"Oceanus Meus"

[JBG]

BACKSTORY: This is my first post and first ever SW tank. All throughout my teenage years I had many freshwater aquariums and amphibian/reptile terrariums. As a teenager I bred Betta Splendens and brown anole (Anolis sagrei). I had always thought I'd be a herpetologist/zoologist of some kind, but life can be funny sometimes. Recently I've missed the hobby more and more. So much so that my amazing fiancée surprised me with a JBJ 28g Nano Cube CF-Quad for my birthday. This will be my first tank of any kind in about 13 years. Let the fun begin!!

 

TANK:

JBJ 28g Nano Cube CF-Quad & stand

20 lb. CaribSea Arag-Alive Hawaiian Black sand

aprox. 20 lb. Tukani & 2-3 lb. Totoka love rock

 

Setting up tank:

 

Day 1:

 

Day 5, after I added the Totoka:

 

Day 8, today:

 

 

Anyone have any idea what this little airbag looking thing is? It was on the Totoka when I purchased it.

[Subsea]

Good looking rock. Who came up with the name, Totoka love rock. Was this rock uncured? You are well into your cycle and need some janitors to clean up your microlgae bloom. May I suggest Florida Drawf Cerith Snails. They are direct development of larvae and will reproduce in your substrate. Stay away from hermit crabs as they eat everything, including snails and each other.

Welcome to the hobby. I have been addicted for 45 years.

Patrick

[Subsea]

Since you have said your knowledge level is entry, do you have any ideas on the life forms you wish to keep?

 

I am a believer on cycling with mollies. It makes the tank more interesting during this phase.

Laissez la bonne temps roulee,

Patrick

[JBG]

Subsea - Ha! I read over my post twice and still didn't catch that. It's supposed to say "live" rock.

 

This is my possible stock list as of now. I would welcome any comments.

 

Invertebrates:

Nassarius spp (detritus)

Nerite snail (algae)

Caribbean cerith snail

(nerita sp.)

Blue Porcelain crab (crnvre/filter)

(Petrolisthes spp.)

Dwarf Colored Feather Duster

(Bispira sp.)

Blue tuxedo urchin (herbivore)

pom pom crab

sexy shrimp

 

FISH:

green clown goby

firefish goby

blue madarin

scooter bleny

 

Coral:

Lemon Tree

Green apple cap

Green Polyp Leather

Sunburst Pavona

Long Polyp Leather

Green Toadstool Mushroom Leather

Green trumpet

Red Candy Cap

[Subsea]

Nothing wrong with the list. The sequence of introduction is important. Right now you need janitors. In addition to snails, I would seed the tank with pods.

 

Your mandarin will put a big demand on your copepod populations. Get them well established before introducing a predator as efficient as a mandarin: wait 6 months.

 

With a mixed coral garden, use activated carbon. Use a small amount and replace it weekly.

[JBG]

The Mandarin is definitely on the end of the list. I am thinking about (in time) adding on a HOB refugium to help colonize some copodes. Knowing that, should I still seed the tank?

 

In the three chamber filter I have sponge, chemi-pure elite, and ceramic rings. Where and how would you suggest using the carbon?

 

My plan is to start with a small minimal CUC, slowly adding variety while keeping quantity of each type to one or two. I really don't want anything starving out. Then, start adding coral or alternating coral and CUC. Leaving fish for last.

[Subsea]

Both Copepods and amphipods are great janitors. They will feast on biofilm and detritus in the display tank.

 

I used to focus on maximizing biodiversity in my DSB. As the dominant species established itself, I would buy more biodiversity. I stopped doing this as I stopped seeing the point of it all. As long as the janitors are getting the job done, I choose not to spend more money purely for the point of biodiversity. If different snails clean different things, that is different.

 

Ceramic rings are for colonizing bacteria. Chemi Pure Elite is a phosphate & silicate resin. Neither does the chemical filtration of activated carbon. I have over 10K gallons in different systems. Activated carbon is used everywhere. I use macro algae to remove phosphate and nitrates. Silicates have never been a problem after the cycle.

Patrick

[Subsea]

With respect to urchins in general, they are real bulldozers. They consistently knock rock over, unless it is anchored. Urchins will also eat coralline down to white. I have used them to graze down an algae bloom, then remove them.

Patrick

[Subsea]

The Mandarin is definitely on the end of the list. I am thinking about (in time) adding on a HOB refugium to help colonize some copodes. Knowing that, should I still seed the tank?

In the three chamber filter I have sponge, chemi-pure elite, and ceramic rings. Where and how would you suggest using the carbon?

My plan is to start with a small minimal CUC, slowly adding variety while keeping quantity of each type to one or two. I really don't want anything starving out. Then, start adding coral or alternating coral and CUC. Leaving fish for last.

 

I would consider removing the ceramic rings and replace with rock rubble. IMO, ceramic rings only colonize nitrification bacteria: ammonia to nitrite to nitrate. Rock rubble with its internal pore spaces will perform denitrification chemistry in a reducing oxygen environment: nitrate to free nitrogen gas, to be exported at the water air interface. This is natures automation at its best, "dynamic equilibrium". According to Tibbsy, thanks be to our "microbial overlords". Instead of a HOB refugium, seed these compartments with pods. They will establish robust populations in this protected area. A plus for having pod populations in these compartments is they will feast on what would be a maintenance chore, biofilm and muck that accumulates in these chambers.

Patrick

[JBG]

The tank has cycled, and the diatoms have begun to diminish. I added my first fish and he/she is doing well. I had an explosion of copepods and have even observed my firefish consuming them.