Biocube Corals.

[Big_Mclargehuge]

Hey! I have a biocube 32. It's been up and running about 6 months. I have gsp and a pulsing xenia. I probably added them too early but recently they have started growing. They grow suuuuuupeeerr slow and they seem super finicky (especially the gsp). They will close up for what seems like no reason. Growth is super slow. My nitrates are a little high but they seemed to be doing their best when nitrates were at their highest so I don't think that's the issue. Salinity is 1.024. I only run the "beauty" and blue lights currently. I was battling some hair algae so i reduced the whites. Stock lighting btw. Any tips on getting corals to thrive with stock lighting in a biocube? Thanks!

 

[Brandon3152134]

Hey! I have a biocube 32. It's been up and running about 6 months. I have gsp and a pulsing xenia. I probably added them too early but recently they have started growing. They grow suuuuuupeeerr slow and they seem super finicky (especially the gsp). They will close up for what seems like no reason. Growth is super slow. My nitrates are a little high but they seemed to be doing their best when nitrates were at their highest so I don't think that's the issue. Salinity is 1.024. I only run the "beauty" and blue lights currently. I was battling some hair algae so i reduced the whites. Stock lighting btw. Any tips on getting corals to thrive with stock lighting in a biocube? Thanks!

I just completely removed the top and hung a led light. The lights were terrible and looked it.

 

[Big_Mclargehuge]

I just completely removed the top and hung a led light. The lights were terrible and looked it.

Yeah. I'd like to but I'm planning on moving in a few months and really dont want to spend 200 plus on lights right now but I appreciate it.

 

[Brandon3152134]

Yeah. I'd like to but I'm planning on moving in a few months and really dont want to spend 200 plus on lights right now but I appreciate it.

I have a 100 dollar Chinese black box

 

[OrangeCountyReefer]

Run them all three settings (L1 L2 L3) for 10 hours a day. As for adding corals too early, you literally can add most soft and alot of LPS the day the tank is put up and most will do fine. People really over exaggerate the adding corals thing. I have a picture of my biocube 4 months after i had put it up a long time ago and it was thriving with every coral you can imagine you can possibly imagine but my lif was removed and I was running a good light . I’ll post the picture below. And my last tank I added corals the day it cycled and the tank is now 6 months old I’ll add a picture below so you see where it is Now at 6 months. It’s more about providing proper lighting, flow, and trying to maintain the most stable water chemistry you can. Now I do agree adding A lot of SPS to new tanks will not work out but most softies and lps are fine.

 

[Big_Mclargehuge]

Run them all three settings (L1 L2 L3) for 10 hours a day. As for adding corals too early, you literally can add most soft and alot of LPS the day the tank is put up and most will do fine. People really over exaggerate the adding corals thing. I have a picture of my biocube 4 months after i had put it up a long time ago and it was thriving with every coral you can imagine you can possibly imagine but my lif was removed and I was running a good light . I’ll post the picture below. And my last tank I added corals the day it cycled and the tank is now 6 months old I’ll add a picture below so you see where it is Now at 6 months. It’s more about providing proper lighting, flow, and trying to maintain the most stable water chemistry you can. Now I do agree adding A lot of SPS to new tanks will not work out but most softies and lps are fine.

I'm upgrading lights soon. My xenia has been doing great recently but seems like the stock light is just not great for growth. What lights are using? I'm thinking about the maxspect jump led that just came out. Thanks!

 

[OrangeCountyReefer]

I'm upgrading lights soon. My xenia has been doing great recently but seems like the stock light is just not great for growth. What lights are using? I'm thinking about the maxspect jump led that just came out. Thanks!

I run AI lights on all my systems, prime 16s and hydra 32s

 

[CavalierReef]

I run stock lights in my 6 month old 32 Biocube and have had significant growth in my LPS, xenia and hairy mushroom. The only thing I've tried unsuccessfully to grow is coraline algae.

 

[Brandon3152134]

I run stock lights in my 6 month old 32 Biocube and have had significant growth in my LPS, xenia and hairy mushroom. The only thing I've tried unsuccessfully to grow is coraline algae.

Did u start with dry rock because I'm just about a year in with my current tank starting with dry rock and I'm only just seeing a good amount of coraline growth.

