Freezetyles Biocube 29. Updates March 16!

[freezetyle]

little history. I started with this tank in march last year as my first saltwater tank, and eventually move up to a 45 gallon cube, which had to go when i moved. I had this tank as the "girlfriends" with all of the little things she liked in it so it has been mainly been a FOWLR tank. When i shut down the other one and sold of the majority of the corals i thought to my self "there is no way im getting rid of everything. This tank is basically the reminats of that tank plus a lot more zoa's.

The first hurdle was a move from Calgary to kelowna which went suprisingly smooth except for me and my brilliant trait of being forgetful. When moving the tank i had disassembled all of the hard ware and place the majority of it in a box and straight into the trunk of my car. The other more important and delicate things i decided to put in another box to load with the tank come moving day.

Moving day comes drained the tank and placed the live rock and live stock into a bucket. placed that in the car followed shortly by the tank. Took the box with all of the "delicate stuff" out and placed it on the lawn while i put everything else in... shut door drive away. mean while the box was left on the lawn. Awesome... i know!

While it wasn't a big loss my tunze 9002 was in their and being a student i cannot afford another one yet. To my surprise everything is growing nicely and water chemistry is staying pretty consistent. i guess that is a benefit of having a somewhen mature tank.

i will keep posting updates in here along with other fun pictures of livestock and changes.

Full tank shot!
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0146.jpg

Top shelf of sps
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0149.jpg
Zoas on the sand
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0150.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0151.jpg
Spiderman zoa's from red coral
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0138.jpg
montipora from Fishytime
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0133.jpg
Stag? from lobsterboy (finally growing)
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0125.jpg


More coming soon!

[burrows14]

Nice cube man! I used to have one and ended up selling it and I regret it to this day! That sucks about your tunze!

[lobsterboy]

nice pe on the stag

[JDigital]

Nice tank Jon!

Hope school goes well for you in Kelowna.. I'll have to look you up next time I come visit my parents.

[Skimmerking]

looks great love the way the rocks are nice color too,.

[freezetyle]

thanks for the compliments.

I had my doubts at the start about keeping sps. you defiantly need patience, which is one thing i have learned from reef keeping. initially you just try and try to pack as much stuff into yor tank at the begining before everything settles out which causes a lot of problems.

the idea of letting your tank mature before adding certain is becoming more and more prominent in my reef keeping values/ideals.

Since i only have a pair of perc. clownfish and a firefish I've been throwing around the idea of adding some sort of goby. maybe 2-3 clown gobys perhaps a orange spot or something. i was fairly docile fish because eventually i would like to get back into the seahorse game with this tank but am unsure about how the corals would cope with the reduced flow. any opinions?

Josh- anytime your down hit me up. still a little bit of a loner out here. haha

[Cameron]

What are the specs on the BC?

[freezetyle]

What are the specs on the BC?

for hardware i have a 20" sunpod with a geisemann 14k bulb.
koralia 1 and nano
stock return pump.
in tank media basket running carbon and cemi-pure and filter floss.
tunze osmolator (worth the price!)

water change about 5 gallons every 2-3 weeks
add two part as needed.


debating on whether or not to do the vodka rocks. really want to do zeo but i know i wouldn't keep with the strict dosing procedures.

[possitive k]

looks great! im currently doing a bio cube 29 as well. hope mine looks as good as yours. keep us updated.

[fishytime]

Tank looks amazing for just being moved....that monti looks better in your tank bud...

[freezetyle]

Tank looks amazing for just being moved....that monti looks better in your tank bud...

i cheated a bit in the move and kept all of the water that was in the tank so that everything would be kind of "at home" so to speak when they were placed back in the tank.

That monti is really taking off now, i can pretty much watch it sprout polyps. although i wish more of the pink/salmon one i got from you a while back made the trip. oh well, it will grow back

[torrid_07]

so did you completely remove the biocube hood for the sunpod or did you somehow fit it in? i have 2 50/50 bulbs in mine was there a huge difference when you swapped over?

