PDA

View Full Version : Big A's 14g. BioCube Build


reefarchitect54
09/28/2011, 11:27 AM
Welcome to my 14g. BioCube build!

I've created this thread to display my set up and track it's progress... I'm sure there will be some ups and downs along the way but over time I'm hoping to create something awesome!

I'm counting on you guys to help out. I will have questions and I know that Reef Central will provide me the answers.

I’ll start by saying I got a 14 gallon BioCube and did several mods to it.

The first thing I did was remove the filter pad in chamber 1. Once the pad was gone I removed the rest of the flow tab between chambers 1 and 2. Once that was done I proceeded to break out the false bottom in chamber 1 to make room for my heater and BioCube protein skimmer.

After chamber 1 was complete I moved on to removing the stock bio balls and sponges Oceanic puts in there. There were two sponges I think in mine. One at the bottom of both chambers 2 & 3.

With all the physical mods done for my 14G I started to put the system together. I got a nice Marineland 30W heater that fit into chamber 1 perfectly.

For chamber 2 I went right for the intank media basket from StevieT. This thing is awesome… I'm still not sure what the best way to run the basket is. But.. I will need feedback moving forward with what the best basket setup is from you guys. Id like to hear what people run in there's if they have them.

The next thing I did for my tank was upgraded the return pump to a MaxiJet 900. This last step pretty much takes care of the BioCube's filtration flow though chambers 1,2, and 3.

I have been looking into running a refugium in chamber 2 but will hold off on doing that for some time. Once the filter was complete I installed a digital thermometer and a Hydor Koralia Nano powerhead to finish of the tank as a whole.

Ive been looking around at some of the lighting up-grades but am thinking I will hold of on that for now until I get going and decided which types of corals I like to keep. I will only be starting out with the most beginner proof corals per your recommendations so I thought the lighting at this point might be over kill.

I've also been looking into several different types of sand and salt but am unsure of which might be the best fit for me and my tank. I do intent to keep corals eventually and would really like to stick with what ever type of salt I choose now in order to keep things as consistent as I can moving forward. I'm also very much interested in a Black sand as I feel it will help keep the tank looking cleaner than White.

I think that's it right now. I'm waiting for the stand I ordered at the local furniture store to be finished and then I will be ready to set this thing up. In the mean time Id like to hear from you guys on the sand and salt selection. Id also like to hear about the media basket setup as well.

Thanks so much for coming by and please feel free to comment on anything and everything I have posted here...

Can't wait to read some comments...

Thanks Again!

KeysKid
09/28/2011, 12:46 PM
I also have a 14 BC. Its been up for about 10 months now and doing great. I also have the media basket, but instead of using it as a refugium I just use filter floss, chemi pure and purigen and its helped keep my levels low and stable. I also do 3 gallon water changes weekly.

For salt, I use Instant Ocean Reef Crystals. Ive used it since I started this hobby and it works great. I buy them by the 5 gallon bucket.

As for sand, in my biocube I used more of a crushed coral type sand and love it. Many people on here do not like crushed coral because it "traps nitrates" but my nitrates run low and my sand looks bleached white still.

I also set up a 14 biocube for my girlfriend and I used more of a fine white sand for her tank, I also like that a lot. So I guess its more of a preference for what type of sand to use. only downside to the fine white sand is that if you get algae or diatoms it sticks out more. But these tanks are pretty easy to manage IMO and shouldn't be too hard to keep your levels low.

Check out my thread if you want anymore info about my tank.

reefarchitect54
09/29/2011, 08:07 AM
Thanks for the media basket information.

I will be looking into all of the products you mentioned and trying to determine what the best way to start up the tank will be.

I'm also leaning towards Instant Ocean Reef Crystals as it seems to be a pretty popular choice, and I've seen it in stores for years and years. The old tried and true seems safe...

I'm also leaning towards a black sand bed as it seems like the cleanest way to go. I am trying to avoid the vary thing you mentioned with the white sand always looking dirty with algae and or diatoms.

