# 29-Gallon Biocube Journal



## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Okay, here we go. My first post in my new tank journal. Let's start with a little background, and I know this will sound absolutely crazy.

My story begins with a single red Betta fish. On Christmas 2008, my 18 year old son was given a 1-gallon fish tank. A few months after receiving it, he decided he wanted a Betta fish. Like most kids, the first few months were fine. As time went on he lost interest. The bi-weekly water changes became bi-monthly. There were times when the betta wouldn't be fed for several days. Occasionally, my wife and I would clean the tank and feed the fish, but things were getting progressively worse.

We decided to teach Anthony a lesson by forcing him to own up to his responsibilities. That didn't work. It seemed he had time for everything else, except this small fish. When it became clear to us that Anthony wasn't going to take responsibility, we seized control of the Betta and moved him from a dimly lit bedroom to a much brighter kitchen. Within a few days, the Betta became much more active and slowly regained his brilliant red color.

In the weeks that followed, my wife and I talked about what it must be like to live in such a small space with no furniture or companionship. In human terms a 1-gallon tank was probably like a 8' x 8' room. We finally decided to get the Betta a new home, and a few friends. We began looking at a 3-gallon Eclipse. When we learned the 1" of fish to 1-gallon of water rule we decided to get a larger tank, partly because of all the beautiful fish we saw at our LFS.

In a span of about a week we went from looking at a 3-gallon, to a 6-gallon, to a 12-gallon tank, and finally settled on a 29-gallon model. But after we saw the price, especially for a setup that would allow us to grow plants, it was clear that wasn't going to happen. After realizing we would probably have to buy a 6 or 12-gallon tank with no stand, I decided to check craigslist. Miraculously, I found and ad for a 29-Gallon Bio-Cube with stand, the same one that was going for $450 new at Foster & Smith. The ad was only about 2 hours old and was placed early Sunday morning. 

The asking price was $100. I quickly emailed the seller to see if it was available. Later that day, my wife and I drove to the seller's home to inspect the Biocube. When we arrived we discovered that it had been used as a marine tank and had dried coral and salt all over it. The filtration system was covered in thick coral and the tank was filled with muck. The fans weren't working either, but structurally the tank seemed to be in pretty good shape. It was going to need a lot of work though.

My wife and I purchased the tank and spent the last week cleaning it. We removed nearly all of the coral thanks to member recommendations. We repaired the fans and ordered (1) 10,000K and (1) 6,700 K bulb to replace the actinic bulbs, again thanks to help from forum members. Today, we began receiving some of the stuff we needed to setup the tank, including Eco-complete, a Theo heater, a piece of Mopani driftwood, a digital thermometer, a gardening tool, fish food, a test strip kit, and a few other items.

So that's the background and here's where we are. I'd like to thank all the members who have helped educate, entertain, and advise me, and I look forward to sharing some of my aquatic adventures with you, so fasten your seat belts folks. Here we go...

Kelly


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

As I mentioned in my first post, earlier today we received a beautiful piece of Mopani driftwood. We were going to boil it to bemove the tannins, but it wouldn't fit in our largest stock pot. My wife spent all afternoon boiling water and pouring it into a 5-gallon bucket to help clean the driftwood. 

We basically placed the driftwood in a 5-gallon bucket, poured boiling water over it until the bucket was full, placed a lid on top of the bucket and let it soak for 2 hours at a time, then repeated the process. I believe we're now on the fourth bucket of boiling water. BTW, above the bucket you can see the betta in his 1-gallon tank.


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## TwFG2 (Mar 2, 2010)

So the betta will now live in a 28 gallon tank? Big upgrade from a 1 gallon.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Okay, here are a few photos of the tank after it was cleaned. As you can see, the only problem is the plastic back. Although the vinegar and water removed most of the salt and coral from the tank, the back is still stained, which looks pretty bad to me. When you add water it's not quite as bad, but it's still noticeable.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

TwFG2 said:


> So the betta will now live in a 28 gallon tank? Big upgrade from a 1 gallon.


Yes, the betta will be hitting the lottery very soon. Our plan is to landscape the tank tomorrow night, add the plants and DIY CO2, and let the tank acclimate for about a week. Next, we'll add a few "betta compatible" fish to the new tank, give it a few more days, then introduce the betta. BTW, the reason we're adding the other fish to the new tank first is we think the betta will be less aggressive if he thinks he's in somebody else's tank.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Here's the list of plants we ordered from aquariumplants.com. They should be arriving tomorrow via FedEx. I'm beginning to think we purchased too many. The Biocube is a very tall tank and is only about 20" wide. We'll see tomorrow.

*Background*
(4) Bacopa Carolinas
(3) Rotala Roundifolis
(1) Tiger Lotus (centerpiece plant)

*On Driftwood
*(1) Anubias Barteri Nana

*Mid-ground
*(3) Walkerii Crypts

*Left Foreground
*(10) Dwarf Subulatas

*Right Foreground
*(5) Dwarf Baby Tears


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

I'm thinking we might be able to hide the discolored plastic with some taller background plants. I know the Bacopa and Rotala will reach that height, but that will probably take a few months. What do you think about adding a few larger Amazon Swords to hide the faded plastic?


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Here's a shot of the driftwood after the third bucket of boiling water and eight hours later. Man, this is a slow process.


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## Niyona (Feb 20, 2010)

Looking Great! What a fantastic deal on a biocube!!!


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## Powchekny (Jan 25, 2010)

I think a moss wall is the answer to the stained back of your biocube.

tom


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

That's an interesting idea. How would I pull that off?


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## londonloco (Aug 25, 2005)

I'm jealous. I love those tanks and saw the ad on CL also...but I'm in NOVA and it was a 3hour drive for me! 

I have a 120g that I had set up on a reef for 5+ years, last Sept I converted it to a planted tank. Does the back of your cube still have coraline deposits on it? The back of my tank had purple coraline algae all over the black plastic overflows. The purple surface came off leaving a white deposit film. I got the white deposits off my overflows by soaking the tank in vinegar overnight, lowering the water slowly as I scraped off the deposits using a painters tool. It's basically a scraper with a sharp edge. Using that tool and keeping the area you are scraping in water was the key. After I was done getting the deposits off, the black plastic overflows were lighter on some spots, but more grey looking, def not white. 

I had the same senerio with one of my yungins and a betta. I ended up buying the 3g eclilpse for him, and he's been living there for over a year. I wouldn't put a betta in a tank with any other fish. Their long fins attract most fish to nip at them. In my experience they end up dying w/in a couple of months.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Wow, small world.  

I soaked the tank for several days, but admittedly I was less aggressive on the back, only because it's plastic and I didn't want to damage it. What's weird is the filtration system in the back seemed to be covered with the same hardened stuff, but was easily removed. I'm wondering if the Actinic lights fused the coral to the plastic, or maybe I simply didn't leave the vinegar in long enough.

When you fill the tank with the water, the white turns to a light gray, but I'd still wish it were gone. Do you think I should try the vinegar again? I might be able to lay the tank on it's back and soak it with some full strength vinegar. The problem is the plants are due to arrive today so I don't have a lot of time to do much, but I am willing to try if you think it'll work.


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## londonloco (Aug 25, 2005)

I'm sure it will come off with enough scraping, but you're right, I was nervous about cracking the plastic also. Not sure I would turn the tank on it's side, I'd be a tad nervous about that. You'd have to make sure all the vinegar was out of the tank, I would soak it another night, scrape, then to get the vinegar out, soak it overnight again. Since you don't have much time, I'd let it go. The plants from aquariumplants.com would probably be fine in water for a day or two, but I wouldn't chance that either.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

londonloco said:


> I had the same senerio with one of my yungins and a betta. I ended up buying the 3g eclilpse for him, and he's been living there for over a year. I wouldn't put a betta in a tank with any other fish. Their long fins attract most fish to nip at them. In my experience they end up dying w/in a couple of months.


Yeah, I've heard that. We're going to try, but if it doesn't work out we'll probably get a 3-gallon Eclipse too.


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## Powchekny (Jan 25, 2010)

Moss wall link

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/.../69268-new-take-old-technique-moss-walls.html


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Cool. Thanks. BTW, I was also thinking about this: http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+6635+19783&pcatid=19783 or this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrSdYK5El_8&feature=related but by the time it arrives, I'd have to drain the tank again to install it.


