29 Gallon Coralife Biocube " Diary "

nolson

nolson

Member
Hello,
I just started my new 29 gallon Cora-life Bio cube. It has started the cycling process which I am about 1 1/2 weeks into. I have had a few tanks in the past but ended up always tearing them down so never really got all that far. I have been researching and learning about tanks and different species for years.
Current Equipment :
1st Chamber - 100 Watt Ehiem Jager heater
2nd Chamber - Intank Media Basket running Poly filter floss, Purigen & Chemipure Elite
- Tunze 9002 skimmer with airline mod
3rd Chamber - Cora-life S-1000 return pump
- Double Switch ATO with Toms Aqualifter
Vortech mp10 running reef crest mode
To measure the salinity in the tank I am using a Milwaukee MA887 Seawater Refractometer so far I love this thing its so simple and precise.
Lighting:
36 watt True Actinic 03
36 watt 10,000K Daylight
and a 0.75 Lunar Blue LED Bar
The lighting will be upgraded to Ecoxotic panorama pro's shortly
In the Display is:
32 lbs of live rock from site ending in Aquria " I am not happy with the quality but they gave me a full refund and let me keep the rock so I will not complain. 32 lbs of free live rock is good for sure :p
40 lbs of live sand
I am not sure if I am fond of this live sand. Does anyone have experience with Bahamas oolite? It looks extremely nice but is so fine I am not sure if I can keep the goby I am wanting as I think it will make a mess every time it digs into the sand. Also the mp10 seems to truly enjoy blowing the sand all over the place.
Anyways, here are a few pictures of the start up as you can see Diatoms are in full swing.
Enjoy :)





 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
That's one fancy refractometer!...What did you pay for that?
Like I said before...I like the way you arranged the rock, diggers like the gobies like the fine sand. I like your fancy sump as well....Tunze skimmers are very nice.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by nolson http:///t/393104/29-gallon-coralife-biocube-diary#post_3494634
I bought it for 91 dollars on Amazon. Its great to use. Here is a video on it, Only about a minute long.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBfzk6DH9TI
LOL...Maybe 30 seconds long...Did you have to do anything to set it up (Calibrtate), or just used it like that from the get go?
Not this month...but come November, I'm going to plan on getting me one of those. The refractometer I have, I need to be able to look at the light in a window or I can't see anything (bad eyes). So the only time I can check my SG is in the daytime on a sunny day...LOL
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by nolson http:///t/393104/29-gallon-coralife-biocube-diary#post_3494677
You calibrate it to fresh RO water and it is good to go from there. :)
Awesome, that will be on my Nov wish list for sure....This month with my fish budget, I am purchasing an up to 500X digital magnifier. LOL...so I can see the beady little eye of the copepods.
SVP DM540 Digital Mobile Magnifier MicroScope 500x ZOOM w/ Camera & Video Mode
 
nolson

nolson

Member
Update -
On 10/1/2012 I tested my water and had a very minor trace of ammonia zero nitrite and zero nitrate. I have a massive bloom of diatom algae so I feel my cycle is over after roughly 2 weeks. I completed a 6 gallon water change, In the process getting water all over the floor and ordered a new cleanup crew :).
On 10/3/2012 the cleanup crew arrived so I of course temperature acclimated them for a half hour and they are currently in the process of being drip acclimated. I retested my water this morning and these are the current " specs "
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0
PH 8.1 - 8.2
Salinity 1.025
The color in the ammonia tube does appear to be the top one in person, Not so much on camera.

My huge diatom bloom.

My new clean up crew floating :)
 
nolson

nolson

Member
My new cleanup crew consists of :
25 - Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crabs
9 - Astrea Turbo Snails
10 - Nassarius Snails
5 - Bumble Bee Snails
5 - Cerith Snails
1 - Emerald Crab
1 - Peppermint Shrimp
One of the bags of snails had a really foul odor when I opened it. Is this normal or did one of them die?
 
nolson

nolson

Member
Hello,
No I am not having a problem at all with water temp it stays at a constant 78 with a heater. I have replaced the power compact lighting with LED lighting though which may be helping out greatly. I am also using a Vortech mp10 a design where the motor is on the outside of the tank not on the inside. Both are probably helping a lot when it comes to heat.
I currently have 4 fish in this thank they are:
2 Clowns
1 Purple Dotty back
1 Six line wrasse
The last fish will most likely be a Flame Angel, I am just taking my sweet time adding things to the tank so I don't have a wipe out :)
I also got rid of my " True Emerald Crab " as it was eating my coral.
 
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