Taking the plunge on BioCube 14 build adventure

[1Vampiregirl]

Nice, looks like you got some good pieces full tank shot??

Not yet. It's still in a bucket with a powerhead. I want to try to wash out whatever stuff that just falls off of it and whatever I don't want to put in the tank - got 3 gross worms already!

 

[skidrow52]

Merry Christmas girl The rocks are nice, take away all what you can, a worm which you see is a worm now can become a hitchiker one day so better to take away what ever is seen!

I learned from my mistakes when I got my 300lbs of Fiji rocks and I didnt remove anything !!

Not yet. It's still in a bucket with a powerhead. I want to try to wash out whatever stuff that just falls off of it and whatever I don't want to put in the tank - got 3 gross worms already!

 

[0o.Kelsey.o0]

Set up a crab trap with a glass and some sinking pellets or something just in case!

 

[1Vampiregirl]

Merry Christmas girl The rocks are nice, take away all what you can, a worm which you see is a worm now can become a hitchiker one day so better to take away what ever is seen!

I learned from my mistakes when I got my 300lbs of Fiji rocks and I didnt remove anything !!

Hey there! Thanks! I keep looking at the rocks - they're so pretty! On Saturday I'm expecting my order with the power strip with timers but I think my patience will run out before that. I'll set it up tomorrow at the latest. It's not like I need the lights on a timer right now anyway!

So what creatures made it into your tank with the 300lbs of rock?

Set up a crab trap with a glass and some sinking pellets or something just in case!

Kelsey, thanks for the advice. I didn't even think of it! The pellets, though - do they have to be marine or is it okay to use my pleco's wafer?

 

[0o.Kelsey.o0]

It can be anything really, as long as it smells good to the crabs haha. I set up a trap in my pico for a few days but I guess not long enough since I just found a shedding of a tiny one! I put the traps back up haha.

 

[1Vampiregirl]

Oh boy! Setting up the trap!!!

 

[1Vampiregirl]

Hey guys, does anybody know what these could be??? Good? Bad? UFO - unidentified Fixed object?

 

[0o.Kelsey.o0]

Good! Sponges, had some just like that in our 75 gallon when we had it, they lasted for a long time and then eventually slowly disappeared. These ones are cool because they actually have an opening on one end just like a mouth. (yours are obviously closed up right now haha)

 

[1Vampiregirl]

Yay!!! That's my 2nd cool hitchhiker. The first one was a teeny tiny star.

 

[Greenmaster]

Sponges don't like air... yours may now die... also most sponges need silica, but everyone tries like crazy to keep it out.
Something from an article I read.
"Sponges are the second largest consumer of dissolved silica in the ocean, after diatoms.14 Many sponges use silica to form internal structures, called spicules, which help them retain their shape. In the case of the sponge Tethya aurantia, these spicules are needles of amorphous silica that comprise 75% of its dry weight."

Also it was hard to see the worm but some worms will eat coral so I'm not a fan of hitchhikers that I can't identify. If I can't get a positive ID it takes a trip to the can.

 

[1Vampiregirl]

Greenmaster, thanks, that was interesting info. I really don't know anything about sponges. I hope mine survive, I like them.

The worms are out... Well, I think I got them all.
Talking about worms, when cleaning the rocks a little, I saw that some of them have like dead worms encrusted in them, totally dry and hard, seem like part of the rock. But I saw a few that looked very creepy. Those are dead, right? lol

 

[carey]

Do you have a picture? Might just be feather duster casings.

Those are good to keep so don't worry

 

[1Vampiregirl]

Do you have a picture? Might just be feather duster casings.

Those are good to keep so don't worry

I'll try to get a good picture of that stuff but those definitely are not feather dusters' casings - I wish 'coz I really loved my feather duster. It looks like a solidified bristle worm - yuck!

 

[carey]

If it's all hard and crusty I think it will be fine. I found one or two on some newer live rock I purchased. I put them in, just make sure there arent any mushy ones! lol

 

[1Vampiregirl]

Sorry for the quality, I did my best on the picture. It's right around the middle, completely hard. The rock is from the Caribbean and I was told it's ancient coral skeleton.

 

[1Vampiregirl]

Update!
So I finally did it! I set it all up! It took me the whole Sunday afternoon - had to sacrifice my beach day.
Of course, the tank is all cloudy and there's all that ugly nasty stuff sticking to the rock, but I DID it! Yay!!!
Here's a couple of pics so you, guys, can't say "it didn't happen" lol!
Any comments, suggestions are very welcome!

 

[carey]

I think it's a great start!!! You got some nice pieces of rock it looks like.

 

[1Vampiregirl]

Thanks, Carey! You're the best!
I might play with the scape a bit more, but as of right now I can live with it.
And as usual, I thought of a few questions while I was staring at the cube.
1. I have the lights on timers now: actinics 9am to 9pm; daylight 11am to 7pm; and the lunar lights 9pm to 9am. Those were the recommendations that came with the timer, I only shifted them an hour later. Does this schedule look okay or should I adjust it somehow?
2. A very stupid question. I'm using all live rock and rubble. How can I make sure when it cycles?
3. When can I start adding livestock? CUC will go first right? I have a little hitch-hiker crab, for some reason I couldn't make myself get rid of him, and I want snails for CUC.

 

[tlkng1]

I re-scaped at least 6 times

From what I understand, lights should be a 10 hour cycle. My moonlights are 24 hours..no way to turn them off. I have the actinics come on at 11, white light at 12, white light off at 8, actinics off at 9.

As for cycling, the standard applies. You'll see an ammonia spike first. When the ammonia starts to decrease, you'll see nitrites increase. The third phase is ammonia decrease, nitrites decrease, nitrates increase. Towards the end of the cycle, you may see small amounts of ammonia, small amounts of nitrites and a huge spike in Nitrates..time to do the 50% water change. At the end, you'll have no detectable ammonia, no detectable nitrites and probably nitrates as I don't think you ever completely get rid of them...the idea is to keep the nitrates under 20 (?) for a reef. This is what water changes will help with.

Run the tank for at least two weeks before adding a CUC...while they can handle parameters that aren't perfect, they won't be able to handle high levels of ammonia and nitrites.

Welcome to the addiction.

 

[1Vampiregirl]

I re-scaped at least 6 times

From what I understand, lights should be a 10 hour cycle. My moonlights are 24 hours..no way to turn them off. I have the actinics come on at 11, white light at 12, white light off at 8, actinics off at 9.

As for cycling, the standard applies. You'll see an ammonia spike first. When the ammonia starts to decrease, you'll see nitrites increase. The third phase is ammonia decrease, nitrites decrease, nitrates increase. Towards the end of the cycle, you may see small amounts of ammonia, small amounts of nitrites and a huge spike in Nitrates..time to do the 50% water change. At the end, you'll have no detectable ammonia, no detectable nitrites and probably nitrates as I don't think you ever completely get rid of them...the idea is to keep the nitrates under 20 (?) for a reef. This is what water changes will help with.

Run the tank for at least two weeks before adding a CUC...while they can handle parameters that aren't perfect, they won't be able to handle high levels of ammonia and nitrites.

Welcome to the addiction.

Tlkng1, thanks! I am thoroughly addicted now.

My LR was in a bucket of saltwater for a while and I tested it a few times. It never showed any ammo or trites, but after a little while showed nitrates. Should I throw in a piece of raw shrimp to cause an ammonia spike? I thought die-off would be enough to kick start the cycle, but I sorta doubt it now.

It's clearing up!