Newb looking for advice on tank setup. Please help :)

[jamesd28]

Hey guys,

I am new to the forum and to the saltwater fish hobby. I am going to start off with a 14 gallon Oceanic BioCube 14 gallon tank. My goal (at least for now) is simply to have an aquarium with some cool looking fish and a neat aquascape, while also providing a safe and comfortable environment for the fish. I will not be adding coral, anemones, etc; just fish, live rock and a cleanup crew. I will also be using live sand. Here are some of the questions that I have:

1. What type of fish/how many could I house without overstocking to the point that the fish get stressed and sick? I was thinking of having an ocellaris clown, yellowtail blue damsel, six-line wrasse and an orange spotted goby. Is this ok for a 14 gallon BioCube with only fish and live rock? If so, in which order would it be best to introduce the fish? Also, what are some other cool looking fish that typically don't grow past 3in.?

2. I have read that many people remove the bioballs that come in the BioCube aquarium - should I do this as well? If so, what (if anything) should I put in the chamber in place of the bioballs to provide my fish with the best possible chance to stay healthy and survive? I plan on doing weekly 2 gallon water changes once the tank is up and running - is this too conservative? Could I get away with bi-weekly water changes and still keep my fish healthy? How much live sand/live rock would you recommend stocking my tank with?

I'm sorry for all the questions. I am super interested in this hobby, but I'm a total newb and would greatly appreciate any input/advice you guys have to offer.

Thanks!!

 

[slitherbomb]

First of all, don't put live sand. It's a waste of money.

Most people remove the bioballs and put in live rock in there, I personally still have my bioballs.

And as far as stocking, I have 2 clownfish and that's it. You might be able to do a pair of clowns(ocellaris or percula) and maybe a goby, but that's really it.

And for how much live rock you should have, it's really up to you, but ideally you should have 1 pound per gallon. I have about 12-13 pounds in mine.

Hopefully I have helped!

 

[abdhalim2]

hey james.... to this sites...

 

[carey]

Here's a link with a filter mod that replaces the bioballs and lets you use filter media.
Biocube 14 Media Basket

It doesnt come with the fuge since its a 14g, I'm running a 29g cube,.

I agree, a pair of clowns and maybe a goby. 14g gets crowded really quick. LOL

Unless you get an itsy bitsy goby, maybe you can fit a tiny blenny too. But thats a big maybe. I've found the teeny tiny fish get lost in the cube. hehe

Welcome to the forums!!

 

[jamesd28]

Thanks for the feedback guys! If anyone else has any advice, it'd be great. It's hard to know what is "right." I hear so many different opinions from different sources

 

[Grizz]

The thing to remember is the amount of water you'll have to work with After adding 15-20 lbs sand then 15-20 lbs rock your down to about 9-10 gals of water figure 5g water per inch of fish and you dont have much wiggle room

 

[carey]

Yep, good point, also remember that when doing your water changes.

My 29g holds exactly 19 gallons of water I believe.

 

[jamesd28]

Right. That is a good point. A PetSmart fish specialist employee who said he had a 55gal saltwater tank told me that a clown, yellowtail damsel, goby and six-line would be fine as long as I kept the water quality high by doing frequent water changes and added live rock. My thinking was that without tons of corals/anemones like others have in their BC, that there would be more open space for the fish to swim. I have seen a lot of BC14 on youtube with a clown/damsel/goby and some with 1-2 other small fish too and everything looks fine. Obviously I am new and don't know much, and just because other people do it doesn't mean it is right. Just seems hard to know what the "right" choice is. I have no problem not doing the six-line, but I really like the clown and the yellowtail.

Also, what is the best way to ensure that my bioballs dont turn into nitrate monsters? I've heard that they become a big nitrate causer. I have seen other people putting LR or carbon in their BC chambers..is this a good idea/necessary for a FOWLR tank?

Should I get a protein skimmer? I have read that the mini one made for BC is not very good.

thanks guys! I have seen some forums where the people respond to the newb's questions in a rude way and act like they are an idiot for even thinking about doing certain things with their tank. Appreciate the positive feedback

 

[carey]

In such a small tank you may want to rethink the damsel. I don't have one, but everyone says they can get mean and territorial.

I wouldn't waste my money on the bio skimmer, reviews on it are horrible and it runs on airstones which you constantly have to replace.

If you aren't going with corals at all I would say keep the bioballs. Or add LR back there. Either or. The Biocube as it is is setup perfectly for a FOWLR setup including the bioballs. They get a bad rap alot but can be a great filtration source. Just stay on your water changes and you should be fine.

 

[jeremy arsement]

Don't get yellow tail damsels. I used them as cheap starter fish, three of them lived forever and nipped the tails of everything I put in there. They're hardy, territorial, and generally mean.

 

[jamesd28]

Do you think that if I got the Biocube 29 instead of the 14 it would be better?

 

[jamesd28]

do you think if i got a 29 biocube instead of 14 it would be better?

 

[jamesd28]

would it be better if i got the 29 instead of 14 BC?

 

[jamesd28]

sorry didn't realize it was posting over and over haha

 

[carey]

It would for sure give you more options. It's also not that much more money.
If you have the room and the extra cash I say get the 29g. Youll be glad you did. I find mine to be just the right size for what i wanted. Nothing humungous but still big enough to hold a couple interesting fish that i can look at all day.

It's also a great place to have delicate fish as you can keep a handle on them. Like my scooter. He has special dietary needs that I wouldnt be able to meet in a bigger tank.

Whatever you decide let us know! And we'll want pictures!

 

[jamesd28]

Yeah it is roughly $100 more for the 29. And then there would of course be increases in the amount of sand, rock and salt that I would have to buy to fill the tank. But then I could house more fish/keep them more comfortable. I am leaning towards getting the 29. Would you say it is cheaper to get supplies like LR,LS,salt at major chain like a petco or petsmart, or a local "mom and pop" pet store?

 

[carey]

I would get supplies onlineif you can. I just bought 200gallons of salt mix for $47 with free shipping. For the rock I would get some cheap base rock from one of our sponsor sites, like reefcleaners for $2 a lb and buy a few lbs of LR from your LFS, or local store. I bought some LR from petco, and while I got a huge chunk of it for cheap it had die off on it for days and days...

Where are you looking to get the cube from? I bet I could find you a cheaper price. I paid $249 for my cube with free shipping and a $30 gift card to use towards fish.

 

[jamesd28]

wow that is way cheap! I ordered the 14 from petco for $169 w/ free shipping, but plan to return it as soon as it arrives. The 29 is on petco's site for 270, but it is out of stock. There is a new one on Amazon for $280. If you could find one for 250$ that would be amazing! If there are no local places here where I could get a deal like that, I would most certainly paypal you the $ if you would be willing to purchase and send it to me. I would of course pay the shipping and you could wait to ship it until payment had cleared. Where did you find that awesome deal?! PS - thank you for being so friendly and offering so much advise. Really nice to not be looked at as the lame newb haha

 

[carey]

lemme do some price checking and see if any of the sites offer paypal as payment method, then you can order it all yourself.

You have a credit card or do you use paypal just through your bank account? Cause every site takes visa/MC

 

[jamesd28]

I have a credit card. I only mentioned paypal in case the price you were talking about was a local only deal, then I would paypal you the $. If there is a deal like that online then I can use a credit/debit card for payment no problem. You are awesome!