Two Tanked too Enjoy It...

[MECOMI]

I am not so sure about everyone else here, but my wife says I'm...OBSESSED

Let's talk about my reef!! And the amazing journey along the way.

Biocube 32 - Continue reading to take the Two Tanked journey


Red Sea Max S-500 - ...Dive deeper and Go Big Click here


But what the heck do I know about fish tanks?!?!

Ever since I was young I have had a soft spot for all animals. I am a dog lover through and through and am so thankful everyday to have them in my life. I grew up with Turtles, Iguana's, and the occasional frog that I caught out in the yard. Currently I feel I live on a small farm filled with dogs, chickens, and fish really covering the gambit of fur, feathers, and fins. Let's see...how did I get here?

When I was 16 I was able to experience scuba diving for the first time and absolutely fell in love with the ocean. The life down there humbles you, millions of little creatures going about their lives and you would never know just hanging out on the surface. And even though I have not scuba'd since I was 20 it still has a special place in my heart. If you ever get the chance to do a wreck dive, visit a cove called Butterfly Bay, or do a wall dive in Little Cayman it is a life changing experience.




Back in 2019 I decided to scratch an itch that I've had for almost ten years, setup my own tank. I knew nothing about saltwater, all I wanted was a large piece of live rock and as many shrimp as i could fit inside. My friend started a saltwater tank well I was in Colorado, and once established I was in awe.

The live rock came to life with starfish, sponges, strange algae, and worms. The shrimp were see through...SEE THROUGH I tell you. I could never stop watching when I visited. I still knew nothing and learned nothing at that point, all I knew is that it looked cool . I did not get to experience the tank for more than a few months and yet, the seed had been planted.



So after stewing about a fish tank 'for fun' well in Colorado for those years. After a long move across country the wife gave me the OK! and I was off to the fish store...

Sincerely,

B Kind

 

[blaxsun]

If she think's your "obsessed" now, just tell her wait until you get a larger tank...

 

[MECOMI]

If she think's your "obsessed" now, just tell her wait until you get a larger tank...

Oh, I will get there soon!

 

[Sean Clark]

Always best to get approval prior to the statement coming in...

 

[Jeffcb]

Looks like its going to be great build!

 

[MECOMI]

Looks like its going to be great build!

Hey thanks man, its been a heck of a ride

 

[MECOMI]

So let's continue..

The fish store isnt far. Which is great news except, it looks like it just builds tanks and was not a retail store. Lucky for me, I called , and they are a retail store. Woohoo!

A place like Easy-Aquariums seems harmless enough and the place is great. I was immediately infatuated with the systems and animals. Somebody has a snake at the counter and I am already pumped. A lady says hello and I bumble a bit as a newb. Luckily she worked out what i had to say and we talked about being a beginner. And oh boy am i a beginner.

I am in love with the idea of an all in one. Nothing to big because i want it to be 'easy.' The Biocube seems like a perfect fit so I ran home ready to find a place to put it. Luckily are den had plenty of room. But the table..



Luckily we decided to build it from scratch and it is the first table i have ever built and i think it turned out just fine. Phew. Oh and the casters were heavy duty, 200lbs a piece. The casters have been a great addition, especially since we had to move it to make room for something just a little bigger!



Most of my education at the fish store was way over my head and i was still ready to roll!



So I guess i have to figure out how this all works....right?

Sincerely,

B-Kind

 

[New&no clue]

what are your plans for each tank?

 

[danny_corals]

Following along!

 

[dvgyfresh]

Welcome !! Following along hope to see the beautful tank come together

 

[MECOMI]

what are your plans for each tank?

Both tanks are up and running at this time and are both a mixed reef. As much as I would love to have a coral specific tank SPS, LPS, softies, NPS etc. I really appreciate the diversity and helps me avoid having to make a firm decision in a direction ;Facepalm

The Biocube is my first tank and was started on Jun 3rd 2019. At that point I was as much of a newb as you could imagine. As soon as I was told that corals were 'not that difficult' I wanted as much color, movement, and beauty as i could afford.

I have some amazing highs, and terrible lows with the Biocube which i will share as the build continues.

The RSM S-500 was a lucky second hand find back at the end of 2020. I will admit, initially i really reaaaallly wanted it to be a clownfish harem but after finding that long term results were not well documented, i went back to a mixed reef.

Sincerely, B-Kind

 

[New&no clue]

Both tanks are up and running at this time and are both a mixed reef. As much as I would love to have a coral specific tank SPS, LPS, softies, NPS etc. I really appreciate the diversity and helps me avoid having to make a firm decision in a direction ;Facepalm

The Biocube is my first tank and was started on Jun 3rd 2019. At that point I was as much of a newb as you could imagine. As soon as I was told that corals were 'not that difficult' I wanted as much color, movement, and beauty as i could afford.