Keep the comments coming!

Thanks

reefarchitect54
10/15/2011, 12:04 PM
OK Here we go! I've got alot of updates to make to this build.

I recently got the Stand back from the furniture store all finished. Here is a nice pick of the stand and tank:

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w164/philippeandrew/PA110978.jpg

The aqua scape has changed a bit from the above stand pic.

After getting the stand home I test filled the tank with water to make sure there were not any leaks. Of course, I found one, so I drained the tank and used "All Glass Aquarium Sealant" to go over all the seams in the main display tank. Waited 48 hours and refilled. No Leaks!!!

Once that was ready to go I went and got a 20lbs bag of "Natural Ocean" live sand. Black mostly.. I then slowly added the sand and 20lbs of rock that I had had sitting in my basement for over a year.

Once I got the sand and rock just the way I wanted it I started to add the premixed water I had aerating for the last few hours. I used a coffee mug placed in the tank to pour the water into in hopes to disturb the aqua scape and sand to much.

Check it out all filled and ready to cycle!!!

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w164/philippeandrew/PA140980.jpg

I set up my media basket in the 2nd compartment with filter floss on top, carbon in the middle, and rock on the bottom of the rack. Looking to see what people are running currently and what I should run in the early stages.

Last thing I did after I had cleaned everything up and the tank was running good.

I added 1 medium raw shrimp to jump start the cycle. Was that the best thing to do, or are there other options? I was looking at a little red film canister of stuff from Mardel. Bio something that said it would help jump start a new aquarium.

Not sure... Hoping you guys can comment on what I should do next.

Thanks

KeysKid
10/15/2011, 03:46 PM
Nice looking start, gotta say I'm really jealous of that stand! Looks really nice!

Rome72
10/15/2011, 05:53 PM
I really like the aquascape for this setup. There appears to be lots of high light to low light areas for different needs. Looks like a good start. I have never used the raw shrimp technique to start the cycle but I have read others here have good success with that method.

keithqueef
10/15/2011, 06:48 PM
Cup of live sand from lfs to seed your substrate

NanoReefNoob
10/16/2011, 09:45 AM
I have had my Bio14 up for almost 4 months now and I am loving it. I also did all the up grades you did. how ever I ran cemipure, filterfloss and perigun ( not in that order) in my media basket. I just dont see the half pound of rock you have in there doing much for your filtration that your LR in thank will not already do. Just my HO.

I also did the live shrimp to cycle my tank and it worked great. Had it cycled with in a week.

Now for the lights I highly sugest that you get those upgraded. I am still running the PC lights and I can not stand the color that I am getting out of them. You will have alot easyer time getting good growth and color if you upgrade them right off the bat. I regret not doing it sooner.

Corect me if i am wrong but do you have the biocube skimmer. I have one as well and all I can say is good luck. I know that sounds bad but I am haveing a really hard time getting any good skim matter out of it. now matter how i adjust it lol. That will be the another upgrade I will have to do.

I did the black sand as well lol ( i know we have identical tanks lol). the one warning i will give you is it will stick to your magfloat if it touches it. I learned that the hard way, two magfloats down and I have givven up with them. I just use a algea scrubber for the tank and a safe plastic blade for the spots near the sand.

Looks nice I will be tagging along to see how it all comes

reefarchitect54
10/16/2011, 08:38 PM
What order did you run them in your media rack? I just tossed the rock in there and figured it couldn't hurt. At least until I do some research as to what I should or could be running.

Thanks

KeysKid
10/17/2011, 11:13 AM
In my media basket I have it in the order of filter floss on the top, purigen in the middle and chemipure on the bottom. I did this because it was suggested on the inTank site and it works great.

reefarchitect54
10/17/2011, 12:21 PM
I just ordered the floss, Purigen, and Chemipure from there website this morning. I'm thinking I will let the tank cycle with the basket set up the way I have it. Once its cycled and ready for an addition I will load the basket up the way you have described. I had found this same recommendation on a few other threads I found doing a search. I love this place!!!

