Carey's Bio Cube Build

[carey]

I think I made some decent headway today. i got a pink arganite sand, got my heater ( it fits perfect) and ordered my stand which will be here tuesday so I gotta wait til then to start cycling.

woot woot!! Also checked out the LR, they have rubble as well.

 

[nxb161]

So you got your heater that's less than 8", good deal!

 

[Joyler]

I think I made some decent headway today. i got a pink arganite sand, got my heater ( it fits perfect) and ordered my stand which will be here tuesday so I gotta wait til then to start cycling.

woot woot!! Also checked out the LR, they have rubble as well.

I can see the pictures already woohoo

 

[carey]

Ended up with a 100w Hydor. I think it will be ok, I never really see our heaters go on much anyways, sometimes at night. The one I got is submersible and will shut off if no water so i feel safer just plopping it in.

Today was mostly FW day but the upcoming week should be alot of SW fun!

I was thinking on adding a shrimp to the cube as well, any comments? I'd love a harlequin shrimp but their food source i couldnt do myself, my b/f said he could do it for me if I wanted. lol

Just throwing around some thoughts...

much thanks!!

 

[nxb161]

Ugh, you're gonna have a lot of work having to target feed your mandarin and then have to put in those tiny starfish to feed the harlequin shrimp....
I like my cleaner shrimps, but I'm putting a coral banded shrimp in my 20G.

 

[carey]

You can feed the harlequin chocloate chip starfish legs. i just cant bear to cut one off every week. ugh...lol I could keep the starfish in the pod tank hehe see i got it all planned

 

[nxb161]

Yikes, sorry, that'd be awful to have to do that!

 

[carey]

My b/f said he could do it. lol so it is an option. i hear one leg a week so a starfish could last over a month. But its kinda morbid hehe i dont know ...

 

[nxb161]

yeah, I think its, well awful, but I can't say much, I feed mysis shrimp, silversides... even though they're frozen, someone had to kill them.

 

[Just.A.Bit.Salty]

I agree the harlequin shrimp is beautiful but I would say it's not worth it. Although a Chocolate star is quite cheap around 7.99 ish I believe they are also beautiful in their own right. I have seen the legs being eaten off one before and It's something I won't watch again. Even cutting the legs off first is still harder than you BF might expect. I think you will have enough beauty in your tank with the mandarin, just make your screen saver a harlequin shrimp and you can get your "fix" from that lol.

 

[carey]

I agree the harlequin shrimp is beautiful but I would say it's not worth it. Although a Chocolate star is quite cheap around 7.99 ish I believe they are also beautiful in their own right. I have seen the legs being eaten off one before and It's something I won't watch again. Even cutting the legs off first is still harder than you BF might expect. I think you will have enough beauty in your tank with the mandarin, just make your screen saver a harlequin shrimp and you can get your "fix" from that lol.

The more I think about it the more i don't think i could do it. LOL It was just a thought.

 

[Just.A.Bit.Salty]

Lol well they sure are pretty. You have a little bit till you start stocking anyways, you will think of something I'm sure. When will the pod tank be up and running?

 

[0o.Kelsey.o0]

What about sexy shrimps?? I have one in my tank now and he is very cute, small but cute. I really like the blood shrimps too, their color is amazing.

 

[carey]

I still have to wait for the fry that are in it to grow big enough to trade in. Probably a couple weeks. I wasn't intending on getting the mandarin til much later, it'll be one of the last things I put in I bet.

Sexy shrimp good to have? I was thinking on getting a shrimp but i dont want peppermints, I got 4 in my main tank lol

 

[0o.Kelsey.o0]

I like mine but you have to know where to find him haha he hangs out on my frogspawn all day and only ventures out at night. I will probably get one more once my LFS gets them in. If you want one you will see more I'd def recommend the blood shrimp.

Is your LFS going to hold the mandarin for you?? Or are you just going to wait until they have another one eating the frozen foods?

 

[carey]

He had 3 last time I was in. He gets all ORA fish, thats where I got my b&w's. I'm not that close to buying one anyway, I'm guessing two to three months maybe. :-(

 

[0o.Kelsey.o0]

Ohh okay makes sense, and only 45 for one then?? Thats pretty good, my LFS charges 80 for the ORA mandarins. Only 20-30 for the regular ones though and they usually eat just as good.

 

[carey]

I just had an idea. I have 70lbs of LR in my 55g right...So what if i take out say 15lbs of it and put it in the cube? I intend on buying from reefcleaners their 50lb box of base rock. Soooo, I put 15lbs in my 55g, 30 lbs into the cube and 5lbs of rubble for cubes compartment.

Does this sound like a good way to avoid a cycle? I also bought a bag of live sand and I wanna add a bottle of Bio Spira. I've actually had some luck with that product in helping cycling.

I don't intend on putting anything in for a few weeks but I'd like it to be cycled. then i may add a shrimp and a couple cuc guys. I don't wanna risk designer clowns until I'm sure its stable.

Thoughts my friends?

 

[xxwolfpackof1xx]

i thinkk thatd work but that live sand nd bacteria bottles are usualy a lie the bacteria is more than likely dead if there ever was anny in it

 

[Epuerto]

Thats not what he says
YouTube - Bacteria in a Bottle: Snake Oil or Worth Trusting?