a roller coaster ride.

Ex.
What i would have done if i spotted ammonia is add the recommended dose of Prime(yes prime because its the best) and test water for a couple of days.
and fight the urge to "Help" until your aquarium is happy.

As far as your recent problem of brown algae. the best thing to do is......nothing.
let it run its course. brown algae usually feed off phosphates and silicates. eventually they will starve.

if your still having problems...
I would test for phosphates and if they are elevated maybe run to LFS and get a bag of phosguard or some sort of GFO. it is a media that doesn't leach anything into your water but just absorbs phosphates and silicates. Usually brown algae is just the process of setting up a new system. thats why I say probably best bet is let the algae run out of food"phosphates/silicates" and then use GFO to maintain phosphates low.

I hope this doesn't come off as agressive but i just want to throw in my 2 cents. and heck if someone doesn't agree with me please chime in. we are all still learning.


i would love to keep writing but my wife is hovering and looking at me mean because we have to go.

now she's really mad because I mentioned her.

I have to go.
Bye.

 

[RapidReefer]

came across your post because i just ordered the same 40 G and let me start by saying I'm sorry about your anemone.

second thanks for posting your process. im looking at absorbing all knoledge about the 40G aquatop system and not much out there now for the long stuff.

Sadly it sounds like you rushed/distubed through the cycle process.
I know that feeling when you do that water test that finally shows 0 ammonia 0 nitrites and low nitrates but at this stage your aquarium is still fragile to change and adding livestock immediately after that completely reset your nitrogen cycle. I think at one point we've all been guilty of impatience. Usually after i'm done cycling i give it at least a week or 2 before i do anything to it. at this point you have nothing to lose other than your mind for not being able to put anything in yet. and the first you you should do is a 10-20% water change to do your first Nitrate export. and even then you should still wait to see how your aquarium deals with its first water change.

The one thing that made your ammonia problem worse was probably doing 20% water changes every 2-3 days. yes you may have been dropping ammonia/nitrites/nitrates but you were also removing good bacteria that your system needed to reach equilibrium. we sometimes want to rush in and change a bunch of things to help but "STABILITY IS KING" in this hobby. and sounds like you put your system through a roller coaster ride.

Ex.
What i would have done if i spotted ammonia is add the recommended dose of Prime(yes prime because its the best) and test water for a couple of days.
and fight the urge to "Help" until your aquarium is happy.

As far as your recent problem of brown algae. the best thing to do is......nothing.
let it run its course. brown algae usually feed off phosphates and silicates. eventually they will starve.

if your still having problems...
I would test for phosphates and if they are elevated maybe run to LFS and get a bag of phosguard or some sort of GFO. it is a media that doesn't leach anything into your water but just absorbs phosphates and silicates. Usually brown algae is just the process of setting up a new system. thats why I say probably best bet is let the algae run out of food"phosphates/silicates" and then use GFO to maintain phosphates low.

I hope this doesn't come off as agressive but i just want to throw in my 2 cents. and heck if someone doesn't agree with me please chime in. we are all still learning.


i would love to keep writing but my wife is hovering and looking at me mean because we have to go.

now she's really mad because I mentioned her.

I have to go.
Bye.

i agree i did rush but i have back off now and am letting it go for a while with what i got to see if the brown algae stops after a while we will see just been doing a 10% water change once a sunday for now

 

[RapidReefer]

Update on the tank:

I still have a massive bloom of brown algae keep scrubbing it off but within days it is back it’s brown reddish and it looks aweful been hoping for it to go away but doesn’t seem to be leaving been like this for a good 3 months I may try a 3 day black out ?

 

[RapidReefer]

update:

SO i am going to install a 20 gallon sump for the 40 gallon cube

Crystal Cube Sump 18 - Trigger Systems SKU: 209223​	1​	$274.99​
Eclipse L Overflow Box (1000 GPH) - Eshopps SKU: 211317​	1​	$150.99​
QuietPRO 4.0 DC Controllable Water Pump (1056 GPH) - Skimz SKU: 210413​	1​	$172.49​
60s Space Saving Protein Skimmer - Somatic SKU: 210339​		$199

im going to need to install in a couple hours once i receive the stuff any one do this with a stalked tank or should i remove everything from tank ?

 

[RapidReefer]

UPdate:

The manufacture of aquatop 40 gallon cube has tempered glass sides so i will not be drilling the tank as is. the plan to install the overflow is to have a local glass shop make a identical piece of glass not tempered and replace the back glass panel with the new piece that is drilled to fit the new overflow. SO i will begin by relocating my rocks and fish to a 7-day holding tank (a rubbermaid tub). this should give me 7 days to allow the silicone to cure.