Tropical Fish Keeping banner

Starting Bio-Cube 29G! Advice?

28K views 113 replies 3 participants last post by  Reefing Madness 
#1 ·
I recently bought a 29G Oceanic Bio-Cube 29G Aquarium, and I plan to start it up tuesday which is my next day off. I have expressed my interest in starting a Marine aquarium on this forum before, and everyone ones quite helpful.. Basically I'm listing what I've "decided" on and maybe some people can share experiences and things of that nature.

I'm having a LFS make me a custom stand out of oak wood. I'd like to have a refugium of some sort with just to have some livesand, live rock rubble, and chaeto algae. If I let that build up pods for about 8 months then would adding a mandarin be acceptable? I've seen people have success with them in nano reefs, but the safety of the fish comes first.

For sand I'm curious, My brother has a 29 biocube also and hes using natures ocean bio-activ live aragonite sand and hasnt had any complaints but I like the look of natures ocean marine white sand. Its not live sand so would the live rock I add get the bacteria to the sand to make it live?

I'm planning on using Pukani Rock that a local fish store stocks, but I'm having mixed thoughts. Should I buy it from the LFS already cured or Should I order Dry Rock from BRS?

Also I bought some products that my brother recommended I put in when I start the tank.( Kent Strontium & Molybdenum, Kent Essential Elements, Kent Coral-vite, Seachem Reef Complete, Instant Ocean Bio-Spira) Well the 1st 4 I mentioned were left in the trunk of my car for like a week, does it matter?

Just looking for guidance so I do this right the first time :roll:
 
See less See more
#40 ·
i wouldnt add anything either, def. not at this stage.
once there is a good number of corals further down the road a 2part like b-ionic but that may not even be needed in this size tank with a weekly to bi-weekly partial water change. if i went this route i would start a weekly routine and really UNDERDOSE it, and making any changes if needed. its alot easier to add more of something, also never dose for what you dont test and at the minimum i suggest testing for alk, cal and mag. those 3 are the main concern, the traces will be replenished with new water.

the clowns will work fine as long as they are the same species, regardless if they are black, naked, or platnum white, they must be the same species, esp. in a tank of this size, you will most likely end up with one dead clown if they are not. keep in mind with any clown species, the larger ( female ) clown will go after the smaller ( male ) clown. i personally wouldnt add any damsel.

i suggest waiting atleast a week or two, checking your water params, and if they check out with no ammonia, nitrite and a little nitrate reading doing a small water change and starting with a few different snails. maybe 5 nassarious, 5 astrea, 5 nerite, 5 cerith and starting there, patience is key in this hobby and nothing good seems to happen fast.

i really do like the rock scape. i think the more open-ness in the rocks will also help with the flow of the tank.
 
#41 ·
Ok so I'll put these products away, and im wondering if an aussie black clown and a perc would mate? I'm going to upgrade the water pump when I get back in town, and check my water. Would it be wise to buy my own test kit? And thanks for the compliment, it really looks great in person when you can get a feel for all the pathways I've tried to create
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#42 ·
there is a chance clowns will mate but only time will tell that. your just looking for your clowns to bond to start...

what kind of clown exactly is the black one? its from aus, yes but is it a perc, occy, saddleback..?

putting same species together is your best bet IMO, although i have seen mixed pairs it will be easier to get 2 of the same species of clownfish.

i do suggest your own test kits, the droplet kind, for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph, alk, mag, cal,thermometer for temp, and a refractometer for salinity. those are the minimum suggested tests, check ebay for the refracto.
having them test at the store, you never know how consistant the testing employee is, if they even know what they are doing, or if they say your water is "fine" so you buy one of their fish.
 
#48 ·
See yours has an orange face, I am looking for one that's completely black and white.
Posted via Mobile Device
Yes, you still ok using the Black and White. He was refering to getting the same genus Clown. Like you shouldn't keep your Black and White with a Clarki, the Clarki would kick the crap outta the Ocellaris.
This is the fish in which you are refering to.

