thought id share.. Boocube 14 gal.

[Biocube14]

Started with live sand. 5 lbs live rock. Premixed water from lfs. Perc clown all the same day.. Been up and running for a month now. First saltwater tank attempted. Check out the pics. Comment and questions welcome

 

[Crepe]

How much light do you have? Your BTA don't look too hot.

 

[Fishfan321]

If I'm understanding this right you didn't cycle. Even premixed sw needs cycled. If your lfs told you to do this never go there again. They all will most likely die.

from, Adam

 

[Biocube14]

Crepe.. I'm not sure why but the congylactus was like this ever since I bought him.. Except he has tripled in size. I've read that this greyish color is actually a good sign it's healthy.
Adam.. Basically long story short.. No I didn't cycle fully. I went about 2 weeks before I started adding coral. The saltwater was straight from their system at lfs. Basically everything was fine just not alot of bio bacteria built up. Please believe the lfs warned me against moving so fast. They are very credible while myself impatient. Haha. Never the less it was a task at hand. I was monitering and adjusting parameters and water everyday. Now to be exact this is starting the 6th week of tank running. Not ever any spikes in parameters. Maybe I'm just lucky, maybe I just have too much time on my hands or maybe I haven't seen the worst yet..(prays I have). The pictures never do justice, but all the neon colors are there in the corals, congy, urchin.... Oh yeah, I also was told take the congy out of my reef tank.."he'll sting the corals". He's very nice anemone. Also I was told the clowns would never host it... Well they are. However his growth is so rapid I'll be removing him in the near future hopefully he splits and I could keep a mini of him...... I'll update new pics later tonight, these were about a week ago... Thanks fir the input cuz like I said, first tank and still learning.........

 

[carey]

Thats a condy? wow mine is like this..and he's huge. I think he's about ready to split as he has two "feet". I was also told clowns wont host a condy either. Hope mine will.....

 

[Biocube14]

Yeah I know... When I saw him I thought maybe pet shop (not my usual) just had poor lighting that once in my tank he'd turn bright white and regain purple tips.. But he stayed this greyish greenish color. And all info I find pretty much says this is healthy.. Hmmm not sure, but I like some other cogy input as well. Thanks for sharing. Yeah not doing any research I found out after the purchase the clowns wouldn't host it.. I keep everything well fed and happy. On about the congy's 5th day I woke to clowns sleepin in him.. The chose it over the frogspawn, torch, everything else.. And I'm very happy with the relationship.. Even my coral banded shrimp will try to clean the anemone up.. Lol so much character in saltwater. It's hilarious just watching everything live, eat, and help one another...

 

[carey]

I was mesmerized when I first laid eyes on my condy. The pruple tips are awesome, he even has some smaller bright purple tentacles. He was my first purchase and I have a young tank so everyone urged me to return it. I have tried but the crappy lfs wont take him back, even tho I asked the very next day.

I am getting my black oscelleris this week I hope and I pray I have the same luck you had with your condy. Overall your tank looks very nice.

 

[Brough5754]

Are urchins hard to up keep?

 

[Biocube14]

In my opinion "yes" but I hand feed mine. I heard they need a bigger, well established tank to avoid starving to death. I just feed mine a small piece of shrimp everyday to make sure he eats. But they are scavangers so they should do well..

 

[Fishfan321]

Yea no problem but I really think that you are way to early to put a nem in. I understand your impatience, I am going through the same thing. It Is really good that you took it back. Most people need a tank that's about a year old. Keep testing your water to make sure your cycle is done. I know you won't want to do this but if your water levels are high, I would return some and wait. Your lfs might hold them for you.

from, Adam

 

[Biocube14]

I agree it was too early to put 90% of the stuff I've got in there.. Lol but all is well and happy. It does take about an hour a day though plus periodic checks. It's all fin though. Way better than watching big freshwater fish just loafing around. I was breeding flowerhorns for a while. But it was getting to big of an operation and I moved to an apartment so small and salt was on my mind.

 

[fort384]

Why ya gotta knock the FW?

 

[Biocube14]

Not knockin it. Just a whole new world with salt. I did fresh water for 10 years. Last 5 being flowerhorns.. It was and is still a great thing

 

[Fishfan321]

Not knockin it. Just a whole new world with salt. I did fresh water for 10 years. Last 5 being flowerhorns.. It was and is still a great thing

Hopefully not in the tank you have now!!!! Don't they get up to like 2ft? Haha the only things I ever bred were mollies and rams

from, Adam

 

[Biocube14]

Haha nah.. I had a 100, 75, 55, 40, 30, 25 and 6-10 gallon aquariums. Not to mention a $400 electric bill. Biggest fh I had was like 12 inches. Biggest one I heard of was 16 inches.

 

[Biocube14]

Updated pics from today.. I think everything looks happy and healthy.

 

[Fishfan321]

Updated pics from today.. I think everything looks happy and healthy.

Nice. But keep up with water changes so they survive. Since it wasn't cycled you could do it with pwc but it will take a lot longer. Btw, are you dosing?

from, Adam

 

[Biocube14]

I dose with B-Ionic, calcium buffer, if that's what you mean..

 

[Fishfan321]

I dose with B-Ionic, calcium buffer, if that's what you mean..

Yes, I am also going to start a reef and wasn't sure If I would dose or not. You should be fine but make this a lesson learned to cycle first, and do research to the extent that your eyes pop out. You still did great IMO, considering your tank looks nice and you learned on the way.

from, Adam

 

[rancidpetals]

I had a pincushion urchin and I just had to take it back to the LFS today, because it was eating the coralline algae off my rocks. Good luck with the Coral Banded shrimp. They get super aggressive. The one I had started killing my fish because they crossed their eyes wrong. I had to trap her and get rid of her.