Thanks

NanoReefNoob
10/18/2011, 10:05 AM
In my media basket I have it in the order of filter floss on the top, purigen in the middle and chemipure on the bottom. I did this because it was suggested on the inTank site and it works great.

+1 I did the same thing.

reefarchitect54
10/18/2011, 09:01 PM
So last night I check the water parameters in my tank and got the following results:

Salinity: 1.025
Temp: 78
Ammonia: 2.5
Nitrate: 100 High 20 Low
Nitrite:0.2
Alkalinity:2.8

My old PH test kit was broken so I will get a new one and test tomorrow. The test results are from the Red Sea Marine Lab kit.

This morning I noticed a small patch of something...

I took a picture tonight and will post below. I'm really surprised at this since the rock has been sitting dry in my basement for over a year. Can it already be a type of nuisances algae??? Can anyone ID this?

Thanks

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w164/philippeandrew/PA180986-1.jpg

KeysKid
10/18/2011, 09:26 PM
Its hard to tell from the picture, but it does look like some type of algae.

reefarchitect54
10/18/2011, 10:02 PM
Yeah its not the best picture but It is some sort of green hair like algae...

Anything I can do to prevent this from getting worse?

I took a few other pics of the rock work now that the water has starting to clear up.

Enjoy!

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w164/philippeandrew/PA180991.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w164/philippeandrew/PA180997.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w164/philippeandrew/PA180994.jpg

reefarchitect54
10/19/2011, 03:37 PM
Question:

How long before I can think about adding my Clean up Crew???

I'm wondering if it might be good to get some little guys in there sooner than later to try and help with that possible Algae problem.

Thanks
Big A

NanoReefNoob
10/20/2011, 09:42 AM
wait for your algae to spike. once it spikes and the rest of you tests start to lower that is when you can add a CUC. you want some algae to form on the rocks that way it starts you bio filtration.

delerium
10/20/2011, 10:08 AM
wait for your algae to spike. once it spikes and the rest of you tests start to lower that is when you can add a CUC. you want some algae to form on the rocks that way it starts you bio filtration.

Couldn't agree more

reefarchitect54
10/20/2011, 12:41 PM
I will be testing again tonight and will post those results as well. Did you guys have any comments on the numbers I posted the other night? See above. Thanks for the comments and please keep em coming!

Thanks
Andrew

NanoReefNoob
10/20/2011, 05:23 PM
Your ammonia seems to be spiking. I know mine spiked really quick and went away within 2 days. You nitrites/nitrates have something there showing that the cycle is under way. wait to add you CUC untill the ammonia is at 0 nitrites 0 and nitrates are really low.

reefarchitect54
10/20/2011, 08:52 PM
Tonights test results:

Salinity: 1.025
Temp: 80
Ammonia: 2.5
Nitrate: 50 High 10 Low
Nitrite:0.2
Alkalinity:1.7

The raw shrimp I added is breaking down more and more each day.

reefarchitect54
10/27/2011, 10:16 PM
Test Results from tonight:

Temp 79
Alkalinity 1
Ammonia 0.25
Nitrite 0.1
Nitrate 12.5 H 2.5 L

Everything has gone down a lot since my last test. I waited 6 days since my last results to give the tank a chance to work...

Question for you guys.

Next Thursday I'm going down to Atlanta for four days. Should I wait till I get back to add any of my clean up crew or could I get a few things before I go???

Also I just got my package from Intank. I had ordered some floss, Purigen, and Chemipure last week. I'm going to wait till the end of the cycle I think to change out the Carbon and Rock I'm running now. I did however already switch out the old floss for some of the new stuff.

Thanks in advance for the comments!

reefarchitect54
10/31/2011, 12:02 PM
Thinking its better to just wait till i get back from Atlanta. I will prob do a water change when I get back and then add the Clean up Crew. What size crew should I get for a 14G BioCube??? I would like at least one shrimp in the mix. Any ideas???

Thanks!

reefarchitect54
11/06/2011, 12:11 AM
Greetings from Atlanta!

