Ludnix's 14g Oceanic Biocube
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Reef-roach
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The new pics look great, especially the top down! Wish I could take pics like that with my cell. When it comes to photography I don't know my aperture from a hole in the ground. Your tank is looking sweet, can't wait to check out its progress in person again.
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ludnix
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Took some pictures during feeding time:
Acans after eating, I tried to feed each individual head, I haven't seen much growth on this colony yet but hoping that will change.
Kryptonite Caulestrea, started as two heads as you can see earlier in the thread. I have been watching them divide, they are held together by the smallest string of flesh now! You can see some chopped clams and brine shrimp sticking out of one of the heads.
Here you can see a little red feather duster tube worm next to a colonial hydroid. I like the constrasting colors with their similar body plan. The colonial hydroids are considered pests and I will try and remove them or glue over them soon before the spread. Green Hydroid below center, red feather duster above it.
Acans after eating, I tried to feed each individual head, I haven't seen much growth on this colony yet but hoping that will change.
Kryptonite Caulestrea, started as two heads as you can see earlier in the thread. I have been watching them divide, they are held together by the smallest string of flesh now! You can see some chopped clams and brine shrimp sticking out of one of the heads.
Here you can see a little red feather duster tube worm next to a colonial hydroid. I like the constrasting colors with their similar body plan. The colonial hydroids are considered pests and I will try and remove them or glue over them soon before the spread. Green Hydroid below center, red feather duster above it.
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ludnix
Valuable Member
Auto Top Off:
A club member generously gave me a top off kit they were not using.
It's a DIY kit which has a mold-a-holder, dual float switches, snail guard and relay.
I started out with assembling the float switches:
The mold-a-holder plastic is a thermoplastic that becomes soft around 180F, you can then mold it to shape of your tank or sump and when it cools it will harden into a semi-flexible plastic.
The kit comes with a relay to wire to the switches to and a project box. This tank is in my living room and I don't want to hear the clicking of the relay every time the ATO triggers. So I'm swapping this mechanical relay for a solid state relay.
Wont be using this!
I am using this SSR though, I got a bunch of these on ebay for $5 each, they quitely turn on the AC line for the pump on and off. A small LED on the relay lights when active too:
The float switches are wired to a low voltage power source, when the floats are down the power activates the SSR and closes the circuit for the pump. I'm connected to a Tom's Aqualifter right now which is silent, but doesn't handle much head pressure so I would like to switch to a peristalic pump.
Closed up:
Float switches mounted onto the return section of the filter back wall. I was forced to use this exact location because the magnet from the Jebao pump on the right side of the return was trigger the float switches.
Tubing from the aqualifter is mounted to the light's splash guard. This location keeps an air gap so the ATO can't back-siphon onto my floor. It also is a location that works when the hood is open. It's right above the return section. I used silicone tubing intead of the usual vinyl, hoping to see if this handles kalkwasser better than the normal vinyl tubing.
A club member generously gave me a top off kit they were not using.
It's a DIY kit which has a mold-a-holder, dual float switches, snail guard and relay.
I started out with assembling the float switches:
The mold-a-holder plastic is a thermoplastic that becomes soft around 180F, you can then mold it to shape of your tank or sump and when it cools it will harden into a semi-flexible plastic.
The kit comes with a relay to wire to the switches to and a project box. This tank is in my living room and I don't want to hear the clicking of the relay every time the ATO triggers. So I'm swapping this mechanical relay for a solid state relay.
Wont be using this!
I am using this SSR though, I got a bunch of these on ebay for $5 each, they quitely turn on the AC line for the pump on and off. A small LED on the relay lights when active too:
The float switches are wired to a low voltage power source, when the floats are down the power activates the SSR and closes the circuit for the pump. I'm connected to a Tom's Aqualifter right now which is silent, but doesn't handle much head pressure so I would like to switch to a peristalic pump.
Closed up:
Float switches mounted onto the return section of the filter back wall. I was forced to use this exact location because the magnet from the Jebao pump on the right side of the return was trigger the float switches.
Tubing from the aqualifter is mounted to the light's splash guard. This location keeps an air gap so the ATO can't back-siphon onto my floor. It also is a location that works when the hood is open. It's right above the return section. I used silicone tubing intead of the usual vinyl, hoping to see if this handles kalkwasser better than the normal vinyl tubing.
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ludnix
Valuable Member
Here's a FTS update on the tank tonight, quick and dirty with the cellphone:
I've removed my second Jebao to try running the tank with just one again. I have added two Turbo Snails and increased feedings, I might need to return one still, these guys are huge and I don't know if I'll make enough algae to keep them alive after seeing how quickly they cleaned the tank.
I've removed my second Jebao to try running the tank with just one again. I have added two Turbo Snails and increased feedings, I might need to return one still, these guys are huge and I don't know if I'll make enough algae to keep them alive after seeing how quickly they cleaned the tank.
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ludnix
Valuable Member
Been about a week and a half and I'm still amazed how well those turbo snails clean the algae! They recently knocked my whisker coral off the rock though so it's hanging out in my sand bed until I get more superglue gel. I cleaved the ricodea/watermelon zoanthid rocks which you can see in the previous post's photo behind the whisker coral. I wanted to get all my zoanthids together on the left size and get the ever growing ricordeas some room to grow without smothering anyone. There were 5 ricordeas on the rock by the time I cleaved it!