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## Powchekny (Jan 25, 2010)

See if you can find some pictures of mature moss walls. They're really impressive when they're all grown out.

Tom


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Unfortunately, my wife doesn't like the moss.  

What about this? She suggested I get one of those blue or printed backgrounds they sell at the LPS and attach it to the plastic with a thin layer of silicone. The trick is making the filtration hole cutouts. What do you think about that? Can that stuff be placed IN the tank?


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

kcrossley said:


> Unfortunately, my wife doesn't like the moss.
> 
> What about this? She suggested I get one of those blue or printed backgrounds they sell at the LPS and attach it to the plastic with a thin layer of silicone. The trick is making the filtration hole cutouts. What do you think about that? Can that stuff be placed IN the tank?


 
I wouldn't, if you want it black again lightly sand it sand paper. Go out and get a can of Krylon Fusion Black spray paint, tape off the glass nad eveything really well and spray a few coats on letting dry inbetween and then let dry for a solid 24-48 hours before you add water.

Krylon Fusion spray paint is fish safe and has been used for a long time by the salt water guys and if its good for them its good for us. I've used it to hide intakes and returns before.

Craig


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Craigthor said:


> Go out and get a can of Krylon Fusion Black spray paint, tape off the glass nad eveything really well and spray a few coats on letting dry inbetween and then let dry for a solid 24-48 hours before you add water.
> 
> Krylon Fusion spray paint is fish safe and has been used for a long time by the salt water guys and if its good for them its good for us. I've used it to hide intakes and returns before.
> 
> Craig


Craig, you're a genius! My local Ace Hardware store has it. Today, I looked at getting everything from a piece of custom fabricated plastic to attaching pieces of slate with silicone. I like your idea MUCH better, plus it's a lot cheaper. Would you go with a matte or satin finish or does it really matter? Do you think 48 hours drying time is sufficient? 

BTW, how long will live plants keep? I'm expecting my shipment today and obviously I'll need to paint the tank first. I may be able to fill a small 10-gallon cheap tank up with a little Eco-complete and temporarily plant everything. What do you think?


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

kcrossley said:


> Craig, you're a genius! Today, I looked at getting everything from a piece of custom fabricated plastic to attaching pieces of slate with silicone. I like your idea MUCH better, plus it's a lot cheaper. Do you think 48 hours drying time is sufficient?
> 
> BTW, how long will live plants keep? I'm expecting my shipment today and obviously I'll need to paint the tank first. I may be able to fill a small 10-gallon cheap tank up with a little Eco-complete and temporarily plant everything. What do you think?


 
If you have a small tank or even a rubbermaid tub will work put the plants in if you can add some substrate that would be better as the plants won't shadow each other out as much. Then put a clamp on lamp from the hardware store over it with a 13-26 watt CFL bulb and they will be fine for several days. 

48 hours is plenty of time to cure out the paint as long as its not freezing where the tank is at. If you do it in a warm area 65+ it shouldn't be a problem, you could probably get 4-5 coats on in a days time as it doesn't need to dry completely inbetween just before you add the water.

Craig


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

As far as finish its not going to matter much as its under water and will eventaulyl probably get some bio film build up on it.

Craig


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Craig, I found some Krylon Fusion at my local Ace Hardware store. When I told them what I was going to do with it, they advised against it. That made me nervous, so I called Krylon and the official answer was it's not supported. However, they said that if I do use it as I've described they recommend I give the paint a full week to cure. Is that right? That seems like a long time. Do you know any saltwater folks you could ask?

Also, since the back of the tank was coated in corraline algae, do you think the Krylon will stick or should I give it a light sanding first?

Thanks!


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

kcrossley said:


> Craig, I found some Krylon Fusion at my local Ace Hardware store. When I told them what I was going to do with it, they advised against it. That made me nervous, so I called Krylon and the official answer was it's not supported. However, they said that if I do use it as I've described they recommend I give the paint a full week to cure. Is that right? That seems like a long time. Do you know any saltwater folks you could ask?
> 
> Also, since the back of the tank was coated in corraline algae, do you think the Krylon will stick or should I give it a light sanding first?
> 
> Thanks!


 
You could hit up any of the reef forums. I've used it for more then a year myself. I would give it a light sanding first personally. 48 hours should be more then enough I usually only wait 24 hours myself.

Craig


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

48 hours would be much better because of the plants. By the way, I stopped by HD and picked up two of those light clamps and a Rubbermaid container as you advised. The plants have arrived. 

I was going to take some of the Eco-complete and create a planting base in the container, plant all of the plants, fill it up with dechlorinated water, and attached the clamp lights with CF bulbs. Does that sound right?

Also, I take it I should leave the potted plants in the pots. What about the ones with exposed roots?


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

kcrossley said:


> 48 hours would be much better because of the plants. By the way, I stopped by HD and picked up two of those light clamps and a Rubbermaid container as you advised. The plants have arrived.
> 
> I was going to take some of the Eco-complete and create a planting base in the container, plant all of the plants, fill it up with dechlorinated water, and attached the clamp lights with CF bulbs. Does that sound right?
> 
> Also, I take it I should leave the potted plants in the pots. What about the ones with exposed roots?


sounds right, i would leaveth potted plants potted till you actually go to plant your tank. Any loose stems could be put into the substrate. If they come with the lead weights leave those on as it will hold the plants down wihtout needing to stick them in the substrate atleast till you platn the tank again.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

We successfully moved all the plants we received today to a temporary holding tank. A few observations from a total newbie. Of all the plants we received, the one my wife and I like the best are the Anubias, for two reasons, they're easy to work with and they stay grounded. 

We spent about 10 minutes placing the Dwarf Subutala. Every time we'd get one in position, two would float to the top. Also, the Crypts look pretty skimpy and unexciting to us, not at all what we envisioned. Hopefully, they'll look better once they start to grow. The dwarf baby tears are really cool, as are the Rotala Indicia (pink leaved plants). The Tiger Lotus is a bulb right now.

Although unplanned, this was actually a good exercise to go through because it gave my wife and I a little practice.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

After seeing how little contrast there is between the Eco-Complete and the driftwood I may look at using another object for the focal point. Any suggestions?


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## dacrax07 (Jan 10, 2009)

I've always loved anubias, all types. that betta will love his new tank.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

I just asked my wife what happens if the new fish don't get along with the betta and she said we're getting rid of the new fish. I didn't know she had grown that attached to him.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

It's going to be a few days before I move the plants from the temporary container to the Biocube so I decided to get the Red Sea CO2 going, test the Hydor Theo heater, and try out the Red Sea CO2 Tester, which is really blue right now. How long will it take the Red Sea CO2 to get going?


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## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

i think this should be a good tank setup! subscribed!


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## JennaH (Sep 28, 2009)

my red sea indicator usually takes a few hours to change... haha i like how you planted all the plants in the temporary holding container.. you prob just could have let them float, i'll leave clippings floating in my tank for weeks before i decide what to do with them.. tons of people use the krylon fusion spray paint on their intakes/outakes without any issues.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

I just checked my chemistry for the temporary holding container using a Jungle 6 Tests in 1 Strip: http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4494

Here's where we are:
Nitrate: 0
Nitrite: 0
Hardness: 75
Chlorine: 0
Alkalinity: 300
PH: 8.4

Should I be concerned with any of these readings? Also, since the plants have been in a UPS box for two days, how long should I leave the lights on them?


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## Reginald2 (Mar 10, 2009)

The water looks fine. I am a little surprised there is no ammonia test. Do you have any fish in there? If there isn't anything moving water around, the CO2 may have trouble getting distributed. 

Have you already painted the back? I wonder how it would look after getting lightly sanded with some 220+. You may want to give it a good sanding, with some high grit sandpaper and look at it wet.

