Xenon's 29g Biocube with upgrades! *pics*

[xenon]

I bought this 29g biocube thinking it would be good enough to keep LPS but that didn't last long. Next thing I knew I was upgrading the lighting, flow, filtration and my tank is now SPS dominated!

I estimate that I have about 40lb of Haitian live rock and 30lb of Caribsea aragonite sand.

I added two Tunze 6025 (660gph) powerheads that I alternate every 2 hours so both are never on at the same time.

I removed the false floor in chamber#1. I removed the bioballs and added a Tunze 9002 skimmer in chamber #2. I then decided to replace the return pump in chamber #3 with a maxijet 1200 to add even more flow.

I first bought a 20" Sunpod 150w MH light that I replaced with a 20" Nova Extreme Pro 6x18w T5 fixture. The Sunpod was great but it added too much heat and I could not live without actinics. The colors were so much better with the Nova. Then I got a GHL Profilux PlusII controller and learned that I could connect the new Aqua Illumination LED light modules and adjust the fixture from the Profilux so I ordered two 90w modules.

I use a Purely H2O Optima CA RO/DI system. I am running the full Balling Light method by Fauna Marin to maintain Cal, Alk, Mag. I also dose the Powertrace 1,2,3,4 by hand daily and I have the UltraLith zeolite rocks setup in a Phosban reactor to maintain the low nutrient levels required for SPS.

I have a pair of true percs, mated pair of fire shrimp, purple LTA anemone and a temporary 2" yellow tang that helped me fight a bad case of algae.

http://www.dansouliere.com/pictures/fm.jpg
http://www.dansouliere.com/pictures/trace.jpg

Here is the list of Fauna Marin products in the two pictures above.

BALLING SALTS - Calciumchlorid-Dihydrat
BALLING SALTS - Sodium Bicarbonate
BALLING SALTS - Magnesiumsulfat-Heptahydrat
BALLING SALTS - Magnesiumchlorid-Hexahydrat

Ultra-Trace B Iodine-Fluorine
Ultra-Trace B Heavy-Metal complex
Ultra-Trace B Strontium-Barium

Ultra-Power Trace 1 - Strontium/Calcium
Ultra-Power Trace 2 - Iron/Zinc
Ultra-Power Trace 3 - Iodine/Boron
Ultra-Power Trace 4 - Magnesium

Ultra-Lith
Ultra-Min S
Ultra-BAK
Ultra-Bio

http://www.dansouliere.com/pictures/ai2.jpg

http://www.dansouliere.com/pictures/ghlprofilux.jpg

http://www.dansouliere.com/pictures/cabinet2.jpg

http://www.dansouliere.com/pictures/dose.jpg

http://www.dansouliere.com/pictures/hermit.jpg

http://www.dansouliere.com/pictures/nanoclam2.jpg

http://www.dansouliere.com/pictures/week2.jpg

[Rbacchiega]

That's the most organized stand/dry goods section I've ever seen!




EVER

[LeeR]

wow! awsome set up.

[xenon]

Thanks!

Here is a quick video I recorded when I first setup my AI LED modules.

http://www.dansouliere.com/ai.html

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Great set up!

I really want to try the balling method soon. How do you like it so far?

[xenon]

Great set up!

I really want to try the balling method soon. How do you like it so far?

I started balling and ultra-lith 2.5 weeks ago. Then I started the Power Trace 1,2,3,4 only 5 days ago.

It's still too early to give a proper review yet IMO.

[lorenz0]

I just realized you were the other guy from canada with the Nova extreme pro. glad to see you upgraded from it and your tank looks amazing. That Ca, Alk, and Mg set up is amazing. lol don't give me idea's

[mseepman]

Amazing nano setup. Great video to show the power of the profilux and the LED lighting.

[robzilla]

keep us posted with the balling method, as i'm thinking of doing it

[Boomboy]

that looks amazing, looks like you got alot of money to spend haha. so neat and organized. tank looks great. how much did it cost in the end for everything you have now.