My wife and I went to the Georgia Aquarium which I guess is the biggest in he world. Holy cow was that place awsome. They had some amzing tanks.. I will post a few pics when we get home.

Were both very excited to get home and add our first fish and corals!!!

reefarchitect54
11/18/2011, 08:21 AM
OK here we go!!!

Its been over a month (5-6 weeks about) since the tank was set up and started cycling. Last night I tested the tank levels to find these results:

Temp 79.5
Salinity 1.023
Alkalinity .5
Ammonia 1.0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0 H 0 L

Not sure what to think about the Ammonia?? It has gone up a little since my last test. Regardless of there being no Nitrites or Nitrates I did a 2 gal. water change and then did some work on my media basket.

I had originally set up my basket with Floss, Carbon, Live Rock (from top to bottom). After doing some research and reading on Reef Central I decided to switch the original set up out for Floss, Purigen, and Chem Pure (from top to bottom).

Now its finally the time we all love... My first additions.... I'm going to be adding my Clean up Crew and (2) Clown fish initially. I will be adding my Clean up Crew over a period of time since I want to make sure they have enough food.

1-First questions is what to add first in my Clean up Crew?
2-Second Question is should I add the (2) Clowns at the same time?

I am open to any and all comments. I should also note that I only am looking to have the (2) Clown fish and then eventually (1) Goby. Id like to try to get the type that will make friends with a shrimp as I plan to have (1) of them as well. And of course eventually Id like to have some corals but not yet.

Thanks in advance for the comments!

reefarchitect54
11/18/2011, 05:42 PM
Well I could not stand waiting for you guys to comment so I picked up (1) Ocellaris Clown Fish on my way home from work tonight. The little guy is acclimating as I write this. I will post some pictures tomorrow night. There was noting really in the form of a Clean up Crew at the LFS so I passed this time but will need to find something soon. I'm thinking of getting 2-3 Blue Legged Hermits and then some snails.

reefarchitect54
11/21/2011, 02:24 PM
Sorry no picks yet but I've been trying to deal with a weird fluctuation in temp. I think the heater I have is junk and not working properly anymore so I went out at lunch and got a new Aqueon 50W Heater from my LFS. It claims to have a 1 degree precision so we shall see. I will install tonight. I hope this helps stabilize my temp. Anyone else out there using this brand of heater???

Comments welcome as always!

Thanks

NanoReefNoob
11/21/2011, 05:08 PM
I am not using that heater but I know that my temp flexes about 3-5 degrees depending on the temp of the house. I got 4 blue leg and 2 zebras and about 6 snails. The hermits end up eating one another. I only have about 3 left lol but the snails are really sweet and do alot of work at night

reefarchitect54
11/22/2011, 08:07 AM
Well last night the temp kept going up and down. The swing seems way to much and im worried it might stress out the Clown. At about 10pm last night I decided to just replace the old heater with the new 50W Aqueon I bought. Everything seemed good this morning. The temp. was at about 76 when I turned the light on and left for work. We'll see what it is when I get home tonight.

My Clown seems to be doing very well so far. He has a great appetite and has been exploring the tank more and more each day.

Ive also recently gotten a replacement fan for the BioCube hood. One of the fans makes a ton of noise so I decided to order a replacement. I will be changing that out tonight most likely.

I will be going over to the LFS tonight on my way home to pick up my initial Clean up Crew. I'm thinking (4) blue legged hermit crabs (the ones they have are really, really small) and then prob. (2) Snails (not sure Astria or Turbo??)

Any other suggestions??? I do want a shrimp eventually but fear there might not be enough food or that the tank is not established enough so I will wait awhile for one.

Thanks

reefarchitect54
11/22/2011, 08:12 AM
I will test again very soon as well to check the levels now that Ive added my first fish. Had to fill this space with something to get rid of my double post. I do like this edit feature.

Never knew about it till now.

reefarchitect54
11/22/2011, 08:40 AM
Sorry for the double post... I was having trouble with the server and kept hitting the post button. Still would love to hear about others Clean up Crews...