There's now 5 zoanthid morphs on this rock, my sixth is in the back, I would move them near the others too if it weren't for the halimeda growing out of them.
Here's a FTS for this update.
There's now 5 zoanthid morphs on this rock, my sixth is in the back, I would move them near the others too if it weren't for the halimeda growing out of them.
Here's a FTS for this update.
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ludnix
Valuable Member
Updated the firmware on my canon Rebel T2i and got the remote viewing working allowing me to take adjust camera settings from a computer and preview at full size and I am have had a ton of fun taking pictures again! It really makes me want to do more photography as a hobby.
Having some white balance trouble with this one. I'm getting a lot more pink/red than is true to the eye.
#Reef-roach gave me this SPS frag that has put on some red/pink coloration lately. I think it's a strawberry shortcake, but it needs to put on some growth and show us!
I believe this is the Snake Eyes chalice in center-right.
The WaterMelon Zoanthids in their new place in between the Vulkan Blood and Tubb's Blues.
Left Side Shot
Having some white balance trouble with this one. I'm getting a lot more pink/red than is true to the eye.
#Reef-roach gave me this SPS frag that has put on some red/pink coloration lately. I think it's a strawberry shortcake, but it needs to put on some growth and show us!
I believe this is the Snake Eyes chalice in center-right.
The WaterMelon Zoanthids in their new place in between the Vulkan Blood and Tubb's Blues.
Left Side Shot
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ludnix
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It's been about two months since I've updated photos from the tank. I've been making a few modifications to the hood and lighting and will be adding a dosing setup this weekend.I've been fighting some stringy dinoflagellates this past month but they seem to be on their way out. You can see them in some of the close-up shots around some of the corals . I've been keeping up with daily additions of alkalinity and it seems to be helping quite a bit.
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Nice job
revhtree
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Looks awesome!
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ludnix
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Spent some time this weekend to setup the dosers for the Calcium and Alkalinity. I'm storing the fluids under the stand in the BRS narrow containers.
I ordered the Bubble Magnus Dosing tube holder to control the various tubing going into the back chambers. I had to cut a knotch in the lid and the trim to fit the tube holder on the biocube. I may have made the hole a little too big but I wanted some extra ventilation, I think I will eventually install mesh to keep fish from hopping out the back.
To test the dosing pumps and amounts I temporarily used a graduated cylinder to make sure the dosing pumps were dosing the correct amount and then using that fluid to make sure it was enough to keep the tank parameters correct.
So far everything is working correctly and I'm keeping the alkalinity at a solid 9 dKH and calcium at 420ppm. Looking forward to seeing how the corals react to the added stability.
I ordered the Bubble Magnus Dosing tube holder to control the various tubing going into the back chambers. I had to cut a knotch in the lid and the trim to fit the tube holder on the biocube. I may have made the hole a little too big but I wanted some extra ventilation, I think I will eventually install mesh to keep fish from hopping out the back.
To test the dosing pumps and amounts I temporarily used a graduated cylinder to make sure the dosing pumps were dosing the correct amount and then using that fluid to make sure it was enough to keep the tank parameters correct.
So far everything is working correctly and I'm keeping the alkalinity at a solid 9 dKH and calcium at 420ppm. Looking forward to seeing how the corals react to the added stability.
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I'm loving these pics! Great job!
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ludnix
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Happy New Years everyone!
I have been letting the biocube mostly alone now that it's being dosed regularly and automatically topped off. I've let the automation get the best of me and have slacked on the water changes unfortunately but it's resulted in a small outbreak of bryopsis on one of my colonies of zoanthids and some discoloration in my Green Slimer.
I've also decided to upgrade the biocube to a SC Aquariums 50g Starphire rimless cube!
This will be my last update to this thread as I break down the biocube and transfer everything to the 50g cube! You can follow the new build here:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ludnixs-50g-cube.281367/
January 1st
Full Tank Shot:
Side:
Montipora:
Setosa:
Lot of downward encrusting on the setosa, I think the flow is too high near the top, hence the dead skeleton exposed on the top.
Tricolor:
Not great color showing lately, I think he's not liking the missed waterchanges.
I have been letting the biocube mostly alone now that it's being dosed regularly and automatically topped off. I've let the automation get the best of me and have slacked on the water changes unfortunately but it's resulted in a small outbreak of bryopsis on one of my colonies of zoanthids and some discoloration in my Green Slimer.
I've also decided to upgrade the biocube to a SC Aquariums 50g Starphire rimless cube!
This will be my last update to this thread as I break down the biocube and transfer everything to the 50g cube! You can follow the new build here:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ludnixs-50g-cube.281367/
January 1st
Full Tank Shot:
Side:
Montipora:
Setosa:
Lot of downward encrusting on the setosa, I think the flow is too high near the top, hence the dead skeleton exposed on the top.
Tricolor:
Not great color showing lately, I think he's not liking the missed waterchanges.
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