d2mini's 130g Rimless Cube - Page 7

mcdonaldtj · 01/08/2010, 09:32 PM

This tank looks awesome. I wish I had the room for a big cube.

V/Tim

karsco · 01/08/2010, 10:03 PM

D2 great build! I have almost the exact same setup except you have a nicer tank, lights, house etc.

I got the package from TBS about 5 years ago and it is some nice rock. It is a little dense but the life on it is incredible when you first get it. Even 5 years later I have sponges, feather dusters, urchins etc pop up out of nowhere. The one thing you need to watch for is hitchhikers, crabs, mantis shrimps etc. I had countless crabs and about 4 mantis shrimps that wreaked havoc in my tank when I first set it up. If you need to get them out I recommend doing a high salinity dip (especially for the mantis they are tough bastards) to get them out of the rocks they are in. Also get ready to do lot's of water changes because of the diverse life you will get some die off. (but I am sure you already knew this)

I love the clean lines and great planning. I wish I would have thought of your ideas for mounting the vortech's that was a great idea. You will love the Itech skimmer, I am only running a 100 on my 140 cube but will probably upgrade to the 200 when I get this tank more heavily stocked. They pull the nastiest skimmate of any skimmer I have ever owned. Enough of my rambling great job, and look forward to watching your progress.

Scott

d2mini · 01/08/2010, 10:14 PM

Karsco, thanks for the tips and comments!

I've heard of the high salinity dip, but how high exactly? I hear the clicking noises but at this point I don't know where those little buggers are. I was going to try the coke bottle traps, especially since I won't be feeding the tank for weeks and figured they would be hungry.

kevantheman35 · 01/08/2010, 10:33 PM

sounds like your in for a battle man, best of luck! cant wait to see pics with the rock in

ps. prey their just pistol shrimp making the clicks

SawdustInTank · 01/08/2010, 10:40 PM

That's a very nice tank you have there. Keep the pics coming.........

karsco · 01/09/2010, 08:29 AM

D2,

Yes try the coke bottle traps first, I caught some of my crabs and one of the mantis with this method. For the high salinity dip take some of your tank water (whatever volume you need) and just add some salt until you get it in the 1.30 range. I use a five gallon bucket and a few gallons of water when I was dipping my rocks. It takes a while to figure out where the "clicks" are coming from but if you watch the tank you can figure out where they tend to hang out. The mantis & crabs would be good little scavangers in your sump (if you have a spot for them) if not you might ask some fellow reefers if they want them. I have noticed they actually sell some types of mantis now. At the time they were ripping through my snail population and I was frustrated so mine got the flush, but looking back I should have tried to find them a home.

Good luck,
Scott

d2mini · 01/09/2010, 08:31 AM

Thanks!

theyammieguy · 01/09/2010, 12:34 PM

Looking good man.

gtfourmn · 01/09/2010, 01:07 PM

Very nice tank. Can't wait to see how it turns out.

Hollywood1 · 01/09/2010, 01:36 PM

This tank is beautiful, great design, keep us updated

artchang · 01/10/2010, 05:34 AM

may i know what kind of the bulkhead fitting you use? is the sch 40 or 80?
thanks a lot.

d2mini · 01/10/2010, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by artchang

may i know what kind of the bulkhead fitting you use? Is the sch 40 or 80?
Thanks a lot.

40

d2mini · 01/10/2010, 08:35 AM

Here's a few quick pics of the rock. I had to do a water change already (ammonia was getting up near .5 - 1.0) and I moved the rocks around now that I can actually see but was still a little cloudy when i took the pics. And it's still all pretty much temporary. These are just the base rock. More rock with more life on it is coming in the next shipment.

Oh, and I did catch a Mantis Shrimp! Found him scurrying around after I moved the rock. Scooped him up with a net and tossed him in the sump. Now he keeps going back and forth between my fuge and skimmer section.

Still some popping noises though. Could just be Pistols. We'll see...

Briney Dave · 01/10/2010, 09:45 AM

If you had one its a safe bet there will be more. Might want to set a trap now before they get too settled in.
I did not have any mantis on the Florida rock that I got but there were lots of cool sponge and macro algae on it. I was hoping for some coral nubbings ect but there were any on my rock.

d2mini · 01/10/2010, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Briney Dave

If you had one its a safe bet there will be more. Might want to set a trap now before they get too settled in.
I did not have any mantis on the Florida rock that I got but there were lots of cool sponge and macro algae on it. I was hoping for some coral nubbings ect but there were any on my rock.