[xenon]

that looks amazing, looks like you got alot of money to spend haha. so neat and organized. tank looks great. how much did it cost in the end for everything you have now.

Here is a very rough breakdown on the cost so far. These prices are in Canadian funds and some items like the AI LED modules cost extra for shipping and duty fees.

29g Oceanic Biocube with stand - 700
GHL Profilux/Doser/6plug bar/etc - 1400
Aqua Illumination LED modules - 1800
Fauna Marin Ultra-Lith/Balling/Trace - 240
Tunze 9002 skimmer - 180
2 Tunze 6025 powerheads - 150
Phosban 150 reactor and pump - 80
3 Perfecto 2.5g tanks - 45
===============================
Total: $4595 CAD

40lb Hatian liverock - 200
30lb aragonite sand - 40
True percula clownfish pair - 100
Yellow tang - 80
Fire shrimp pair - 66
Two emerald crabs - 40
Tuxedo urchin - 30
13 SPS frags - 390
7 Softie corals - 200
1 LPS coral - 40
Crocea clam - 60
===============================
Total: $1246

Grand Total: $5841

[Snaz]

It sure is pretty.

[xenon]

Here are a few progress pics.

September 25th 2008
http://www.dansouliere.com/pictures/aquascape1.jpg

October 5th 2008
http://www.dansouliere.com/pictures/nanofts.jpg

January 21st 2009
http://www.dansouliere.com/pictures/jan_update5.jpg

A few days ago (taken with a different camera)
http://www.dansouliere.com/pictures/week2.jpg

[Snaz]

While the SPS has taken off the rics look about the same, low nutrients the cause?

[xenon]

While the SPS has taken off the rics look about the same, low nutrients the cause?

I think so.

I might sell the rics and replace them with more SPS frags. lol

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

WHat about the Figi Leather? Seems to have lost some color?

I found after starting ZEO and as my nutrients went down, my softies have lost color.

[xenon]

WHat about the Figi Leather? Seems to have lost some color?

I found after starting ZEO and as my nutrients went down, my softies have lost color.

Yep.

I had two figi leathers and sold one to make more room. I might have to go 100% SPS because a mixed reef is near impossible to make all corals perfectly happy.

[xenon]

Update:

I wanted to upgrade my Tunze 6025 powerheads to 6055 so that I can get more random flow but after a little research it turns out the nanostream powerheads by Tunze are not ideal for cube tanks. The flow is too direct so I decided to go with a Vortech powerhead instead because the flow pattern is much wider.

I also got the battery backup so that if the power goes out it will stay on for 30hrs. It has another port for a 2nd Vortech and they would share the battery so it would be 15hrs each.

So far the flow is incredible. As soon as it was turned on detritus got kicked up for area's my nanostreams did not reach. I am glad I went with the MP20 because is more than enough flow.

http://www.dansouliere.com/pictures/vortech1.jpg

http://www.dansouliere.com/pictures/vortech2.jpg

http://www.dansouliere.com/pictures/vortech3.jpg

http://www.dansouliere.com/pictures/vortech4.jpg

[xenon]

Update:

I decided to replace my sand bed with a thicker grain size. The sugar sized sand I had before kept getting kicked up by my female clown fish and my water was never perfectly clear.

This was the perfect opportunity to remove the yellow tang and move some corals around so that they all get the right amount of light/flow.

http://www.dansouliere.com/pictures/sand.jpg
http://www.dansouliere.com/pictures/rescape1.jpg
http://www.dansouliere.com/pictures/rescape2.jpg
http://www.dansouliere.com/pictures/rescape3.jpg
http://www.dansouliere.com/pictures/rescape4.jpg
http://www.dansouliere.com/pictures/rescape5.jpg

I added a pair of purple firefish and one male bartlett anthia. My clowns are still in QT while I let the LTA anemone settle in.

http://www.dansouliere.com/pictures/firefishpair.jpg

I also received my new Sapphire Aquatics skimmer. I will report back the once I have it broken in. :)

http://www.dansouliere.com/pictures/sapphire.jpg