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
#77 ·
enough LEDs should work fine, i agree but it will thrive better under the halides. 6+ t5s could keep some nems but for their long term health i feel need the penetrating power of a halide. a small squirt of mysis would be a good weekly offering, i would also try switching up food with a weekly silverside/another food to offer more variety, which wouldnt hurt.
 
#82 ·
The lighting requirement is moderate, do you think he will be fine for 2 weeks under normal light until my heatsink led is installed? I'm planning to order the tunze also but wasn't sure which is better
Posted via Mobile Device
The lighting requirement is kinda misleading. It says that in the lighting needed, then lower it tells you it needs strong lighting to thrive. I think ou rok fo a couple weeks with less light, they are kept in some LFS with weeker lighting for longer than that sometimes.
Anemones need alot of light, they are at the top of the charts for that.
 
#83 ·
He seems to be ok, I tried feeding him frozen mysis shrimp through a turkey vaster but I don't think he ate it. Didn't really acknowledge the food as much as I thought. He seems to be moving around for a good place to stay. My wife is going to pick up 2 clowns from a lfs today
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#84 ·
He seems to be ok, I tried feeding him frozen mysis shrimp through a turkey vaster but I don't think he ate it. Didn't really acknowledge the food as much as I thought. He seems to be moving around for a good place to stay. My wife is going to pick up 2 clowns from a lfs today
Posted via Mobile Device
Gotta watch that part, about the clowns. The Anemone has to be big enough for both, or they'll beat the crap outta it. I guess you gotta see it for yourself, Clowns are pretty rough on Anemones.
 
#86 ·
Oh ok, so is that something I should do myself instead of my wife? I emailed rapidled about the retro and plan to order and attempt to install the heatsink led retro. Hope to have it installed in 2-3 weeks!
Posted via Mobile Device
You can let the wife do it, its gonna happne one way or another. They might not even take to the Anemone at first. Retro kits are great to work with. Have fun doing it. :-D
 
#93 ·
When I got back into for my days off my nem was a little shriveled on the left side, I fed him mysis and turned off the
Lights (wife had them on for about 12hrs) and he seems ok now. Using powerhead method of coaxing him off the rock and onto the sand.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#94 ·
The Anemone seems to be doing a little better after the feeding the other night. I added 2 Clowns yesterday, 1 Black and white occ and 1 orange and white occ. They were bagged separately, I acclimated them in their separate bags, then after acclimation I added them to the same bag and continued acclimating for about 10 minutes. Then added both to the tank with one net. Since being added, They have been inseparable! Its very exciting, Next I'd like to get my corals going, maybe adding 1-2 every other week. I reaquascaped and put the rock the anemone was on, Onto the ground so If he prefers sand he can remove himself from the rock safely. Pics coming later today! :cool:
 
#96 · (Edited)
Here are some pics off my iPhone. I'd like to capture a nice video to show my progress. I'm very excited to see where this tank goes, and Especially excited about the new lighting I'm ordering tomorrow. Doing a 5g water change in the morning. My two clowns have already had a nice meal of Mysis shrimp. They are doing well together, the littler orange one follows the black one around like a shadow. I had intended on getting a pure black/white one but this was a local fish that I could get with no hassle or complications due to my work schedule. The only thing that I'm curious about is that they stay in the front of the tank, They havent wondered through the rockwork or to the back of the tank. Is that normal? Once I move out of this apartment I'm gonna get a 90 gallon tank and probably use this tank as a breeder for the clowns or something.. maybe use it for my frags, not sure yet but I will make good use of it. Here are just a few pics, More to come tomorrow.








 
#100 ·
I talked to a more knowledgable lfs today and they said I really didn't need led lighting at this point. The anemone, based on the scientific name is a purple tip lta. I instead bought a nice torch coral and a mj1200. I'm doing my water change in the morning and adding the mj1200. Torch coral is doing well so far *fingers crossed*

I had a mis-hap today that I'd like to mention. Well the two clowns have been doing good together since introduced to my tank, but regrettably today the b/w passed away. I had my water tested and all was good. I'm not sure what it was, I bought them at Petco so maybe that was the problem. I purchased another b/w today but NOT from Petco. The lfs I used to go through had one so I bought him but their prices are quite outrageous so I think I'll be keeping my hard earned money away from them. 59$ for a hydor koralia nano 225?! The other lfs is much more helpful and prices are lower so I'm happy to have found a lfs that I can go in and feel good about the info I've received. Pics will be up after my water change. I have a fire shrimp on the way as well, and possibly another lps coral
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#101 ·
Pulled the trig on a pulsing Xenia, and I installed the mj1200, Temp raised slightly. I think the b/w clown might host the torch. He seems to stay near it and one time I saw him brush up against it. I'm hoping he decides to host the torch. I am ordering my tunze skimmer tomorrow and my media baskets
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#105 ·
I'm out of town but my wife said I have a small amount of brownish algae. Added some snails to my CUC. About 10 margarita snails, and 5 hermits. I found a used 150watt metal halide with t5 actinic lights and led moon lights at a lfs for 150. Is that a better deal than the 20led heat sink?
Posted via Mobile Device
 
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