The Progress

A few shots of everything settled in:

- A.

The Fish Room

Self explanatory. More details to come on this style of setup.

The 47 Rimless

The 29 Gallon Biocube was recently dissembled. The contents were added into a larger more diverse system. Here are some photos (iPhone only) of what is the beginnings of a custom built 47 gallon, shallow, rimless cube. The system is a sleek shallow rimless design made with all Starphire glass dimensions are 30x30x12.

For preferable aesthetic placement and optimal drilling access the new tank had to be placed in the same location as the already existing Biocube which obviously creates an obstacle, all the livestock from the drained 29 gallon tank was stored in a clean rubbermaid bin with a heater and two Nano Koralias.

All new substrate was used and a lot of new water had to be made to fill the extra 40 gallons of volume but almost everything for the previous system was used. There was a small re-cycle in the system due to loss of a lot of beneficial bacteria in the old sand but the extra water, sump space, massive DSB and Refugium helped to keep the entire cycle under 2 weeks.

The Setup is plumbed into a 30 gallon basement sump in a room that has inevitably been dubbed the "fish room."

After all the plumbing was finished the livestock was added.

Last but not least... here are the first attempts at an aquascape... water was still a bit cloudy from new sugar sized sand but you can get the idea.

Its been two and a half weeks since this upgrade and so far so good. Corals and the paired black clowns seem happy. I had been testing for ammonia and nitrite frequently over first week and within 7 days all levels were zero and the system was producing nitrate. Small algae blooms appeared on day 3-5 but were gone quicker than they came. This quick cycle could have something to do with adding a small carbon source as I was dosing 0.3 ml of vodka daily. That dose is now up to 0.4ml daily and the effects are unbelievable. As you can imagine the SPS showed severe browning from stress during the move, this brown tinge is clearly visible in these shots as the entire system looks quite brown. Under three weeks later the SPS colors are brighter than ever before and the water looks crystal clear.

I don't recommend upgrading a tank using this "do it in a day" method if you don't have to. In this case: in order to drill into the basement and keep the tank in the living room the only option was to put it in the same place as the existing system hence the tiring all weekend affair of upgrading with a basement plumbing mission. Ideally you would set up the new system have it run and cycle for a while before beginning to add livestock.

More updates to come.

- A.

The Upgrade

Huge changes. The Cube is no more.

It is now a Custom 47g Shallow Rimless.

Major updates to come around here, in the meantime here's a video of the new setup.

The Glow

A few shots under actinics only.

- A.

The Frags

Several SPS frags were added to the system. The large red Lobophyllia was sold to create room for smaller frags so a bit of an re-aquascape and a coralscape took place. Here's a few shots of the frags and the new FTS.

The Vortech

A Eco-Tech Vortech MP10 wavemaker was recently added to the aquarium. This anticipated addition comes in an exquisite package including all the parts you need to convert your water motion setup into a lifelike ecosystem.

These little pumps cost a fair bit of change, however the reviews and user feedback is overwhelmingly positive.

Of course in a nano setup where every inch counts and more importantly every degree of heat counts, an all in one wavemaker pump that has a tiny in tank footprint and virtually no heat transfer is almost a must.

The pump took a few minutes to set up, and was up and running in no time. The pump tank mount was applied to the glass to prevent falling damage, and a provided rubber spacer was placed between the magnets to ensure no damage is done to the motor due to thin Biocube glass. The included instruction manual obviously provides a step by step and the directions are incredibly easy to follow.

After a few seconds of alignment and playing with the pump settings it was time to begin programming wave modes. Currently the pump is running in "Short Pulse Mode" which is one of several modes including "Reef Crest Random," "Lagoon Random," "Constant Speed," and "Long Pulse."

The adjustable"Short Pulse" mode was timed to generate a pulsing wavelike turbulence used to simulate the swaying motion of coastline reef. The mode uses a repetitive burst of current that, with a little tuning, can be synced with the rebounding waves to create a visible motion across the aquarium. Originally the "Reef Crest" mode was selected as an operating mode, but if your system is physically stable with short pulse you can get a little wave bouncing back and forth in your tank meaning it's not just your pump doing work as the momentum of the waves make everything sway.

The interface could not be easier with a glowing color coded LED light identifying the modes, two buttons for mode and set functions, and a knob controlling pump power and wave frequency.