Thanks for the comment NanoReefNoob!

NanoReefNoob
11/22/2011, 05:17 PM
You may want to get more of a clean up crew. somthing i was always told was that you should have one cleaner for every gallon of water.

Now about the shrimp I got one right away when i got my clown i nice coaral banded shrimp. every one said that he would eat my fish but so far I have not had any problem and it has been about 6 months

reefarchitect54
11/23/2011, 09:19 AM
I went and got (4) blue legged Hermits and (2) Astria snails last night.

I do plan on getting more of a Clean up Crew eventually. I just did not want to add a ton to the system all at once. I plan on getting (1) shrimp of some sort and some more Snails (not sure which types) eventually. I am looking for the type that will clean my sand bed. Nassi I think??? I think when it was all said and done I had about 11-12 gallons of water in this 14g biocube. Based on your comment above Id need a total of 10-12 Cleaners... Ive got 6 so far so if I get a shrimp and like 4-6 Nassi I should be good.

I'm interested in what other people think I should get or how much of them to get?
What type of Shrimp should I be researching as well?
What type of Shrimp is it that sometimes make friends with Gobies?

Thanks in advance as always!

reefarchitect54
11/23/2011, 09:29 AM
I will definitely take some pictures tonight!!!

NyteGTI
11/23/2011, 12:15 PM
Awesome tank, in for the additions.

Im partial to coral banded shrimp, but thats just me.

NanoReefNoob
11/23/2011, 02:56 PM
All I have to say about the coral banded shrimp.... well at least mine is they dont clean lol. so if you are looking for a cleaner stay away from them they are pretty but lazy lol.

reefarchitect54
11/29/2011, 12:12 PM
OK so over the last week or so thinks have been great in my tank... Or so I thought... The other day I thought I saw the dreaded white spots on my newly added Clown... They were not there the next day. Then last night I thought I saw the spots again but this morning I could not see then. The lights were off and I will not know for sure until I get home tonight and can inspect him with the lights on.

In the meantime I went out today at lunch and picked up a 10g, HOB filter, and Copper safe from Mardel to set up a OT and have something on hand to treat with just in case. My question is how do I get this thing up and going in time to use if the Clown is actually sick. I'm not sure how to cycle this thing FAST!!! I do have some extra dry live rock that did not fit I'm my 14g that I will be putting in this OT... I also have some ruble I could take out of the main tank I guess to help seed the OT...

Looking for any and all suggestions. I will also say Id like to know if this Coppersafe is any good or should I just treat through hypo-salinity if I need to treat in the future???

Thanks as always!!!

NyteGTI
11/29/2011, 01:24 PM
just fill it with freshly mixed SW(temp & salinity matched to your current tank) you don't actually want it to have bacteria or carbon/chemipure etc in the tank since those will filter your medication out. you don't want the ich to spread to any media in you DT so don't take stuff from there. QT should have a heater, powerhead, and medication. thats pretty much it.

reefarchitect54
11/29/2011, 02:00 PM
QT should have a heater, powerhead, and medication. thats pretty much it.

Should I return the HOB filter or is it OK to use this... It seems like I should use some kind of filter in the OT but this concept is all new to me... The filter was actually pretty cheap so I may just keep it and use it anyway. I would obviously take out all filter media and floss when treating the OT with medications.

Again just looking for help...

Thanks

NyteGTI
11/29/2011, 03:11 PM
Use it for flow instead of a powerhead. Just take out the filter pad and carbon and it'll work just fine

Sent from my DROIDX

reefarchitect54
11/30/2011, 10:25 AM
I was going to run the filter pad and carbon in it until I need to actually treat the tank with medications.

On a more upbeat note my Clown is looking better again... Weird thing is that these White Spots seem to come and go. Ive read that they may be dropping of him and then will come back 100 fold in a week or two... Sounds like I'm getting my QT up and running just in time.

