# Argh!! Anyone interested in a 14g BioCube??!



## teija (Sep 30, 2010)

I am having no end of problems keeping up with my Biocube. I bought 12 dwarf corys from Pat about a month ago and am now down to 3, I bought 16 Neons from Island Pets around Thanksgiving weekend and those died off (down to 6). I ran a bunch of tests and my pH is high (around 8.2), my kH and GH were originally quite low but now are high according to the test kit (confession: I DID add 1/4 tbsp of baking soda to try and get that pH down when the fish started dying off, then read that's not necessarily a good idea).... I invested in some buffers last week but those don't seem to be doing the trick. I'll do a small water change and re-test the GH tonight.

One of the ballasts appears to be dead (I am not a DIY person so have NO idea) and aside from the usual spot algae on the glass, I now have what looks like the beginnings of BBA on one of the decorations and the lip of the outflow (I have Flourish, but not Flourish Excel so here comes MORE money to spend)... so there is DEFINITELY a problem in there but I am seriously lacking the motivation and knowledge to do anything more to sort it out and am not sure pumping any of this money into it is actually going to fix the problems. Nice Christmas present for myself... serves me right for neglecting it pre-wedding.

So.... would anyone with the know-how be interested in a 14G BioCube as a fixer-upper? At the very least, you could re-home the livestock, Amazon sword plants and Eco Complete, give it a water/vinegar wash and then start the whole thing fresh.
I'm thinking I'd be asking about $175 obo (with matching stand). Much less than what I've paid for it so far.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

teija said:


> (confession: I DID add 1/4 tbsp of baking soda to try and get that pH down when the fish started dying off, then read that's not necessarily a good idea).


That would have raised your pH, not lower it, unfortunately. Did you test for ammonia? Also, the Eco-complete would also buffer your pH, KH and GH up I believe, so you would haven't needed any more buffers.


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## teija (Sep 30, 2010)

Yeah, I don't know what's up. I thought I USED to have really good pH. The Eco is now over a year old... does it lose its buffering capacity after that much time?


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

I don't know how long it lasts as my tank with Eco was heavily planted and sucked up everything that I dosed into it. I also only used Excel in it (15 gallon, so would have been very similar to your biocube, except that I only used 28 w of NO t5 on it 6 hours a day).


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## teija (Sep 30, 2010)

If I start dosing with Flourish Excel, will that harm the shrimp? Why do I remember reading something giving reasons for NOT using it (only using it for BBA)?


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

The copper levels are so low in the Flourish Trace that it won't harm your invertebrates. It works well to kill the BBA. Just don't overdose it.... But I'd recommend getting it.

Don't give up on your biocube yet, they're a great system to have!


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## TomC (Apr 21, 2010)

teija said:


> If I start dosing with Flourish Excel, will that harm the shrimp? Why do I remember reading something giving reasons for NOT using it (only using it for BBA)?


 It can disolve some plants, like val but others really love it.


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## EDGE (Aug 24, 2010)

Should pay someone to just redo your setup and KISS the system. 

I am growing quite a few variety of plants without CO2 or metricide and under high light. Mostly they are in grow out tanks and does not get the usual fertilizer regime. They are for fish to graze on and to help with filtration.

I can walk you through to help you restart the tank with a better foundation.


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## teija (Sep 30, 2010)

TomC said:


> It can disolve some plants, like val but others really love it.


Ah yes, THAT is why I didn't use it when I first got it - I killed my vals with it...  No problem, I have no more Vals or tender-leafed plants. I will still buy some Flourish Excel though - for the CO2 value.



EDGE said:


> Should pay someone to just redo your setup and KISS the system.
> 
> I am growing quite a few variety of plants without CO2 or metricide and under high light. Mostly they are in grow out tanks and does not get the usual fertilizer regime. They are for fish to graze on and to help with filtration.
> 
> I can walk you through to help you restart the tank with a better foundation.


Thanks Edge - I might have to send you a PM, but first I'm going to do a partial w/c, run some tests and check what's going on with it. I only use one of the two lights, but I guess that would still be considered "high-light"? Going to invest in a new bulb to start the new year and then maybe I can get a few more plants in there to keep the ecosystem in check.


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## EDGE (Aug 24, 2010)

What bulb do you have running on there? 10k bulb will be fine. I used to run my PC bulbs till end of life. 24 watt over 14 gallon is good amount of light for a wide variety of plants.


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

For the. Cory deaths, I've had similar issues when I would bring home a batch and I'd be left with only a few. Did you notice the dead fish showing a red/bloody blotch near the gill areas? If it is, it may be a possibility of water hardness. GH issue. Remedy: epsom salt, seachem replenish, gh boosters.

I was identify the mysterious deaths after reading a post on planetcatfish.com and having two major experiences. Good luck with your tank! Don't let the few deaths discourage you. You did nothing bad, but you just gotta find the right balance for your tank.


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