Biocube 32 LED

[BAMatter]

Figured I’d start my build thread, albeit retroactively to bring to current status. Going to be a fairly large photo dump of pictures I took along the way, and it all started with this one from my awesome wife. Knocked down my last reef tank 5 years ago and have been toying around with the idea of a new tank since I’ve been a bit on the physically hurt side for the past 2 years... I’ll get up to present day as quickly as I can, but I’d like to get it all documented!

 

[hds4216]

Looking forward to seeing your build!

 

[supercoolname]

I’m also doing a BioCube 32 right now while I’m setting up my 180. Are you sticking with the stock lights, or removing the hood?

 

[BAMatter]

For the time being, just using stock lighting. I have a fairly healthy amount of corals in the tank at the moment and they’re happy. I like the hooded look better than open top, so if I did do an upgrade, I’d do the Steve’s LED upgrade with the ultraviolet add-on, but that’s down the road, if anything (unless I trip over $400 some day soon)

 

[BAMatter]

I’m also doing a BioCube 32 right now while I’m setting up my 180. Are you sticking with the stock lights, or removing the hood?

For the time being, just using stock lighting. I have a fairly healthy amount of corals in the tank at the moment and they’re happy. I like the hooded look better than open top, so if I did do an upgrade, I’d do the Steve’s LED upgrade with the ultraviolet add-on, but that’s down the road, if anything (unless I trip over $400 some day soon)

 

[BAMatter]

Here’s what I decided for an equipment list, what I’ve tried, and what I ended up keeping.

Stock lights
Koralia 425 - this wasn’t enough so I added 2 AquaIllumination Nero 3’s. This was too much so I’m only running 1 in conjunction with a VCA random flow generator nozzle on the stock return pump. I have a Sicce 1.5 I haven’t installed yet.
InTank media basket with filter floss, purigen, and ceramic bio media balls, top to bottom in chamber 2
InTank refugium basket with a JBJ Nano LED light in chamber 2 as well
Tunze Osmolator ATO with a 4 gallon reservoir
Jager 150 watt heater in chamber 1
Bubble Magus T11 doser for 2 part

 

[BAMatter]

Current parameters... dosing 10ml of alk, and 5ml of cal and mag, all daily.

Alk- 9.5
Cal- 450
Mag- 1440
Trate- 2
Sal-1.0245
Temp- 78.3
PH- 8.2

Mag dropped 260 since I started dosing alk and cal.

 

[BAMatter]

Deciding to not go retro and start from the beginning, so will just start posting from here on out...

Anyways, deciding to pull the trigger on a Steve’s LED upgrade, with the iridescent upgrade 4 hyper violet bulbs. Not too happy with the amount of white, or lack of blue I should say, when all the lights are on. I don’t feel like the coral is getting enough PAR when it’s only blue and purples on.

here’s a pic of what I want the tank to look like (however underpowered) and what it looks like with the whites on (also likely underpowered but maybe doable for a while)

 

[hds4216]

Wow, looking great!

 

[BAMatter]

Got a few new pieces to add in, plus an emerald crap. Some green octo, pink octo, and 2 torch variations, 1 being aussie I believe and the other indo. New light should be here this week hopefully. Coming along, don’t know how much more room I have but I’m going to start adding in zoos, palys, and mushrooms to fill in some gaps...

 

[BAMatter]

Things are progressing right along. Have had a couple fish die on me, but current stock list is 2 clowns, 1 orchid dottyback, 1 sailfin blenny, and 1 yellow watchman goby. Going to add a cherub angel and call it a day. Also upgraded to a Steve’s LED lighting system and Hurricane X controller, and also added an InkBird heater controller. Dosing alk, cal, and mag daily. Numbers are around 10, 430, and 1350 respectively.

 

[hds4216]

Things are progressing right along. Have had a couple fish die on me, but current stock list is 2 clowns, 1 orchid dottyback, 1 sailfin blenny, and 1 yellow watchman goby. Going to add a cherub angel and call it a day. Also upgraded to a Steve’s LED lighting system and Hurricane X controller, and also added an InkBird heater controller. Dosing alk, cal, and mag daily. Numbers are around 10, 430, and 1350 respectively.

Looking good! Are you worried about the Cherub nipping at your corals? Dwarf angels aren’t completely reef safe.

 

[BAMatter]

I guess a little worried, but not much. The tank is well fed. I mean, I’m always worried about something with this tank

 

[BAMatter]

Added an ORA tank raised filefish today... named him Arnold. Also got eyes on my
enerald crab I haven’t seen for 10 days

 

[BAMatter]

It appears as though I am about to have my first coral casualty. Little Aussie green tip torch. Been reading a lot about how Aussies perish far more frequently than their Indo counterparts. I do have 2 more Aussies in my tank, but primarily Indos..

Tissue is receding. Rest of tank is doing well... pic from the right side. Also had some green slimer brown out and bleach due to lighting, but since has started getting color back since I upgraded to a Steve’s LED.

 

[BAMatter]

Recent pic with a macro lens and 20000k filter.

I’ve rearranged a bit, added some SPS, and a frag rack. Lighting is currently still in the dialing in process, but getting good growth. I’m going to start feeding my corals once a week with Reef Roids the day before a water change.

Also going to be running Chemipure in conjunction with Purigen. As the tank matures and requires a bit more food, I need something to help sponge up the nasties and help control the GHA.