BioCube 14g with LEDs

[pjku79]

I am just getting back into the hobby. My previous tank was a 120 with a 55 fug that I had going for 3 years in MI. Now that I have moved down here and had a baby I am back to it. I am going to start out slow to get the boy interested in it. I just purchased a biocube 14g. It already had 12 Cree lights and the stock 2 blue night LEDs. The tank has been unlit for a few weeks. It came with a few snails and some sand. The back looks pretty bare. There is a pump (not sure the size or brand yet), and a DIY looking media holder. I think the guy said he bought it from stevie (maybe someone knows what it is).

I will be needing the rest. Also, hoping to get a stand for it this weekend.

If anyone would like to donate, I would be grateful.

I am hoping to have a few fish and doing some SPS.

I will take some pictures tonight.

[pjku79]

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[pjku79]

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[kkiel02]

Looks good. Those are some nice LEDs.

[pjku79]

Thanks i hope they are enough

[txg8gxp]

Nice. That looks like my first diy build, it was sold to another maast member. It will be plenty of light. It should be 6 Cree xre cool whites and 6 xre royal blues powered with 700 mah buckpucks and a 24v potrans power supply. I'm only running 12 Cree xp series LEDs on my 29g biocube and they have worked out great.

[pjku79]

Cool thanks for the info. Did you have any issues with this tank or did you just want bigger?

[txg8gxp]

Just wanted something bigger. I like the biocubes, quiet and they get the job done. They just need a few mods, lighting and the false floors removed in chamber one and two.

[pjku79]

Thanks for the stand. Hopefully ill be up and running soon

[pjku79]

I have had the tank filled for the last few days. I am curious what temperatures you guys set your house for during the day. Yesterday when I got home I checked the tank and noticed it was at 85F (haven't installed a heater yet). I am hoping to be able to stay away from a chiller. I have two pumps running (what looks like the stock pump and a larger korila, dont know the specs came with). Also, I don't have the tank on an exterior wall. My thermostate is set at 85 from 10pm to 5pm goes down to 79 from 5pm to 10pm. I have two a/c units, so I don't need to run the one that controlls the living room and kitchen at night. What are your thoughts?

[justahobby]

Set your house at 85 and your tank will be 85. No way around that unless you get a chiller. Got any new pics?

[pjku79]

So are you guys all running your houses cooler? I assume a chiller is cheaper then cooling my whole house. Whats the downside of running at 85? Most of the reefs can see that temp.

[justahobby]

Temps vary per reef. 85 is on the high end. I believe the average of all reefs is 80. I also have an english bulldog (they don't tolerate heat) so I keep my house at 75. You could leave the feeder lid open and prop the lid up a couple inches. That might knock the temp down a couple degrees if paired w/ good surface agitation to create evaporation. How big of a temp swing are you getting?

[ZeroHour]

Crack the lid open and get a box fan on a chair blowing across it. Not real pretty but functional none the less. I did this for a while. Option 2 mod the hood and suspend it or leg it to allow air gap between the water and hood. This will increase evap extensively but surely bring the temp down.

OR You can really get creative and build a raised fan platform. I modded 4 fans to sit between the hood and tank rim basically creating a 5" higher hood. But you would need access to someone that can work with plastic. I dont have access to that stuff anymore.



"

[pjku79]

Thanks for the suggestions guy. I have been out of town for a few days, so I will have to check things out. I still haven't added a heater yet. I will probably at the heater this week and see how high I will need it to be inorder to be stable. I might consider dropping the temp of the house down a few deg. That stuff gets expensive with an old house.

Also, I will take some pics soon. Still nothing in there but sand and snails.

[pjku79]

Ok, got a chiller this weekend. I plumbed it with 1/2in and am pumping it with a mj1200. It doesnt seem to flow. Is there anything i can do to make it better (pumps,tube,etc...)?

[pjku79]

Wow still no comments? Well i ordered a mj900 to pump th water into the tank.

I added some LR this weekend. I think about 22 pounds. Might be too much. I think ill take some out as i add stuff.

Today i noticed some red algae. Any ideas if it would be from die off from the cured lr i added or from flow due to adding the lr?

[pjku79]

Am I talking to myself or do people actually look at this stuff? Maybe I should post on Nano-forum.

[FireWater]

I have no experience with chillers. What did the manual say? I am sure there is a minimum GPH that has to flow through it for it to be effective. How high are you trying to pump back into the tank?

Red Algae? Plant like or slime? Could be from the die off after adding rock or could be too little flow in tank or some other issues. What are the water parameters? Have you checked the normal... Ammonia, Phosphate, Nitrate? You could have sent the tank into another mini cycle with the newly added LR.

I'm just offering up suggestions. Hard to tell with little info.

[pjku79]

Well shut the lights out early yesterday and left them off today. I turned them back on when i got home from work and it was all gone. So, I have to assume it was a small bloom from adding the LR.

[adolph_09]

hey man any updates on the tank maybe some pics?
and how did that chiller work out

[pjku79]

Chiller is working out great. I replaced the fan on it to get one that puts out more air and is a little quieter.

A side from that, I have a few frags in with my rock now. Last week, I purchased a black false perc, but it never did eat and died 2 days later. I think I am going to give it another try this week with an orange one since they are cheaper. I also have about 8 snails and 5 hermits. I think I need to get a different type of snail though. I have one turbo and the rest are Nassarius which don't seem to go on the rocks. I will probably get some astr or cert snails to get on the rocks.

i will try to post pictures this weekend.

[pjku79]

OK, I know I have promissed new pictures for a month or so. Here they are. I have about 20 lbs of LR. I have a ton of snails to try to get rid of some sort of algae that seems to have formed. You'll see from the pictures. I have been doing weekly water changes with about 1 - 2 gal of water. All my tests have been in good shape.

So far I have:

1 black osil clown
5 ast snails
1 turbo snail
7 nass snail (came with the tank)

If anyone has ideas on how to get rid of the algae, or if it is normal let me know.

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[pjku79]

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[pjku79]

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