Looks like you are well on your way to a happy fish. It makes me want a biocube now. I look forward to seeing how this one turns out.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

No fish yet, which is why I didn't test for ammonia. No, I haven't painted the back yet. Several people have suggested sanding it because it's black all the way through. I may try that before attempting the paint job.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Went to Animal Jungle today in Virginia Beach. What an awesome store! We found some rocks to go with our aquascape and saw hundreds of beautiful fish. We'll definitely be going back when the tank is ready for some inhabitants.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Well it took about 5 days, but I think we've soaked out most of the tannins in the driftwood we purchased.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

I was in my LPS this weekend and I came across a really cool 3-D background made out of fiberglass. I decided that rather than paint the discolored plastic back of my Biocube, I'm going to install this stuff instead.

The first step was cutting the product to size. Next, I needed to come up with a way to redirect the filtration flow. Since cutting holes is MUCH easier than making square cuts, I decided to do that. To improve the filter flow and make sure the filter is not pulling water from behind the background, I'm gluing two pieces of PVC to the Biocube ABS plastic back with Super Glue Gel. Once dried, I'll seal the PVC with caulk, as well as the edges of the background. 

If anyone has any ideas, suggestions, or concerns, please feel free to post them. I can use all the help I can get. I am concerned about altering the flow of the filtration system, but hopefully it'll be okay.

Thanks,
Kelly


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

BTW, I'm running out of space for photos. What do I do about that?


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

kcrossley said:


> BTW, I'm running out of space for photos. What do I do about that?


Delete some pictures or become a paying member of the site. You can also use an off site photo hosting site to store pictures and link them over.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Do you think I should use clear or black caulk to seal the sides and bottom of the background? My wife was concerned that the clear might yellow over time.


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

Can't say I have ever seen a tank with yellow silicone from age, maybe blue or green from certain meds....


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Yeah, me either. I think she's thinking about regular household caulk and probably the cheap stuff. At first I was going to use black, but I'm thinking clear might work better. BTW, take a look at the photos I just posted. Do you see any issues with my plan of action or anything you would do differently? Thanks for your help.


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

kcrossley said:


> Yeah, me either. I think she's thinking about regular household caulk and probably the cheap stuff. At first I was going to use black, but I'm thinking clear might work better. BTW, take a look at the photos I just posted. Do you see any issues with my plan of action or anything you would do differently? Thanks for your help.


 
Personally I wouldn't even mess with the PVC askign for trouble in the long run. I would just silicone the background really well including around the holes you cut and possibly smear the silicone around the cut edges, would look best if you do what to atleast use black around the holes to hide the opening.

Craig


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

The problem is, and you can't see it from the photos, the background depth around the large holes ranges from .25" to almost 2". Too big to fill with caulk. I also found out that nobody I can find makes a black, aquarium safe, caulk.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

I'm also going to fill the back of the background with Great Stuff for Ponds (which is aquarium safe, according to the manufacturer) to level it out and prevent anything from going behind the background.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Okay, this morning I glued the 2" black ABS tubes to the Biocube back with Oatey ABS glue. These tubes will ensure the filtration system is pulling water in from the tank and not from behind the 3D background.

Next, I placed the 3D background face down on sheets of wax paper to prevent the Great Stuff from sticking to the areas around the background. The white tubes have been wrapped with wax paper as well for the same reason. Since the background has dimension, which can be seen from the sides of the tank, it was important to make sure we filled those hills and valleys with Great Stuff so you wouldn't see behind the background.

The last photo shows the Great Stuff sprayed on. I used another piece of drywall wrapped in wax paper to press the Great Stuff down to even it out. This will help create a solid surface so that stuff doesn't get behind the background and it'll make the background easier to mount to the aquarium. Great Stuff is some really gooey and messy stuff.  The next step is to wait 6-8 hours for it to dry, then trim off the excess with a sharp knife. 

My only fear is that some of the Great Stuff may have seeped down under the background and onto the rock side. Hopefully not, but we'll know later today.


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## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

why did u great stuff the background?


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Three reasons. 

1. To keep stuff from getting behind the background.
2. When looking at a cross section of the background, there are a lot of hills and valleys, which would have been visible from the sides of the tank.
3. To provide a flatter surface for attaching the background to the aquarium.


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## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

i get 1 but i dont get reasons 2 and 3. u dont like texture?


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Keep in mind that what you're looking at is the back of the background, not the front.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

kcrossley said:


> My only fear is that some of the Great Stuff may have seeped down under the background and onto the rock side. Hopefully not, but we'll know later today.


Good news. I didn't get any Great Stuff on the front, but I missed a few areas on the side and top so now I have to buy another can for touchup.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Okay, things are finally moving along. I finished applying the second coat of Great Stuff! for Ponds and trimmed off all the excess material. Next, I applied DAP Aquarium Sealer around the inflow extension tubes and used some of the same silicone to glue the background to the Biocube's ABS back. The wood is holding down the side that was lifting up.


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## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

kcrossley said:


> Keep in mind that what you're looking at is the back of the background, not the front.


HAHAHA OOOOOPS!!! wow thanks for letting me know i was like. what shes doing is stupid! but it makes sense to her!


:hihi:


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

After this has set for a while, I'm going to run a bead of DAP along the bottom edge, which will be covered by Eco-complete.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Craigthor said:


> Delete some pictures or become a paying member of the site. You can also use an off site photo hosting site to store pictures and link them over.


Still running out of space, even though I'm a member. Will the linked photos be just a URL link or will they actually show up in the thread?


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

kcrossley said:


> Still running out of space, even though I'm a member. Will the linked photos be just a URL link or will they actually show up in the thread?


 
All mine are hosted off site..... As long as you can get and IMG link they should show up here.

Craig


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Craigthor said:


> All mine are hosted off site..... As long as you can get and IMG link they should show up here.
> 
> Craig


Is there a particular service you like?


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

I'm trying to decide on whether I should run a bead of caulk along both sides where the edge of the background meets the glass, and around the extended inflow tubes. I talked to Stuart Dunn, the owner of Universal Rocks today, the manufacturer of the background, and he said it could get a little messy. Still, I'd like to try to keep as much debris as possible from getting on the sides and behind the background.

What do you guys think?


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## VincentK (Dec 16, 2009)

kcrossley said:


> Is there a particular service you like?


If you're asking what website to upload photos, then I think most people, including myself, use www.photobucket.com it's great, when you upload a picture, it gives you a link under the photo, or you can just look on the journal sticky.


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## jinx© (Oct 17, 2007)

Cool looking start. Something you could try on the seams and filter tubes, is to apply some of your silicone and then sprinkle/press some similarly colored sand/gravel onto it before it cures.
I've done it on past projects and it worked pretty well to tidy things up.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Okay, here's the latest. On 3/16/10 I setup the new tank. Here are a few shots of the aquascaping. 

Please note that if you're new to aquascaping, like me, it helps to have a spray bottle close at hand to keep the plants moist while positioning them. Be sure to fill the spray bottle with chlorine free water.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Although it's hard to tell from the photos above, the aquascape has a slight incline from front to back. To ensure the plants weren't dislodged when filing the tank with water, I used Oliver Knott's newspaper technique. Normally, Oliver places plastic over the newspaper prior to filing the tank but I didn't have any available so I just used the newspaper by itself. By the way, this technique really works. 

I'll take some photos of the filled and stocked tank tomorrow.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Here are some of the latest photos. I know it's a small tank, but what do you think of my aquascape so far?


































BTW, I'm still getting use to this camera. I use to have a Canon SD550, which I loved, but now I'm using a Lumix DMC-ZS3 and I haven't quite figured it out.  BTW, all plants are from AP and all fish are from Petsmart.


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

Can you stand the wood on the right up at all? Would be nice if it was taller in the tank.

Craig


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## thewesterngate (Jan 22, 2010)

I love the 'mini-iwagumi' in the corner.  Nice start.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Craigthor said:


> Can you stand the wood on the right up at all? Would be nice if it was taller in the tank.
> 
> Craig


I was going to do that but the Mrs. wouldn't let me. I agree, it needs something vertical. I may try to find another piece of driftwood that's more interesting, and taller.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

thewesterngate said:


> I love the 'mini-iwagumi' in the corner.  Nice start.


Thanks.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

How is my plant placement? Are there any plants that may create a problem later? I know the Tiger Lotus is going to be an issue and maybe the Anubias on the driftwood.


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## VadimShevchuk (Sep 19, 2009)

nice! great start.


