The Garden of Flame

[Flame_Angel]

I started a new Biocube at work, a so far fairly stock 29g. We're mainly using it as a display to show people what we can set up and maintain in their homes for them, so at least for now it won't be too overly technical. The only mods so far have been:



Removal of the bio-balls from the middle chamber.
Removal of the false floor in the first chamber; a heater was added in there.
The addition of a bag of Chemi-Pure into the middle chamber.
Addition of a powerhead in the tank itself.
Addition of an AquaticLife Mini protein skimmer into the second chamber, and modification of the filter door to allow it to close; it was a tight fit, but it's in there.

Some pics! It's been set up for two weeks now; I've been off on vacation so I haven't put anything in until today. Added two black clowns, which are already snuggling up together in their bubbletip.

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/9466/1000177s.jpg

http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/5826/1000166m.jpg

http://img810.imageshack.us/img810/7223/1000169s.jpg

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/5991/1000172y.jpg

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/6464/1000171dm.jpg

More to come as it happens.

[Jackd1987]

Looks good so far!

What's that orange coral on the left side of the cave??

[Flame_Angel]

I believe it's an orange cauliflower, but I could be wrong.

[Jackd1987]

I believe it's an orange cauliflower, but I could be wrong.

OK thanks for letting me know. I'll check it out, it looks pretty cool.

[Flame_Angel]

It hasn't opened up quite yet; that was another thing I added yesterday. I'll see if I can't get a photo of it this morning.

[Jackd1987]

It hasn't opened up quite yet; that was another thing I added yesterday. I'll see if I can't get a photo of it this morning.

Nice, looking forward to it

[Flame_Angel]

Couldn't get a very good photo of it today; too shaded underneath that rock, and the flash screws with the picture. It's opened up a little more today, so there's still hope for it.

Lots of corals coming for the tank tomorrow!

[-RYknow]

Hey Flame Angel! Nice start you have going there! What happened to the other nano you had setup with that LED light? I was up there about a week ago to order that light. I forgot you weren't going to be there. I ended up ordering it online (I didn't want to wait... Had the wifes approval, and wasn't going to let it escape!)

When you say you have a bunch of corals coming for the new setup, does that mean your expecting a new shipment?

-RYknow

[Flame_Angel]

Yeah, we're getting a shipment of fish and corals tomorrow afternoon. I took down the 14g and moved everything into the 29g; we may do an LED retrofit at some point, but that's still being discussed for now.

Wish you would have mentioned that you were going to be in there, I would have seen about letting you take the one that had been on the 14g for a little cheaper since it was used.

[-RYknow]

Damn! Really?! The light just shipped today, so there is no turning back. I didn't even know I was going to be going up to Leb. My wife needed to go to some store up there, so as usual I just had her drop me off at your store. I figured I would see if you were there and talk fish for a bit. HAHA. Then when I got there I remembered you were on vaca. Ohh well....

My light will be here Thursday...and a couple other goodies will be arriving this week as well. When they do, I'll start my build up thread! Once she's up and cycled...do you know anywhere I can get some good corals?! :lmao: :thumbsup:

-RYknow

[Flame_Angel]

Nah man, we don't carry anything but crap corals in my store. Totally nothing worth looking at.

We totally won't have any of these tomorrow.

http://www.orafarm.com/images/products/softcoral/all/bluecespit_lg.jpg

[-RYknow]

HAHA!!! I hope you realize I was being sarcastic! I plan on buying all my corals through you! I'm really excited about what you've done up there man! Your coral selection is hands down the best in the area! At least in my opinion!

That pic is sick too!! That going in your new setup?

-RYknow

[Flame_Angel]

At least one of them is. Along with:


Red Stutchburyi aquacultured Goniopora
Metallic green branching Frogspawn
Metallic green Cubble coral
Green Candy Cane coral
Red open Trachyphyllia
Red Wellsophyllia
Super Red Lobophyllia
Green Acanthophyllia deshayensiana
Metallic green Star Polyps
Green Sinularia
And maybe some zoas depending on what ERI sends me.

[-RYknow]

Damn that is a nice looking list!! :beer: Can't wait to see them all!

Maybe I'm lame...but I'm such a sucker for zoa's! When the time comes, can I special order various zoa's through you?

-RYknow

[Flame_Angel]

Sure. ERI usually has a pretty decent selection to choose from, and they're always getting new ones. They had some Darth Maul palyzoas not too long ago that were to die for.

[-RYknow]

Man, thats awesome!! Are the usually pretty decently priced?

-RYknow

[Flame_Angel]

Pretty competitive, yeah.

