14 gallon BioCube Suggestions

[Try-na]

I have a used 14 gal BioCube & it has already been a successful reef tank. Now it's my turn. I don't have ANY experience. I do have friends that will help me along the way but I want some suggestions. Keep in mind I have zero experience (freshwater only & pretty good at it).

I've been searching nano tanks both FOWLR & reef & I really prefer the look of the reef. I know that if I started a FOWLR it would eventually become a reef anyway. So would you start FOWLR & slowly change it to reef or would you start with a reef look knowing that's where you'll end up?

I'm thinking that constantly adding frags & renoing the tank with fish in it would be stressful & hard on the fish. If I had a fairly established reef then added fish would it be better?

Now what stock? It's only a 14g so not much will fit although after my research I've seen some pretty crowded tanks that look ridiculous if you ask me! I like weird & colorful. Things I've seen that I like... Mandarin Goby of course but I'm pretty sure I'm not ready that level of difficulty. I like purple firefish, most gobys, sexy shrimp, Pom Pom crabs, Pygmy angels.... So many to choose from that I have no idea which way to go. If you had a 14g what would your dream stock list be?

 

[egrape]

I would be sure to get the correct lights if you even have an inkling of doing coral, because that allows you to have the option. i think you should do coral

the Pygmy angel might be a little big for a 14 gallon, but I have no personal experience on that fish so maybe someone else will chime in

I have a ten gallon that will eventually have a royal gramma and a tailspot blenny! I love blennys, I think they are hysterical fish. you also will want your generic clean up crew, as well as probably either a skunk cleaner shrimp or a fire shrimp. I highly recommend nassarius snails to sift through your sand bed and fighting conches for algae consumption. conches are also just super cool

you could definitely do a mandarin, but you just have to be prepared to commit to feeding them at least twice a day. you should also invest in a canister filter or sump to create a good population of Copepoda to always have available to feed. just the numbers you will have in the tank will not last long term because the mandarin will eat them all in a matter of minutes.

also I wouldn't worry too much about the order of fish or corals. if you do corals first, you can add corals a little earlier then fish when your cycling is complete. and then just use a bacterial supplement to prevent a mini cycle when you add fish. otherwise you wait longer to start it up. it's really up to you, you can do whatever you want, just always plan for cycles when you add a lot of bioload. and in terms of stressing the fish, they are pretty hardy so I wouldn't worry about that. you don't wanna rearrange corals too frequently because it is stressful for them to readjust to flow and lighting changes. but they all adjust eventually. I did corals and then I will eventually add fish. my tanks been running for two and a half months, and right now I only have coral and CUC

 

[Easyflip]

A few fish max in 14 gals. A pair of clowns and maybe a fire fish. Clowns will host a coral which I think is better than a traveling anemone. Cuc can be fun including shrimp and my favorite nassarius snails. I think hermit crabs and damselfish are too aggressive and often cause long term regrets. Good luck!

 

[cgthebeast]

Pygmy angels get 2 big for a 14 gallon, the minimum is 55.
You could put quite a few pom-poms and sexy shrimp, along with a cleaner shrimp. The purple firefish and 2 neon gobies would be great for that tank, or you could go with a yasha goby and pistol shrimp pair, very cool. Corals recommend high lighting and great water quality, but there not hard 2 keep. Herimt crabs will kill any snails in the tank and damsels are evil. A pair of clowns would be the only fish you could have if you that way. Go to live aquria and look at the nano fish recommend for 15 gallons. Make sure you dip any corals you get also

Now for a few questions
1. How are going to cycle the tank?
2. Are you going to have a sump or refrigum

 

[Try-na]

I'm nowhere near ready for the light debate or sump & cycling questions. I'm really just trying to figure out what I want. Once I figure that out then I'll decide how I'm going to do it. My tank is not running yet & won't be for a while.

I guess what I should have asked is based on the size of the tank & that it will be a reef tank what combo of fish or shrimp or what have you that would you want? I know a pair of clowns but everybody has clowns & I'm not really sure I want them. I'm hoping for advice on live stock that would mix well together & maybe a little on the hardier side as I am a newbie I like things more on the weird or rare, not so common but not super expensive either.

Be advised that I have many many people (in my town) with tons of SW experience both nano & larger tanks that will be here to walk me through it every step of the way.

Once I figure out livestock then I'll figure out layout & extra equipment if I need it.