Biocube32 - a year in

[Jeff_Toronto]

Well.... After a full year with my first tank finally having success. Finally figured out how to battle a bad green hair algae problem which took months to address. Many frustrations and many times I've wondered if this hobby was for me. Stuck through it and learned a lot. Finally have an algae free tank and now ready for next stage. Coral......

 

[AngryMike2016]

Curious what you did for your GHA issue?

 

[DangerDave]

Nice, now get that tank stocked with coral!

 

[Jeff_Toronto]

Curious what you did for your GHA issue?

Started by reducing lights and feeding to every two days. Didn't do much to reduce and the stuff just kept growing. Was doing weekly water changes and changed filter pads every two days and scrubbed gha off rocks each time but would just grow back. Was frustrating to say the least and was doing that for more than 6 months.

Added a carbon reactor and that didn't do much either to slow it down.

Then as a last resort I made three changes at the same time so difficult to say what corrected whatever was contributing to it. And I know recommended to make small changes one at a time but I was getting impatient after almost a year.

1) think I had too many livestock adding to the bio load so moved two of then to a separate tank of thier own to cut down on how much waste being generated.

2) added more clean up crew. A lot of snails and think this was the biggest change. Astrea snails really started eating the stuff and then noticed the rest of the gha started to slowly go away.

3) added chaeto in chamber two and even though a small amount for a little tank it may be out competing the gha

Regardless. Not about to change any of the above and have it come back just to see which one worked the best. Just happy under control for now.

Took close to two months to clear up after changing the three listed above.

 

[Jeff_Toronto]

Curious what you did for your GHA issue?

And fyi i have exclusively use rodi water with 0 tds. Wasn't a water issue

 

[Jeff_Toronto]

Nice, now get that tank stocked with coral!

Absolutely. Researching now. Learned the hard way. Go slow and don't rush things. But after more than a year I would say tank mature enough for Coral

 

[Jeff_Toronto]

Nice, now get that tank stocked with coral!

can't wait

 

[AngryMike2016]

Nice, tank is looking spotless right now. I'm a Biocube 32 guy myself as well.

 

[Lloyd Williams]

Cube looks good! Glad you learned! Nuked my biocube rushing!

 

[kendavjac]

Good job, lots of people never learn what you have. The one thing you forgot was tank maturity. I think it takes about a year for the natural filtration system (live rock) to kick into high gear.

I ran a 29 biocube for almost a 7 years, loved that tank. It's in my garage still and I think about setting it back up all the time. I would, but my wife would kill me i set up again since I already have 2 going.

 

[Jeff_Toronto]

Good job, lots of people never learn what you have. The one thing you forgot was tank maturity. I think it takes about a year for the natural filtration system (live rock) to kick into high gear.

I ran a 29 biocube for almost a 7 years, loved that tank. It's in my garage still and I think about setting it back up all the time. I would, but my wife would kill me i set up again since I already have 2 going.

Is there such a thing as too many? I have 3 going now and about to start a 200g. The 32 was my first tank to learn on.

 

[Jeff_Toronto]

Good job, lots of people never learn what you have. The one thing you forgot was tank maturity. I think it takes about a year for the natural filtration system (live rock) to kick into high gear.

I ran a 29 biocube for almost a 7 years, loved that tank. It's in my garage still and I think about setting it back up all the time. I would, but my wife would kill me i set up again since I already have 2 going.

Yeah maybe it was the year in mark and the live rock that caught up. Either way thank God. That gha was getting the best of me. Glad to see there is a light at the end of the tunnel.