BC14

[killrblue]

After taking a 5 year hiatus I am back in the hobby starting out with a Nano Tank and enjoying it with my 17 month old daughter. Live/Base Rock and Live Sand were donated from a couple of friends. I've been cycling for about a month just to make sure I have enough beneficial bacteria. Here are my specs.

 

Oceanic Biocube 14g

Oceanic Stand - I got for cheap at a Petco for $33.

Chamber 1 - removed false floor, 50W Heater, I have a Skimmer from Oceanic but waiting to see if I need or not with the weekly water changes.

Partition slit between Chamber 1 and 2 cut

Chamber 2 - empty for now, but will have a Mediabasket with Floss, Chemi-pure Elite, Cheato with 5w underwater light in a few days.

Chamber 3 - kept the sponge and upgraded the stock return pump to a maxi-jet 900

Mediabasket Fish Keeper

Vortech MP10ES

 

Salt: Oceanic Sea Salt but switching to Tropic Marine Pro

 

15lbs Live/Base Rock

1" Sand Bed

 

CUC:

1 Electric Blue Hermit Crab

2 Turbo Snails

 

Fish:

Pair of Black Ocellaris Clownfish

Diamond Back Goby

 

Coral:

Torch

Green Star Polyps

 

I am having second thoughts with the Hermit Crab. It turned over both corals into the sand bed. For now I have him in my Pico tank while I try to glue the frags to rock.

 

Here is the tank setting up the MP10 wave pulses. I will post a new pic later with all the new inhabitants.

 

 

[Coral Hind]

Welcome to WAMAS and welcome back to the hobby!

[gmubeach]

wow sounds like your having fun! I love black and whites...

[onyx]

Welcome.

[killrblue]

Awful thing happened this weekend. I knew I should have stuck to my gut feelings about that crab. I put him back in the BC last Friday night and the next morning a clownfish disappeared. All I found was the crab where the clownfish usually sleep every night curled up. I turned him over and found him eating on the head of the clownfish. Pissed me off and kicked myself all day. It was also the day I was planning to take pictures and video of the pair. Crab is now incarcerated in the Pico for life. Looking into getting another Juvenile Black Clownfish. Anyone know of a local LFS that carries them?

[Coral Hind]

Sorry hear of the loss. I would PM some of the vendors close to you in the vendors section and see what they can do for you.

[gmubeach]

I had a scarlet do the same thing in my nano he would leap off the rock and grab the fish.

[monkeydad]

killrblue,

 

Nicely done! I have the same BC (14g).

 

I had some questions:

 

Chamber 1 - removed false floor, 50W Heater, I have a Skimmer from Oceanic but waiting to see if I need or not with the weekly water changes.

What kind of heater, and how did you rig it? Does the floor pull out, or was it cut?

 

Partition slit between Chamber 1 and 2 cut

What does this do for you?

 

Chamber 2 - empty for now, but will have a Mediabasket with Floss, Chemi-pure Elite, Cheato with 5w underwater light in a few days.

No bio-balls? I was thinking of putting in some macro-algae in the back of my display, but I like the idea of Cheato out of site. I am also considering a 5g refugium with Cheato under the tank in my stand. I am leary of getting rid of the bio-balls. I've had one or two people say get rid of them "after a while" but I don't know why. Aren't they an integral part of the bio-filter?

 

Chamber 3 - kept the sponge and upgraded the stock return pump to a maxi-jet 900

Is this the large pump on the right side of your tank, or did you change the pump inside the sump, and add the powerhead as well?

 

Thank you!

[dtfleming]

Kinda doubt that the crab killed your clown. Its more likely that the clownfish died from something and the hermit is just eating him now. Anyway nice little setup. A nanotuners mod to your hood would be cool.

[killrblue]

killrblue,

 

Nicely done! I have the same BC (14g).

 

I had some questions:

 

Chamber 1 - removed false floor, 50W Heater, I have a Skimmer from Oceanic but waiting to see if I need or not with the weekly water changes.

What kind of heater, and how did you rig it? Does the floor pull out, or was it cut?

 

Partition slit between Chamber 1 and 2 cut

What does this do for you?

 

Chamber 2 - empty for now, but will have a Mediabasket with Floss, Chemi-pure Elite, Cheato with 5w underwater light in a few days.