Still wondering how to cycle this QT tank... I had cycled my display tank by adding a medium sized raw shrimp and letting it break down over a 5-6 week period.

I have read that I could do a water change in my display tank and then add that water to the QT but my question is wouldn't that add possible disease to my QT if it is indeed present in my display.

Thanks
Andrew

NyteGTI
11/30/2011, 11:01 AM
I was going to run the filter pad and carbon in it until I need to actually treat the tank with medications.

On a more upbeat note my Clown is looking better again... Weird thing is that these White Spots seem to come and go. Ive read that they may be dropping of him and then will come back 100 fold in a week or two... Sounds like I'm getting my QT up and running just in time.

Still wondering how to cycle this QT tank... I had cycled my display tank by adding a medium sized raw shrimp and letting it break down over a 5-6 week period.

I have read that I could do a water change in my display tank and then add that water to the QT but my question is wouldn't that add possible disease to my QT if it is indeed present in my display.

Thanks
Andrew

Yes it could bring the disease over. also there's no need for cycling the QT. you don't want the bacteria in your tank at all(impossible I know but miniizing it is your best bet hence the no where for bacteria to grow. you can run the filter pad & carbon when not treating a fish with medication but you're gonna want to use a fresh filter every time you QT a fish/multiple fish to make sure you don't transfer any disease that could be over to the new QT'd fish

reefarchitect54
11/30/2011, 12:00 PM
Yes it could bring the disease over. also there's no need for cycling the QT. you don't want the bacteria in your tank at all(impossible I know but miniizing it is your best bet hence the no where for bacteria to grow. you can run the filter pad & carbon when not treating a fish with medication but you're gonna want to use a fresh filter every time you QT a fish/multiple fish to make sure you don't transfer any disease that could be over to the new QT'd fish

I have a few chunks of Rock that did not fit in my display tank. These were left over from my very first attempt at Saltwater a few years back and are completely dry and I imagine dead... Should I put those in the tank as well??? There just sitting in a bucket doing nothing right now in my basement.

I guess what your saying is to not worry about cycling the QT. Just fill with water and run the filter, heater, and power head as normal. If I need to add a fish to treat simply remove the filter media and treat with proper medications. Once the fish is healthy and moved back into my display I can add new filter media in preparation for the next time I might need the QT.

Thanks

NyteGTI
11/30/2011, 12:30 PM
as long as you never plan to use those rocks for a reef tank I THINK it's ok. I know the rocks will absorb any copper medication you give a fish so that can be an issue later on.

reefarchitect54
11/30/2011, 01:16 PM
OH OK I get it thanks... I will probably keep them out of there then. I had thought about breaking them up smaller and maybe dropping them into the display tank...

Thanks for all the help thus far NyteGTI!!!

NyteGTI
12/01/2011, 06:43 AM
anybody else not see the pics? I'm at work but i couldn't even see them through a proxy :(

reefarchitect54
12/01/2011, 08:04 AM
Sorry I created a new album in Photobucket and moved these last night. Did not realize it would break the link. I relinked them in this post... Sorry

Finally the pictures Ive been talking about!!!

Everything is great right now.

The QT/Hospital tank is up and running and all is well with my Clown and the display.

The last picture is of a medication I picked up to have on hand. Is it any good and or should I return it and look for something else?

Hope you guys like the updates as much as I do!!!

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w164/philippeandrew/14g%20BioCube/PB291058.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w164/philippeandrew/14g%20BioCube/PB291059.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w164/philippeandrew/14g%20BioCube/PB291069.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w164/philippeandrew/14g%20BioCube/PB301104.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w164/philippeandrew/14g%20BioCube/PB301100.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w164/philippeandrew/14g%20BioCube/PB301102.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w164/philippeandrew/14g%20BioCube/PB301096.jpg

reefarchitect54
12/02/2011, 12:55 PM
Just a quick update with some questions...

My Clown seems to be doing fine. The spots have gone away and he is eating as good as ever...

