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Nichs 14 gallon Biocube (Update 6/23)

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Aquaristnewbie View Drop Down
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    Posted: May 15 2017 at 3:39pm
I am just setting up a 14 gallon biocube. Right now just setting it up as stock really. The only upgrading I did was add a biocube protein skimmer into the first chamber and the second chamber I pulled out the bioballs and put some filter floss in. I plan on adding a media basket later with filter floss, chaeto, and any media I want to add. I am debating upgrading the lighting to LED but using the stock PC setup for now.
Here it is empty and cleaned out


Here it is setup with fine sugar sand and dry live rock


And here it is with water mixed in and up and running


After cycling is complete I am planning on getting a pair of clown with an anemone, a shrimp paired with a goby, and high end zoas and LPS. I am also considering upgrading, along with the lighting, the return pump and either adding loc line to direct flow or maybe adding a hydor koralia nano or both. Ill update as things progress. I would love to hear any ideas as to what to do next as far as upgrades go.

Edited by Aquaristnewbie - June 23 2017 at 4:34pm
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Millcreek Utah

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hogie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 16 2017 at 9:07am
Sweet!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Aquaristnewbie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 17 2017 at 11:48pm
So the flow in my back chambers was pretty low and my return pump kept sucking some air every so often. After reading a lot online I decided to cut one of the chambers to allow more water flow between them. I also added a coralife protein skimmer in the 1st chamber.
This pic shows the skimmer in place. To the left of where it clips onto the chambers is where I cut.



Here is after I cut with the skimmer back in place. Now the flow goes around both sides of the skimmer


Full tank shot with the chaeto in there. I will move it back into the second chamber after I order an LED light to put in there. To the bottom right is another type of macroalgae I wanted to try. Cant remember the name. Some sort of red one that is pretty cool looking. I may leave it in the display but we will see. Current filtration while it is cycling is filter floss and a bag of carbon in the back as well as the protein skimmer.
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Millcreek Utah

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Frank Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 20 2017 at 6:04am
Wow, it looks awesome!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Aquaristnewbie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 27 2017 at 2:55pm
SO I have changed my rockwork so that I can scrape all of the areas of the glass with my scraper. I also added an AI Prime for light. I was looking into mounting it for all of the benefits of having the hood off of the tank butI really like the look with the hood on. Ill show you what I did below.
First off I gutted the hood of the old stock PC light


Here it is all cleaned out


Here is the hood after I cut a hole for the light and added the splash shield back to the hood.


Here is the top with the hole cutout and heat resistant double stick tape to hold the light. I feel like I need to secure it better but this works for now.


FTS with the new light installed


Here is another showing the light on top


Right now I have the power at 50% and about a 15K look to it. I love the light and the color it puts out. Still messing around with it to see what else I like. Next up is the stocking phase
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Millcreek Utah

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 29 2017 at 3:18pm
Looks very nice.

Warning: you didn't say which channels are at 50% intensity, but for starting out in general, that is too bright. It's going to sunburn the animals. Our eyes are made to see the total light from the entire spectrum of sunlight. We cannot really see the narrow bands of the suns spectrum that new, efficient LED lights emit. What I am saying is that your new AI PrimeHD is much brighter than you realize.

I highly recommend starting out by running all channels, except white, at no more than 20% with UV at no more than 10%. White can then be adjusted to wherever you like to give the look you want. It's also a relatively shallow tank for such a bright light.

I have fatally sunburned a lot of coral in my day. Cry

Again, the setup looks great and as long as the surface of the water under that hood gets enough fresh air, your new reef should grow great.

Aloha,
Mark  Hug

P.S.
I believe one of the reasons LED's are said to last 10 or 15 years is because the loss of intensity is something like 5% per year and  because the manufacturer makes them much brighter than generally needed so that when the 10th year of use comes along we have cranked them up to like 100% to still have enough light for our photosynthetic animals. Smile
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Aquaristnewbie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 29 2017 at 4:21pm
Thanks! After I posted this I dropped the power down to 20 percent and did the 15k setting on it. I was nervous about bleaching so I am trying this out for a while.   So far so good!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Aquaristnewbie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 20 2017 at 1:41am
Tank is cycled, refugium is setup, and we have some mocha clowns, rainbow aneomone, fire shrimp and some xenia and blue clove polyps. Here are some pics of how I did my refugium. A little different but I like the setup.

I wanted to use a submersible LED light for my refugium. So in the second chamber of my tank I left in the false bottom to try and keep chaeto from getting into my pump. I put in chaeto on top of it as well as a small submersible LED light.


Because I have a cord back there I had to drill the drip plate. It doesnt show it in the pics but I also drilled a few more holes in this to increase the flow.


Forgot to get a pic of this but I have filter floss above my chaeto as well as a media bag hanging from the drip plate. Right now I am just running carbon until I decide what my tank needs. Here is a pic all put back together.


Here is a shot of my Rainbow Anemone. It is orange with some green, yellow, and pink in it. Pretty awesome. I cant wait until it gets bigger.


Ill try and get a shot of the whole tank up in a few days. Everything seems to be doing well and very happy. Now to stock this thing! Because it is so small I am planning on only rare high end cool looking coral. I know xenia and clove polyps are nothing fancy but I love the looks of them
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Millcreek Utah

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Aquaristnewbie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 23 2017 at 4:34pm
Here is a full tank shot. Planning on getting a few new corals this weekend to add some color!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote shaggydoo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 23 2017 at 11:18pm
That looks really nice. I especially love the rockwork in the small space you had to work with. Keep it up! :)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Aquaristnewbie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 25 2017 at 3:13pm
Thanks! I'm really liking the setup so far. Can't wait to get some more color in it.
150 gallon Reef
Millcreek Utah

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