[freezetyle]

so did you completely remove the biocube hood for the sunpod or did you somehow fit it in? i have 2 50/50 bulbs in mine was there a huge difference when you swapped over?

yes i took off the hood and am running it open top with the sun pod. I like the metal halide light because you do get the shimmer effect as well as I am able to keep pretty much what ever i want in the tank compared to the stock pc bulbs.The big differences would have to be the amount of water evaporation due to the increased airflow over the surface water of the tank and the increased heat from the Halide bulb.

I did like the all in one look but i wanted to get into the sps game so the upgraded lighting was necessary. While their are lighting kits out there that let you keep the stock hood, I am not very electrically inclined yet so those weren't really an option for me yet.

over all i am happy with the sunpod. if I were to do it again i might have gone the t5 route to cute down on heat and electricity but a like the "more natural look instead of the sterile look from the pc or t5 bulbs.

[torrid_07]

cool. yeah i want to keep everything including sps but the compacts just dont pack that kind of punch.
ive thought of doing a retrofit high powered led section in the hood but still have to do some good research before i make a jump.
any suggestions of filtration setup at all?
ive got my first section with heater and skimmer
the seccond section full of live rock then a single layer of bioballs on top
and what i did was i put the black tray on top then i put a piece of egg crate angled overtop of the seccond section.
im finding it working well. if you have any good suggestions with the bc let me know!
ive had mine for about 2 weeks now and its doing great. a big change from my 75 i had 2 weeks ago!

[freezetyle]

umm. for filtration i really only have the media basket in the back with filter floss, carbon, and chemi-pure. I am going to keep it this way until i can find another tunze skimmer.

i took out all of the bio-balls so i could run the back compartment pretty much full. tried to keep cheato back there once but the lights i got weren't all that great so that idea got scrapped.

i'm keeping it simple now i guess, less can go wrong.

[JDigital]

umm. for filtration i really only have the media basket in the back with filter floss, carbon, and chemi-pure. I am going to keep it this way until i can find another tunze skimmer.

i took out all of the bio-balls so i could run the back compartment pretty much full. tried to keep cheato back there once but the lights i got weren't all that great so that idea got scrapped.

i'm keeping it simple now i guess, less can go wrong.


Nothing wrong with that simple setup... I ran Rowaphos, Chemi-pure Elite only on my 30G cube.. it did have a "sump" (10G no baffles).. As long as I kept up with 5G weekly water change, everything grew and looked awesome..

[freezetyle]

I found an Eshopps psk-75H skimmer for a decent price and caved in. I must say, build quality looks pretty good and bubble formation is top notch for the price. pics to come...

on a side note. the sps market here is little to none. I am thinking it maybe time to set up a frag tank. do a little bit of shopping while im back in Calgary for winter break and help out all of the Kelowna/ Vernon people who want this kind of stuff.

[freezetyle]

alright so here is the skimmer doing its thing

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0153.jpg

Bubbles
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0154.jpg


Now everyone with an all in one system eventually wants to figure out how to do a sump. there are a few options... one im on the fence about trying but built anyway.

PVC overflow:
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0157.jpg

Like i said im really on the fence about this one.

Part of me want to try it. as it has worked in the testing i have done with a bucket. but part of me really doesn't want to flood my place.

"He who dares my son, he who dares" a quote from Human Traffic. might just be my inspiration to follow through

[fishytime]

You can drill the backs of biocubes man..... why not punch a couple holes, do an external overflow with a herbie?

[JDigital]

"He who dares my son, he who dares" a quote from Human Traffic. might just be my inspiration to follow through

Oh ya! Now I got the urge to watch this tonight... good job! :lol: Awesome movie though.

Skimmer looks sweet... I think it will perform better than a Tunze 9002 as well. I tried the Tunze and found it lackluster..

[freezetyle]

You can drill the backs of biocubes man..... why not punch a couple holes, do an external overflow with a herbie?

see thats what ive been wanting to do. but no one really had a definate answer on whether or not you could...

Now to find someone in Kelowna who can drill a tank. preferably with the fish still in it!:lol:
Oh ya! Now I got the urge to watch this tonight... good job! :lol: Awesome movie though.

Skimmer looks sweet... I think it will perform better than a Tunze 9002 as well. I tried the Tunze and found it lackluster..