[Flame_Angel]

Corals came in today and everything is in the tank. Tank is still a little cloudy, and everything is still a little miffed, but everything seems to be doing just fine.

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/8929/1000175uo.jpg

[-RYknow]

WOOOHOOOO!!!! Can't wait to see this thing on Friday! looks great!!:thumbsup:

-RYknow

[-RYknow]

Whats the large blue mass on the right side of the tank? Forgive me if thats a newbish question...I'm still learning corals. :uhoh2:

-RYknow

[Flame_Angel]

It's a blue sponge. Someone special-ordered one, so I got two. They're enormous.

[robot2222]

It's a blue sponge. Someone special-ordered one, so I got two. They're enormous.

i love tose blue spoges :bounce1:

[Flame_Angel]

What is this ?
It's a blue cespitularia. They finally came in, and while they don't look as good as that gussied up photo, they still look pretty cool.

Bad news though. While I had a day off, the blue sponge decided to die in the tank. No one took it out, and it proceeded to kill off every single coral in the tank and crash it into the ground. I spent my morning pulling out dead corals, siphoning out mulm, and doing a 100% water change. The only things that lived were the cauliflower coral and two kenya trees. Everything else melted. Now I get to start from scratch, so it'll be a while before anything new happens with the tank.

http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/71077_240550535361_5676708_n.jpg

[Robbie Reefer]

that blue sponge is wicked.

[Flame_Angel]

Not any more it isn't. Wicked stinky, maybe. Not really sure what happened to it, to be honest. It never touched air while it was here.

[-RYknow]

Bad news though. While I had a day off, the blue sponge decided to die in the tank. No one took it out, and it proceeded to kill off every single coral in the tank and crash it into the ground. I spent my morning pulling out dead corals, siphoning out mulm, and doing a 100% water change. The only things that lived were the cauliflower coral and two kenya trees. Everything else melted. Now I get to start from scratch, so it'll be a while before anything new happens with the tank.

Damn!! Thats terrible man! I was really looking forward to checking it out... Howcome no one else pulled it out?!

-RYknow

[Flame_Angel]

No idea, but it really sucks. There was a LOT of money in that tank.

[-RYknow]

Ummm, yeah! That was my first thought! I hope that this isn't going to limit your coral buying from the higher ups?! :uhoh2: Sorry about all the loss though. Just wish someone would have pulled that sponge and possible saved some of the other corals.

-RYknow

[Flame_Angel]

Nope, the higher-ups and I have an understanding. They let me do what I feel needs to be done (within reason). What's done is done; all I can do now is start over.

[-RYknow]

Man, I'm really glad to hear that. Given the hard economic times, I was afraid my LFS was going to put you on a strict budget! Your coral farm tank was still looking good though!

This should be a good week on my end. Hopefully all my packages will be arriving! I'll finally be able to get wet! MUAHAHA! I'll be sure to stop by when I'm ready to order some live sand. Hopefully this coming weekend! With any kind of luck, the wife will have some shopping she wants to do, and she'll just drop me off and we can talk fish for bit!

-RYknow

[-RYknow]

Hey Flame! How did you guys do during the hurricane?! I heard some pretty bad stories that your store (and the fish room specifically) got flooded?! Is this true man?! I hope these are just vixous rumors, although from my understanding, Irene really did some damage in Leb.

Keep me posted man!

-RYknow

[KeysKid]

Sorry to hear about the sponge :/

What lights do you have on that tank? I'm thinking of upgrading my 14 biocube with compacts into a 29 gallon. I'm just trying to figure out which lighting I want to get. I'm having very successful results with my compacts, but I think I want to get more intense corals, so I'm thinking of going with the hqi. What is your opinion since it seems like you really know what your talking about?

I also have a thread about my biocube if you want to check it out, Thanks.

[mcmyeye]

sorry for the loss. it was a great looking tank. i hope you get it back to its former glory. keep us updated with your porgress

[Flame_Angel]

It's like life is destined to keep me from setting this tank up. The recent hurricane flooded the nearby Connecticut River, and deposited almost 5 feet of water in our fish and reptile room. The Biocube was knocked over and on the floor when I came in Monday morning. We're looking at a very large amount of property damage, and now our fish room is closed until further notice while we pick up the pieces and put it all back together.

So for the time-being, the tank is pretty much a dead end.

[-RYknow]

Sorry to hear that Flame. I heard that Leb is a mess. Irene was one evil *****. A lot of devistation all around here. How are things in your neck of the woods in sunapee? Things here in Claremont aren't too bad. But some of the surrounding towns man... Unreal the damage...

Good luck with everything Flame Angel. I may take a ride up to see you tomorrow. Not sure yet.

-RYknow