Carey's Bio Cube Build

[1Vampiregirl]

Congratulations, Carey! Nice photo!

 

[carey]

Thanks!!

No news to report on this tank, mandy is still kinda eating frozen foods and banana is still being anti social. LOL

On a good note though ALL my red algae has disappeared without me having to add anything! Very pleased about that.

 

[1Vampiregirl]

That's great! I wish my green algae just disappeared!

 

[carey]

Yeah, I;m not sure how it happened. I had a boatload of red algae on mostly one entire rock, thew only thing I can think of was that the a/c went out the other day and the cube hit 90 degrees!! I had ice cubes in ziploc bags trying to get the temperature down lol, but the next day the red was all gone.

I may have burned it out, hoping it doesnt come back.

I still have a pesky aiptasia I need to plunge, I just keep putting it off. hehe...

You have snails and hermits right? Maybe you need a few more

 

[maxst2]

Carey, Ive noticed that cyano is effected by a few things, but mainly nutrients and largely by the water flow.

Adding and/or adjusting PH's will help.

Your aiptasia issue... might be lucky and get a peppermint shrimp that'll eat those up

 

[carey]

I have three peppermints in the tank and they havent touched it. lol Its just one single one, I've had it since I started the cube. I actually think I'll miss it once I do kill it. hehe

I know my tank is nutrient rich cause of all the feeding I do for my special needs fish. I may put the 750 koralia back in, that had great water flow!

 

[maxst2]

Yeah put that 750 back in. Mine will have a rio 6F return and a 750. Just below the overflow colliding with the return outflow. I should have lots of flow

 

[carey]

It's that time again, time to buy some fish! I found black clowns for 23.99 each so I think I am gonna get a pair. I want to first put them in the cube then maybe move them over to my new tank that I'll be building.

I know this will totally overstock me for now but I dont think I can pass up the price. lol Plus all the fish in the cube now are rock dwellers and perchers, nothing actually swims around.

I'm also gonna get a pair of coral banded shrimp for the 125g and maybe a handful of emerald crabs and spread them between the cube and the pico.

That sound like a plan to you guys? I'm getting excited just thinking about it! hehe

 

[maxst2]

That's an awesome price!

What all do you have in your tank in terms of flow and filtration?

I'll have a tunze 9002 skimer intank media basket with carbon, phosban, and filter floss. Korlia 750, and the return pump is a rio 6F.

I think all the fish you'll have will be ok.

Also... that is an awesome price for black and whites!

 

[carey]

I'm running a media basket and fuge mod with led light in the back center compartment. I don't run a skimmer. I use chemipure elite, purigen and filter pad in the baskets. I keep chaeto in the fuge.

I only have the 425 koralia in there right now, usually I have the koralia 750 running. Still using the stock return pump too.

So far I'm very pleased with the tank and the mods.

 

[maxst2]

Yeah I'd say if you keep up doing usual water change you'll be OK.

 

[carey]

Yep, pwc's are a religion with me. Due to my overfeeding I run nitrates at about 5 but other than that everything is stable.

I;m hoping to have the new tank up in a month or so, I figure I can move the clowns into that tank. I want the new tank to be primarily corals so I dont want any bottom dwellers.

 

[maxst2]

oh 5 is nothing... When it gets high is an issue like 20+

 

[carey]

I think I would have a stroke if any of my tanks got to 20 nitrates. LOL I'm running 5 in 3 of my sw tanks and 0 in my 125g.

 

[carey]

So here are the new clowns. they have started eating already and seem to be doing well. But I do have a question.

They were sold as australian black perculas....are there such a thing? I thought the b&w's were a strain of oscellaris? Aren't perculas more prone to aggression than the regular nemos?

I also added two emerald crabs and a tiny cleaner shrimp, all three are now lost in the rockwork. lol

And my YWG is NOT happy. He is almost white now and keeps doing the open mouth lunging at my scooter who just blows him off. LOL

Since the cube is overstocked now I plan on moving the clowns to my new build once it gets up and running.

Since the mandarin has picked up her eating habits I think I will keep her in the cube.

One other thing that was mentioned was to add a pistol shrimp for the YWG. Ihave one in my 125g with a pink watchman but they have yet to interact and it's been months. I also had some unexplained cleaner shrimp deaths in there and it could be the pistol shrimp. I just don't want thepistol to harass any of the delicate fish I have in the cube, like my tiny mandy or even the tiny cleaner.....

Here are the clowns...one is def more orange than the other and there is quite a size difference as well between them.

 

[Buffy]

Don't you let no one mess with sweet lil mandy now.

 

[carey]

Here's a picture of the YWG, he is pretty much white now with black stripes. I hope he snaps out of it soon, it's not like the new clowns are anywhere near him and the two crabs haven't bothered him either.

 

[hackteck]

so much for last tank threads!

 

[mysticeel]

so many saltwater tanks...i wish i lived at your house

 

[carey]

so many saltwater tanks...i wish i lived at your house

I wish you did too, you could help me out!! LOL j/k

I just spent the morning cleaning out a tank I'm selling and cleaning out filter socks. fun fun...

And that's just the beginning of my day.