First SW tank, 29 Gallon BioCube Build

Discussion in 'Show Off Your Fish Tanks!' started by jimmy_beaner, Feb 17, 2011.

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  1. jimmy_beaner

    jimmy_beaner Teardrop Maxima Clam

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2011
    Messages:
    822
    Location:
    Iowa City, Iowa
    So, set up the tank about 2 weeks ago... used around 20 pounds of live rock to start it with aragonite sand.
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    Dosed the water with some powdered flake food (to get some ammonia in the water when it dissolved and broke down).
    Started testing the water a couple days later and it read:
    Ammonia - 0
    Nitrite - 0
    Nitrate - 10 ppm
    pH - 8.2

    It held steady there for the rest of the week... so we picked up a pair of small clownfish. They were at home almost instantly. Swam around the tank exploring it, and ate very healthy (cyclopeeze) the first night and every day since. Tested the water every day after and it held steady with the same parameters.


    [​IMG]

    Two days ago, there was a diatom bloom and now the water reads:
    Ammonia - 0
    Nitrite - 0
    Nitrate - 0
    pH - 8.2
    Added Chaeto last night with some LEDs in the fuge (we ordered the inTank media baskets and are running filter floss, purigen and chemi-pure and now chaeto). I think we're about ready for a CUC... and looking at potentially some polyps and a fire/blood shrimp this weekend.
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    little tunnel the clownfish love darting out from during feeding time.
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    [​IMG]

    Better pics when I get my T2i out
     
    jimmy_beaner, Feb 17, 2011
    jimmy_beaner, Feb 17, 2011
    #1

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  2. fishyfinder

    fishyfinder Teardrop Maxima Clam

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    Ohio State
    Looks good. Like the scape.
     
    fishyfinder, Feb 17, 2011
    fishyfinder, Feb 17, 2011
    #2
  3. jimmy_beaner

    jimmy_beaner Teardrop Maxima Clam

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2011
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    Location:
    Iowa City, Iowa
    Thanks... it's not yet done. I wanted to leave some room for extra rocks that may be attached to corals. Thinking this weekend of throwing another decently sized rock covered in polyps in the right corner (the open one).
     
    jimmy_beaner, Feb 17, 2011
    jimmy_beaner, Feb 17, 2011
    #3
  4. Corailline

    Corailline Super Moderator

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    It is a dry heat, yeah right !
    It looks very good, great start! ;D
     
    Corailline, Feb 17, 2011
    Corailline, Feb 17, 2011
    #4
  5. fishyfinder

    fishyfinder Teardrop Maxima Clam

    Joined:
    Feb 1, 2008
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    815
    Location:
    Ohio State
    Yeah, that would work and look pretty good. Once you get it going you can't stop adding little things. haha I really do like the cave. It will look very nice once you have corals growing up and around it. :)
     
    fishyfinder, Feb 17, 2011
    fishyfinder, Feb 17, 2011
    #5
  6. jimmy_beaner

    jimmy_beaner Teardrop Maxima Clam

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2011
    Messages:
    822
    Location:
    Iowa City, Iowa
    yeah, I'm really excited... going to look at Sea of Marvels tomorrow (heard it's supposed to be an amazing store) and we'll see what corals they have available. The fire shrimp should love that cave, and it's positioned so that you can see him in it. Been talking to reefcleaners about a CUC and they shot me a build.

    30 Dwarf Ceriths
    11 Nassarius
    12 Florida Ceriths
    6 Large Nerites, 7 Small to Medium Neritess
     
    jimmy_beaner, Feb 18, 2011
    jimmy_beaner, Feb 18, 2011
    #6