 
#49 ·
Yes that's the one. How can you tell that it's going to be all black when looking at a juvenile? I'm going to browse around if my cycle is done. I get off a day early for thanksgiving so I'll be home in the morning. Straight to the lfs with my water for a test. I gotta buy my own though as well.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#53 ·
Yes. It all depends on how deep your bed is, that will determine if its a bad gas or not. If the sand bed is around 4", thats on the close range for a Deep Sand Bed, and can release Hydrogen Sulphide. If you smell rotten eggs coming from your tank, you have the bad gas. If not, then its the normal type.
 
#57 ·
#65 ·
Well, my tank is cycled. The lfs said I could add My anemone? He said if I add it first it would be better so I can see where it will stay, then place corals away from it.

Online liveaquaria said that this anemone prefers 4" sandbed and mine is only 1", is that a problem???
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#66 ·
Well, my tank is cycled. The lfs said I could add My anemone? He said if I add it first it would be better so I can see where it will stay, then place corals away from it.

Online liveaquaria said that this anemone prefers 4" sandbed and mine is only 1", is that a problem???
Posted via Mobile Device
Well, I am advising against getting the Anemone for a new tank, your LFS is trying to make a sale, and in my book is an idiot for telling you its ok to have one in a newly cycled tank. 6-9 months before you should keep one. But if you insist, you should add the sand needed for the Anemone to have a chance at survival.
 
#67 ·
Heres the story. My tank has been up for 2 weeks or so, just finished cycling. I was told by a lfs that it was fine to add "anything which I figured was a bit drastic. I mentioned I ordered a anemone and it was going to stay in my bros established tank for a while. I live 3 hrs away from my brother and lfs told me it would be more stressful moving it tank to tank than it would be to just put it in mine to start. I didn't buy anything from him so I'm not sure that he was really trying to lure me in or just uneducated. I brought up the fact that it's not good to add anemones to young tanks and he said he hadn't had problems. What did I get myself into? I don't plan to add ANYTHING for about 2-3 months as not to upset the water. Maybe late January I'll get my clowns, hopefully. I really really hope my anemone makes it. Also, if I did have it routed to my brothers tank, would there be problems since he has a rose bubble tip anemone? Would his and my anemone co-exist or would one injure the other?? If so maybe It would fair better in my tank.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#68 ·
overview
Size: 3"
West Australian purple tip marble anemone. This anemone has a purple oral disc and mouth. The tentacles are green and tan with purple tips. The underside of the oral disc is purple with white spots, with a smooth orange column and pedal disc.

This anemone prefers to attach firmly to a smooth surface with its pedal disc and most of the column buried in a fine, sandy substrate that is 4 inches deep.

This anemone has short and sticky tentacles and has been eating a mix of PE Mysis and finely chopped grouper and raw shrimp. This anemone is fully quarantined, and is maintained under 250-Watt Aqualine Buschke HQI double ended metal halide bulbs that are suspended 18" above the water surface in a raceway that is 16" deep. Diameter of the pedal disc is 1/2" and the anemone is 3" in diameter when fully open.

Is the 4" sanded absolutely required?
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#69 ·
I have not kept one so as far as having the depth needed for that type, I don't know. They 2 Anemones hsould be ok in the same tank, provinding the new one latches on no where near the other. It is ok to add those Clowns to the tank once the cycle is finished, you do not benefit by waiting any longer. The Anemone needs a mature system to survive. Like your guy at the LFS, you can add anything at anytime, but you are running the risk of killing it, it might survive and be fine, it might not. The clowns will help mature the system.
 
#74 ·
Any advice on caring for the anemone?
Posted via Mobile Device
Oh, they need strong lighting. And don't try to place them where you think you want them, they don't really care about that. When they are happy they will settle down. Once you set them in the tank, leave em alone. Feeding, once maybe twice a week, if they are getting the light needed, they will not eat much from you. Can feed like chunks of silverslides, or plankton, or squid chunks.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top