New 32 gal Oceanic Biocube Build

[Judi M]

Years back I successfully had a 14g biocube with both fish and coral for 3-4 yrs until heater broke while gone over weekend and FINALLY starting back with this hobby.

Feb 17, 2019:
I started up my 32g Oceanic LED biocube with dry rock, Bio-sphira, Caribsea Arag live fiji sand and lights on for 4-5 hrs.
Sporadically put a pinch of food in (maybe 1x week?)
I am using stock lights, a Cobalt 15o W heater, plus a digital thermometer.
Going on vacation and hoping that helps speed up the wait!

March 17th, 2019:
Back from vacation and after seeing so many fish/coral in natural habitat, way too excited to get back into the game!

Tested and A=0 and N=5
So we added 2 Clowns and 4 snails (1 nazarius, 1 turbo, and 2 ummm the other ones? lol)
Hikari Marine 1-2x daily with about 12 pellets ea time and switching out every other day with myosis shrimp
Added a bag of copepods and phytoplankton

Brown spots have started to develop over the past 24 hrs
Extended lights to 10 hrs per day

I jumped the gun on a online auction and have 2 ricordea shipping out end of next week :-( (I know I know-I've been so patient until this!)

Additional purchases so far:
In Tank Media & Refuge racks: Planning on setting this up this weekend, with chaeto (tried to cancel this order after reading this was too soon but it arrived)
Purigen (wait on adding this?)
Chemipure (Wait on adding this?)
Floss
Phytoplankton
My plan is to have the heater in Chamber 1, Chamber 2: next to chamber 1-first the media rack with top-down: floss (may use up the old biocube filters I have on hand), then Chemipure, then purigen. Next to this in refuge, I will be adding chaeto with small LED light on all the time once in place...and possible dry rock rubble. Last Chamber has my pump with stock sponge. (Currently, I am not planning on a skimmer as previous experience, I didn't feel like it helped at all)


Hydor circulation and wave 425 GPH pump (not yet added to tank)
Refractometer
Back up battery operated air pump
Test Kits: API=Amonia, Red Sea=NO3, PO4, Salifert=Ca, KH/Alk, Mg.
12 lbs Caribea LIFE rock (need to add and re scape tank this weekend)
Instant Ocean Salt
Elbow length aquarium gloves
SS Algae Scraper/Cleaner
CoralRx
ESV Aquatics Bionic 2 part system
Tubing for drip acclimation
Net
Anything we are missing?

March 21, 2019:
No water changes yet-waited on new test kits to arrive and wanted to test BEFORE water change:
Ammonia: .25
Nitrate: 4 ppm
Calcium: .225 ppm
Phosphate: .08 ppm
Salinity: 1.021
Starting to see brown algae appearing (need to water change tonight!!!! Water is mixed and need to warm it up)


Will post more pictures after water change, adding media rack, refuge, and LIFE rock. I will then wait (how long?) and re test to see where parameters are now at.

Would love any feedback or thoughts?

 

[hdsoftail1065]

Congrats! I see you started your build thread.

 

[Judi M]

Yes Thank you-this was fun to write up and remember what we have done so far. And a good way to track progress. Right now we are in the middle of setting up the In Tank Refuge and Media Rack and re scaping (you would think this was rocket science, the amount of times we are second guessing our scaping! lol).
Also realized I don't have the CoralRX yet and the chaeto (that I tried canceling) showed up today. So I am trying to soak and make sure its not carrying anything into my tank.

How long should I wait after this major scaping change and water change, before re testing my water for the most accurate results?

 

[Marco S]

Yes Thank you-this was fun to write up and remember what we have done so far. And a good way to track progress. Right now we are in the middle of setting up the In Tank Refuge and Media Rack and re scaping (you would think this was rocket science, the amount of times we are second guessing our scaping! lol).
Also realized I don't have the CoralRX yet and the chaeto (that I tried canceling) showed up today. So I am trying to soak and make sure its not carrying anything into my tank.