Ya, I'll be setting a trap. I'm drinking a bottle of diet coke right now.

Check this out. These windows face north, so no direct light but the room still lights up pretty good. This pic is from this morning with NO lights turned on! I think I may be saving on electricity. LOL!

Luckylouse · 01/10/2010, 10:00 AM

Corals wouldn't do very well while cycling the tank anyways. It's rare for them to live through a solid cylce.

I would be doing water changes, running a skimmer for the first 2 weeks of cylling. You are defeating the purpose. You want the Ammonia at this point. Feed that bacteria.
I would also reduce the light period. That's just going to cause unwanted Algeas while you have high nutrients with the cylcing. You might want to drop the curtains in the area of your tank too to reduce the light to the tank. You don't want to have to be dealing with Hair ALgea.

PS.. Tanks is really nice. It's a very good use of the space in your home. Cubes work very well in open concept homes.

d2mini · 01/10/2010, 10:25 AM

Thanks, Lucky.

The cycle should be pretty short. I'm following TBS's strict instructions.
http://tampabaysaltwater.com/thepackage/setup.html
Richard even sends a packet of new tank bacteria. And with the minimal die-off the cycle should be pretty short. Ammonia looks good today. Holding steady at .25

XtremeFromHell · 01/10/2010, 10:35 AM

wow, your tank and house both look awesome!

theyammieguy · 01/10/2010, 12:07 PM

You might want to watch those windows when summer comes around. The sun will be coming in from a different angle.

Looks good though.

d2mini · 01/10/2010, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theyammieguy

You might want to watch those windows when summer comes around. The sun will be coming in from a different angle.

Looks good though.

Thanks!
Luckily those windows never get direct light. There's an overhang and we have big old trees. And they face directly north. So it's always indirect.

cubical · 01/10/2010, 06:01 PM

Wow, a very nice cube, inspirational! I love the stand and tank and the overflow box itself is a piece of art! LOL
Awesome house as well.
Where did the second Vortech go?

d2mini · 01/10/2010, 07:29 PM

Thanks!
I'm running just the one vortech for a little while just to see what that was like before adding the second. Even just the one on medium power is blowing my sand around.

d2mini · 01/13/2010, 08:32 AM

So i tossed a bottle trap in my tank last night but no luck yet in catching any Mantis shrimp. I saw two of them in one rock so I pulled it out and did a high salinity dip (1.045) but that didn't accomplish anything. Any other tips for catching these little guys?

Meanwhile my ammonia is holding steady at .25 and I have been working on getting the wiring cleaned up and getting my ReefKeeper Lite moved over from my other tank.

theyammieguy · 01/13/2010, 08:34 AM

I'd say since your still cycling, take the rock out and leave it out for a day.

d2mini · 01/13/2010, 08:42 AM

That would defeat the purpose of getting TBS rock, and it's most likely not the only one affected anyway. The initial ammonia spike seems to be over so I should be able to get Part II of The Package soon.

01/08/2010, 10:14 PM	#153
d2mini Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 10,344	Karsco, thanks for the tips and comments! I've heard of the high salinity dip, but how high exactly? I hear the clicking noises but at this point I don't know where those little buggers are. I was going to try the coke bottle traps, especially since I won't be feeding the tank for weeks and figured they would be hungry. __________________ -dennis Elos Diamond 120xl \| Elos Stand \| Radion G4 Pros \| GHL Profilux Controller \| LifeReef Skimmer \| LifeReef Sump Photos taken with a Nikon D750 or Leica M.

01/08/2010, 10:33 PM	#154
kevantheman35 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Fort wayne, IN Posts: 823	sounds like your in for a battle man, best of luck! cant wait to see pics with the rock in ps. prey their just pistol shrimp making the clicks __________________ -Kevan Current Tank Info: 34g Mixed Reef Solana (2 years old). 12g jbj nanocube dx (retired at 2 years old)

01/08/2010, 10:40 PM	#155
SawdustInTank Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Homestead, FL Posts: 423	That's a very nice tank you have there. Keep the pics coming......... __________________ Willing to learn................. Current Tank Info: 75 gallon Shallow Rimless, 20 gal.sump, Full spectrum LED lighting, Reef Octopus Skimmer 110 INT, RKL Plus.