The pump is capable of pushing over 1500 GPH and in the 29 gallon tank running at half power is more than enough.

Even more importantly the pump has a "feed" and "night" mode. Feed mode automatically reduces the pump power to almost zero for ten minutes while you feed then it instantly kicks back into its cycle ensuring no food gets blown into unwanted areas.

Night mode is even better, this time programmable mode prompts the pump to enter night mode which runs the pump at a constant low speed giving your corals and fish a rest when the lights are out.

All and all, it is too early to tell if the pump will greatly improve life for those living in the 29G Cube, however at first glance it's an incredible little gadget and is a must have for anyone with a little extra cash and a dedication to their aquarium.

- A.

The Candycanes

Another photo.

- A.

The Black Clowns

Just a photo.

- A.

The Media Rack

Recently the system has been experiencing problems in the rear filtration chambers. Currently there is a unit of Chemi-pure Elite sitting on the bottom of the tank. Not only is it quite likely that not much flow is actually running through the media, rendering it's duties almost useless, but also the bag often gets sucked into the gap between the middle and return sections. This creates a jam clogging the flow and ultimately creating larger problems. Detritus gathers possibly leading to nitrates, water begins flowing up and over the dividing walls and the return pump sometimes blows air because water is not entering the last chamber fast enough. With the media at the bottom of the middle chamber it is impossible to switch out the media or clean it without disturbing the entire the refugium.

A simple DIY solution is the answer. To fix this problem a media rack will be built to create a waterfall effect when the water enters the middle chamber.

Please see Lighting the Refugium for the original fuge design as this will be an addon.

Step One: Gather Tools. Some wire cutters, Scissors, Plyers, Lots of eggcrate, a tape measure, and nylon strips are all needed.

Step Two: Measure and Cut the Eggcrate. 4 total pieces are needed to be cut. Find out the width, height and length dimensions of your middle chamber and cut the pieces accordingly. You will be cutting pieces to cover the narrow side and bottom of the rectangular space

Each cube brand and volume is different so I will not post specific measurements to avoid confusion. The goal is to create an "L" shaped rack that is slightly smaller than the space, which will sit where the bio-balls used to sit in the middle chamber.

Step Three: Strap it Together. Nylon strips were used for a quick and easy way to assemble the rack, however epoxy or marine safe glue would also work just fine. When you have the correct width and height for the bottom and vertical pieces connect them with the strips.

Your rack is beginning to take shape. Make sure your vertical eggcrate pieces are about one square skinnier than the bottom piece. Because of the lip on the backside of Nano/Bio Cubes you will need to tilt the rack to get it in.

A square "ladder portion" was added to the build in order to have the media sit higher in the rack. This also allows for stacking media and it also makes the rack stable. This ladder portion is a square with all sides equalling the width of the vertical portion.

As the second vertical piece is attached you create an "H" shape within your "L". With this step the rack is basically complete. While making sure the nylon strips are tight you can trim the tabs off and your eggcrate creation should look something like this...

The bottom of the rack should be a little less than the and length and width of your middle chamber while the height should be equal to the distance from the old false bottom t0 the top of the dividers.

Step 4: Insert the Rack and Media. Gently insert the rack into the middle chamber of your aquarium. Chances are you will have to wiggle it a bit to get past the lips and ridges that were used to hold the stock filtration in place. Hopefully you measured carefully because if you did not you will certainly find out now.

The rack should sit comfortably on the two ridges near the bottom of the chamber leaving a gap between the bottom of the tank and the bottom of the rack. (This is where the bio-ball drip tray used to sit when you bought the tank.) Once the rack is all the way in it should fit nicely in the middle chamber. Now the media is ready to be placed.

This method basically divides your middle chamber allowing chemipure, phosban, and/or carbon to be run in a bags while still leaving enough space to house cheato. As the water leaves your display it creates a tiny waterfall into the middle chamber and now that waterfall flows directly through whatever media you choose to run. Even more importantly the current created by the waterfall effect is absorbed by the media bag allowing your cheato and Fuge dwellers the calm low flow needed for refugium conditions.

Obviously reactors and mechanical filters are the more direct way to force water through a desired media, but in a small aquarium where pumps and heat are always concerns, this is a natural way to direct flow without spending much money or adding electricity into the mix.

-A.

The Colour

Title is self explanatory.

- A.