I am following. Interested in seeing how the new scape and refugium go.

How long should I wait after this major scaping change and water change, before re testing my water for the most accurate results?

I usually test every day for a week whenever making large changes and then go back to once a week.

Good luck and post lots of pics!

 

[hdsoftail1065]

I know what my readings are before the change and what the readings are for the water going in. I usually do all my maintenance on Sundays, and do a sanity check Monday evenings. Everyone is probably different when they test.

Did you see the aquascape threads? There are some great scapes you can pull ideas from.

 

[Judi M]

Great advice! I've spent every spare minute on rtr reading looking at everyone's tanks etc., so much great info!

Thank you both

 

[Judi M]

Omg, I swear, the clowns are like kids, all excited about the new holes, tunnels etc.! Completely checking it ooy, in and out!

Before water change and re scaping (adding LIFE rock to current "dry" rock

Life rock "sculpture"

After:

Right side view

Left side view

 

[Ranjib]

Looking awesome. Love nano tanks

You'll need an ATO soonish. You can hold on to better light, power head , skimmer etc till you want SPS or some harder to keep lps. Ricordia's are sensitive to light during in the beginning, acclimate them in relatively shaded area (with stock light this may not be necessary). GSP will take over rocks, so keep them isolated.

 

[Judi M]

Thank you! Is there any benefit to ato other than convenience? We were gone 10 days recently ( while it was cycling) and barely any water loss.
Will ricordia prefer to stay in more shaded areas? Or just in the beginning?
I love gsp, and hope i will have enough area seperate, to have them. Any suggestions how to keep them isolated in small space?
I really want Rock flower anemones, and think this landscape would lend well to these?

 

[Seminoles76]

Love how you did the new aquascape.

Best thing for GSP is on a smaller rock separate froM your main scape.

The ATO is for convenience but also will be vital for salinity stability if you look into any SPS down the road.

Good luck with the new setup. Looks great so far.

 

[Marco S]

Looking good!

What did you use to bond the rock together?

 

[Judi M]

Love how you did the new aquascape.

Best thing for GSP is on a smaller rock separate froM your main scape.

The ATO is for convenience but also will be vital for salinity stability if you look into any SPS down the road.

Good luck with the new setup. Looks great so far.

Thank you!
Worried how i can squeeze in a seperate rock/ area since it feels so crowded already!

Looking good!

What did you use to bond the rock together?

My hubby got it from lfs, it's an epoxy. I can ask him for info?

 

[Ranjib]

Thank you! Is there any benefit to ato other than convenience? We were gone 10 days recently ( while it was cycling) and barely any water loss.
Will ricordia prefer to stay in more shaded areas? Or just in the beginning?
I love gsp, and hope i will have enough area seperate, to have them. Any suggestions how to keep them isolated in small space?
I really want Rock flower anemones, and think this landscape would lend well to these?

If theres no water evaporation (i.e. your salinity is staying constant) then ATO is not required. I overlooked this when in earlier post. I run tank without hood, hence its a must for me. Make a small island for the GSP. As long as they are not touching the main island, you should be fine. They are easy to scrape off from walls, so thats one place to glue them. Ricordia will prefer low light in general, some are more tolerant than other.
Rockflower nems are very good addition, just research a bit about them before getting. I think they';ll need once in a while chunky/meaty food .

Do you plan to keep SPS down the road? I had to get rid of the hood and bulk of the stock filtration to accommodate SPS friendly gears. But I did it over the course of a year or more,. as and when I learned thing. Hood was a huge problem for heating issues as well, and with hood gone, that opened up many good possibilities, including
- A decent light (I use Kessil A360, but prime, hydra all are good, and all of them require you to get rid of the hood)
- Skimmer in the backchamber (i use aquaticlife 115, but if i buy again, i'll go with Aqaumaxx 1.5 HOB)
- Get rid of bioballs (they are pain in nano setup), and use chemipure blue and filter pads. I'll recommend this even if you keep hood.


