29 Gallon Biocube Reef Journal-My First Saltwater Aquarium!

[Tochtli]

A pair of maroons is probably too much for that size tank, any other fish are probably just going to get crowded out. Here's an idea: how about you do a species biotope? Here's what I'd do:

• Get yourself a really good light (I'm not familiar with the light you have, so you may/may not want to change that)
• Get all your equipment sorted out and placed in the tank.
• Swap out all your fish (maybe this should be first).
• Make sure you love your scape, otherwise, now's a good time to change it up.
• Let things stabilize.
• Get 2 ocellaris clowns, decorator inverts and your cuc--preferably not all on the same day, and in reverse order from what I have listed.
• Wait a while and you can add some coral, if you so desire. Go slow here too.
• Once things are really going well, get a BTA.
• Enjoy your clownfish/anemone biotope!

The more you do now, the better your tank will look in the long run. The worst part about this hobby is that you really do have to be patient, or you'll end up making mistakes and losing money, not to mention animals. Everyone makes mistakes, and *most people here are trying to help keep that from happening to you.

 

On a side note, I've had a maroon clown for a little over two years now and I've never seen any aggression out of it--if anything, it's the fish that gets picked on.

[duncan-junkie]

I LOVE THIS THREAD!! THE MOST EXCITEMENT I'VE HAD ALL DAY!!!

You should get a whale shark for that tank. I hear the babies are small and don't swim much. You'll need a constant source of food, but you should be able to dose it twice daily with a thick culture. Ask your local reefer. Post pics!

LMFAO!!!

[pschom]

I LOVE THIS THREAD!! THE MOST EXCITEMENT I'VE HAD ALL DAY!!!

 

That's sad

[Braden8558]

He even said that a yellow tang could work in there as they don't spend much time free swimming, they are grazers and usually circle in areas for food. I am not gonna get a yellow tang for this tank but I may keep the maroons for a while longer. He also said that he has had maroons in the past and also has multiple clownfish right now (percula and ocellaris)[/]

 

You should get a whale shark for that tank. I hear the babies are small and don't swim much. You'll need a constant source of food, but you should be able to dose it twice daily with a thick culture. Ask your local reefer. Post pics!

haha funny. He's an experienced reefer and I am not planning on getting one for this tank. I plan to keep the maroons for a while. They are causing no harm in there and seem fine. If they get to big and aggressive then they will have to go. How much is a good price for a pair of the goldstripes? Someone said they would pay $100 for them. They aren't mated though.

[1.0reef]

Spawning/Mated- $200-$500 depending

Bonded- Up to $200 if they are huge, probably more like $80-$120....

[Braden8558]

Spawning/Mated- $200-$500 depending

Bonded- Up to $200 if they are huge, probably more like $80-$120....

Thanks appreciate it!

[Braden8558]

Well guys big update! A while ago (probably like 2 months), I purchased a Coralife Biocube from a member on a local forum with the tank (virtually no scratches!), stand (in good condition), and a rapid led kit ($215) plus a led controller (around $60 I believe) as well as an Intank media basket ($50) for a total of $150! I think I got a steal on this deal!

So the leds did need some work, but my dad is handy with this kind of stuff and did a good job taking apart the kit, correcting problems, and assembling it the right way. The guy who assembled it before us did not do a very good job putting the kit together. The leds are now on a timer and come on at 2 in the afternoon, and turn off at 10 in the evening.

 

Here are some updated pictures!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have some more pictures of some of the color but most of it is nothing special, green pallies, xenia, hammer, frogspawn, blue cloves, mushrooms, etc. that I may upload in the future if people want to see more.

I'm happy with the way this tank is coming along. The next tasks are to get a new anenome and switch the pink condy with a rose bubble tip, then set up my media basket, get a pistol shrimp, add to my coral selection, let the coral grow out, and possibly purchase another fish.

Right now I have 2 maroon clownfish, 1 sixline wrasse, and 1 Watchman goby. Do you think I could add a royal gramma or dottyback or maybe another goby? I like to try to do water changes every other week but I think it is nice to have some leeway for every 2 weeks between water changes. I was also thinking about possibly switching out my six line and getting a McCoskers wrasse. Would he be to big or to gentle to the maroons? How expensive do they typically run?

Thanks for looking at my tank setup, all comments and criticisms are welcome!

Braden

 

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Well guys big update! A while ago (probably like 2 months), I purchased a Coralife Biocube from a member on a local forum with the tank (virtually no scratches!), stand (in good condition), and a rapid led kit ($215) plus a led controller (around $60 I believe) as well as an Intank media basket ($50) for a total of $150! I think I got a steal on this deal!

 

So the leds did need some work, but my dad is handy with this kind of stuff and did a good job taking apart the kit, correcting problems, and assembling it the right way. The guy who assembled it before us did not do a very good job putting the kit together. The leds are now on a timer and come on at 2 in the afternoon, and turn off at 10 in the evening.

 

Here are some updated pictures!