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## VadimShevchuk (Sep 19, 2009)

Btw great background! =d


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## RipariumGuy (Aug 6, 2009)

I think it looks great! I would let the plants grow and see what needs to be changed. Keep it up!


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Thanks. Here's a slightly different angle, which gives a better perspective of the plants. It's hard to tell, but there are three Crypts behind the driftwood. Putting them there was probably a mistake. I'll have to give that some more thought. I'm also thinking about moving the larger Anubias to the back of the tank and replacing it with the smaller one.


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## knm<>< (Mar 18, 2010)

londonloco said:


> I wouldn't put a betta in a tank with any other fish. Their long fins attract most fish to nip at them. In my experience they end up dying w/in a couple of months.


You can keep a beta with all kinds of other fish. They don't all nip fins. I've kept betas successfully in a community aquariums. I have one in my new planted tank right now.

HA! I didn't realize how much time passed since I read that. (Somebody is reeeeaaaallllyyy slow today...)


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## VadimShevchuk (Sep 19, 2009)

lol


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

knm<>< said:


> You can keep a beta with all kinds of other fish. They don't all nip fins. I've kept betas successfully in a community aquariums. I have one in my new planted tank right now.


Yep, our Betta has been in the tank for about 3 days and he's doing fine. He seems to get along with all the fish and nobody is bothering him. Quite frankly, he's huge when compared with his tank mates, so if it were me, I'd leave him alone too. 

Occasionally, the Betta will go after the Red Eye Tetras, but they're way too fast. I've also noticed that he's pretty lazy. He loves to sit on the plants and frequently hangs out in the upper filter intake, which concerns me a little. Every now and again I'll hear the filter making a bubbling noise. When I look the Betta has blocked the intake. He always manages to get out though. I don't think he's crazy about the current. He's much more active when we turn the pump off.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

BTW, my plants are pearling like crazy! I didn't realize it until today when I turned off the pump. It's really cool. I'll try to capture some video later this week.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

I just took some water readings. Here are the results:

Ammonia: 0
pH: 7.6
High Range pH: 7.4
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0

How can I tell when my tank has cycled?


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## MrThree (Sep 29, 2009)

How long has the tank been running? If the Ammonia and Nitrite, ate levels have had a peek and then receded to the present levels, you should be done cycling.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

MrThree said:


> How long has the tank been running? If the Ammonia and Nitrite, ate levels have had a peek and then receded to the present levels, you should be done cycling.


About 10 days and no, it hasn't peaked yet. Should I still be doing routine water changes or do I wait for the tank to peak?


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## Captivate05 (Feb 23, 2010)

I think your tank is beautiful! AWESOME deal on the Biocube, even if it needed some of work. They make such nice tanks...

When my tanks are cycling, I monitor the Ammo, Nitrite, and Nitrate daily. The plants will really help in keeping the water quality better than if you didn't have them. It will still take your tank about a month or so to fully cycle. When your tank is cycled, your ammo and nitrite will stay at a stable 0, but you should have some nitrate. Obviously not a lot, but it will show that your bio filter is established. 

I'm new to the planted tank scene, so I don't know how long it takes or what the parameters are with these tanks. But I've cycled many a tank before without plants. I find they take upwards of 6 to 8 weeks to fully cycle, and at the end I get usually get 0 ammo, 0 nitrite, ~10 nitrate.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Yesterday, my stock Biocube pump became louder and started spewing micro bubbles. With the Biocube design, this is usually a sign the water in the sump is running low. To better understand how all this works, here's a diagram of how the water flows in the Biocube's filtration system. Basically, the Biocube is broken down into three sections from right to left. 

Section 1 is where water enters the filtration system through two intake ports and then passes through a Biocube filter cartridge. This diagram is for a Biocube 14. My 29 is slightly different.
Section 2 contains a removable drip tray at the top and bottom with bio balls sandwiched in between them.
Section 3 is the sump and contains a sponge and pump.










I checked the sump and it seemed fine, but upon closer inspection I found a lot of debris. Quite frankly, that shouldn't happen. Water in section 3 should be relatively clean. 

I checked to see why the filter cartridge in section 1 wasn't working properly and I discovered some of the water from section 1 was bypassing the filter cartridge because I had removed the cartridge and replaced it with cheap pond filter media instead to save a few bucks. Apparently this was happening because I didn't cut the pond filter wide enough. 

When I removed the pump, the amount and type of debris wasn't enough to restrict the impeller, so the only conclusion I can make is the pump is failing. Not bad considering it's been used for the last three years in a saltwater tank.

Today, I decided to make the following modifications to improve upon the Biocube design, especially for use as a planted aquarium. All of the mods listed below have been done by other Biocube owners, so nothing I'm relaying is original.

*BIOCUBE FILTRATION SYSTEM MODIFICATIONS*
1: Replaced the stock pump with a Maxi-Jet 900.
Why? Less noise, old pump was failing.

2: Removed small plastic tab between section 1 and 2.
Why? Improve water flow.










3: Removed permanent filter tray in section 1 (see diagram above).
Why? Extra depth allows me to hide my submersible heater in filtration section 1, which is out of sight of aquarium viewers.

4: Removed drip trays and bio balls in section 2 and replaced them with the following media:
Top: (1) 100 ml bag of Purigen and (1) 10 oz. bag of Chemi-pure Charcoal
Middle: (1) 17.63 oz bag of Fluval Biomax Filter Media
Bottom: (1) AquaClear 110 Foam Filter Insert
Why? Better biological, chemical, and mechanical filtration.

5: Inserted Biocube Mini UV Sterilizer in section 3.
Why? Kills free floating algae, parasites, and harmful bacteria.

I also moved a few of the plants around and did a 25% water change. My fish are pretty well stressed out so that's all I'm doing tonight. Comments, suggestions, and advice are always welcome. I'll post a few photos sometime tomorrow.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

I just realized I may have the biological and chemical stages reversed. See modification #4 above. Does it matter which is on the top?


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

Great looking tank! Love the background and your scape. Your Betta must very happy to have a new home


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

funkyfish said:


> Great looking tank! Love the background and your scape. Your Betta must very happy to have a new home


Yep, I don't think he's ever been this active. Plus, he likes chasing the red eye tetras, which are way too fast for him. I can't figure out why he singled those guys out though.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Yesterday, I made some filtration changes to my Biocube. The only problem with the mods are now there's a 3-4" drop from where the water flows into section 2 (see diagram in post 84.) which is creating a noisy waterfall effect. I've temporary placed a piece of 1/2" filter foam at an angle to eliminate the noise.

Should I add an additional AquaClear 110 Foam Insert, which is 10 x 4 x 4 inches, on top of the existing one or should I add some additional Fluval Biomax. If so, how will that affect my Maxi-Jet 900?


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## knm<>< (Mar 18, 2010)

In a planted tank, I would add more mechanical filtration than biological, as your plants provide plenty of that. In your case add more foam. It should not affect flow enough to harm your pump. People have crammed tons more mechanical filtration in their systems than this and it doesn't hurt flow. As long as water can get through whatever you put in the filter, there won't be any problems.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

knm<>< said:


> In a planted tank, I would add more mechanical filtration than biological, as your plants provide plenty of that. In your case add more foam. It should not affect flow enough to harm your pump. People have crammed tons more mechanical filtration in their systems than this and it doesn't hurt flow. As long as water can get through whatever you put in the filter, there won't be any problems.


Okay, additional foam it is. Where should I place the additional foam? Here's what my setup looks like so far:

Chemical (Charcoal/Purigen)
Biological (Fluval Biomax) 
Mechanical (AquaClear 110)

Thanks.


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## knm<>< (Mar 18, 2010)

I would sandwich the other media between the two pieces of foam. that way you can catch most of the debris before it gets to your purigen, charcoal and biomax. Then the second piece can get anything that snuck through before your pump sends it back to the tank. Make sense?


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## Whiskeyfox (Oct 16, 2009)

I was looking at these biocube's before i settled on my 20L specifically for betta community. After some research I did end up buying a 8g cube, took it home and powered it up --- it sounded like a freight train in my living room so i boxed it up and took it back to the store. However, i did have some ideas about what i might do if i decided to keep it, which was: I would have removed the entire plastic wall and all the filitration behind it. I would have cut into the lighting lid to make room for in/out canister filter tubes and co2. That way the filtration is down in the cabinet and i have more room for plants/livestock. So that's my idea for you... remove that back wall and chunk out all that proprietary filtration and just buy yourself a canister filter of your choice.


