Star's 14g Biocube diary

star27624

star27624

Member
I have a couple other threads dealing with issues I have had with this tank, from the leaks, the fans, and the hidden predator. I have no idea as to how to combine them, so I decided to just start this with some of the newest pictures and additions.
I went to a SW warehouse in Dayton, OH yesterday. I picked up some nice new corals, a couple of feather dusters, and tons of new wants (too bad my wallet is tapped out for a bit
) They had several types of clown fish that I had not seen before. Onyx, and another one that was gold something ? These are the first clowns that I have actually considered as I usually do not care for them. (Sorry guys...)
Oh and getting to see some of the fish I have thought about maybe adding up close and personal instead of just pictures, WOW!!! Of course, several of the ones I would love to have are not reef safe, darn it. I fell in love with the dragon wrasse!! I plan on doing more research into this fish to see if there is any way I can maybe give it a shot. There was also a blue fairy wrasse that looks awesome too, but I think I should wait on either of these until I get the 29g BC set up an running. They had lots of the little yellow clown goby's that I love. I am thinking about maybe adding one to my pico, or a neon goby or a tiny little t... goby (kind of pinkish/goldish in color, very very tiny guys). So, anyway, I'll quit rambling and post some pics of the new stuff, and how it looked before. Love to hear feedback.
note: no new fish or shrimp as I am unsure as to whether or not the predator is gone. :( Though I will probably bring the peppermint shrimp home from one of my picos at work to deal with the aptasia that I just noticed on one of my new coral frags when I was taking pictures.
Here are the pics (if I did it right with photobucket):
FTS before:

This is my FTS before having to remove the big showy piece in the center so that I could have space for my corals!

Rearranged the rock work, and added several new corals. I had to take my big showy piece out though (have it hanging out in a bucket of sw until I can get the 29g BC set up. Its size shouldn't be an issue in that one). It really limited what I could do with my corals.

Another FTS...
 
star27624

star27624

Member
I didn't post all of the pictures in my first post, as I wan;t sure if they would be there or not. I hadn't used photobucket before today. So here are some more pictures of my newest goodies.
1st rock of new zoes

I think that there are some button polyps on the lower right side of the rock, not sure though. These guys didn't really like the flash of the camera, so they closed up, darn it. Also there is at least one PIMA anemone on this rock right next to a couple of the zoes. Ugh.
2nd zoe rock

Anyone know the names of these 2 types?
Blue Rics

2 heads for the price the LFS wanted for one small one.
First mystery coral

Sorry not the best pic I really need to invest in a better camera, or find the lens for the one I have (its almost 5 years old now, so probably won't be able to). There are several of these purple/dark blue guys on this piece. I picked up this frag more for the tiny feather dusters that are all over it, however I would love to know what these guys are. Ideas?
Mystery corals on Yellow polyp rock

There was a second mystery coral that came on the rock with my yellow polyps. There are 2 of the heads showing in the upper right of the yellow polyps.

These are the other mystery guys on the yellow polyp rock. Buttons maybe?
That's all that I have new for now. Have to wait until next payday before I can do anything else.
 
