Kanthus's BioCube 14

[Kanthus]

I set up my BioCube 14 about 3 weeks ago and everything seems to be going good. Have about 15lbs of LR, 20lbs LS with gives me about 2 1/2" DSB. Critters so far are 15 blue & red crabs and 10 varous snails. Want to make sure everything is ok before I put anything else in it. I have just gotten back into reefing after about 5 years of not having the means to keep one. I set this up on my desk at work. I have gotten a little green algae but my crabs and snails seem to keep it very low, no hair algae.

I was wondering what modifications people are using in their closed systems. I plan on upgrading the pump but have also heard people taking out the bio balls and using LR rubble and other things. Any help would be appreciated.

Here are some pics after it had been set up for about 2 weeks.

http://my1.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF04751_R-227-T.jpg (http://www.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF04751_R-227.html)http://my1.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF04782-T.jpg (http://www.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF04782.html)http://my1.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF04771-T.jpg (http://www.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF04771.html)http://my1.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF04761-T.jpg (http://www.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF04761.html)

[Kanthus]

Anyone have any sudgestions on modifications?

[reefman13]

The bio-balls are just a nitrate factory, I would take them out, IF you haven't already.

I have a NanoCube 12g (the deluxe model), and my first chamber has a heater and filter floss (replace when I see its nessacary) and in the second, I have a bag of carbon, phosphate and ammonia removing media, in a fine mesh bag that I replace every two weeks. In the third, is my upgraded pump; a MJ900.

HTH

[Kanthus]

Thanks. I appreciate your help.

[REDDAWG43]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11278407#post11278407 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefman13
The bio-balls are just a nitrate factory, I would take them out, IF you haven't already.

I have a NanoCube 12g (the deluxe model), and my first chamber has a heater and filter floss (replace when I see its nessacary) and in the second, I have a bag of carbon, phosphate and ammonia removing media, in a fine mesh bag that I replace every two weeks. In the third, is my upgraded pump; a MJ900.

HTH

I very much agree....There are people that put LR in the 2nd chamber, but I believe if you have LR in the display the little bit you could fit in the back will not make much of a good difference in water chemistry. It will collect all kinds of gook and stuff...
It would be better to run stuff like reefman does.
Also the MJ900 is a great upgrade too....

[Kanthus]

Sounds good. Just tested and my Nitrate is high so I am taking out the bioballs now.

[reefman13]

No worries, always looking to help out fellow reefers :)

Let us know how it goes!

[Kanthus]

Bioballs are out now. :)

[reefman13]

SWEET! :D

[Kanthus]

Anyone else have any input?

[REDDAWG43]

What do you plan on keeping in the tank?

[reefman13]

What do you plan on keeping in the tank?

Agreed. What are your plans for the tank?

[Kanthus]

I like the pistol shrimp / gobie combo so was thinking of atleast that for critters. Maybe one other fish, not sure though. Then maybe some softies for coral. I am still kind of open on what I will be putting in it. Just doing resurch before I do so I dont screw it up too bad.

[Kanthus]

Well, I upgraded my pump to a mj900 which seems to be working great. I also added live rock rubble to the first chamber.

After taking out the bioballs I took the false bottom that the bioballs sat on and put that on the top with some floss filter to filter out the solids.

More Pics in a day or so.

[Kanthus]

3 Weeks

Slowly raising the SG to 1.024 and have turned the heater up just a bit to stabalize it.
I also was not happy with the way the rocks were. I think I have almost got it where I want it, still deciding on the bottom left rock, not sure if I like it where it is.

Heres a pic of the mod I did in the back with the LR rubble in the first chamber and the filter floss at the top of the second. Temp gage is now in first chamber and heater is in second chamber. I also widened the opening so more watter flows over the filter floss.
http://my1.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF0520-T.jpg (http://www.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF0520.html)

FTS with flash
http://my1.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF0521-T.jpg (http://www.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF0521.html)

FTS without flash
http://my1.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF0522-T.jpg (http://www.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF0522.html)

http://my1.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF0523-T.jpg (http://www.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF0523.html)

Right Side
http://my1.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF0524-T.jpg (http://www.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF0524.html)

Left Side
http://my1.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF0525-T.jpg (http://www.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF0525.html)

[ladi8t3r]

I agree with reddawg about the lr rubble collecting all that nasty stuff. I removed all my rubble because of it.

[Kanthus]

I have read that in other places. That is part of the reason I put it in the first chamber. The chamber has a false bottom about 1/3 the way from the bottom, above the bottom intake. So if I need to it will be easy to take out and clean. Its also the reason I put the filter floss after it, to catch any gunk that flows out of it.

Does this make sense or am I wrong in my thinking? Opinions welcome.

[tedmonds]

Put the rubble in the middle chamber. The floss catches the gunk. I've had my bio14 for about 7-8 months set up that way and everything tests fine. I put a carbon cartridge and purigen bag in the first chamber. I also modded the pump outlet with a pvc spraybar. It reduces deadspots in the tank. There's also some info somewhere on a cassette case mod that eliminates the oily surface sheen. You basically take an old cassette case and attach it to the overflow. Do a search and you should find it.

[Kanthus]

Thanks for the input, I will look it up.

[Kanthus]

4 1/2 weeks

Sorry I didnt have time to do this before now but here they are. Everything is going good and my new friends seem happy.

Shy little gobie, but he is comming out more and more each day.
http://my1.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF0577-T.jpg (http://www.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF0577.html)
http://my1.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF0574-T.jpg (http://www.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF0574.html)http://my1.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF0572-T.jpg (http://www.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF0572.html)http://my1.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF0573-T.jpg (http://www.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF0573.html)http://my1.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF0560-T.jpg (http://www.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF0560.html)

Need an ID on this one. They told me what it was at my LFS but I forgot the name of it.
http://my1.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF0583-T.jpg (http://www.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF0583.html)http://my1.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF0582-T.jpg (http://www.photodump.com/kanthus/DSCF0582.html)

I also had my first death the other day. A blue crab thought he wanted a red crabs shell more then the red crab wanted it and tore him apart to get him out. I was too late to stop it and had to just watch the end. He didnt like the shell and hopped back into his old one. :cry: I have put extra shells in there so I hope it dosent happen again.

I also got a few hitch hickers. The mushroom attached to a snail shell, which gets knocked off its purch about once a day by crabs seeing if they want to move in, hope this dosent happen. I didnt notice it was on a shell when I decided to get him. But a bristle worm was also living in the shell so now there is one more in my tank.
There were some small rocks stuck to the bottom of the mushroom besides the shell and one of them has some of those pink things that look kind of like palm trees. Sorry I cant remember what they are called either. They are very tiny though and after I set the small peice of roce on a shelf it got knocked into a hole in the rock. I can still see them, but just barley. They seem to be doing good but it will be a while before I can get a pic of them due to the angle I need to even see them.

Thats about it for now. Thanks for stopping by to see how my tank is going.

[tedmonds]

That looks like a frag of candy cane coral. It's an sps and does fairly well in most tank set ups.

[racksteris]

look's nice..

[Illuminati]

The Mystery Coral is a single head of Blastomussa Merletti, not a candycane.

Also Candycane corals (As well as your Blasto) are LPS, not SPS corals.

[Kanthus]

Thanks guys, that helps.

[scottydo]

Looking good.