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## bigboij (Jul 24, 2009)

looking good but had i found a cube it would have been my doorway into a marine tank


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

bigboij said:


> looking good but had i found a cube it would have been my doorway into a marine tank


Yeah, I thought a planted tank would be cheaper. Boy, was I wrong.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

knm<>< said:


> I would sandwich the other media between the two pieces of foam. that way you can catch most of the debris before it gets to your purigen, charcoal and biomax. Then the second piece can get anything that snuck through before your pump sends it back to the tank. Make sense?


Yep, makes perfect sense. Thanks.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Whiskeyfox said:


> I was looking at these biocube's before i settled on my 20L specifically for betta community. After some research I did end up buying a 8g cube, took it home and powered it up --- it sounded like a freight train in my living room so i boxed it up and took it back to the store.


Yep, fan noise is definitely a problem with the Biocube design. The fans Oceanic Systems uses are pretty loud. I'm researching some quieter fans now. I believe Evercool makes a pretty quiet fan. I'll likely make a fan mod sometime in the future.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

knm<>< said:


> I would sandwich the other media between the two pieces of foam. that way you can catch most of the debris before it gets to your purigen, charcoal and biomax. Then the second piece can get anything that snuck through before your pump sends it back to the tank. Make sense?


The filtration mods I made were putting way too much stress on the pump and were not working as intended, so here's what I decided to do:

*Right Section*
Reinstalled Filter Cartridge (temporarily). I had my hands in the tank all night so I figured a little charcoal is probably good. Tomorrow, I'll likely remove the charcoal.

*Middle Section* (from top down)
AquaClear 110 Sponge Insert (2" thick) - MECHANICAL <--I cut this in half from 4"
Pondmaster 3 Fine Polyester Media (1/2" thick) - MECHANICAL
Bio balls (only about 3/4 of them) - BIOLOGICAL
Fluval Biomax Media in nylon sock (appx. 2" thick) - BIOLOGICAL <--From previous setup. May have existing good bacteria on it.
Removable drip tray (re-inserted)

*Left Section
*Inserted (1) Bag of Purigen <-- All water now has to flow through the Purigen. No getting around it.
Cut existing vertical sponge in 1/2 vertically to allow space for purigen bag and to help hold the bag in place.

Because of these mods, water in all three sections is now at the same level. 

Normally, water in the middle and right sections are at the same height as the tank water level. The water level in the leftmost section, which houses the pump, is much lower, probably half the height of the tank water level. That's because normally the Biocube uses a wet/dry filtration system that relies on gravity and suction to help the water flow through the filter cartridge. The water then trickles downward into the middle section, through the bio balls, and into the left section where it is pumped back into the tank. I believe the trickling process was adding additional oxygen and fizzing out a lot of the CO2 I was injecting, which made it difficult to get my CO2 levels up during the photoperiod. This is just a theory. We'll see what happens this week.

As of this morning, water flow seems to be good and water clarity is much, much better. I'll update my journal with some new photos later this week.


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

Hdre you go jsut what you need another upgrade:

http://www.nanotuners.com/product_info.php?products_id=619&osCsid=iccfrl6dp261dadoledv44ku92

Craig


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Craig, my wife just saw your post and she said you're an "enabler". 

Just kidding. I did see that. Thanks for sharing it. 

Besides, I think one of these are my next purchase:
http://www.nanotuners.com/product_info.php?products_id=278
http://www.nanotuners.com/product_info.php?products_id=376


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

kcrossley said:


> Craig, my wife just saw your post and she said you're an "enabler".
> 
> Just kidding. I did see that. Thanks for sharing it.
> 
> ...


Tell her there is nothing wrong with me being an "enabler"!  Those SilenX are really nice a buddy locally ordered them and the LED setup for his BC29 Reef tank. His LEDs should be here this week!

Craig


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

I just tested my water and aside from the pH, everything remains the same as it did 7 days ago:

Ammonia: 0
pH: 7.2 (.4 lower)
High Range pH: 7.4
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0

How will I know when the biological filter is starting to kick in?


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

You'll have visible nitrates. In a cycle it goes the following:

Ammonia -> Nitrites -> Nitrates


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Thanks Craig. I just found a video on YouTube that explains the cycling process as well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYMzhUDicxQ

How does Purigen factor into the cycling process? Is it safe to use during cycling or should it be removed?


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## CamoCustom (Apr 5, 2010)

I think you did a fine job on your cube. I just switched mine over to HOPEFULLY a planted tank. I had a reef, and lost all, so decided to take my hand at plants!


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

kcrossley said:


> How does Purigen factor into the cycling process? Is it safe to use during cycling or should it be removed?


I'd keep chemical media (Purigen, carbon, zeolite) out of the tank while cycling, they can pull the ammonia out of the water and interfere with the development of your bacteria colonies.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Hello all. Sorry for the delay in updating my journal. Here's the latest. Last week I continued to modify my filtration system and I'm finally happy with it. Here's a diagram of what it use to look like. Keep in mind this is a diagram of a Biocube 14. My 29 is slightly different. 










And, here's where we are. I have the sections listed in order of water flow, which is right to left:

*Right Section* (water inflow)
Removed Biocube filter cartridge
Removed permanent filter tray
Theo 100 WattHeater
CO2 Diffuser
Small airstone <-- will add later this week

*Middle Section* (from top down)
RENA Filstar xP Micro Filtration (.5" thick) <-- Just did a water change. This is temporary.
AquaClear 110 Sponge Insert (2" thick)
Pondmaster 3 Fine Polyester Media (1/2" thick) - MECHANICAL
Bio balls (only 3/4 of what came with the Biocube) - BIOLOGICAL
Fluval Biomax Media in nylon sock (appx. 2" thick) - BIOLOGICAL 
Removable drip tray (Bottom only. Top drip tray is not used.)

*Left Section* (water outflow)
(1) Bag of Purigen <-- Placed where sponge use to be in diagram. 
Maxi-Jet 1100 pump (stock pump was 243 GPH)
Biocube UV Sterilizer

With the new Maxi-Jet 1100, water flow is MUCH better. Plus, I added a Hydor Flo rotating deflector to help eliminate dead spots in the aquarium. And finally, I removed the bubble wand altogether and will simply use a small airstone to add a little oxygen at night. With these latest mods I've basically removed all equipment from the main tank. I'll probably place the airstone in the right compartment with the heater and CO2 diffuser. If anyone sees any flaws with my setup, please post them here.

I'll try to take a few photos later today.


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## CamoCustom (Apr 5, 2010)

Thats what I forgot at the store the other day!!! Aquaclear sponge for the 110/500!! Thanks for reminding me!

One question, how do you think those biocube UV's will work out? Is it worth my effort and $$ to pick one up?


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

CamoCustom said:


> One question, how do you think those biocube UV's will work out? Is it worth my effort and $$ to pick one up?


Yes, definitely. The Biocube UV Sterilizer has kept my water crystal clear, plus it's nice to know it kills bad bacteria.


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## CamoCustom (Apr 5, 2010)

what about the aftermarket pump? whats the min-max flow rate through that little uv? I would hope it would be at least good enough for algae control.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Not sure. Since the Biocube 29 stock pump is 243 GPH, the Oceanic sterilizer is probably designed to work with a 243 GPH rate of flow, which should be close to the flow rate of the MJ-1100, once you factor in the filtration mods I made. I currently have my MJ-1100 set to the highest rate of flow.

I really didn't have any major problems with algae until I ran out of RO water and used tap water. Also, initially my CO2 was set way too low, which encouraged algae growth.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Here are photos of my tank when I first planted it, and then about 3-4 weeks later.

*BEFORE*









*AFTER*









As you can see, everything has grown out quite a bit, especially the Rotala Indica, which is now blocking light to the Anubias. You can also see a lot of algae on the rocks in the foreground and on the 3-D background and driftwood. I believe the algae bloom I had was caused by doing a water change with tap water and not injecting enough CO2. 

