Freezetyles Biocube 29. Updates March 16! - Page 5

imcosmokramer · #41 02-12-2010, 03:13 AM

those are cool zoas
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STONEDICK4U cam

freezetyle · #42 02-12-2010, 05:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by imcosmokramer

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!

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

JDigital · #43 02-12-2010, 05:53 AM

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!

How thick did you go with the acrylic?

freezetyle · #44 02-12-2010, 06:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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!

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?

lorenz0 · #45 02-12-2010, 06:09 AM

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 · #46 02-24-2010, 03:13 AM

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 · #47 02-24-2010, 07:13 AM

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

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.

aquaticlife t5

14k (green zoas)

t5

14k

t5

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

New colonies!

Pink Birdsnest

ID? Pocci? (arrived in JL the day before so it needs to colour up after shipping. really excited to see how it turns out)

And a blue tipped acro (will try and get a better pic)

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 · #48 02-24-2010, 03:41 PM

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 · #49 02-24-2010, 09:23 PM

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

freezetyle · #50 03-03-2010, 03:06 AM

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