29 rimless biocube build

KJB

Well-Known Member
BRS Member
Its really great to get back into having a tank set up again after taking 10 years off.
This will be my 1st reef tank. I was formerly jusy FOWLER and some seahorses. I did a 47 column build thread back in 08 i believe.
Got an already modified 29 biocube from a fellow BRS reefer Angelo.
Got my scape done. Added an 1 1/2" of fine sand, 1/2" of course sand over that and a light coating of crushed coral (i believe) over that. I like the multi layer effect.
Layed egg crate 1st, then rock, then sand layers.
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Got the tank wet a couple of weeks ago!
I added a new rio hf 600 because the one i had became noisy. The new one got loud after a couple of days too despite all effort to move it around etc. They are notoriously noisy, i may find a different option..
Cycled a week then added spiro to finish the cycle, that stuff is great!
Clean up crew went in a few days after and i fed the tank to boost the bacteria to get it ready for fish.
Currently just running some filter floss, changed when when it starts to get dirty and a bag of carbon.
Ph stable around 8.0
Zero nitrates
Kh has been a high starting around 220 but now down around 190 200. I started the tank using pacific ocean water from Petco. Before adding cleaners etc i balanced the salinity to .025 where it remains. Im now set up for mixing using regular instant ocean. Im hoping after a few water changes the KH Will level will come down to a better level.
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Looks great!! Love the scape!

If your gonna continue to use IO and going to be do corals i would use the io reef Crystal's this will open add elements to tank with your water changes.
And if your not going to there is plenty of better salts out there.

Good luck with everything your gonna get addicted to corals quick trust me.
 
And now up to date..
I got my AI prime and i love it! Im running the Saxby program with a modified night cycle having added a little blue and moonlight over nite. Saxby runs full darkness overnite, i like a little moon glow. I vary the color and intensity overnight for cloud effect.
I added 1 baby PJ card and 1 baby Banggai together last sunday. Theyre playing nicely and eat well.
Eventually will add a warpaint green goby or a yellow clown goby, and a royal gamma last.
Im split my return and have one for the surface and the other behind the rocks. A single K1 on the back wall.
I want to swap out the K1 for a reef breeders rp-m. Smaller footprint in the tank and easily controlled.
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Looks great!! Love the scape!

If your gonna continue to use IO and going to be do corals i would use the io reef Crystal's this will open add elements to tank with your water changes.
And if your not going to there is plenty of better salts out there.

Good luck with everything your gonna get addicted to corals quick trust me.
Thanks Owen!
I will definitely take that advice on IO crystals. I would have gotten them instead but as soon as i got the fever to set up a tank it all turned into a buying frenzie.
I can already see the craving for corals seeping through lol
I'm itching to buy softies, maybe start with zoas.
Unfortunately at the moment I'm riding out a brown algae bloom.. lights out and water changes. Letting the snails do their thing.
 
I really like your aquascape as well. Are you going entirely open top?
 
I really like your aquascape as well. Are you going entirely open top?
Thanks!
I do want to go with an open top. I need to lower the water height in the display. I'm hoping i can modify the over flow in the 1st chamber to drop it. If not a smaller return pump.
 
Well, I went through a brown algae bloom.. glad its over. Everything is stable.
I am now going through a pod bloom. Thousands of them. My baby cards are getting fat from nonstop eating! I gave up trying to feed them mysis 4 days ago because theyre stuffed on pods and only taste the mysis and spit it out lol
Glad they can enjoy the pods while it lasts.

I have 7 zoa/ paly frags sitting on the sand bed. Not sure of the names but will try to get some decent pics with my phone. Bayer dipped before putting them in about 2 weeks ago. Theyve been open and heathly looking. Did a 7 day light acclimation with the prime... i really love that light.
I had some bha/ gha looking stuff start to pop up. Only source might have been frag disks, not unusual at all. I researched peroxide dip and landed on a undiluted 3% peroxide dip for up to 2 minutes. 2 rinses and back in.
The frag disks look brand new the day after and the corals are opening up again. Palys a little longer but seem healthier.
 
I also added the reefbreeders rp-m! Great powerhead for the money. Ive slowly ramped up the flow over a week. Started at 1 and its up to 4 now. I will eventually keep it at 5 for this size tank.
The settings are 1-20, 20 being 2600 gph i believe. It would blow the water out of the tank lol
I have it mounted on the back wall 1/3 of the way down. I vary pulse mode at night and 2x a day to simulate a tide change. Otherwise straight flow the rest of the day. I wish it had more precise settings for a smaller tank like mine, but for the price it cant be beat.imo.
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Now i begin working on my dyi algae scrubber to go in the 2nd chamber.
Pics when done
 
Any fish yet?
After my cycle a while back, i added 1 baby pj card, and 1 baby banggai together so far so good!
I want to add 1 green clown goby and maybe a yellow clown goby, hoping i wont need a screen top.. but probably will.
Lastly when those are settled in a royal gramma.
 
My DYI algae scrubber is wet!!!

After all the research, and 2 week wait on the weld on 3 and screens to arrive, i cut the 1/4" acrylic pieces yesterday and welded them together. This first version is my test prototype. I basically threw it together with a drill and a jig saw. Not beautiful perfect cuts, didnt polish it with map gas, just threw it together.
I put it in the 2nd chamber last nite and my tank is now dead silent!!! Water is flowing perfectly down the screen. No back up, no issues at all. I have an led 2700k warm white against the outside glass less than 2" from the screen. I know all the talk about red or red/blue combos etc. I also know i used the cheapest CFL 60w bulb in my sump years ago to grow chaeto and it grew like a weed. I may get a cheap growlight down the road once I have progress and growth. Hopefully i scruffed up the screen enough and will see some slime start soon!!!
I completely stole this idea and build from someone on nano-reef.com from back in 2013. He hasnt been on the boards in years so i had to make a lot of assumptions of flow. All good so far!!
Fingers crossed!!!

 

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I also added the reefbreeders rp-m! Great powerhead for the money. Ive slowly ramped up the flow over a week. Started at 1 and its up to 4 now. I will eventually keep it at 5 for this size tank.
The settings are 1-20, 20 being 2600 gph i believe. It would blow the water out of the tank lol
I have it mounted on the back wall 1/3 of the way down. I vary pulse mode at night and 2x a day to simulate a tide change. Otherwise straight flow the rest of the day. I wish it had more precise settings for a smaller tank like mine, but for the price it cant be beat.imo.View attachment 140681View attachment 140682

wow looks great
 
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