I agree on both points, However, i did like the size of the tunze. This skimmer pulls out way more then the tunze ever would in the same amount of time

[fishytime]

see thats what ive been wanting to do. but no one really had a definate answer on whether or not you could...

Now to find someone in Kelowna who can drill a tank. preferably with the fish still in it!:lol:

I was thinking of doing the same thing when I was planning the pony tank....they can be drilled and as far as the drilling goes....its easy enough to do....just get the right sized bit and go slow.......The sump area is completely sealed from the display so all you have to do is shut off the returns...put a heater and a P/H in the display....drain the sump and drill away.....

[freezetyle]

Big shout out to Fishytime and Carmen for hooking me up with a Vortech MP20 over the weekend. I really enjoyed the last one i had and regretted selling it.

Let the Flow begin!:mrgreen:

In other news, Found some dry rock to place some of my growing Zoa colonies on to allow for some more growth. Not really liking the look of them right now because they are a Bright white color. In time they will be huge colonies so i guess i can't complain too much. Pictures to come tomorrow when the lights are on

[fishytime]

hey your welcome man.....it was good to see ya.....
bah!.... pic tease!:razz:

[freezetyle]

Does anyone have a suggestion for using a biocube as a sump/frag tank. I have been thinking it over and would probably set it up so the two tanks are right beside each other so they could both be displayed. This would solve my problem of not wanting to drill the biocube. the only issue i am seeing with this is that the rear chambers would not really provide a lot of room for excess water if the power did go out. so far i was thinking that the return pump would be in the first or second chamber and the return could flow either directly into the display portion or be attached to the nozzle in the third chamber flowing back into the tank

and some new pics. sorry their foggy i need to clean the glass better

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0190.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0185.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0164.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0165.jpg
ric. yuma
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0167.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0169.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0174.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0179.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0182.jpg

My favorite zoas. that haven't been all been open in over a month. but at least their not melting. not sure the issue
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0181.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0183.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0184.jpg

[Carmen]

Looks Great! I love the Bright orange zoa colony on the bottom and the yellows! Nice pics Jon.

[JDigital]

You could probably take that Koralia Nano out if you wanted to free up some visual space :razz:... I was running an MP20 100% Reef Crest on my 30G cube and had NO problems with flow....... If you wanted to, haha.

Is it just the clowns in there for fish right now, I can't remember?

Looks awesome.. everything seems happy too!

[freezetyle]

Looks Great! I love the Bright orange zoa colony on the bottom and the yellows! Nice pics Jon.

Thanks Carmen!



You could probably take that Koralia Nano out if you wanted to free up some visual space :razz:... I was running an MP20 100% Reef Crest on my 30G cube and had NO problems with flow....... If you wanted to, haha.

Is it just the clowns in there for fish right now, I can't remember?

Looks awesome.. everything seems happy too!

I think i will remove that nano. I was more focused today on playing around with the new pump :mrgreen:

I have a purple firefish in there too. but with the increased flow he seems to like hiding in the rock work. I have been itching for a new fish but i can't decide on what to go with. There is also the problem of finding quality livestock at a reasonable price here in kelowna.

If i end up figuring out the issue of using the biocube as a sump I was thinking of a jawfish or two

[Bugsy]

Sent you 2 PMs

[Leah]

Tank looks great! Love the Zoa's .
Jon have you been to Pet City he is pretty good.

Leah

[freezetyle]

Tank looks great! Love the Zoa's .
Jon have you been to Pet City he is pretty good.

Leah

Thanks Leah

I have been there. He does have some pretty good LPS. I just have terrible timing when i go to that store. the fish i would like to purchase are on hold and all that is left is fish far too big for my little tank

[JDigital]

Jon, I will try and keep you in mind next time I plan on coming out to Kelowna. You can always check the stock at RC around that time and I can bring it out with me.. Kevin always brings in great Jawfish, if you can get that sump/frag thing worked out.. :mrgreen:

[mseepman]

Hey Jon,

Welcome to the Okanagan. I just saw this thread for the first time and wanted to tell you your tank looks great!

If you do end up starting to do fragging, I know I would be thrilled to have some frags of those corals in my tank.

Could you expand on what you are trying to do with the second tank and maybe we can come up with some suggestions on how to do it.