star27624

star27624

Member
So everything is looking good. I don't have any new pics to share. Sorry. (I really need to get a new camera, just can't get this one to do what I want.) I will try again tonight.
The zoas and all that I added last weekend are doing great. I added a couple of new pieces of LR to add little more height (and one just because I liked it). The only thing I am not pleased with is that my rics have snuggled down into the rock and are kind of hard to see them. I want to move them, but I seriously doubt I can get them out of where they have snuggled in. Suggestions? (And yes I know pics, pics, pics. Just as soon as I can get some that are halfway decent, not all distorted and blurry and yucky).
The aipastia that had come in on one of my zoas rocks, I was able to pick off in another container of SW some night this week when I was rearranging. The zoas seem much happier without on their rock! I added a peppermint shrimp last night, thanks DoggiePuffer. (the lfs' around here have been out, which figures when you need to go get something, and I really didn't want to dig the one out of one of my picos and upset his little world...lol) Hopefully it didn't have time to reproduce, but we'll have to wait and see.
I also added a pretty neat hairy mushroom that is a medium purple/pink color with bright green tips under the actinic. Haven't found the just right place for it yet. it was bugging my yellow polyps so it is in a limbo spot at the moment until I can find the just right place for it.
My clove polyps are doing pretty good, but they are so not wanting to attach to a piece of LR rubble, so they end up lounging in the sand bed. Suggestions are welcome.
I have sound a couple of new critters too. I have baby snails, turbos I think. I have seen 2 of these tiny guys cruising on the glass. I also have found 2 fairy small ( like the size of an ink pen tip)white things with a bright green center growing on a small piece of rubble. Not sure it these are sponges or something else, but the are pretty neat.
The frag rock that I had picked up last weekend mainly for the tiny feather dusters is doing really good. The blue/purple things are getting bigger, though I still have no idea as to what they are. There are also several maroonish polyp thingys on there. They are only about the size of one of the emoticons :).
That's all for now. Hopefully I'll get some good pics tonight after work.
 
star27624

star27624

Member
Didn't get a chance to take pics last night. Was fishing my firefish goby out of the sump. So needless to say the tank was cloudy and I was not happy. But all looks good this morning, thankfully.
first pic, FTS under actinics

firefish goby came out to for a second... not the best pic as a result of trying to catch it before it went back into hiding. At least its not in the darn sump again.

Top down shot of the hairymushroom

Blue rics snuggled in their rock.

Blue mystery coral isolated. These guys have gotten a lot bigger, about double what they were when I got them last weekend. I still have no idea what they are, but I really like them.

Top down pic of one of my zoa rocks

That's all I got that were decent this morning. It is always interesting trying to take pictures of the tank when the cats are head butting you since of course it is ALL about them.
 
star27624

star27624

Member
The replacements fans arrived finally!!!

Now, I have to take the hood off and figure out how they go. I just love when things do not have directions. And come up with a way to keep the cats out and the firefish in while I do this.

I so wish it wasn't snowing and cold out, then I might actually want to go out to the barn to get the tools and something to cover the tank. UGH....
 
star27624

star27624

Member
Yeah, someone other than myself commented! LOL. thanks KQ25.
In response to your question, the lights are the stock lights. I haven't been able to run the daylight bulb that has the fans on the same circuit much for about a month. The fans sound like clanking, moaning, groaning, dying things. I've been able to get the fans to settle down and run for a couple of hours most days, but it has been a steady problem. Kind of freaks the fish out too, between the fans' noise and with the way I get them to quiet down and run.
When I get the 29 set up, I will upgrade the lights with a retrofit kit since I am considering having a pair of the different colored clowns (no I don't know the name either. I recall looking at the onyxs and there was another that I liked better, more of a yellowish color, but don't know the name of them), and would maybe like to have an anemone for them to host.
The replacement fans have a plug things instead of just wires, so I am guessing when I get it all apart, that the electrical is pretty much plug and play. At least I hope.
Anyone have a suggestion for something to cover it that will keep cats out and fish in? Specifically that might be laying around the house. I so do not want to have to go the store with the weather today.
 
L

lbaskball

Guest
Good Start, I have a 14galbiocube. I however like the JBJ tanks better. I really hated the loud noise it made in the back of the tank as the water falls. Read up on the damsels, when they get older/bigger they become very aggressive. Overall nice tank.
 
star27624

star27624

Member
Yeah, I know that damsels get aggressive as they get older and bigger. Thanks for the FYI, though.
I love the color of the blue damsels, but I have been seriously considering taking him out. I have wondered if he was responsible for the losses I had suffered in the tank a month or so back (would have to look at my other thread for a more accurate date).
I have been checking into other blue colored fish that are less aggressive, but not really finding anything. I have seen some fairy wrasses that I might try, but would probably wait on one of those until I have the 29 up.
 
patrick8929

patrick8929

Active Member
nice tank so far good work!!! have you thought about taking the chaeto out of the display and puttiong it in one of the back chambers? new FTS?
 
star27624

star27624

Member
Yes, that is the plan. However, I can't get the black thingy that sits on top of the bioballs off. I had it off a few times as I was setting it up, but now I can't get it. Everything is such a tight fit in the back that it is a major pain to try and mess with things back there.