Ive been noticing that now that Ive got my lights on there regular schedule there seems to be some brown diatom growth on the rocks, glass, and back wall of the tank. Ive been thinking about adding some more members to my cleaning crew this weekend. I can only account for 3 of the 4 original Blue Legged Hermits. I think one killed another for his shell because I can see 1 smaller empty shell just hanging out with nothing in it... I made the mistake of not asking for enough bigger shells for then to transfer into as they grow.

So for now it looks like I have (3) Hermits and (2) Astria snails. Id like to get some of the sand cleaning snails as well as a Shrimp.

Trying to decided which type of Shrimp Id like to get. I had thought it would be cool to get the type that buddies up with a Goby as that is prob the only other fish I will be adding to this tank. Not sure which type of Shrimp that is though.

Any advice or comments on Clean up Crew members or the Shrimp???

Thanks

ange062
12/02/2011, 01:31 PM
Try a good assortment of snails. Nassarius and cerith for the sand, astrea and maybe a small turbo or two for glass and rock. If I could do it over again I'd probably avoid crabs all together as they can be a pain, but at the same time the hermits and emerald are kind of neat to watch. Peppermint shrimp are good as cleaners though you will likely not ever see them. Scarlet cleaner shrimp are awesome IMO, but they don't offer much as a tank cleaner but rather a fish cleaner.

Shrimp gobies pair with pistol shrimp, FYI.

NyteGTI
12/02/2011, 01:33 PM
sorry to hear about the hermit. make sure you get some shells or those astreas will be the next victims. also the snails that dig are nassarius snails & you'll need a few of them because they are so small.

I have no experience with shrimp(yet) so somebody else will have to comment

reefarchitect54
12/02/2011, 01:55 PM
Yeah its all part of the game with those little Hermits. I thought about not putting them in the tank but I'll tell you what I've spent more time watching them little guys than anything else so far.

Questions about the Shrimp for those that have experience with them. I'm guessing a drip acclimation is best but what about QT. Would you do it or just Drip acclimate and add to the display. Ive heard the are very hardy so the risk of stressing it out and making it sick is slim however I could be wrong.

Thanks

ange062
12/02/2011, 02:08 PM
Drip acclimate then add shrimp to the display, they don't carry parasites like fish do, and you can't use any meds on them anyway.

And you can get large nassarious nyte, I have some in my tank that have are nearly an inch long. I also have tiny ones. There are a few different species commonly available.

reefarchitect54
12/05/2011, 07:57 AM
Just a quick update on my Clean up Crew.

I added a few more members to the family this weekend. On Friday after work I stopped by the LFS and grabbed (6) Nassarius Snails and (1) Zebra Turbo Snail. The Zebra was really for my wife as she really liked its stripes but I have to say that thing has done an amazing job on my tank in just a few days. I was getting ready to clean the back wall but low and behold the Zebra did it for me Sat. and Sun......

I will be looking into a Shrimp and Goby soon... I'm also going to be looking for some easy beginner corals if anyone has some ideas....

Thanks
Andrew

NyteGTI
12/05/2011, 10:40 AM
Just a quick update on my Clean up Crew.

I added a few more members to the family this weekend. On Friday after work I stopped by the LFS and grabbed (6) Nassarius Snails and (1) Zebra Turbo Snail. The Zebra was really for my wife as she really liked its stripes but I have to say that thing has done an amazing job on my tank in just a few days. I was getting ready to clean the back wall but low and behold the Zebra did it for me Sat. and Sun......

I will be looking into a Shrimp and Goby soon... I'm also going to be looking for some easy beginner corals if anyone has some ideas....

Thanks
Andrew

Xenia(will grow on anything it touches & eventually take over your tank :thumbsup:) Zoas, GSP. check out the list of Corals for beginners (http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/aquarium-fish-supplies.cfm?c=597+2856) at Live aquaria. Also check out their nano packs if you were considering getting corals there the nano packs are pretty nice

SirReefer
12/08/2011, 08:42 AM
Great build so far.. I just purchased a bc 14 and want to do a similar.build. Blk sand, media basket but im thinkin of putting chaeto, chemi pure elite , and purigen.. Pump is already upgrade to a 900 maxi I believe. Im currently tryin to use it as a qt for my sick clowns in my 75 g but afterwards I plan on doing everything to it..