 

1391481528_tmp_1391481427_tmp_IMG_20140203_154852__1__New best.jpg

 

1391482132_tmp_DSC02019 yeah.jpg

 

GSP.jpg

 

HAND LEATHER.jpg

 

1391482966_tmp_DSC02021 LEATHER.jpg

 

1391482345_tmp_DSC02023 YWG.jpg

 

SPS CORAL.jpg

 

I have some more pictures of some of the color but most of it is nothing special, green pallies, xenia, hammer, frogspawn, blue cloves, mushrooms, etc. that I may upload in the future if people want to see more.

 

I'm happy with the way this tank is coming along. The next tasks are to get a new anenome and switch the pink condy with a rose bubble tip, then set up my media basket, get a pistol shrimp, add to my coral selection, let the coral grow out, and possibly purchase another fish.

 

Right now I have 2 maroon clownfish, 1 sixline wrasse, and 1 Watchman goby. Do you think I could add a royal gramma or dottyback or maybe another goby? I like to try to do water changes every other week but I think it is nice to have some leeway for every 2 weeks between water changes. I was also thinking about possibly switching out my six line and getting a McCoskers wrasse. Would he be to big or to gentle to the maroons? How expensive do they typically run?

 

Thanks for looking at my tank setup, all comments and criticisms are welcome!

 

Braden

 

The McCoskers need a 50G at least to swim peacefully, and they're relatively peaceful fish so they'll get bullied by the clowns. I think you're overstocked as it is. I wouldn't do another fish.

[jeeperreefer]

Right now it looks better then when you started out. If you would only take a step back and listen to the advise people are giving on here about slowing down. It comes from experince. Trust me I was a New and screwed all kinds of stuff up at one time. I use to be on here years ago. My first Nano was in 2003. Things have came a long way and I learned alot of that time period. Almost everyone giving advise has probibly thrown away more money on bad choices then you can believe. You have to take a step back and do the reseach before you impulse buy. If not then it is nothing more then Tick Tick Tick Boom!!!!!!!!

[Braden8558]

What do you mean slow down? I have been patient I waited months to get new fish and the tank has good parameters, the corals doing good, the fish are happy, I do my maintenance. So I don't see the problem? I think it is looking good and really turning out well.

[jeeperreefer]

What do you mean slow down? I have been patient I waited months to get new fish and the tank has good parameters, the corals doing good, the fish are happy, I do my maintenance. So I don't see the problem? I think it is looking good and really turning out well.

 

First of all you are NOT taking your time. That is a lot of live stock in a 4 month period. You are lost on the planning because of some of the choices you have in livestock. That is what everyone has been trying to tell you though out this entire post. Yes RIGHT NOW your tank looks better then it did, but let me ask you a few things.

 

1. What are you going to do when your nem gets to it's adult size? When it starts moving? When it splits and you have more then one?

2. What are you going to do with clown fish that are 6" adult length in a 20" wide tank?

3 How are you going to address the bioload concerns in your future? As coral and the fish grow so does the amount of waste.

4. Do you plan out your coral placement so that the coral have room to grow to a health size? I see several corals placed close together. this will be a problem later on based on the types of corals. You have several corals that can over take most tanks if left unchecked.

5. Do you really think you are so good that you argue with every comment? People are trying to help you for the long haul. the idea is what your reef will look like years from now. Not what it looks like today.

 

Like I said it looks better then when you first started. Not sure you caught that. I was trying to give advise, but as I was a Noobie and hard headed at one time I know where you are coming from. I was not trying to Bag on your tank. If you are not willing to at least plan things out then it is no more then a Tick Tick Tick Boom kind of a tank. Please look this web site has had 1,000's of them through the years.

[Braden8558]

Thanks for the reply...

 

1.) I plan to switch out the anemone for a rose bubble tip and hopefully it settles where the pink condy is right now, that is the best spot for it in my opinion and I like where it is! If they get to big I will sell them to members on here or give them to the LFS for credit, or maybe even free to someone with not a lot of cash to spend or a teenage reefer such as myself.

 

2.) I have the maroons in their temporarily and they are still small. They also don't seem to grow that fast, so once I notice water quality issues or think they are getting to big for the space, becoming to aggressive, etc. I will sell them on here, or bring them to a LFS.

 

3.) I don't think that coral really produces that much waste, I have a lot of rock (so pretty good biological filtration), I will get rid of the maroons when they get to be a problem, and I may get rid of my sixline and replace it with something else. Right now I have been fairly relaxed on my water changes, trying to do them every other week or every two weeks, so if bioload becomes a problem, then I may just have to increase my water changes. I also am working on setting up my filter correctly and using one of the sections in the back as a refugium for cheato algae or other types of macro algaes to help increase the biological filtration.

 

4.) I may need to adjust some things, and I agree that some of the color is probably to close to each other. Once, I figure out the anemone situation, I can work on figuring out everything revolving around that. Thanks for bringing that up.

 

5.) I don't argue with everything that people say just stuff that I am not certain of or when people make statements without much reason or justification. Feel free to state your ideas and opinions, but if you do, at least have some evidence to back your claim up.

