14g Biocube build ... first sw tank

[OKchris]

Hello Everyone,
Just a little note before I show my build. I have been keeping tanks for a few years and I finally decided to try my
luck with a saltwater setup.I opted to get an all-in-one system and attempt to keep a nano before I decide to
convert my large tank (odd sized 140g) or not.


TANK:
Oceanic Biocube 14g

Stock:
15 lbs LR
15 lbs live sand
Scooter Blenny
Coral Banded Shrimp
2 Blue Legged Hermit Crabs
2 Turbo Snails

Mods:
Twin 80mm fans drilled into hood
Back filled with LR
more to come...

Progress:
Looking for coral


Some pics from the iPhone:

Yes, I know the tank is dusty

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Coral Banded shrimp and Chocolate Chip starfish

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More emphasis on the Coral Banded

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Better Pics:

Tank, yes the heater is ugly... I am having trouble finding a smaller one to put in the back

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Closer view of the LR

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Scooter hanging out on the LR

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Hood mod: Twin 80 mm fans drilled, also cut vent in top of hood, cut vents in light guard to help expell hot air. Not pretty, but keeps the tank cooler.

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[hegi]

Looks like a good start. Is that scooter blenny eating frozen? They are similar to other dragonettes in that they often won't eat frozen food and need a very well established tank with plenty of live natural prey (amphipods/copepods) to survive. They can be trained to eat frozen, however. Also chocolate chip stars are not reef safe. They've been known to eat small inverts and fish. When I first started in the late 90s I had one forever and couldn't figure out why my fish, inverts, and even corals would go missing after a few months. Turned out to be the chocolate chip star.

I like the rock you picked out and your aquascaping. Is there no way you can fit the heater into one of those back compartments? I had a similar heater on our old 12 gallon nanocube and there was plenty of room in one of the back compartments to hide it.

 

[OKchris]

Hegi,
Thank you, I appreciate what you said. Its also a little intimidating getting into something new.

Scooter Blenny is actually eating frozen, surprisingly. I was worried at first but he has been taking it more readily lately. Thanks for the tip on the star, I wouldn't have bought him but he was in a miserable setup at a LFS. I felt bad for him. He has been moving into the tank that is cycling (I check it every day so I doubt he will perish). If he makes it, I will find room for him somewhere. SW hobby... seems to just snowball. Funny.

The heater- I am actually going to cross the border (into the lone star state) and go find one, I really hate how ugly it makes the tank look.

 

[malofish]

If you look at my mantis bio cube 14 build you can see where i modified the back to fit a skimmer and a small visi-therm heater. They are cheap and kinda hard to set, but they are tiny about 7" total in length.

 

[OKchris]

Hey Malofish,
Thanks, I will try to find one. Haven't had much luck around here.

 

[OKchris]

Got a 2nd nano, this one a 12. So decided to stock my BC14 with coral. Picked up some frags from 4 members, nothing real fancy just some
starter specimens:

Day 1:

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Day 16:

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Green Star Polyp- Its being shy- from justin

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Pink Birdsnest from bill

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Green Pocillopora from alex

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Favia from chris

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Red mushroom from alex

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Sinularia from alex

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Kenya tree from justin

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green mushrooms from alex

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[OKchris]

Unhappy with the LR arrangement and overall look, so re-grouped


Day 18:

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GSP:

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Pink Birdsnest:

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Red Mushroom:

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Green Pocillopora:

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Kenya Tree:

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Green Favia: (not a great pic)

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[Jeff]

Did you pay $5000 for that star? Oh, no, there's no smiley face on it...

Hey, it looks great. I like the small setups and yours is a good one of them.

 

[OKchris]

Day 21:

Just picked up a few more coral, so here they are. Im deciding where to move them to.

Entire Tank:

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Green Zoa:

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Just some xenia:

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Kenya tree on a rock, one of my damsels hiding behind:

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One of my damsels, this is a Talbot's Damsel:

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[Guest]

What is that green stuff in the bottom left corner? Not GHA i hope...

 

[OKchris]

Yes unfortunately, it came in on a marvelous piece of LR I purchased. I have been fighting it, trying not to lose that piece of rock but it may be easier to pull it. Then just battle the stragglers.

 

[OKchris]

Update I meant to do awhile back

Day 24:

New coral


Zoas:

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Whammin Watermelon Zoa, there is a Radioactive Dragon Eye on the backside you can just see as well as an unknown purple zoa

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Eye of Rah Zoa

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Devil's Hand

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[OKchris]

Day 31: Tragedy

Well, somehow the heater became unplugged and I was gone for the day so my tank went from a lovely 80 to a bone-chilling 70 degrees. Green poccilopora, pink birdsnest, kenya tree, green favia all gone. The devils hand isn't looking well. Moved them all immediately to a 3 gallon pico. Also have a cyano problem so doing the 3 days of darkness treatment

Empty tank before going dark

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Crowded Pico with all my coral: yes GHA i know

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[myownkeeper]

aw man that sucks im sry....
well let me know what i can do to help out