 

[BPCGuy]

I run the stock lights and have softies, lots of LPS, and a few “beginner” SPS (birds nest, pocillopora, and montipora setosa). I run channel 3 (blue) from noon to 2am, channel 2 (beauty) from 1pm to 9pm, and channel 3 (white) from 2pm to 7pm. Be sure all three channels are on simultaneously. SPS are at the top of the tank in about 6 inches of water.

 

[Big_Mclargehuge]

I run the stock lights and have softies, lots of LPS, and a few “beginner” SPS (birds nest, pocillopora, and montipora setosa). I run channel 3 (blue) from noon to 2am, channel 2 (beauty) from 1pm to 9pm, and channel 3 (white) from 2pm to 7pm. Be sure all three channels are on simultaneously. SPS are at the top of the tank in about 6 inches of water.

Thanks. I just started upping my whites about 1 hour more each week. Up to 3 hours. And yeah I run them all simultaneously. I had a really bad outbreak of algae a while back and i think honestly that's what was messing with my corals. I still am dealing with what i think is diatoms (doesnt look like cyano or dinos). Sandbed gets covered daily. Corals seem to be doing a little better.

 

[CavalierReef]

Did u start with dry rock because I'm just about a year in with my current tank starting with dry rock and I'm only just seeing a good amount of coraline growth.

Yes, I did. From a tank I broke down in 2009. Maybe there is still hope.

 

[Brandon3152134]

Yes, I did. From a tank I broke down in 2009. Maybe there is still hope.

If you get some and crush it up dump it around on the rocks and dose some mag you will see significant growth.

 

[tnewell]

I run stock biocube 29 lights and I have had insane growth in lps, softies, zoas, mushrooms, scolys,and everything. I run my 2 blues from 7am to 8pm with a little bit of a sunset and sunrise by turning just the bright blues off.

 

[Big_Mclargehuge]

I run stock biocube 29 lights and I have had insane growth in lps, softies, zoas, mushrooms, scolys,and everything. I run my 2 blues from 7am to 8pm with a little bit of a sunset and sunrise by turning just the bright blues off.

I don't know what I'm doing wrong but my corals just typically don't seem happy. I've done all the major tests. Nitrates are a little high but nothing crazy. I just don't get it but I'm going to keep tryingl

 

[tnewell]

My nitrates are always high! I run it at .10ish as I grow ALOT of zoas and they like “dirtier” water.

 

[tnewell]

Also, it’s normal for gsp to be finicky, mind closed for a month and then opened randomly and has been happy ever since! Gsp grows fast but not the fast you think! They grow fast compared to lps or zoas ya know? If it’s a small piece of gsp it’s normal for it to grow a little slower! I’d suggest zoas as they are hardy and like high nitrates!

 

[Big_Mclargehuge]

Also, it’s normal for gsp to be finicky, mind closed for a month and then opened randomly and has been happy ever since! Gsp grows fast but not the fast you think! They grow fast compared to lps or zoas ya know? If it’s a small piece of gsp it’s normal for it to grow a little slower! I’d suggest zoas as they are hardy and like high nitrates!

Hey thanks. I had zoas but they died. They were doing really well but when i cut back my white lights to help with algae I think it killed my zoas. Sucks because they were doing the best before all this. Yeah the gsp is odd. A few weeks ago it was doing great but in the last couple weeks its just soooo finicky. Opens a little for half the day. Closes randomly. Xenia is kinda the same way. Will look super nice for a couple hours then close up a bit etc...i just don't know what's going on.

 

[tnewell]

Hey thanks. I had zoas but they died. They were doing really well but when i cut back my white lights to help with algae I think it killed my zoas. Sucks because they were doing the best before all this. Yeah the gsp is odd. A few weeks ago it was doing great but in the last couple weeks its just soooo finicky. Opens a little for half the day. Closes randomly. Xenia is kinda the same way. Will look super nice for a couple hours then close up a bit etc...i just don't know what's going on.

Doesn’t sound like a light problem, sounds like a pest or something along those lines

 

[Big_Mclargehuge]

Doesn’t sound like a light problem, sounds like a pest or something along those lines

I've thought about it being pests or maybe even my crabs annoying them because they definitely do that. I also am possibly battling dinos but am leaning more towards diatoms but I will need to get them under a microscope to determine that. Any tips or things I should look out for to figure out if I have a pest problem? Thanks