No new FTS other than the one under actinics this morning. I haven't fixed the fans yet, still looking for something to cover the tank so that no one gets in or out while I do it.
 
patrick8929

patrick8929

Active Member
well im sure someone else on here has that tank and can chime in on this!!! anyone? but it looks good keep it up
 
star27624

star27624

Member
Thanks. I am hoping someone will have some ideas on that. I hope that the 29g BC will have a bit more room back there so that its not so tight.
 
star27624

star27624

Member
Not sure. I'll probably pick it up sometime this week. I just have no idea as to where I'm going to put it. I'd like to have them both in the same room, but just not sure if that's going to work.
Just like debating on if I'll bring my picos from work home during the week break between christmas and new years. I don't have much stocked in either (no fish), so probably would be ok.
 
star27624

star27624

Member
I have thought about taking everything from the 14 over to the 29. The finding a place to put the 14 and restart it. The LR available around here lately has sucked though. So I was thinking of ordering the LR for the 29g online from a place in Fl not far from where I used to live. Still debating. Switching everything over would be less expensive right now.
 
star27624

star27624

Member
Originally Posted by patrick8929
http:///forum/post/2865910
and how long will the picos be alone?
Between christmas eve and the 2nd of Jan. so about 7 days. They can go that long without a water change since there's not much stock wise. One has a peppermint shrimp feather duster and CUC (has a lid very little evaporation), but the other one isn't stocked (well it does have the 2 hermits that were bugging my yellow polyps at home thrown in there) and I haven't been having much evaporation with either one. Though I hope to have a lid for the picotope soon from someone who has a local glass cutter make them from their template. So I'm worried about the stocked one b/c the peppermint hates to miss a meal to two, but 3 gallons, other than being cold out, shouldn't be a big deal to bring home for a week.
 
star27624

star27624

Member
Well the periodic random leak from the outside of the sump pump again yesterday. I do not understand this a steady leak I could find and fix, but one that comes and goes???

So I have spent a good bit of time sopping up water, though my carpet is still wet, adding water back to the tank (this leak is losing about 1-2 gallons every 6-8 hours).
So I guess I am going to try and get the 29g here tomorrow, clean it up and move everything over. I was trying to wait until friday (payday) to pickup more sand and LR. So my question is, can what I have now (corals, snails, hermits, damsel, firefish, serpent star, peppermint shrimp) make it being switched over, then additional sand added?
I had intended to set the 29g up and let it run a few weeks then either move everything over or have 2 tanks, but with this dang leak back, I don't think that I can do either.
 
patrick8929

patrick8929

Active Member
Originally Posted by star27624
http:///forum/post/2866664
Well the periodic random leak from the outside of the sump pump again yesterday. I do not understand this a steady leak I could find and fix, but one that comes and goes???

So I have spent a good bit of time sopping up water, though my carpet is still wet, adding water back to the tank (this leak is losing about 1-2 gallons every 6-8 hours).
So I guess I am going to try and get the 29g here tomorrow, clean it up and move everything over. I was trying to wait until friday (payday) to pickup more sand and LR. So my question is, can what I have now (corals, snails, hermits, damsel, firefish, serpent star, peppermint shrimp) make it being switched over, then additional sand added?
I had intended to set the 29g up and let it run a few weeks then either move everything over or have 2 tanks, but with this dang leak back, I don't think that I can do either.
you would probably want to put in the sand first and then the other stuff. what you can do is get a bucket and put enough water in it with your heater and some kind of flow and then put the sand and remaining water in the tank and then put the stuff in after it settles
 
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