Eric's BioCube 29g

eheldreth · Sep 19, 2022

Month 1: June 2022

At the beginning of June I picked up a used Biocube 29g. It had been setting in the guys garage with a couple inches of water for a while and was looking pretty rough.

The first couple of weeks involved citric acid, bleach, and a lot of scrubbing. The rocks were bleached for a bit over a week, then sun dried for several days, before being soaked in tap water with a ton of Prime. Meanwhile I soaked the tank in citric acid and then scraped all of the spirorbid worm and feather duster shells out of the overflow area with a razor blade. The sand bed had more dead snails and bubble algae than sand so I discarded it completely. In retrospect it seems I could have sifted and washed it but you live and you learn.

eheldreth · Sep 19, 2022

Month Two: July

I picked up an RO/DI filter and brute trash can along with fresh sand and got the tank cycling. I tried Dr Tims but I think my bottle was bad so after two weeks without any movement I ended up adding the microbacter bacteria. I was out of town on vacation for most of the month so it was a good time for the tank to just sit and do it's thing.

While the tank was sitting it started building algae so I added a CUC of snails, hermits, and 1 emerald crab from reef cleaners and by the end of the month it was ready for me to add the insane clown posse.

The rock work was divided into four zones. Two large rocks and two small islands. One island will be for zoa and the other for a faster growing coral like GSP or Clove. It's hard to tell from the angle of the pictures but there is about four inches between the islands and the larger rocks behind them.

eheldreth · Sep 19, 2022

Month Four: September 2022

Nothing was updated in August. This month I've added an intank refugium, jbj nano glow refugium light, MagTool ATO, and Kasa smart power strip. Also, I'm starting to feel a bit like a mad scientist. LOL

On a lighter note I woke up one morning to a missing clown. I searched all over and when I found her (The larger of the two, I'm assuming pronouns here) she was in my powerhead. I thought she was dead so I took a pic to show my girlfriend what had transpired and then when I opened the tank lid to start figuring out how to extract her she just swam out on her own looking at me like "What!". I hadn't even turned off the powerhead yet so I know she wasn't stuck or sucked in. She just swam into the cozy meat grinder to take a nap!

ABQ_CHRIS · Sep 19, 2022

Good deal. It looks like you are no stranger to hard work. I hope it pays off.

eheldreth · Sep 19, 2022

Here is a recent full tank pic. I'm finally pulling out of the ugly stage thanks to the hard work of my CUC. I couldn't get my clown to hold still for a photo.

eheldreth · Sep 19, 2022

ABQ_CHRIS said:
Good deal. It looks like you are no stranger to hard work. I hope it pays off.

Thanks, It's been rewarding so far. I should get my first corals in soon so It'll be nice to see it start really paying off.

eliza209 · Sep 19, 2022

I also received a biocube 29 this summer. I haven't started corals yet, but am anxious to do so! Your clown story cracked me up! Can;t wait to watch the progression.

eheldreth · Sep 19, 2022

eliza209 said:
I also received a biocube 29 this summer. I haven't started corals yet, but am anxious to do so! Your clown story cracked me up! Can;t wait to watch the progression.

Funny, it scared the life out of me. Who needs coffee to wake up in the morning when you have clowns. I should be getting my first corals Wed so I'm pretty stoked.

eheldreth · Sep 21, 2022

My first corals are in from tidal gardens, dipped, and hanging out in the QT. It's going to be a long couple of weeks but I'm glad everyone looks happy so far.

Purple clove polyp
Bob Marley zoa
Cats eye zoa
Ausie teal duncan

eheldreth · Oct 7, 2022

I got impatient and added my new corals to the DT last night. Dunc and the others seem pleased but the Bob Marlies are still opening up. Im sure I'll be documenting my regrets in this thread at a later time.