My new 14g biocube wit pics!

[bpaul1201]

Well Friday nite i finally set up my 14g biocube with water and sand, and today i went and got 10lbs of Lr @ $5.00/lb and then i took some pics!! here they are......
1. is tank with regular lights on
2. is with aticnic's with regulars
3. tank on stand with just actinics
4. is an over head shot!!
p.s. i had to do a lil cropping!,also my camera is a nikon coolpixs p2 and help with how to take a better shot with this camera would help!thanks
i also need a lil help with a heater i have a jager50w but i cant fit it into the tank,( clearance issues with my lights), are there any other smaller heaters out there to fit in my lil 14g biocube? right know my temp is a steady 75-76 degrees, would this be tomuch of a problem or am i ok for fish and corals at this temp??
awesome news!! i just got back from the movies and i had my l.e.d. nitelights on and i found a hitchhiker .....a brittle star ( i think) he is really tiny about 3/16 on a inch in total length! it is crawling on the glass right now! i also found a small feather duster on a low side of one of the rocks! now the question is how do i keep them alive? do i need to spot feed them or do i leave alone? also could i move the small feather duster to a better location or can they move on their own? thanks for any help!!

 

[bpaul1201]

well just took some nite pics with LEDs on and thought i might share!

( not the best though)

p.s. i see plenty of views....no suggestions?

 

[aquaguy24]

congrats good start..i have a aquapod and i put my heater in the overflow chamber and fed the wire threw the same hole where the pump wire goes out..i like to keep my temp at 78-79

 

[adairable]

good start!!!
I have the same tank so if you have simple questions I will try to help you out!

 

[sigmachris]

I have a Biocube 14G and I had to search for a heater that is 8" long or less to get in the chamber. I'm at work so I don't know the name brand, but I believe its Marineland and it comes in a green box.
If your rock is only $5.00 / lb, I would buy more. Its much easier to put it in now while you are cycling than later when you have critters and you don't want a mini cycle.
Good start,
Chris

 

[bpaul1201]

thank you all, i just stopped by my office, i work in the field and wanted to check up on this thread. yeah i tried the overflow/filter chamber for the heater but not keen on it being so close to filter( its a 50w jager)!! but my temps are between 74-79 through out day and night with out heater so i might be ok! just have to keep the room temp in check! also i'm going to buy some more live rock later on today when im on my way home! i thinking maybe 4-7lbs more and i'm good to go, the rock has been in the tank at lfs for 4 weeks and i'm going to get the last lil bit before they reload the tank again!
any advice about the feather duster? can i move it or is it going to be ok? also i have all these lil tiny tiny dragon looking things all over the rocks, they stick to the rocks and sway in the current or they move around like lil catepillars! any ideas on what they are??

one more thing any lighting time advice would be awesome, and have any of you with the 14g biocube tried using timers for the lights? it a lil annoying to keep going in and manually doing the lights,plus my roommate is getting mad at me cuz i'm using himas my lil info man when i'm at work!

 

[sigmachris]

A 5 degree temp swing might be too much for some fragile critters, but I don't know for sure.
Timers are a must...I got the old fashion timers plugged into my power strip. I did see recently a high end power strip at a LFS that had timers built into the strip. It was obviously designed for fish tanks.

 

[adairable]

timers are really expensive at the LFS...so I went to IKEA and they had them for like 5 bucks. I got two so I can have the LEDS come on before the bright ones and go off after. Also make sure to schedule the lights being on when You want to view the tank....I mean if you are at work all day, you may want to let them come on later in the afternoon so you can enjoy the tank while you are home.
And that filter that came with the biocube I threw out. If you are interested in an alternative let me know.

 

[sigmachris]

I threw the carbon filter out after the first month too. You can cut that blue filter floss to size and place it on the tray in the middle chamber. Place in to the right of the tray so the water spilling from the third to second chamber passes through the filter floss. You will need to change it every 2 or 3 days, but it is cheaper in the long run and it will increase water flow.

 

[perfectdark]

Nice tank, i have 2 feather dusters in my tank I dose every now and then with phyto plankton. Mine seem to get what ever else they need from the water column. When i do its a very very small amount and its when i feed my scallop. But i dont think you need too, I remember reading some where that someone has one and they have never spot fed them before. But I am only telling you what I do. They are happy and large. Good luck looks good.

 

[adairable]

Originally Posted by SigmaChris
I threw the carbon filter out after the first month too. You can cut that blue filter floss to size and place it on the tray in the middle chamber. Place in to the right of the tray so the water spilling from the third to second chamber passes through the filter floss. You will need to change it every 2 or 3 days, but it is cheaper in the long run and it will increase water flow.
ditto!
I think sigma helped me...good advice

 

[sigmachris]

I can't take credit for that advice, I copied it from DeMartini who copied it from someone who knew somebody who dated that guys cousin...