01/09/2010, 08:31 AM	#157
d2mini Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 10,344	Thanks! __________________ -dennis Elos Diamond 120xl \| Elos Stand \| Radion G4 Pros \| GHL Profilux Controller \| LifeReef Skimmer \| LifeReef Sump Photos taken with a Nikon D750 or Leica M.

01/09/2010, 12:34 PM	#158
theyammieguy Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Houston Texas Posts: 1,691	Looking good man. __________________ "Ya'll can go to hell, I'm going to Texas". David Crockett. 12g JBJ deluxe JBJ viper 70w, maxi jet 900, Koralia nano, two false percs, softies, LPS, and SPS, about 25# LR and 2"-3" SB. Running since 3/22/07. Soon to add sump with skimmer Click my home page for pictures. 40g breeder upgrade in progress. Planning a 60g cube FOWLR.

01/08/2010, 09:32 PM	#151
mcdonaldtj Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: San Diego Ca Posts: 153	This tank looks awesome. I wish I had the room for a big cube. V/Tim

01/08/2010, 10:03 PM	#152
karsco Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 645	D2 great build! I have almost the exact same setup except you have a nicer tank, lights, house etc. I got the package from TBS about 5 years ago and it is some nice rock. It is a little dense but the life on it is incredible when you first get it. Even 5 years later I have sponges, feather dusters, urchins etc pop up out of nowhere. The one thing you need to watch for is hitchhikers, crabs, mantis shrimps etc. I had countless crabs and about 4 mantis shrimps that wreaked havoc in my tank when I first set it up. If you need to get them out I recommend doing a high salinity dip (especially for the mantis they are tough bastards) to get them out of the rocks they are in. Also get ready to do lot's of water changes because of the diverse life you will get some die off. (but I am sure you already knew this) I love the clean lines and great planning. I wish I would have thought of your ideas for mounting the vortech's that was a great idea. You will love the Itech skimmer, I am only running a 100 on my 140 cube but will probably upgrade to the 200 when I get this tank more heavily stocked. They pull the nastiest skimmate of any skimmer I have ever owned. Enough of my rambling great job, and look forward to watching your progress. Scott

01/09/2010, 08:29 AM	#156
karsco Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 645	D2, Yes try the coke bottle traps first, I caught some of my crabs and one of the mantis with this method. For the high salinity dip take some of your tank water (whatever volume you need) and just add some salt until you get it in the 1.30 range. I use a five gallon bucket and a few gallons of water when I was dipping my rocks. It takes a while to figure out where the "clicks" are coming from but if you watch the tank you can figure out where they tend to hang out. The mantis & crabs would be good little scavangers in your sump (if you have a spot for them) if not you might ask some fellow reefers if they want them. I have noticed they actually sell some types of mantis now. At the time they were ripping through my snail population and I was frustrated so mine got the flush, but looking back I should have tried to find them a home. Good luck, Scott

01/09/2010, 01:07 PM	#159
gtfourmn Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Blaine, Minnesota Posts: 67	Very nice tank. Can't wait to see how it turns out. __________________ Oceanic 50 Gallon Current Tank Info: Oceanic 50

01/09/2010, 01:36 PM	#160
Hollywood1 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 52	This tank is beautiful, great design, keep us updated

01/10/2010, 05:34 AM	#161
artchang Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 6	may i know what kind of the bulkhead fitting you use? is the sch 40 or 80? thanks a lot.

01/10/2010, 08:35 AM	#163
d2mini Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 10,344	Here's a few quick pics of the rock. I had to do a water change already (ammonia was getting up near .5 - 1.0) and I moved the rocks around now that I can actually see but was still a little cloudy when i took the pics. And it's still all pretty much temporary. These are just the base rock. More rock with more life on it is coming in the next shipment. Oh, and I did catch a Mantis Shrimp! Found him scurrying around after I moved the rock. Scooped him up with a net and tossed him in the sump. Now he keeps going back and forth between my fuge and skimmer section. Still some popping noises though. Could just be Pistols. We'll see... __________________ -dennis Elos Diamond 120xl \| Elos Stand \| Radion G4 Pros \| GHL Profilux Controller \| LifeReef Skimmer \| LifeReef Sump Photos taken with a Nikon D750 or Leica M.

01/10/2010, 09:45 AM	#164
Briney Dave Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Fremont Posts: 1,325	If you had one its a safe bet there will be more. Might want to set a trap now before they get too settled in. I did not have any mantis on the Florida rock that I got but there were lots of cool sponge and macro algae on it. I was hoping for some coral nubbings ect but there were any on my rock.