Anyone know what kind of filtration I can use while I medicate my fish in it ?.. Maybe a few sponges ?

NyteGTI
12/08/2011, 12:53 PM
nothing with carbon or any other chemical removing substance. you can use just sponges if you're looking for mechanical and biological filtration but no chemical or you'll remove most of the medications. if you're diligent about water changes you wont have to have a bio filter in there at all. clowns are pretty hardy, it'll stand up to a lot.

SirReefer
12/08/2011, 01:58 PM
Ok sounds good ill use sponge and maybe bio balls just in case. I usually do water changes so I hope that will help remove the copper when im done.. Thanks..

reefarchitect54
01/19/2012, 03:58 PM
Coral Updates!!!

I recently got a few corals from the LFS...

I will post a more detailed update on the tank later... But for know enjoy the pics!!!

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w164/philippeandrew/14g%20BioCube/P1011257.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w164/philippeandrew/14g%20BioCube/P1011258.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w164/philippeandrew/14g%20BioCube/P1011259.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w164/philippeandrew/14g%20BioCube/P1011264.jpg

NativeTrout
01/20/2012, 12:15 AM
Interesting rock work, looks great. Does that black stand stick to your mag cleaner? I;ve heard some brands of black sand will.

reefarchitect54
01/20/2012, 12:46 PM
No, the black sand does not stick to my mag cleaner from what I've seen. The rock work took some time to get just right... I do like it a lot because it offers a lot of different shelves and spots for different types of corals with different lighting requirements... I will be adding some more corals and prob one more fish soon. One thing to note is that I was seeing my corals not fully opening up. After doing some reading on the trumpet and frog spawn I realized they really did not like a ton of flow; I shut off my power head the other night and let just the return from my filter create the flow and booooom they blew right up... I will add more picks over the weekend. I'm also looking into what the proper calcium levels should be as I'm not sure weather or not I should be dosing yet.

Thanks

Caetano_Thiago
01/20/2012, 03:11 PM
Here is my bc14 its been running about 3months now, with my sand i went with Tahitian black sand.
<a href="http://s28.photobucket.com/albums/c237/thiago_caetano/?action=view&amp;current=SU1BRzAzMzAuanBn.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c237/thiago_caetano/SU1BRzAzMzAuanBn.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Caetano_Thiago
01/20/2012, 03:14 PM
your doing really good so far. keep it up. and keep those pictures coming :) here is my build http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2117347

reefarchitect54
04/30/2012, 07:12 AM
Sorry for the laps in post and updates... My wife recently gave birth to our first child. I am the prod father of a perfectly healthy little baby girl. Kinsley Grace Philippe was born on March 5th at 6:38pm...

Needless to say the tank has been neglected over the last few months, however it has been running very smoothly. I randomly lost my clown a few weeks before my daughter was born. All of the levels had been perfect and nothing appeared wrong. I had gotten lazy with my water changes but the levels never came back elevated. I came home one day from work and he was struggling to stay alive and died that night.

The corals have been doing amazing... I am going to need some information on how to frag these very soon I think. My Frog Spawn has grown from one head to three.. My Candy Cane Trumpet had 2 mouths and now seems to have 7 or 8... And finally my Kenya Tree has double if not tripled in size... These have been loving the locations and I have not dosed at all.

The Blue Legged Hermits have dwindled to just two now. I started with four and I think the bigger two killed the smaller two. I still have both of my Astraea Snails and the one Zebra Turbo..

Over the weekend I decided to get back on-line now that my daughter is two months old and starting to settling into a routine. We went to the LFS and picked up a new Clown and a Camel Shrimp. My wife wanted to get some active life back in the tank so those were my picks.

Now that Ive git you all updated with the last few months of activity I will get some pictures for everyone to look at.

Stay tuned for the photo updates.