Bimac tank build
- Thread starter kchristensen8064
- Start date
The rocks are massive. The one on the bottom right is huge, being that there are pukani and hard to come across, I didn't want to break them up. I would arrange it differently if I was doing corals, but my goal here was to create caves and places where a Octopus could hide. I like how it turned out, it looks better in person than it does in a picture. I'm aiming for 1.5"-2" on the sand bed. I dumped in 100lbs this morning and I think it'll get me close. I'll have to see how it looks once everything is cleared up. First 20-25 gallons of water is in, and the next 55 gallons is mixing. So far so good.
I dumped in a few Mysis last night to get the cycle started. Once that is going, I will probably try to add a couple of Blacksmiths or a few Salema to keep it cycled with a bio-load of some sort. I also plan to add some Shield Limpets, Black Turban Snails, and some Common Periwinkles for a clean-up crew of sorts. I plan to also add some macros like Kelp, Red Algae (Plocamium Cartilagineum), and some Fauchea Lacianata all to add color and some flow to the tank. I would like a bat star eventually, but that will likely be around the same time I get the octopus, I just want to make sure the tank is well into maturity first. Some other possible critters would be Blueband Hermit Crabs (Pagurus Samuelis), Hermit Crabs (Paguristes Ulreyi), and Broken-back Shrimp (Heptacarpus Palpator).
Everything is still going well, I was able to get my lights installed, I'm doing grow bulbs so when I get the kelp and other macros they will hopefully be able to thrive and grow. I have a glass top that I got through our glass vendor at work and have it hinged with acrylic hinges. I put child safety locks on to keep it locked down so it is impossible for anything to move or lift this lid while it's locked. Waiting on the vent fan to come in for the stand and as soon as I get that installed I should be able to start running the chiller. Right now the tank sits between 66° and 68° just on room temp.
I was on another cephalopod forum and there was a local guy who's bimac just passed but had laid viable eggs. Well these eggs hatched and he ended up with over 40 baby bimacs, I fortunately have other tanks that have been running and he offered me some of the babies to hopefully be able to raise. So while the big tank is going through it's cycle and stuff, I have a nursery tank set up downstairs where I can keep them separate and monitor their feeding. They are very happily hunting Amphipods. So I hope that out of the 5 I have that I can be successful in raising at least one of them up for the big tank.
I was on another cephalopod forum and there was a local guy who's bimac just passed but had laid viable eggs. Well these eggs hatched and he ended up with over 40 baby bimacs, I fortunately have other tanks that have been running and he offered me some of the babies to hopefully be able to raise. So while the big tank is going through it's cycle and stuff, I have a nursery tank set up downstairs where I can keep them separate and monitor their feeding. They are very happily hunting Amphipods. So I hope that out of the 5 I have that I can be successful in raising at least one of them up for the big tank.
I just finished up feeding time, all five of my little octos are still doing very well and are very active. I've been keeping their containers with at least a half dozen Amphipods and check at night that they still have some to hunt. I get to watch them hunt while adding more at night and it's so fun to watch them. Here's a picture of my nursery tank for now, I hope that I can get them to about 3 times their current size then release them into the compartments of the tank and out of the Tupperware. Here's also some other pictures I took tonight as well as a video of 2 hunts, the first with the Boba straw being successful and the second was a darn good try!
https://youtube.com/shorts/R0Ipox3v524?si=2EgsZwrLdBsd16Qe
https://youtube.com/shorts/R0Ipox3v524?si=2EgsZwrLdBsd16Qe
My fan showed up tonight for venting the stand with the chiller being inside. This fan is great, on high it is super quiet. I officially have the chiller running and the tank has gone from 68° to 64° in about an hour. I have a master slave surge protector operating the chiller and fan, so when the chiller comes on, so does the fan, the reverse is true as well, chiller shuts off, so does the fan.
I just finished feeding time again tonight, and everyone did a great job hunting their Amphipods! I watched all 5 get their dinner tonight. I didn't get any pictures or videos tonight, I was modifying the lids to the Tupperware to hold the netting on instead of rubber bands while they were all chowing down.
I just finished feeding time again tonight, and everyone did a great job hunting their Amphipods! I watched all 5 get their dinner tonight. I didn't get any pictures or videos tonight, I was modifying the lids to the Tupperware to hold the netting on instead of rubber bands while they were all chowing down.
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Just speaking from experience but Its not just aeration, it also needs more gas exchange, or you likely will have ph problems. You also might have heat problems that will cause the chiller to run more frequently then it really needs too. I would put as many fans on the sump as possible to help combat that. Pretty easy fix though. A couple Vornados in there should take care of it, or 1 Vornado and run that other fan, you just put in, full time.
We keep the house at 65° and 67° in the summer, so even without the chiller, the tank sits right about there. The chiller is more of a just-in-case thing, not a necessity. So far, the tank has not climbed above 67.5° with the glass top, and that takes days to get to once chilled to 64°, so the chiller is barely needed as is. I will have an Apex Jr hooked up to monitor the PH and Salinity after this weekend and will make necessary adjustments as needed. I will also have the Skimmer pulling in outside air just like I do on my reef tank.
Just out of curiosity, with the short lifespan, will you start more juveniles ahead of time to have them ready to replace the adults?
If you just keep the home co2 below 500 ppm, then pH should not be an issue with any tank. It will help the humans, dogs, cats and everything. However, the gases trapped under the lid might still be an issue if the co2 is high in there and you can always vent it later if it is a problem.. some get measured at over 2500 ppm under a tight lid. Indoor co2 from close-up homes is like 99% of pH issues.
If you just keep the home co2 below 500 ppm, then pH should not be an issue with any tank. It will help the humans, dogs, cats and everything. However, the gases trapped under the lid might still be an issue if the co2 is high in there and you can always vent it later if it is a problem.. some get measured at over 2500 ppm under a tight lid. Indoor co2 from close-up homes is like 99% of pH issues.
Yes absolutely, I could definitely vent it if needed, being that an Octopus likes interaction, the lid will be open fairly often as well. We keep our bedroom window open about 20 feet from the tank almost year round, so we have fresh air coming in from there as well. But I have a few months before it's ready for an octopus, so I can work out any kinks. I have a source for Bimacs, that I can get a new one when one passes, I am however interested in possibly breeding and setting up a breeding setup in my basement, but I'm just now starting to look into this possibility, so it's in its infant stage of planning. That all just came about after getting these babies and how cool it is to raise them from day 1.