01/10/2010, 10:00 AM	#166
Luckylouse Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Burlington Posts: 394	Corals wouldn't do very well while cycling the tank anyways. It's rare for them to live through a solid cylce. I would be doing water changes, running a skimmer for the first 2 weeks of cylling. You are defeating the purpose. You want the Ammonia at this point. Feed that bacteria. I would also reduce the light period. That's just going to cause unwanted Algeas while you have high nutrients with the cylcing. You might want to drop the curtains in the area of your tank too to reduce the light to the tank. You don't want to have to be dealing with Hair ALgea. PS.. Tanks is really nice. It's a very good use of the space in your home. Cubes work very well in open concept homes.

01/10/2010, 10:25 AM	#167
d2mini Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 10,344	Thanks, Lucky. The cycle should be pretty short. I'm following TBS's strict instructions. http://tampabaysaltwater.com/thepackage/setup.html Richard even sends a packet of new tank bacteria. And with the minimal die-off the cycle should be pretty short. Ammonia looks good today. Holding steady at .25 __________________ -dennis Elos Diamond 120xl \| Elos Stand \| Radion G4 Pros \| GHL Profilux Controller \| LifeReef Skimmer \| LifeReef Sump Photos taken with a Nikon D750 or Leica M.

01/10/2010, 10:35 AM	#168
XtremeFromHell Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Miami, FL (hialeah area) Posts: 735	wow, your tank and house both look awesome!

01/10/2010, 12:07 PM	#169
theyammieguy Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Houston Texas Posts: 1,691	You might want to watch those windows when summer comes around. The sun will be coming in from a different angle. Looks good though. __________________ "Ya'll can go to hell, I'm going to Texas". David Crockett. 12g JBJ deluxe JBJ viper 70w, maxi jet 900, Koralia nano, two false percs, softies, LPS, and SPS, about 25# LR and 2"-3" SB. Running since 3/22/07. Soon to add sump with skimmer Click my home page for pictures. 40g breeder upgrade in progress. Planning a 60g cube FOWLR.

01/10/2010, 06:01 PM	#171
cubical Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: San Diego Posts: 28	Wow, a very nice cube, inspirational! I love the stand and tank and the overflow box itself is a piece of art! LOL Awesome house as well. Where did the second Vortech go?

01/10/2010, 07:29 PM	#172
d2mini Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 10,344	Thanks! I'm running just the one vortech for a little while just to see what that was like before adding the second. Even just the one on medium power is blowing my sand around. __________________ -dennis Elos Diamond 120xl \| Elos Stand \| Radion G4 Pros \| GHL Profilux Controller \| LifeReef Skimmer \| LifeReef Sump Photos taken with a Nikon D750 or Leica M.

01/13/2010, 08:32 AM	#173
d2mini Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 10,344	So i tossed a bottle trap in my tank last night but no luck yet in catching any Mantis shrimp. I saw two of them in one rock so I pulled it out and did a high salinity dip (1.045) but that didn't accomplish anything. Any other tips for catching these little guys? Meanwhile my ammonia is holding steady at .25 and I have been working on getting the wiring cleaned up and getting my ReefKeeper Lite moved over from my other tank. __________________ -dennis Elos Diamond 120xl \| Elos Stand \| Radion G4 Pros \| GHL Profilux Controller \| LifeReef Skimmer \| LifeReef Sump Photos taken with a Nikon D750 or Leica M.

01/13/2010, 08:34 AM	#174
theyammieguy Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Houston Texas Posts: 1,691	I'd say since your still cycling, take the rock out and leave it out for a day. __________________ "Ya'll can go to hell, I'm going to Texas". David Crockett. 12g JBJ deluxe JBJ viper 70w, maxi jet 900, Koralia nano, two false percs, softies, LPS, and SPS, about 25# LR and 2"-3" SB. Running since 3/22/07. Soon to add sump with skimmer Click my home page for pictures. 40g breeder upgrade in progress. Planning a 60g cube FOWLR.

01/13/2010, 08:42 AM	#175
d2mini Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 10,344	That would defeat the purpose of getting TBS rock, and it's most likely not the only one affected anyway. The initial ammonia spike seems to be over so I should be able to get Part II of The Package soon. __________________ -dennis Elos Diamond 120xl \| Elos Stand \| Radion G4 Pros \| GHL Profilux Controller \| LifeReef Skimmer \| LifeReef Sump Photos taken with a Nikon D750 or Leica M.