Mark.

[freezetyle]

Hey Jon,

Welcome to the Okanagan. I just saw this thread for the first time and wanted to tell you your tank looks great!

If you do end up starting to do fragging, I know I would be thrilled to have some frags of those corals in my tank.

Could you expand on what you are trying to do with the second tank and maybe we can come up with some suggestions on how to do it.

Mark.

I have been doing some fragging but the pieces still need to encrust a little bit before they are ready to go. With the possible expansion i am planning
I will basically be setting up a tank to try and get some varieties of sps here in the Okanagan as I do travel to calgary about once a month and would be able to pick some frags/colonies from the flourishing trade there.

my main concern for that build is stated in this thread http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=60507
I will sketch out my plan and post it up here later on in the day to help people get an idea of what i am planning to make it easier.


I think i will end up getting the tank either way. If it doesn't work it wouldn't be hard to use a standard sump. I was just trying to use the resources i have already and make the start-up a little easier with the semi-mature tank providing the new tank the benefits of that.

On another note, the MP20 is fantastic. I took Josh's suggestion and have it pretty much maxed out and my sps are loving it. the fish on the other hand are still adjusting a bit to the increased flow. Mainly my firefish who has been a bit of a recluse lately.

[freezetyle]

Alright so here is the rough sketch of my plans for using this thing as a sump. I am going to go ahead and pick up the tank from a canreefer and hope for the best (it wont be happening until mid feb.) but it gives me plenty of time to work everything out and build the stand. and if it doesn't end up working i can always put a sump in the base of the stand instead of my RO reserve.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0193.jpg

[freezetyle]

little update.

Wow. Those Vortech pumps are Dope! I had one before but tried to set it on the short pulse mode. That never really did my corals much good. I have this one on reef crest and after a few days of adjustment the corals are loving it. Huge PE and new tips are starting to form. The fish are also adapting to the increased flow. the clowns have figured out that hosting the frag rack is better at night instead of behind on of the old Koralia's and the firefish is out of the rock work more and more everyday. Its weird looking at the tank now without all of the clutter, definitely an improvement

I also have a few new additions to the tank. new set of zoas. and an elegance coral (wish me luck)...

[freezetyle]

Added a few corals as well as a new fish. getting things ready for my potential new set up... Having a few problems with micro bubbles and keeping the calcium levels up. Been adding 2 part but it hasn't seemed to be raising it a whole bunch, growth is going pretty good though. Also had to move a birds-nest out of the light it was bleached like nobodies business it is now recovering nicely.

and the pics.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0215.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0210.jpg

Sorry about the blurry pic. this sucker is fast and still a bit timid. eating like a pig though.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0209.jpg
new Zoas
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0204.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0203.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0200.jpg
Aussie Elegance
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0199.jpg

and the Full tank shot:
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0206.jpg

[saltwaterseahorses]

wohya that new fish totally just totally makes the colours stand out is it an angel?

[JDigital]

^^ Yup.. it's a Bi-Color Angel... and a nice one at that Jon!

Have you figured out your sump/frag setup yet?

[freezetyle]

^^ Yup.. it's a Bi-Color Angel... and a nice one at that Jon!

Have you figured out your sump/frag setup yet?


Yup shes a Bicolor angel. And out of the three dwarf angels i have had this is the first polyp nipper!:evil: at least i think thats the case. Not getting as good PE since he went in there so i am just assuming. I knew it was going to be a gamble. I just love the colour contrast they have. plus, its the girlfriends favourite fish so i got a hero cookie for that one.

But as soon as i finish the newer set up i think everything will be ok. As for the new set up i have built a sump out of acrylic. and have done a water toest to prove that it does in fact hold water. I am still a little weary on using it at this point. so i think i am still going to use the Biocube as a sump/frag tank. i think i will work out if i keep the water level below the over flow leading into the 2 and third chamber, this should allow for enough room in case of an over flow. I am picking up the new tank from El Guappo this weekend dimensions of that are 22"x20"x14T. top portion is going to be all sps with a t5 fixture above. Then the frag section and zoas are going to be down in the BC. i will probably make something to prevent the Angel from nipping at the frags.

never owned t5's so bulb suggestions for a four bulb fixture are welcome.

