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

[xenon]

Originally Posted by 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.

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


October 5th 2008


January 21st 2009


A few days ago (taken with a different camera)

[Snaz]

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

[xenon]

Originally Posted by Snaz

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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.

[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.








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.



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