For SPS specifically, I added an MP10, after 1.5 years of my tank start date. I love what I have now.. its nothing spectacular, but I think its stable and simple and lets me grow most things I want and my choices are limited by space not by water chemistry or equipment capabilities (flow etc)

 

[Judi M]

If theres no water evaporation (i.e. your salinity is staying constant) then ATO is not required. I overlooked this when in earlier post. I run tank without hood, hence its a must for me. Make a small island for the GSP. As long as they are not touching the main island, you should be fine. They are easy to scrape off from walls, so thats one place to glue them. Ricordia will prefer low light in general, some are more tolerant than other.
Rockflower nems are very good addition, just research a bit about them before getting. I think they';ll need once in a while chunky/meaty food .

Do you plan to keep SPS down the road? I had to get rid of the hood and bulk of the stock filtration to accommodate SPS friendly gears. But I did it over the course of a year or more,. as and when I learned thing. Hood was a huge problem for heating issues as well, and with hood gone, that opened up many good possibilities, including
- A decent light (I use Kessil A360, but prime, hydra all are good, and all of them require you to get rid of the hood)
- Skimmer in the backchamber (i use aquaticlife 115, but if i buy again, i'll go with Aqaumaxx 1.5 HOB)
- Get rid of bioballs (they are pain in nano setup), and use chemipure blue and filter pads. I'll recommend this even if you keep hood.


For SPS specifically, I added an MP10, after 1.5 years of my tank start date. I love what I have now.. its nothing spectacular, but I think its stable and simple and lets me grow most things I want and my choices are limited by space not by water chemistry or equipment capabilities (flow etc)

No plans for sps.
Love rock flowers and reading everything i can about them right now!

Got rod of bioballs when running 14g, and same with this one. Have in tank media rack and fuge that i an working on setting up with purigen, chemipure, chaetp etc. Thanks for the good advice!

 

[Ranjib]

No plans for sps.
Love rock flowers and reading everything i can about them right now!

Got rod of bioballs when running 14g, and same with this one. Have in tank media rack and fuge that i an working on setting up with purigen, chemipure, chaetp etc. Thanks for the good advice!

If you are not aiming for sps, then you dont need anything fancy I think. Stock light, pump should be ok. Chemipure blue has both carbon and purigen, so you can ditch separate purigen, and use the extra space for fuge. Fuge is an awesome idea.

 

[Judi M]

If you are not aiming for sps, then you dont need anything fancy I think. Stock light, pump should be ok. Chemipure blue has both carbon and purigen, so you can ditch separate purigen, and use the extra space for fuge. Fuge is an awesome idea.

Would live some input in the following:
Tank is 5 wks old with 4 cuc and 2 clowns, 2 ricordia coming next week.

Refuge/ media basket questions:
Right now in my media basket i have floss on top and few rock rubble in bottom. Rufuge: chaeto and light.

How mature should my tank be before i add chemipure and purigen?

Someone said it may not be mature enough to want to add those yet? How do i know when they should be added?

 

[Judi M]

Just realized i was reading red sea test results incorrectly ( nitrate & phosphate) updated original post.
Today's results after water change last night:

Ammonia: .25 ppm (tested twice as first showed. 50)
Calcium: .5 / 250 ppm
Kh/ Alk: 13.1 dKH
Magnesium: .22 / 1170ppm
Nitrate: 4 ppm
Phosphate: .04 ppm
Salinity: 1.023 or 1.024

I have a2 part dosing coming Monday, any additional regulations?

Added chaeto last night, when should i add chemipure and purigen?

 

[Judi M]

Today's pictures with lights on:

 

[Captain Quint]

Welcome to R2R!

Your 'Cove' scape is very nice I ran several BioCubes with a cove.

What are your current parameters and test kit if I may ask? Ammonia might be a false reading if testing with API kit. The alkalinity is a tad high and calcium is on the low side.

I love BioCubes and Y'all have a pretty one starting up.

Keep up the great job and thank you for sharing.

 

[Abdullah Al Faruq]

It is good to read through topics on water parameters.