[imcosmokramer]

those are cool zoas
________
STONEDICK4U cam (http://camslivesexy.com/cam/STONEDICK4U)

[freezetyle]

those are cool zoas

Thanks! Your little sps cube is kind of an inspiration for my future plans with the tank add on. so simple and clean looking, really makes the colours pop.

So here is my DIY sump holding water!
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0219.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0218.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0217.jpg

24.5 X 18.5 X 15 are the dimensions. the baffles adjust the water level to about 10.5". As i said before i am a little bit nervous about using this due to the fact that i didnt really have the right tools for the job. all cuts were made with a dremel, sanding the edges smooth was also done with a dremel. really smoothed them out with some fine grit sand paper. taped it up and used weld on #4 and #16 to seal it up. right now it have placed it over some cardboard and filled it with water to check for leaks. so far so good. this would be a lot easier then using the biocube as i have thought on previously, I am just not sure i trust the build quality:lol:

[JDigital]

Awesome to hear you're picking up one of El Guappos tanks... That will be a sweet setup.... You'll have quite the collection for a uni student on a budget! :mrgreen:

How thick did you go with the acrylic?

[freezetyle]

Awesome to hear you're picking up one of El Guappos tanks... That will be a sweet setup.... You'll have quite the collection for a uni student on a budget! :mrgreen:

How thick did you go with the acrylic?

I went with 1/4" acrylite gp.
Well if i use this home made sump i will be keeping the Biocube empty and probably end up selling it so going to stick with just having 1 tank. As for the budget comment... what else are you going to use student loans for? :biggrin:

[lorenz0]

Nice bi-color. was going to say they are nutorious for nipping. i have wanted one for a while but don't know if its worth the risk. but if it eats zoa's, i all game for one

[freezetyle]

So i the frag tank i was planning on doing is being put on hold for a bit until i can get the new cube in from calgary. I had decided this after a got a few things for it. Mainly a t5 lighting fixture. Being a bit curious i replaced my sunpod with the t5. Damn! i forgot how awesome corals look under actinic lighting! and way less temp swings. With the halide i was starting the day with a temp of 77 and bumping it up to 81-82. halides remained a constant 78 all day. plus with less fan noise i can finally get some studying done!.

It was also spring break from us Uni kids so i made my way out to vic and on the way back decided to check out JL. Picked up a few goodies. Pics will be up tomorrow!

[freezetyle]

I forgot to add that the fixture is an aquaticlife 4 X 24w with the stock bulbs. The bulbs aren't bad but will definitely be switching them out for some other ones next time i can find some of the KZ or similar. again don't know too much about t-5's so i am looking for some suggestions (all you running them, please pipe up). I like the blue tint but am interested in the fiji purple bulbs and what people have been saying about them.

I was blown away by how the colours pop and thats with the not so great stock bulbs. I think i may have accidentally converted myself to t5's. I found it hard to find a MH bulb that was blue enough for my liking (tried a japanese 20k from oceancity, giessman) besides the one that came stock with it. adding a t5 or two would have been tricky with a sunpod fixture overtop. another plus of this fixture is it has a built in timer and only one plug in compared to the three on the sunpod (if you want to use all of the leds)

Forgot to add in my earlier post. while on my week away from the tank i lost two zoa frags. One had been struggling for a few months on a rock finally dislodged itself. I tried to put it on a plug and let it grow a bit, it was doing good for a while. more open polyps then i had seen in a while, came home to a nice frag with a gorgeous superglue frag.
The other zoa was this one
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0204.jpg
it was the first zoa i have paid more then $20 for from Interior reef (i really miss red coral). I usually dip them in melafix before going in the tank. seem to have skipped it on this one so maybe thats why. either way pretty ****ed about that.

I had kept water in that sump i built while i was away and i did hold the water with no leaks. Being in a rental place i really do not want to risk it, I think i will have to rethink my plan when i finally get the other tank up and running. I also need to rethink my plan of action for that bi-colour angel, love him, but i am really noticing a difference in my coral since he went in. Polyps on my sps used to be puking all of the time. now they are retracted until lights out. I notice it the most on the Purple monti. Before he went in it looked very plump and now fairly skinny. I hate these types of decisions. On a positive note i am loving the MP20. finally getting over how empty the corners of the tank looks without the two koralias in there, and everything (besides the firefish) is loving the flow.