That is one of the main reasons I purchased my own RO/DI water system. Up until that point I was buying RO water 50 gallons at a time at my not-so-local fish store, some 50 miles away. I would highly recommend an RO system.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

If you've been following my journal, you're probably aware that I had to keep the plants in a temporary holding tank for about a week and a half, while I completed the tank's 3-D background. Because of that, all of the roots of the bunched Rotala Indica I received inter-twined making them impossible to separate, so I planted them in three bunches of about 8 stems each. Unfortunately, that was a huge mistake because the plants became one huge mass of foliage, as seen in the photo above, making it difficult for the fish to swim through it. Plus, some of the stems that were inside the bunches were beginning to die because of lack of light. 

I decided to trim off the tops of the Rotala Indica and the Bacopa, which were much healthier, thin both out, and plant each individual stem approximately 1/4" apart. The fish can now easily navigate through and hide in these plants. I also removed the dead leaves from the other plants and trimmed everything back. 

And finally, I removed the CO2 diffuser from inside the tank viewing area and put it in the back with the filtration system, giving the tank a much cleaner look. Several members have suggested I get a piece of driftwood or stump that is more vertical to take advantage of the tank's height and I agree. That'll be my next major modification. Here is a photo of my old aquascape and several images of my new design.

*OLD AQUASCAPE*









*NEW AQUASCAPE*


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

And here's my GLA Choice CO2 setup, which is housed below the tank.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

And here's my Watergeneral RD-106 RO/DI water system, which is installed below our laundry room sink.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

And finally, here's the RO/DI drinking water faucet, on the left side of the sink, and a photo of my In-Line Dual TDS Monitor.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

If you look at the top left section of this photo, you'll see a tube that goes through the sink cabinet. This is the tube that supplies RO/DI aquarium water. The tube enters the garage, travels approximately 20' and ends in a 23 gallon Rubbermaid Brute trash can, which is where the aquarium water is stored. I'll post pictures of that later this week.

The tank on the right is a holding tank for RO/DI water and is primarily used to provide quick access to drinking water.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

*TIP:*
For those of you getting into this hobby, one thing I've noticed is a lot of experienced aquarist go with long, shallow tanks. After having done this for about a month, now I know why. Although cube designs are really cool, I don't feel they work as well for planted tanks. 

At about 20 inches square, the Biocube doesn't have much horizontal space for a lot of plantings, plus the light has to travel really deep to reach the plants, making it difficult to grow some of the cooler plants like HC. Don't get me wrong, I still love my Biocube, but in the future I'll probably get a tank that's long and shallow.


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## CamoCustom (Apr 5, 2010)

I think your tank looks wonderful. And Sure, those tanks are easier, but whats the fun in easy? LOL Thats why we do Nano and Pico(4 gal or less) tanks with corals and inverts. Not because they are easy, but for the challenge of the hobby.

I like all your setup too, nice and organized. I wish my wires looked like that!


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

CamoCustom said:


> I think your tank looks wonderful. And Sure, those tanks are easier, but whats the fun in easy? LOL Thats why we do Nano and Pico(4 gal or less) tanks with corals and inverts. Not because they are easy, but for the challenge of the hobby.
> 
> I like all your setup too, nice and organized. I wish my wires looked like that!


Thanks Dan. I think I may have a mild case of OCD, or at least that's what my teenage son says, so neatness and organization are usually pretty high on my list when I'm doing something.


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## Green Leaf Aquariums (Feb 26, 2007)

Wow! Everything looks so clean and perfect! Well done with the TDS meter, very slick 
And of coarse your tank is coming along great. I think your OCD will produce a very healthy looking tank


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Thanks Orlando. I couldn't have done this without your help. Have a great day!


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Last night I decided to replace the cheap, noisy fans that came with my Biocube 29 with two new SilenX fans. The stock fans (Coolingstar JT-6015H12S) are rated at 18.92 CFM and have a noise level of <37 db. The ones I replaced them with (SilenX IXP-34-16) are rated at about the same airflow (18 CFM), but only 16 db, effectively cutting the noise in half. 

*WARNING*
This modification involves working with electricity, which can kill you. Only people who are experienced with electricity should attempt this modification. The Biocube hood MUST be unplugged when making these mods to avoid the risk of electrical shock. Altering your Biocube in any way will VOID your factory warranty and is not advised by Oceanic Systems.

*Original Fans*
http://coolingstar.com/allwebenglish/jt6015.htm
*Replacement Fans*
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835191005&Tpk=ixp-34-16

To make this mod, you'll need to remove your Biocube hood from your aquarium, place it upside down on a towel or cloth, to avoid marking the top, then remove the clear plastic housing that protects the lights, fans, and electronics. This is held in place by six phillips head screws.










Here is a photo of the Biocube stock fan (left) and the SilenX replacement fan (right). As you can see the SilenX fan is much thicker than the stock fan. We'll get to that later.









Here's the hood with the left stock fan removed, and another photo showing the right stock fan still installed. I recommend you replace the fans one at a time so you don't get the wiring crossed.

















*WIRING the Fans*
Although I forgot to take a photo of the next step, it's pretty easy. You'll need to remove each stock fan and cut the wire with the connector so it can be used with the SilenX fan. As you can see below, the stock wiring harness has red and black wires, so differentiating the positive (red) and negative (black) is easy. Unfortunately, SilenX uses silver wire, so before you connect the SilenX fan to the stock wiring harness you'll need to determine which lead is positive and which is negative. 










First, cut the SilenX stock connector off the end of the fan wire. Position the fan on it's side so you can see the airflow arrow. Next, separate the three wires coming out of the SilenX fan and strip off the ends. One wire is positive, one is negative, and the last is used to monitor fan speed, which is not needed for this application. To determine the positive and negative wires, simply take a 9V battery and connect each lead until the fan blade spins. Once it does, make sure the airflow is going in the right direction. If it isn't simply reverse the wires. Now that you've determined which wire is positive and which is negative, mark the negative lead with a black Sharpie.

Connect both leads to the stock wiring harness you removed, making sure you wire positive to positive and negative to negative. I used telephone crimp-on wire connectors from Radio Shack. http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103505 Next, plug the modified wiring harness back into the circuit board and repeat the same procedure for the second fan.

*INSTALLING the Fans*
Since the Silenx fans are taller (25mm vs 15mm), you'll need to purchase eight longer screws to replace the stock screws holding the fans in place. The stock screws are #4 x 3/4". Unfortunately, I couldn't find any #4 screws that were 1 1/4" long, so I decided to use #6 x 1 1/4" instead, which I found at my local Ace Hardware Store. 

In order to use #6 screws to mount the SilenX fans, you'll need to carefully increase the size of the plastic posts holding the screws. Be sure not to drill too far or you'll go right through the Biocube hood. After you've modified the posts, carefully mount each fan with the #6 screws. Do not over tighten the screws or you'll break the plastic posts.

*MODIFYING the Reflector*
Since the stock fans are 10 mm's thicker than the replacement fans, you'll need to modify the Biocube reflector as well. This is easily done with straight tin snips. Don't use the tin snips with the curved blade or you'll damage the reflector. Carefully cut the reflector as shown below. The newly cut edges will be sharp and can cut your hand, so be careful. Once you've made both side cuts, you can simply bend the vented portion of the reflector up and down until it break offs.









The last step is to reattach the modified reflector and reinstall the clear plastic housing. 

















That's it! 

Your modified Biocube fans will now be 50% quieter and your airflow will improve slightly because you've removed a part of the reflector which was restricting airflow. If any Biocube owners have any questions about this mod, please post them here and I'll answer them as best I can.


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## CamoCustom (Apr 5, 2010)

Very nice mod. I had that biocube top at one time. And when I had the reef upgraded to the 4x PC bulbs in there, with a new ballast. Very cool for the fans though, I never had an issue with noise from the stock fans, some do though.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

CamoCustom said:


> Very nice mod. I had that biocube top at one time. And when I had the reef upgraded to the 4x PC bulbs in there, with a new ballast. Very cool for the fans though, I never had an issue with noise from the stock fans, some do though.


Thanks. Yeah, on mine the stock fans were really loud and since the aquarium is located in our family room, where our TV is, I needed to fix that.


