JenkinsCrew BioCube 14 build - First Rodeo

jenkinscrew

Premium Member
Hello All! I am new to the forums, as well as to keeping an aquarium, and just signed up as a member as well.

Figured I would go ahead and start sharing my build with some pictures and some details.

I started a few weeks ago so just getting up some basics and will update more soon.

Tank is a used Oceanic BioCube 14 that I will use for my fist saltwater aquarium. I am a diver and love the ocean and wanted to bring a little to me.

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I got it aquascaped with 10lbs. of live rock and 15 lbs. of live sand and added the saltwater.

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Cleared up nicely overnight. Cant wait for it to finish cycling so I can start adding some life, very excited!

Hope to meet all of you soon.

Chris
 
Well I did a lighting upgrade from the stock CF bulbs to the Current USA Truelumen 12-Inch Dual Nano LED Strip kit. One strip is the Marine fusion 12,000k white with 453 nm blue combo and the other is the deepwater 453 nm blue actinic. They are fully adjustable with independent dimmers for each. They get very bright and look great! I left all the wiring from the CF bulbs in tact for now, minus the sockets since they just unscrewed and unclipped, so would be easy enough to go back if necessary. I also kept the 2 stock blue LED moon lights.

I wonder if I should get some PAR readings before I get any fish or coral in the tank....

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Next I will be working on a power switching solution for all the electrical to be housed in the stock stand with 2 American DJ PC-4 power centers mounted in a faceplate and get all the cable management completed. Then a simple ATO system also integrated into the stock stand....stay tuned!
 
Welcome to the forums!

Marc (user name) has the club par meter reader for use by members ... see this topic viewtopic.php?f=31&t=115453 -- last update was November 2015, so just contact Marc or post in the thread to check status.

Until then (if you go that way) the lighting manufacturer might have (should have) some type of chart to give you an idea on the par values and what is what, etc.

Thanks for including pics with your build. .............. following [smilie=wink.gif]
 
Thank you!

Yes I have made contact with Marc before, I just posted to be added to the list. [smilie=smile.gif]
I looked and could not find a chart for the TrueLumens Pro series on their site so I just sent an inquiry to them. Will post if they have anything.
I did find a few articles where some people posted their results but didn't see any with the size strip I installed.
Thank you for the help and ideas!

I will keep you posted...with pics [smilie=wink.gif]
 
Started another little project, my "Tank CAM" solution. Still testing it out so will see how it goes.

I am using an old Galaxy S4 Mini cell phone I had laying around and bought a cheap clip-on "Fish-eye" [smilie=rofl.gif] lens for the camera. Connecting it wifi and using the Livestream App.

I made a bracket to hold everything in the correct position for my tank.

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Here is what it looks like installed on the tank with the phone in, streaming LIVE:

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Here is what the viewers will see:

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After I get something to look at in the tank I will probably stream it M-F 7am-5pm and post a link for viewers [smilie=clapping.gif]
 
Huh found this little guy....must have been in sand or on rock I bought...

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Picture of inside the stand before I start on the power switching solution for all the electrical...

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@jenkinscrew wrote:
Started another little project said:
That's a pretty cool idea. [smilie=smile.gif]

My first tank was also a BioCube 14 and I also removed the stock lights not long after I got it. Mainly (at first) because with the lid closed and the lights on the tank temperature was getting higher than I wanted it to be in the summer. I replaced the lights with an LED kit (using parts from both StevesLEDs and RapidLED). After a few years when one of my drivers quit on me I just took the entire top off and hung an LED fixture above it. However, if I had it to do over again I'd probably have spent the time to fix the home made kit instead. With the top off an ATO went from being something that would have been nice to something that was almost required because of the evaporation. Then on top of that, my very first fish decided that after years of being perfectly happy, he'd jump out and see what the room outside the tank looked like while I was at work. After that I decided that I'd always have some sort of cover.
 
Thanks for your insight and experience Grant, that really helped me know I am going in the right direction. I definitely wanted to keep the lid for evaporation and fish safety. You are right about the stock lighting, it was getting too warm and is now allot easier to keep stable with the LEDs. Thanks for the input!
 
So I finished my power switching solution and works out well. To do this I had to add another shelf and drill another hole for the power cables and make a switch plate. For this solution I used the following:

(2) – American DJ PC-4 4-channel Power Centers
(8) – Allen Head bolts with wingnuts
(8) – 1-foot flat rotating plug extensions
(5) – Cabinet door magnets
(1) – Piece of 3/8” LEXAN
(1) - Flat Aluminum bar

I made a LEXAN front panel and sanded the front to frost it and painted the back black. I lined up everything and drilled mounting holes through the lexan and aluminum flat bar. To get the switches to go in the openings, I had to unscrew the front panel off of them and put them through the opening and then was able to re-attach the front panel. Next, I bolted the switches to the front LEXAN panel with the aluminum flat bar in the back for support. Then mounted all the cabinet magnets and done. Easy access if I need to add/modify anything and I don’t have to look at cables anymore.

BEFORE:
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AFTER:
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You can see the little tank I will use as an ATO resivoir in the bottom as well...hopefully will have that solution within the next few weeks. [smilie=clapping.gif]
 
Here are a couple pics of the faceplate mounting:

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Here are a few more install pics showing my timers mounted to the back inside, then how the switches mount to the faceplate and a final front shot...

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Oh yeah, and did all the cable management on the back side as well [smilie=rofl.gif]

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Well tank is cycled so doing a water change today and will probably go get my cleaner crew tommorrow!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
 
Very nice, such attention to detail. I like it!!
BTW, welcome to DFWMAS. Hope to see you at upcoming club events!!
 
Hello Mike! Thank you very much, hope to see everyone too. I just hope some of my ideas might help someone else.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
 
Cleaner acclimated and in! We'll see how they perform!

2 - Astrea turbo snails
2 - Cerith snail
1 - Nassarius snail
2 - Tiger Trochus
2 - Blue-leg hermit crabs
1 - Emerald crab

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
 
Just an update with more info on my filtration setup.

In the first chamber is an Oceanic Biocube Protein Skimmer (came with tank) and a temperature probe for the digital thermometer. In the second chamber water runs through some poly filter and down into an Eshopps AEO19070 Large Square Foam Filter, then through a Acurel Filter media bag filled with half a liter of Seachem Matrix Bio Media. In the third chamber is my Cobalt Aquatics Neo-therm 50 Watt heater and the upgraded pump which is a Hydor Pico Evolution Mini Pump (1200). In the tank the water flows out a Loc-Line Nozzle flare and water is circulated with a Hydor Koralia Circulation and Wave Pump (240).

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