Now for the pics. will get a FTS soon. Didn't want to take one today because I need to move some things around to make some space for the new additions


And now some fun with actinic's!
Metal halide 14k giessman bulb.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0200.jpg
aquaticlife t5
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0235.jpg

14k (green zoas)
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0172.jpg

t5
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0244.jpg

14k
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0169.jpg

t5
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0245.jpg

and last but not least the goodies from JL. (paid for by the gov't alberta's gst cheques!)

New colonies!

Pink Birdsnest
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0237.jpg

ID? Pocci? (arrived in JL the day before so it needs to colour up after shipping. really excited to see how it turns out)
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0238.jpg

And a blue tipped acro (will try and get a better pic)
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0240.jpg

I am using a Nikon Coolpix s620. if anyone knows how to get some better shots with this camera it would be greatly appreciated. forgot how hard it was to get the colours to show through all of the blue.

[mseepman]

Your tank is looking great!! I'm looking forward to seeing how you set up the other tank.

I was tempted to make a DIY sump myself for my nano cube, but ended up getting it made by Interior Plastics and Paints (ouch NOT CHEAP) but really well done.

I run both MH and T5HO over my nano in a DIY canopy. Together they really make things POP. I would recommend a Fiji Purple in the mix if you can as it adds a new dimension to the looks in the tank.

[fishytime]

Lookin good mang....Second ones a stylo Jon.....and we miss you too:lol:

[freezetyle]

I found a new home for the angel so my sps should begin their healing process. Although in that whole process i had to remove every single rock in the tank in order to catch it. Re-scaped with a neat cave, everything looks ****ed, but im sure it will settle out my tomorrow. and i figure i can not add anything else to this without some major work or some different rocks. making what i did was near impossible with the pieces that are in there. also i feel its getting that fruit stand look which i wanted to avoid. oh well, in time.

got a few mangroves (thanks Bkelly) so those are living in my frag rack until the next tank set up when i have a sump again. will get some pics tomorrow when the dust settles... literally

[freezetyle]

Updated tank shot.

mixed feelings about it still. too many big rocks of front. seems really cluttered to me.

and excuse the tupperware. the dang crabs steal the krill from the elegance coral.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0254.jpg

[freezetyle]

switched around the lighting. got a fiji purple and 2 KZ coral light II' to replace the stock 10k's and one actinic. the pink took a bit to get used to but i like it.

Also added a bit of volume on the tank with this sucker
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0296.jpg

corals are looking fantastic to before. polyps out during the day again, and the newer additions are colouring up nicely. Although i found two acro crabs on the pink birds nest a got a while ago. one was good. the other was bad. you can see the damage in the one picture. And i have decided to just let things grow. I have had my hands in the tank a lot lately so i will be taking an extended break from fragging and such.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0295.jpg

green polyp birdsnest. Thanks Oceanic Corals!
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0283.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0284.jpg
White-ish/yellow zoa/paly
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0288.jpg
ZOA POX!!!! dipped them for the second day of treatment today. Furan-2 was hard to find in kelowna
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0289.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0290.jpg
And the FTS
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0294.jpg

[fishytime]

Very shiny Jon!.....did you manage to get a nitrate/phosphate reading before you started the lentils?

[freezetyle]

Very shiny Jon!.....did you manage to get a nitrate/phosphate reading before you started the lentils?

Phosphate were nil. Bad test kit though (hagen, *shudders*) nitrates were around the 7 mark.

couple days after adding the pellets water was crystal clear. I normally would wait to try something like this, especially since my tank is pretty tiny, but you know. i was passing though so i decided to get some.:lol: Although, i was looking for a hang on reactor and when that wasn't available i just picked whatever was next. Hence the vertex. but like i said, i got anout a 1/8 volume increase.

[kien]

Also added a bit of volume on the tank with this sucker
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0296.jpg

nice! did you double the volume of your system with that bad boy? :lol:

[KLUW]

looks great! I love all the rock. The tank has really come along. Keep up the great work!!!!!!