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## CamoCustom (Apr 5, 2010)

kcrossley said:


> Thanks. Yeah, on mine the stock fans were really loud and since the aquarium is located in our family room, where our TV is, I needed to fix that.


Cant have that now! I know if I cant hear the baseball or football game, the tank would be gone....its also why we have cats over dogs, no noise


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

LOL. Yeah, I know what you mean. We have two dogs. The only time they bark are when:

1. The vacuum cleaner is running.
2. We're unloading the dishwasher. (Loading the dishwasher is okay for some reason)
3. When people are leaving. (Again, arrivals are fine)
4. When the doorbell rings.
5. When somebody sneezes.
6. When they see a squirrel through one of the morning room windows.

Other than that, they're pretty quiet.


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## hbosman (Oct 5, 2006)

kcrossley said:


> Thanks. Yeah, on mine the stock fans were really loud and since the aquarium is located in our family room, where our TV is, I needed to fix that.


Just crank up the volume on the TV. :hihi:

Seriously, great info.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

I forgot to mention that I've been using the Estimative Index (EI) for dosing fertilizers for about six weeks now. Aside from some tank clouding nearly every time I dose Iron Chelate, the EI system seems to be working well. My plants appear to be very healthy. I am getting a little black algae on my Anubias though. Not sure why.

Here are my dosing specifics, along with other info about my setup:

*EI Dosing Schedule*
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
1/16 tsp CSM+B Plantex
1/4 tsp Iron Chelate (Fe)

Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday
1/4 tsp Potasium Nitrate (KN03)
1/16 tsp Mono Potasium Phosphate (KH2P04)
1/16 tsp Potasium Sulphate (K2S04)

Saturday
Off

*Water*
50% Water Change on Sunday
Using RO/DI water with Barr's GH Booster

*Substrate*
Eco-complete

*Equipment*
29 Gallon Biocube with modified stock filtration to eliminate wet/dry chamber
100 watt Theo Heater
5 watt Biocube UV Sterilizer (runs 24/7)
72 watts of light (1) 6,700K, (1) 10,000K (2:00-9:00 pm)
GLA Choice CO2 Regulator
Watergeneral RD-106 RO/DI Reverse Osmosis water system

*Plants*
Bacopa Carolinas
Rotala Roundifolis
Corkscrew Vals
Tiger Lotus 
Anubias Barteri Nana
Dwarf Subulatas
Dwarf Baby Tears

*Fish*
(1) Male Betta
(9) Neon Tetras
(3) Red Eye Tetras
(5) Ottos


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

After re-reading the EI Guidelines http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/fertilizing/15225-estimative-index-dosing-guide.html , I wonder if I should discontinue dosing K2SO4. I'm also wondering if too much Potassium may be causing my tank to cloud after I dose Iron Chelate or maybe I just need to cut the Iron Chelate back a little. 

Any thoughts on any of this?


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## HEINEKEN357 (Feb 10, 2006)

Yes Potassium and iron will react and cause cloudy water within minutes and last almost all day. If you have to dose try adding iron early in the morning and ferts right before your lights go on. This worked for me haven't had cloudy water in months.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

HEINEKEN357 said:


> Yes Potassium and iron will react and cause cloudy water within minutes and last almost all day. If you have to dose try adding iron early in the morning and ferts right before your lights go on. This worked for me haven't had cloudy water in months.


Okay, I'll give it a shot. Thanks for the tip.


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## effox (Mar 29, 2010)

What's the intention of putting your Co2 diffuser in chamber #1 (right side)?

I would highly recommend putting it into chamber 3 on the left, the aeration isn't good for the Co2 from what I've read, which regardless of bioballs or not, will happen to a certain extent in chamber 2.

Personally, I have rigged my Co2 line taped down the water return line, and exiting right at the water pumps intake, so the pump's impeller mixes the water and the Co2 to the point of invisibly.

-Effox



kcrossley said:


> Hello all. Sorry for the delay in updating my journal. Here's the latest. Last week I continued to modify my filtration system and I'm finally happy with it. Here's a diagram of what it use to look like. Keep in mind this is a diagram of a Biocube 14. My 29 is slightly different.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

You have some mad diy skills. Can I send you my marine land hood now?


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

effox said:


> What's the intention of putting your Co2 diffuser in chamber #1 (right side)?
> 
> I would highly recommend putting it into chamber 3 on the left, the aeration isn't good for the Co2 from what I've read, which regardless of bioballs or not, will happen to a certain extent in chamber 2.
> 
> ...


I decided to put the CO2 diffuser in chamber 1 primarily because it had the most space available. In chamber 3 I have the pump, a Biocube UV Sterilizer and a bag of Purigen between the inflow to chamber 3 and the pump. Because of the mods I made, chamber 2 is no longer a wet/dry system, so water is less likely to pickup as much oxygen as the original Oceanic Systems design intended. If I were able to squeeze the diffuser into chamber 3, I don't think there's enough space to put it in front of the pump intake. My recollection is the space available in front of the pump is only about 1/2".

Have you done what you're suggesting with a Biocube?


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

sewingalot said:


> You have some mad diy skills. Can I send you my marine land hood now?


Thanks! Yeah, I like doing this kind of stuff. Unfortunately, not all my DIY projects turn out as well as this one. :thumbsup:


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## BMueller777 (Feb 5, 2008)

nice tank man, i like the set up


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Thanks! 

It's definitely been a challenge. I've learned that this hobby takes a lot of dedication, patience, and trial and error. Hopefully, once I hone my skills it'll be a lot more enjoyable.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Well, just did a 50% water change and trimmed back some plants. Also noticed a LOT of snails. Nice day for a drive, so my wife and I are heading down to Animal Jungle in Virginia Beach to pickup a few Yoyos. http://animaljungle.com/

I'm sure I'll see some other cool stuff as well.


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## CamoCustom (Apr 5, 2010)

Have fun at that store, I sure would love there to be more stores like that around me.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

CamoCustom said:


> Have fun at that store, I sure would love there to be more stores like that around me.


Actually, today was a bad day to buy fish. I decided to call AP before I left and they sold all eight of the Yoyos they had yesterday and the Clown Loaches were sick. I guess we'll try the backup plan, which is putting a slice of cucumber in the tank overnight. Too bad. I was looking forward to going to VA Beach.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Yesterday, we decided to go to Animal Jungle anyway and guess what? They had about seven Yoyos mixed in with another tank that hadn't been labeled. We purchased three of the little guys, plus three Gold Tetras, an Apple Snail, and a really cool piece of driftwood. All in all a pretty good day, although the traffic back was a PITA. So here's my current inventory of fish and plants:

*Fish*
(9) Neon Tetras
(5) Otto
(3) Lampeye Tetras
(3) Gold Tetras
(3) Yoyos
(1) Betta

*Plants*
Dwarf Baby Tears
Dwarf Sagittaria
Rotala Indica
Bacopa Caroliniana
Corkscrew Vallisneria
(1) Tiger Lotus

I'll post some pictures later today.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Tonight I replaced one of the mechanical filters in my filter system with a RENA MicroFilter to remove some of the small particulates. Shortly thereafter I checked the filtration system and discovered one of my new Yoyos swimming around in it. Either he got sucked up through one of the two Biocube intakes or was just curious.

Anyway, I seem to be down one Yoyo. Hopefully, I didn't accidentally throw him away with the old filter media.  

*UPDATE 5/3/10 @ 10:38 PM*
Good news! All three Yoyos have been found and are fine.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Last weekend, I removed a piece of Mopani Driftwood I purchased from Foster & Smith so I could clean the tank. Quite frankly, the driftwood I received from F&S was way to flat and uninteresting, especially for a tank that's 20 inches high. I'm currently soaking a new piece of manzanita driftwood I found at Animal Jungle in Virginia Beach. I also picked up a few critters while I was there. Here are the latest photos. BTW, check out the algae on my background. What type of algae is it? Also, what's the best way to get rid of it?









Here's a closeup of my new Apple Snail. I've watched this crazy critter try two times to get on the Hydor Flo, but he keep's falling off. Luckily his fall is broken by the Rotala Indicia below:









Here's my Betta, who loves his new tank. I frequently see him jet into the Rotala and lodge himself inside of it like a car pulling into a parking space. He's a funny guy and a lot happier now that he's moved out of the 1-gallon tank he spent the last year in.









