My BioCube 29 Journal

BaritoneJP · May 14, 2015

New to the hobby, new tank (new to me, purchased used) ... Journal to document my trek (Star Trek fan) to have a little bit of the ocean in my living room.

Equipment:

Coralife Biocube 29
Stock Coralife pump (model 1000)
Stock lights (don't judge)
Hydor Koralia Nano (425 gph, I think)
Aqueon 06106 Pro Heaters Submersible Aquarium Heater, 100-Watt (set at 77F)

What's in the tank:

30 lbs of rock
- CaribSea LiveRock original (4 rocks)
- CaribSea Primo Reef Rock (3 larger rocks, 1 small rock)
CaribSea Arag-Alive sand (2 inch sand bed)

"Pay No Attention to that Man Behind the Curtain!" - Oz

Two eshoppes foam blocks as mechanical filtration (with a piece of poly filter on top of that)
I have Matrix (from Seachem) in a bag for bio filtration (instead of bio balls) DrTim's on that
A bag of Purigen (also from Seachem) as chemical filtration.

Test Kits:

API Saltwater Master Test Kit
Instant Ocean SeaTest Hydrometer

5/9/2015: Tank setup, rock aquascaping
5/10/2015: sand and (premixed water from LFS) and water added, pump and powerhead started
5/11/2015: salinity tested at 1.026, temp at 77
5/12/2015: salinity tested at 1.027, temp at 77

My first test was Wednesday (5/13/2015), also topped off with RO water (I did so before the test ... may not should of done that ... living and learning)

pH = 8
Ammonia = .5 ppm
- So my thought is the cycle hasn't started, or only just barely, Add an ammonia source?
- Added fish food, pellets, approx. 10 pellets (formula two pellets by ocean nutrition)
  - Some fell to the sand, a few ended up on the poly filter.
Nitrite = 0 ppm
Nitrate = 0 ppm
salinity = 1.027 (was 1.028 before top off with RO water)

beaslbob · May 14, 2015

FWIW I start my tanks with macro algaes. You might want to look into that.
my .02

BaritoneJP · May 14, 2015

beaslbob said:
FWIW I start my tanks with macro algaes. You might want to look into that.
my .02

I'll take as many 2 cents as people will give :smile: Tell me more about this tip, starting a tank with macro algae (or your favorite web link on the topic).

Thanks again,
Jamey

beaslbob · May 14, 2015

BaritoneJP said:
I'll take as many 2 cents as people will give :smile: Tell me more about this tip, starting a tank with macro algae (or your favorite web link on the topic).

Thanks again,
Jamey

It's basically the same idea as a FW planted tank. The idea is the plants (plants in FW and macro algae in marine) balance out and stabilize the environment by consuming ammonia (first if available and then) nitrates plus phosphates and carbon dioxide while returning fish food and oxygen.
With marine systems, livestock and cleaning crews eat the macros so they have to be protected on a refugium. On my old 55g I just crammed in 1/4 plastic grid (egg crate) lighting diffuser about 3" in front of the back glass. That also hid the power heads at the top as well. I then added chaetomorphia and caulerpa between the glass and egg crate and added 2 two tube utility shop lights 4-6" behind the back glass pointing forward.
The macros thrived and the fish enjoyed the macros and pods that poked through the egg crate. Nitrates dropped to unmeasureable in 3 weeks and phosphates followed a couple of months later.
The tank ran with a yellow tang, dory tang, watchman gobie, psuedochromis (or however that is spelled LOL) and a clown for nine years with no water changes. Also kept some easy soft type corals.
No filters, no water changes, no skimmer, untreated tap water.
I did use the diy 2 part to keep calcium alk and mag in line.
That is very similar to results and theory reported for algae turf scrubbers which you may want to check out also. However, I have no experience with them.
So the idea is to setup a balanced, stable ecosystem that as much as possible just takes care of itself.
you just got another .02 :wink:

BaritoneJP · May 14, 2015

beaslbob said:
you just got another .02 :wink:

LOL thank you for another ... very interesting to me. I have though about putting chaeto in a stick-on refugium.