No bio-balls? I was thinking of putting in some macro-algae in the back of my display, but I like the idea of Cheato out of site. I am also considering a 5g refugium with Cheato under the tank in my stand. I am leary of getting rid of the bio-balls. I've had one or two people say get rid of them "after a while" but I don't know why. Aren't they an integral part of the bio-filter?

 

Chamber 3 - kept the sponge and upgraded the stock return pump to a maxi-jet 900

Is this the large pump on the right side of your tank, or did you change the pump inside the sump, and add the powerhead as well?

 

Thank you!

 

Chamber 1 – I punched out the corners of the false floor with a long screw driver and hammer. The heater is a Marineland Stealth Pro Submersible 50w. You will be surprised how much stuff is below the false floor…sand, food, and detritus.

 

Partition slit was cut to increase water flow from C1 to C2. Plus it is also a requirement for the Mediabasket that I have placed in C2.

 

I have never used bio-balls in any of my tanks. It can accumulate muck (food/detritus) to increase phosphates and in turn create algae problems. Turning C2 into a fuge was a better option, I can keep cheato, and increases the water volume. I want it a simple AIO.

 

I upgraded the return pump inside chamber 3. The large pump on the glass is my wave maker pump, an MP10ES.

 

Updates:

5 Onyx Nassarius Snails

5 Nerite Snails

1 Black Clownfish – got him at a deal for $24.

Zoanthids

 

The Electric Blue Crab molted in my Pico. I forgot to take a picture before I tossed it. A ballast failed for my actinic and Oceanic is sending me a replacement that should arrive at the end of the week. I still have a red algae problem on my Live Rock but it's making the tank colorful since I do not have that much coral. Photo period will be reduced to 8 hours to help reduce the algae growth. Corraline Algae is growing in spots on the back wall of the tank. I was surprised that it's growing there already. An FTS will be posted this weekend. LED lighting is planned to be purchased this summer.

Edited April 21, 2010 by killrblue

[killrblue]

Went to mrcoral today. I can't believe the selection. I bought the 14 piece zoo frag pack, clove, sun coral, gonipora, 2 ricordia, 2 other zoos, and skunk cleaner. Currently acclimating by drip method for the past 3 hours.

Edited April 25, 2010 by killrblue

[killrblue]

After 6 hours of drip acclimation I finally placed the frags in my tank.

 

 

Here is a closer look.

 

[killrblue]

Here are a few pictures during feeding. The first night I was feeding the frags with freeze dried cyclop-eeze. A few ate them but it took a while for them to realize it and take it in. Tonight I am experimenting with silverside chopped up for the entire tank. All hand fed.

 

Here is the sun coral. All four top heads were each given a piece. They have expanded their mouths that they engulf the food within 2 minutes. The one on the top left is a little bit smaller than the rest and is taking it's time.

 

 

After engulfing the food, one of the mouths is puckering up.

 

 

 

Here is the ricordia eating silverside. Both of the rics have two mouths. I can't wait for them to split someday.

 

 

Goniopora

 

 

 

 

 

 

I need to invest on a tripod and a coral view box. It's hard keeping my camera still and even with the pumps off the water is stirring probably from the fish. All pics are at f/32, 1/8 - 1/25 sec, ISO 3200.

 

Update

 

The head that was taking his time to eat passed his food to the big guy on the right. I was told they never share food.

 

[trockafella]

IS that an encrusting goniopora..? Those can be extremely hard to keep, but I understand the encrusting have much better survival rate.. Those are some nice looking pieces though, im sure it will really help set your tank off... I'd say you did well on your shopping trip..!

[killrblue]

IS that an encrusting goniopora..? Those can be extremely hard to keep, but I understand the encrusting have much better survival rate.. Those are some nice looking pieces though, im sure it will really help set your tank off... I'd say you did well on your shopping trip..!

 

I'm not so sure if it is. It started to slime and it lost a head the other day. I made a quick 4 gallon water change and moved it to the left end of the frag tray for more flow. Spot fed with DT's Phytoplankton and then diluted a drop of Lugol's iodine in 1 cup of tank water and sprayed it along with the torch. As of today it stopped slimming and it's extending it's polyps. Hopefully it's getting better.

Edited April 30, 2010 by killrblue

[YHSublime]

Sooo, what's going on with this now? Was on it's way to looking very nice!