I have some amazing highs, and terrible lows with the Biocube which i will share as the build continues.

The RSM S-500 was a lucky second hand find back at the end of 2020. I will admit, initially i really reaaaallly wanted it to be a clownfish harem but after finding that long term results were not well documented, i went back to a mixed reef.

Sincerely, B-Kind

Oh Man! I really wanted to do a clown harem tank as well, but same reason I didn't pursue it. Maybe some day.

 

[MECOMI]

Welcome !! Following along hope to see the beautful tank come together

Thank you, it has been a heck of a ride, lots of pictures and events to come!

 

[MECOMI]

At this point it is June 7th 2019 and I am so excited and proud about setting up the tank. For the first fill up i grabbed seven 5-gallon containers from the LFS. Roughly about 12 lbs of live rock and felt okay at best about the aquascape.

Weekend night vibes


Is that diatoms, algae of some kind i see? ;Happy


The Biocube is all stock equipment. The only thing i changed early on is the media basket in the back. The original one seemed a little flimsy and i was already annoyed by the carbon filter they come with.

I decided to go with the inTank media basket and Fuge Basket for the Cube. It was one of the best decisions i made for the tank and it is still treating me just fine in 2022.



As i stared at the tank almost every waking moment for the first month for something, anything to crawl out of the rock work I started to do my first research on my own. ;Nailbiting

I discovered that I could certainly add more rock to the tank and read somewhere that adding about a lbs per gallon could really benefit things. Whether I still believe that's the case to this day is a toss up but it seemed like a good idea at the time. So after the diatoms really started to take hold I headed out to the LFS.

June 11th 2019

Another 25lbs added and the big pile of rocks was born!



June 24th 2019, is that some light wispy hair Algae i see...


After several tests at the LFS I am almost clear of ammonia, very low nitrite, and some nitrate creeping up so things are heading the right direction so far...

Sincerely,

B-Kind

 

[MECOMI]

So I decided to sit down and write up my next post. And sat in the reef room for some inspiration. And of course before anything else I cleaned the glass! Boy those rock flower anemones look nice.



I decided early on that I was not going to test my water. I know i can get by with the occasional test at the LFS and buying test kits initially was very overwhelming. What one is best, what one do i really need anyway, why are they so expensive, do i even need them, which all seemed like pretty valid arguments and concerns from a beginner stand point. I will say, right now, that i have changed my tune! ;Headphone

After about a month my tests at the LFS were coming back free and clear from ammonia and nitrite, including some solid 20's for nitrate. My early water changes for the cube were....messy to say the least. Using one gallon water pitchers from the kitchen is a fine option but i would not recommend it long term . It also never made the wife very happy, (salt water on a heat register=rust, whoops!) but she gave me some early leniency as she was just as excited to see something crawling around in the tank. After a 50% water change it was back to the LFS i go!

This is Chunks the Scarlet Hermit


Come on out little one...This hermit is affectionately named Grouch


In the early days of the hobby i tried to spend as little money on equipment as i could. In the end it is all about the animals inside or at least so i thought.

At the advise of the LFS i added just a couple handful of inverts. Turbo snails, trochus, nessarius, 2 scarlet hermits, and 3 dwarf blue hermits.



King of the mountain has a pretty neat shell

Trochus for the win



Turbo snail, doing turbo snail things.


I loved this phase in the hobby. Seeing the tank crawling with critters brought me such joy and i knew my shrimp and fish were not far behind.

I have to admit that i am a very patient person. But when i start to get invested in something and excited, I can tend towards a little less control...

Till next time,

B-Kind

 

[New&no clue]

Inverts are my favorite. I love snails, crabs, and shrimp. They are my kids favorite too.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Lol welcome to the world of mixed reef tanks. Enjoy
D

 

[rmorris_14]

Following! I have a biocube as well so I can wait to see posts about yours and possible get some inspirations along the way. Keep it coming! I love your rock.

Inverts are my favorite. I love snails, crabs, and shrimp. They are my kids favorite too.

I find myself more drawn towards the inverts as well. I didn't think that would be the case, but it is. I often find myself struggling to give people fish recommendations. But ask about inverts, and I will gladly chime in.

 

[KaitCorals]

Remember a woman does not like sharing attention... you need to continue to make her feel wanted, and special even if you spend time on other things! We are complicated creatures.

 

[MECOMI]

Remember a woman does not like sharing attention... you need to continue to make her feel wanted, and special even if you spend time on other things! We are complicated creatures.

Gosh, isnt that the truth! Complicated and rewarding. She is my world and the fish tanks are part of our lifestyle!

Thanks for stopping in!