Sealifereef · May 15, 2015

cycling

looks great with cycling i'm a sit a wait for it to happen but you can use nitrifying bacteria or a cycling fish(tho there is so ethical debate on this one) alot of people will say live rock but i stay away from live rock as much as possible because of the crazy hitch hikers that they can come with. use maybe one pound of live rock that you thoroughly inspected. And don't worry when you tank final gets that first brown algae cover its good and will pass quickly.

i also have a site geared more to those just starting out here SeaLife Reef - homesealifereef

TinpanVA · May 15, 2015

Welcome to the obsession. Good start

BaritoneJP · May 15, 2015

Update

Update:

5/15/2015:
- pH = 8
- Ammonia = .25 ppm
- Nitrite = .15 ppm
- Nitrate = 5 ppm (I do wonder if this test was correct; totally b/c of my ability of performing the tests)

I added a small Clown fish as everyone (several people with tanks, not LFS) has recommended that because I've added the bacteria, it needs an ammonia source and the fish food wasn't making ammonia (based upon testing).

I have tested ammonia the day I drip acclimated the fish and tested it today to make sure it doesn't get toxic.

I'm not seeing any visual signs of cycle (not that I know what those are ...)

SeahorseKeeper · May 15, 2015

Looks like that you are off to a good start! It might be a good idea to get a Seachem ammonia alert badge since you added a clown. This way you can gauge the ammonia quickly.

BaritoneJP · May 17, 2015

5/16/2015 Update

Ammonia = 0.25 ppm (the API color chart is hard to match colors to sometimes ... it looked between colors to me, like .2)
Nitrite = 0.1 ppm
Nitrate = 10 ppm (up from yesterday)
Alkalinity = 180 ppm
Salinity = 1.026
Temp = 78F

Seems to be going through the cycle, I'm currently using Seachem Stability (on day 3) adding bacteria. The Clown is feeding very well, I'm only feeding as much as it will eat and removing the left overs after 10 min (the best I can).

With no anemone or frog spawn, the Clown seems to have camped out next to the powerhead ... not sure if the powerhead has hosted the clown yet :wink: but I'm wanting to get something for the little guy.

I know this hobby isn't "cheap" and I understand that, but wow shipping is horrible.:sad:

BaritoneJP · May 18, 2015

5/17/2015
- pH = 8
- Ammonia = tested 0
- Nitrite = tested 0
- Nitrate = 20 ppm (did a 5 gal water change) retested 10 ppm
- Alkalinity = didn't test
- Salinity = 1.026
- Temp = 78F
- Added more Seachem Stability (as I am doing their 7 day additions) over Matrix
5/18/2015

- pH = 7.4 (I have no idea why ?)
- Ammonia = 0
- Nitrite = 0
- Nitrate = 20 ppm
- Alkalinity = 200
- Salinity = 1.026
- Temp = 80 F
- Noticeable diatoms on rocks (could be bubble algae in some places)
- Added Seachem Stability (day 5 of the 7 day instructions)

General comment, I'm not loving the API test kit ... or I may just have an issue with colors... I wonder if the Rea Sea test kits are different?

BaritoneJP · May 18, 2015

Note about pH test on 5/18/2015: retested after lights had been off for about two hours and the pH tested at 8. I may have had a 'bad test' (the test tube may have not been clean or still had tap water from the rinse from the time prior.) ... Or the the pH may have been down because the lights had been on for about 8 hours. Maybe someone will reply with an explanation.

BaritoneJP · May 20, 2015

Picture update

BaritoneJP · May 21, 2015

Previous dates were the same as the 5/18 test (with the pH being 8)
5/21/2015

- pH = 8
- Ammonia = 0
- Nitrite = 0
- Nitrate = 10 ppm
- Alkalinity = 180
- Salinity = 1.026
- Temp = 80 F
- Noticeable diatoms on rocks and sand
- Added Seachem Stability (day 7 of the 7 day instruction)

I managed to get one (yes, one) hermit crab and it is waving the white flag :D but I am going in with another person and splitting the shipping costs for a proper sized clean up crew. I'm trying to get a refractometer because with everything I'm reading about hydrometers is concerning. However, I keep using the hydrometer to just see if salinity is simply going up or down. I'm finding that most testing is just to establish trends and not so much for how accurate a test kit may or may not be. Clown fish is doing really well; feeding everyday and is swimming over more of the tank.