[freezetyle]

nice! did you double the volume of your system with that bad boy? :lol:

HA. Pretty close. i was originally going to run it from the ground and pipe it up sort of in a closed looped fashion so that probably would have double it. Simplicity is best though. Like i said before, when i was in-visioning it's size i think i had the ole shrink ray going. oh well, isn't hurting anything.

looks great! I love all the rock. The tank has really come along. Keep up the great work!!!!!!

Thanks! the tank has come a long way from the start. I think I am at a point where i am quite satisfied with the placement of everything, so now its the tanks time to settle in and do it's thing.

[freezetyle]

few photos. with the lights out

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0305.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0311.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0313.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0314.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0315.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0317.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/freezetyle/DSCN0318.jpg

[Bugsy]

Looks good Jon, how are you doing with the zoas?? I was reading you had pox?? Yikes thats not good, where did you get them from??

[brizzo]

So when can I come by with fragging tools and glue? :mrgreen::mrgreen:

Maybe once they get bigger :razz:

[freezetyle]

Looks good Jon, how are you doing with the zoas?? I was reading you had pox?? Yikes thats not good, where did you get them from??
well i have been treating them with furan-2 they have all done well so far with no losses. just finishing the last little bit of treatment. It was my fault that they got them. I got some from a shop near the coast and forgot/forgot to ask for a cooler. so the temp in the bags got too low.


So when can I come by with fragging tools and glue? :mrgreen::mrgreen:

Maybe once they get bigger :razz:

im sure I could make a cut or two somewhere. Although, I liked the idea of setting up a frag swap here in the interior.:mrgreen:

[brizzo]

im sure I could make a cut or two somewhere. Although, I liked the idea of setting up a frag swap here in the interior.:mrgreen:

I think I can convince you with some of my SPS frags already cut and encrusted :mrgreen:

[freezetyle]

ugh. well im shutting down the tank and getting out of / taking an extended break from fish keeping. My Fiance and I have split and the tank was our thing together. i can barely look at it. Everything will be up for sale in a couple of days

[Leah]

So sorry to hear this, I hope it sells quickly.

Leah

[kien]

Oh geez that's terrible news. Hope everything works our for ya.

[torrid_07]

so have you done any big lighting conversions or anything?
i want to do some nice corals like you but only have the stock lights.
i have the 50/50s
let me know
thanks

[fishytime]

Jon!...........wtf?......dude dont get out now!:cry:.....I too hope things work out for you bud......and you decide to keep the tank.....that kinda sounded familiar didnt it:wink:(Im so glad I decided to keep my tank man!)

[freezetyle]

so have you done any big lighting conversions or anything?
i want to do some nice corals like you but only have the stock lights.
i have the 50/50s
let me know
thanks

ran the tank open top. Initially i ran a 20" sunpod. the switched to a 24" t-5 set up. both were great for corals.


I do not doubt it my mind that one day i will keep a tank. but right now, I just can't do it. and with the uncertainty of where i will end up, it is too hard to ship and move everything. i brought everything here to calgary and basically threw everything in there in a place where they will thrive until i get get them sold. Just waiting for my camera to get pics. thanks for the words of support y'all

[lastlight]

Hope your life finds stability soon sorry to hear this. I love having a tank again but it really is too much when life is a little too nutty.

[Interior_Reef]

Sorry to hear that Jon. that really sucks.


Hope things get better for you.

[muck]

Hope things work themselves out for you Jon...

[Leah]

Jon,

If you need a babysitter for your tank, till you decide 100% what your doing, I do not mind.
I can come help you take it down or whatever help you need.... just ask. :smile:

Leah

[freezetyle]

thanks for the offer Leah.

I have already moved the tank and contents to my home in calgary. it appears i have a nack for moving fishtanks with minimal losses and a perk of having a nano tank as well as an extra tank kicking around. again thank you all for the kind words. you all do not make it easy for a man to hang up his flippers:lol:

Check the for sale ads. i have a few gems that i was waiting to show off before all of this happened. Cough* Red people eater zoas/ darth maul zoas from oceanic corals Cough*