 

[bpaul1201]

well put 5 more lbs of rock in waiting for water to clear up to take pics!! i moved the rock with the lil feather duster to an area of good flow!
anyways about the filter, yea i'd like to do something else maybe but not sure, i've read about people removing the bioballs and putting in lr rubble, and of types of filter media like the blue floss, where can i get this blue filter floss? i'm thinking of adding a small powerhead for more flow, any suggestions? when i added the new rock i did a small water change also i havent done any test yet i'm going to wait til tomarrow morning before i go to work, the rock was already established so i dont think i'm going to have much of a cycle! thanks again for all the helpful advice!!
p.s. the water i'm using is natures ocean naturally enriched see water not mix!! it already has plankton and stuff in there, i'm figuring that they are multiplying and what not! and my sand is nature ocean live argonite sand i have about 14lbs in there and the rest for my lil 3g deco qt.

 

[bpaul1201]

well i finally took some new pics of the added rock and the repositioned lil duster( know i see him all the time and he's actually bigger then i thought)

.....i also placed the rock so that there are plenty of caves as well as one big cave in middle of the rock formation! i think my future goby/bleeny is going to be very happy!

 

[sigmachris]

Nice rock work its coming along.
The blue filter floss should be available at all fish stores. Its about $8.00 and has 10 or 12 large sheets in the package. Cut them to size at about 2"x4" with scissors. Cut a couple of dozen and keep them near your fish tank. Every couple of days swap them out, you will see it get brown from the crap it catches. You can remove the carbon filter after a month when it has expired and you don't need to replace it. By removing the stock carbon filter you will increase your flow into the chambers. I do run a bag of carbon the first week of every month, you only want to have that in the chamber for 3 or 4 days. I put it on top of my LR rubble that is in the middle chamber. The carbon helps with water clarity and filters some other stuff that the filter floss and LR don't break down.
Now a question for you...what is that in the lower left corner of the DT in the last picture? Is it a hydrometer left underwater? I've never seen or heard about that if it is. Not saying good or bad, just curious.

 

[bpaul1201]

thank u, yes that thing is a hydrometer left in the water and it have a temp gauge on it to($9.99) online. its helpful so i dont have to use my rafractometer all the time. and i have another digital temp on the other side so that i can keep track of any temp drops from top to bottom of tank! i'm a lil anal about my investment!!

as if we all arent. but thanks about the filter i'm going to look at that today at my lfs when i pickup my mice for my 2 corn snakes......what about the lil feather duster?? i think it likes its new places its always out unless i switch the lights or make some noise!
oh and last nite i was looking at my tank( the tank is at the foot of my bed against the wall so its the first thing i see in the mornings and last thing at nite!) i have copepods all over the place!!! i'm so stoked i'm doing my first water test tonite and maybe i might get my CuC this weekend!
p.s. i also just bought a 95g wave tank off another member last nite and i'm going to pick it up this weekend!!!

but after this purchase i need to buckle down and pay off the 2 credit cards!!

later all thanks for all the views and dont be afraid to post i want to hear all of your comments!

 

[bpaul1201]

one more thing what would you suggest for clean up crew for my lil tank, i know i want a scarlet or blood dot shrimp, but which hermit,snail and how many should i buy for the tank? thanks again!
people 210 views and only 4 people who posted?? what gives? did i affend someone? sorry if i did.

 

[bpaul1201]

well update, i hate my roommate...he's moving out by friday and wont be giving me any money for the rent

so im not going to be able to buy that 95g wave

:

but i did go to the lfs and pickedup 7 blue legs hermits (.99) , 1 huge turbo ( 1.29 was 3.69 becuz i'm such a great guy), 1 red leg hermit ( $.99 was 3.49 guy was tired of looking at him)

there acclimating rite know and will have them in the tank soon. also picked up a red sea master kit for $45 was $60 and some algea sheets in case they need a but more food! i also have to buy a small window a/c unit cuz tank is to hot 81.6* when i got home i want it at 77 so need an a/c. well thats all for now i post pics later!

 

[curryfishman]

its 1 duster ok it wont get bigger. usally rocks have thousands on them

 

[bpaul1201]

yea i know its one duster, but its a free bee

, and i was just trying to see if anybody was really reading the thread!

any tips by the way about lighting times? im still trying to get this thing on a good time table before i add a few corals.