Here's one of my new yoyos hanging out by the HC and Bacopa.









And here are a few of my neon tetras, two gold tetras, and two red eyes too fast to photograph. My thanks to aquariumplants.com for sending me a RED Tiger Lotus. The last one I received was an ugly deep bronze, which blended into the background too much.


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

This is a neat little tank! OCD indeed!
I like the background - I take it you realized you could hide the diffuser and heater in the back chambers by now?

You seem unhappy with the dimensions. It seems you are using plant species and going for a look that would be better suited by a longer, shallower tank. For this tank though, I'd suggest using more "vertical" plants and less fine-leaved, high light stem plants. I'd use: 
Echinodorus tennellus 'micro' for a taller foreground instead of HC.
Midgrounds like Cryptocorynes, such as wendtii 'green', usteriana, willisii, etc. Keep the Bacopa and move up HM as midgrounds.
Taller background plants like Corkscrew Valisernia or Val. nana. 
Also, Hydrocotyle leucocephala would look just lovely in there - it is so flexible, aquascape-wise, and likes to go "up".
Keep the Tiger lotus for sure though!
Also, have you considered some epiphytes on the rock-wall? Some Anubias nana 'petite' would be just perfect.

Just some ideas anyways!


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

macclellan said:


> This is a neat little tank! OCD indeed!
> I like the background - I take it you realized you could hide the diffuser and heater in the back chambers by now?
> 
> You seem unhappy with the dimensions. It seems you are using plant species and going for a look that would be better suited by a longer, shallower tank. For this tank though, I'd suggest using more "vertical" plants and less fine-leaved, high light stem plants. I'd use:
> ...


Thanks for the suggestions!

I wouldn't say I'm unhappy with the Biocube, I just don't feel it's the best choice for a planted tank. Having said that, and being new to this hobby, it's clear I didn't pick the best plants for this particular tank. I really appreciate you taking the time to give me some plant ideas that will better utilize the space I'm working with.

As for the anubias nana, which is one of my favorite plants, I have several in a temporary holding tank, waiting to be attached to a more vertical piece of manzanita wood that I'm currently soaking to remove some of the tannins. Thanks again for your input!


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Yesterday, I installed an AquaticLife pH controller and replaced the boring, flat mopani wood with a more vertical piece of manzanita wood. I'll post some updated pictures sometime tomorrow. I also tested my water parameters and here's what I got:

*WATER PARAMETERS 5/9/10*
GH: 6
KH: 4
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20
Ammonia: 0
pH: 6.4

The tank has been up since 3/12/10, almost two months. Based on the data from above, it looks like I have a CO2 reading of 47 PPM. http://www.rexgrigg.com/Algae1.html Should I try to dial the CO2 back some? Does everything else look okay?


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## CamoCustom (Apr 5, 2010)

How is pH 6.4 and 7.4, one of the test has to be wrong high range test kit is only for pH's higher than the normal kits


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

I was testing the Nitrate and Ammonia wrong. I've updated the data above.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

CamoCustom said:


> How is pH 6.4 and 7.4, one of the test has to be wrong high range test kit is only for pH's higher than the normal kits


The API pH Color Card goes from 6.0-7.6. The API high range pH color card goes from 7.4 to 8.8, so they are clearly different tests. Thanks for forcing me to read the testing kit instructions more thoroughly, which is what I should have done to begin with.


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## CamoCustom (Apr 5, 2010)

I was just confused at what you previously had posted, almost like you were getting a different reading of different tests.....the High range would show the lowest on the card because its only made for higher pHs, it showed that because the pH was only 6.4 the Lowest color it could be would have been color next to 7.4- If your pH is below 7.4, no need to use the High range kit.....thats what I was getting at...


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Hey everyone, here are a few of the latest photos, before and after the new manzanita stump.

*Before*









*After*

































*Side View*


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

I just purchased some Red Cherry Shrimp from TsuRyuu, who is a great seller. http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/swap-n-shop/106312-fs-red-cherry-shrimp-40-more.html All the shrimp arrived healthy and were well packed. Shipping was very prompt and Julie (TsuRyuu) was kind enough to send me some larger RCS to help deter my fish from feeding on them. 

Anyway, I had to go out of town on a business trip, so I instructed my wife on the drip acclimation procedure before I left. Everything was fine until I showed her how start the water flow for the drip acclimation tube, which is basically sucking on a small air hose type tube until you get the water flowing, but being careful enough so you don't get any aquarium water (yuk) in your mouth. She immediate responded, "I'm not doing that, I guess those things are going to die." LOL

Today, while I was in Baltimore, the shrimp arrived. At around 12:30 pm I received a text message from my wife indicating she was in the process of acclimated the RCS, with the drip tube no less. She also said one of our baby Yoyo loaches was chasing a shrimp. Apparently she tried to shoo the Yoyo away, which I thought was pretty cute. About two hours later, I received another text saying the fish had eaten all of the RCS. I was pretty bummed out.

Then, at around 5:00 pm, I received another text message saying she saw 3-4 shrimp and they seemed to be fine. Apparently, the reason she didn't see them initially was because they were clear or white due to the stress of shipping. Within a few hours, some of the shrimp started to regain their color, which made them easier to see. Hopefully, they'll be okay in the community tank.

I can't wait to check them out when I return.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Wow! I can't believe it's been more than a month since my last post. That's what happens when you have to put bread on the table. Anyway, here's the latest.

Because I've been so busy, I didn't clean my tank for at least 5 weeks. It seemed like the aquarium was more plants than water. LOL The fish had very little space to swim, but the betta absolutely loved all the plants because he could easily wedge himself anywhere. Last weekend I finally broke down and decided to do a 100% water change. I removed all the plants, saving the good parts and discarding the bad, especially those covered in string algae, which I've had problems with for a while. I moved the betta to his old home, moved the shrimp to a small breeding tank, and moved the rest of the fish to a 5-gallon temporary holding tank. 

I then removed 50% of the water and used the remainder to clean the algae off the glass and 3D background. Next, I removed the balance of the water, as well as the gravel, which I rinsed in chlorinated water. After I gave the tank a good cleaning I went through the painstaking task of replanting everything. I began this operation at 6:00 pm. By 3:00 am I had drip acclimated all of my sea creatures back into the newly cleaned tank. The only casualty was my apple snail, who's empty shell I discovered when cleaning the tank. That was a real bummer because he was one of my favorites. 

Quite frankly I have no idea what happened to him. My wife swears he got smaller over the past two months, but is that even possible? She thinks it was the CO2. I think it was the three yoyos we purchased for pond snail control. Lately, there have been very few pond snails so we've had to subsidize their diet with pellets. Unfortunately, they may have had our poor little apple snail for dinner one night. I really liked the apple snail, but I'm afraid to get another one until I find out what happened.

Anyway, that's the latest. I'll post some pictures Sunday afternoon. Happy Independence Day!

Kelly


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

I don't know if the yoyo loaches ate the snail, but I suppose it is possible. I am not sure if the co2 did him in, either. Wow. Great help, aren't I? You actually let the tank get out of control? Seems like life interferes with all our tanks occassionally. I am curious what made you decide on a full 100% water change.

Happy 4th of July to you as well!


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

sewingalot said:


> I am curious what made you decide on a full 100% water change.
> 
> Happy 4th of July to you as well!


The main reason was hair algae. It was everywhere. The only way I've been getting rid of it is winding it around a chopstick. Unfortunately it had entangled itself all over the tank, so I decided to get radical. Plus, I got bored with my aquascape.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

That sounds just like you. :biggrin: Can't wait to see the pictures.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Wow! I can't believe it's been more than two months since my last post. Unfortunately, I got really busy with work and began neglecting my tank. As a result I've got a really bad case of BBA. So bad that I'm thinking about trashing all the plants and starting anew. 

I may post some pictures tomorrow before I do a cleaning, but be forewarned—it's pretty bad.


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## second (Jan 31, 2005)

I just found this post as I have purchased the 8 gallon cube tonite at my lfs for $60 bucks
I am going backwards through the thread now to see how you did your tank. Do you still have it up and running?


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