 

 

and according to you I am not planning my things out but that is false. Not to be rude but how do you know what I am planning and not planning? I have been planning for awhile such as getting the new tank, creating the new scape, getting new sand, some other corals, what kind of livestock, whether or not I want a protein skimmer, etc. So please don't go around saying false things even though you don't really know what I myself have been planning the past few months.

 

Thanks for looking, Braden

[Braden8558]

Hey guys! Been awhile since an update, so I figured I would fill you all in on what's been going on in the tank. I believe that the tank has been going for about 4-5 months now and is doing well. I recently went to a local Reefers club annual auction. I got some new corals such as pavona, a big zoa rock with green zoas, black and yellow zoas, and a small rock with some brown and blue zoas that are not tubbs blues, but still neat looking. I also got a torch coral, something labeled "corky gorg" (maybe short for gorgonian?) and some Pociliopora. After the auction I met up with a man at a LFS who said he would give me a free green bubble tip anemone with pink tips! I got it Friday night and it has been doing very well! I just fed it some mysis today and it seemed to be loving it. Unfortunately my smaller maroon clownfish seems to have passed away. I never found his body but I believe that it could have been due to the fact that I was on a poor feeding schedule, and didn't feed them for at least a week. Now I have gotten better at feeding them and do it right after school along with my other fish. I have decided to do an every other day routine. For example, since I fed the fish today, I will skip tomorrow and feed them on Tuesday. Seems to be working fairly well. The maroon clown could have died of other reasons to, but I suspect it may have been the lack of food. I do have a pink tip condy anemone in the tank, but I don't think her would eat the whole maroon clown, it is possible though. I have been monitoring my ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels, and they are all in check. Maybe the clean up crew got him, maybe it was the anemone? We will never know... I also can't seem to find my skunk cleaner shrimp...hopefully nothing happened to him but I haven't seem him for a number of days

Anyways here's some pictures taken today of the tank and inhabitants. My regular camera does not pick up the color in the reef with the LEDS so I am using my cell phone camera. Please Excuse the mediocre quality!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have almost got my refugium in the back chambers of my biocube set up. Just did a water change and mostly everything checks out except the pH. I tested 7.7-7.8 with my API test kit!! I know it is really low. I am using distilled water that has a pH of 6. I use instant ocean salt. I want to get coral sea pro salt. Do you think I should invest in an RODI unit and just use my own water? My town has a high pH. I'm not sure why the ph is so low. Is it due to the low pH of the distilled water? I did many tests today and I measured the pH of the new water I was using for a water change with distilled water and the salt level at 1.026 and got about 7.8. How should I solve this?

 

I picked up a small candy cane pistol shrimp at a LFS. I saw him the second say I got him and then he disappeared. He is small and I'm hoping the maroon wouldn't go after the pistol shrimp. Since I lost the one maroon clown I am thinking about getting something else? What do you guys think I should go for? I was thinking about a royal gramma? Anything else that could stand up to the maroon and six line already in there? The maroon and sixline seem to get along wonderfully and the yellow watchman goby doesn't seem to have a problem with any of them.

 

I am also having a little bit of hair algae. This may be due to bad distilled water. I should probably invest in an rodi unit. I am finishing my refugium tonight so we will see if that helps out. I have heard that they don't do to much for nitrate levels but maybe it will help absorb a good amount of phosphates or whatever other nutrients are in my water and limit the hair algae. I may also grab two more emerald crabs and see if they do the job.

 

Thanks for looking! Comments and advice is always welcome.

 

Braden

 

 

 

[Braden8558]

What do you guys think??

[Eclipse]

Looks freaken great. Definitely get an RODI if you don't have one.

[pgrVII]

That condy ate your maroon. I'd put $ on that. Nice looking tank though.

As for your pH is your water surface being moved? If it's not try aiming a showerhead at the surface that may help it get some better numbers as it helps gas exchange.

[Neebles]

I read through the thread and you were advised to get a ro/di filter several times, but your expert reefer friend who uses tap water said not to. I don't want to be that guy but jeebus man, listen to what these folks in here have to tell you or quit asking questions!!

[Braden8558]

I read through the thread and you were advised to get a ro/di filter several times, but your expert reefer friend who uses tap water said not to. I don't want to be that guy but jeebus man, listen to what these folks in here have to tell you or quit asking questions!!

 

Not true. People have told me that an RODI is a good purchase and I agree. However my "expert reefer friend" did not say to not use RODI. That is not true at all. He uses his tap water because I believe that it has very low TDS and phosphates. I didn't want to take the chance, but don't have much room for an RODI unit so I have been using distilled. I have heard that distilled is usually pretty good and not many people have issues with it. I'm not going to quit asking questions. I'm a beginner teenage reefer who would like some advice. I may invest in an RODI system, but I would first like to determine if the distilled water is the problem, or if it is the instant ocean salt, or something else. Alot of people told me various things on this thread and some were even a little rude in my opinion, especially for the begginers section. Some of them I didn't listen to, and my tank is doing very well and I have been getting a lot of compliments on how it looks and the progress that has been happening.Thanks for the comment.