BaritoneJP · May 25, 2015

Forgot to journal that on 5/17 I replaced the Hydro powerhead with a Tunze Turbelle nanostream 6020 that a won as a door price from a local coral frag show in Leeds, AL.
5/22/2015
- pH = 7.8
- Ammonia = 0
- Nitrite = 0
- Nitrate = 10 ppm
- Alkalinity = 140
- Salinity = 1.025 with Hydrometer (refractometer 1.024) *test following this will be with the refractometer
- Temp = 80 F
- diatoms on rocks and sand, starting to see some hair algae and after lights have been on, bubbles as well (I'm guessing bubble algae)
- continued adding Seachem Stability
- Added 5 dwarf hermit crabs and 5 astrea snails to see if they can clean up the rock
5/23/2015
- 20% water change
- pH = 8
- Ammonia = 0
- Nitrite = 0
- Nitrate = 5 ppm
- Alkalinity = 180
- Salinity = 1.025 with refractometer
- Temp = 80 F
- diatoms on rocks and sand, starting to see some hair algae and after lights have been on, bubbles as well (I'm guessing bubble algae)
- adding Seachem Stability based upon instructions on the bottle for water changes
5/24/2015
- pH = 8
- Ammonia = 0
- Nitrite = 0
- Nitrate = 10 ppm
- Alkalinity = 180
- Salinity = 1.025 with refractometer
- Temp = 80 F
- Hermits and snails have done a great job over the last 48 hours of cleaning the rocks ... must faster than I thought they would.
- Notes: Feed LRS Reef Frenzy to coral (some zoas and frog spawn) and clown fish for the first time. (I feed the smallest amount I could give with a feeder.) Coral seemed to love it and the fish ate some of the larger chunks.
  - I had, early on, removed Seachem Puragen when I started the cycle, but now after the the algae growth and with several consecutive days with ammonia and nitrates at zero, I added back to the tank the Seachem Puragen after Nitrates started to go back up after the water change day (and the feeding of Reef Frenzy that is NOT going to be an everyday thing.)

BaritoneJP · May 27, 2015

Click picture below to see a testing log of my tank:

BaritoneJP · May 28, 2015

I have started my coral collection with a few Protopalythoa and Zoanthus and ... so far, they are doing fine. They are open most of the time, respond to light and light feeding and for the most part seem happy (all based upon reference information, people near me who have been in this hobby for many years that are helping me.)

While I do understand why I "should have SPS coral," I don't understand why some discourage me from ever getting SPS coral. I have read about requirements for SPS and about the only thing I'm missing is the higher PAR level lighting. (Yes, "cleaner" water parameters ... ) I know I'm a rookie in this hobby and will make mistakes, but totally being discouraging to others (even to the point of being snooty) doesn't seem like what this hobby is "about." With that said, I have surrounded myself with people who have been nothing but helpful, encouraging, and willing to bend over backwards to help me in my endeavor.

I really would like to find a mushroom coral and a leather coral next ... I like the pulsing xenia but haven't been able to find any.

Deep_Six Corals · May 28, 2015

You're off to a great start! Congrats on your first venture into saltwater. It seems like you have the basics down and have your testing on point. I'll be the first to tell you to go for it if you want to try sps! It just takes some understanding of their needs and how to care for them. Dosing of elements and stability are key. Along with adequate lighting. Do your research and start with some Easy sps corals first like montipora or seriatopora. Good luck! I'll be tagging along to see how this turns out, make sure to keep us posted.

fishroomlady · May 28, 2015

your progress is looking good and tank looks great! welcome to the hobby!!

BaritoneJP · May 28, 2015

Miami_reefer said:
You're off to a great start! Congrats on your first venture into saltwater. It seems like you have the basics down and have your testing on point. I'll be the first to tell you to go for it if you want to try sps! It just takes some understanding of their needs and how to care for them. Dosing of elements and stability are key. Along with adequate lighting. Do your research and start with some Easy sps corals first like montipora or seriatopora. Good luck! I'll be tagging along to see how this turns out, make sure to keep us posted.

Thank you, I am getting a montipora (red) frag soon once I upgrade my lighting a bit (however, with my current lighting, I know I can provide them at least 425 PAR higher in the tank.) ... and thank you for the encouragement :)

fishroomlady said:
your progress is looking good and tank looks great! welcome to the hobby!!

Thank you :) I'm glad you used the word 'progress', sometimes it doesn't feel like it.

Thanks again, to all who have replied @SeahorseKeeper, @TinpanVA, @Sealifereef, @beaslbob