From 29 Gallon to 14 Gallon Bio Cube or 12 Gallon Nano Cube?

[TheTrav13]

I currently have a 29 gallon long right now but I'm downgrading because I live in a college apartment and it's just too big. I want something a little more simple because I'm starting my master's program and simply don't have the time for the upkeep on my 29 gallon as I used to. Also, it's become quite costly, and my lights are soon to expire and I can't afford new ones. I've put some money aside to invest in a nano reef. In my 29 gallon, I currently have:

Lighting:
24" Nova Extreme 4x24watt (5 Months Old 3/7/11)
T5HO 2-10k/2-460nm actinics
96w total wattage
Filtration:
CPR Bak Pak 2R Protein Skimmer
- Replaced Powerhead (3/12/2011)
35lbs of Live Rock
Live Sand 2-3 inches sand bed
1 coralife cp750 powerhead (750 gph)
1 aquaclear 30 (175 gph)
Fish:
2 black clownfish
1 Mandarin Goby
6-Line Wrasse
Inverts:
5 Nassareus Snails
1 Peppermint Shrimp
3 Turbo Snails
1 Tiger Tail Sea Cucumber

1 coral banded shrimp

Flame Scallop
Emerald Crab
Corals:
1 Mushroom Red
2 Green Mushrooms
2 Nuclear Mushrooms
Pagoda Cup Coral
3 colonies of Green Star Polyps
1 Frogspawn with 2 Heads
1 colony candy apple coral
1 colony green bay packer coral

Other:
Heater
Thermometer



The lighting specs are my biggest concern and how hot the tank gets is also another concern of mine.

The JBJ comes with:
Includes (2) 24 watt CF lamps with a durable (Fulham - UL Approved) remote electronic ballast w/ disconnect cable. Offered with our powerful 50/50 lamps for marine tanks and 6500K daylight for planted tanks. Both lamps include UL Approved German "Snap-In" lamp sockets for easy bulb install and removals. Installed with splash guard lens for lamp protection.

The 14g Bio Cube comes with:
1 420nm Actinic 24 W PC / 1 1000k 24 W PC

I'd like to be able to keep all my corals and both clown fish. Anyone have any suggestions on which one to go with, which lighting is better for the corals I have? Which is easier to maintain?

Thanks!

[carey]

I think you'd be ok with either setup, you don't have any corals that will suffer in my opinion.

You are just keeping the clowns correct? And rehoming the others? Cause it'll be quite cramped in there.

[scubasteve03]

Agree with carey the clowns are about all the fish you want. Down gradeing tanks down grade stock

[TheTrav13]

Yea, I only want to keep the clowns, and I would like to load it up with coral. However, I've done my research and I've come to the conclusion that Oceanic has the best feedback in the forums, but now I'm going back and forth between the 29 gallon biocube and I can't decide which one I want. If i go to the 29 gallon biocube would my corals that I have still be okay? Also, I would like to keep an anemone that the clowns could host. I had a long tentacle in my 29 but the foot was damaged, but my clowns LOVED IT. Now they hang around my frogspawn. Is there sufficient enough lighting in the 29 and the 14 to keep an anemone?

Thanks!

[carey]

I wouldnt put a nem into a stock lighted cube. thast just me though, in my opinion the lights arent sufficient.



My clowns hosted an elegance coral I had, same idea and the lighting can sustain many different corals for them to have shot at.

[TheTrav13]

Thanks for your help Cary! Is your 29 Gallon an oceanic?

[carey]

Yepper. regular ole biocube.

[TheTrav13]

Sweet. I also had a question about substrate. I was thinking of doing an all glass bottom or a black bottom. Here are the two, I think aragonite is the first one?

Marine Reef Aquarium Substrates: Arag-Alive

or

Aquarium Substrate for Marine Aquariums: CaribSea Instant Aquarium Substrate Tahitian Moon

[carey]

Hmm...not sure about the bare bottom, I'm just so used to sand lol.

I used "live" sand for my cube cause I wanted the tahitiaan pink colored sand, so it's really up to you which one you think will look better.

I have black sand in my 4g Pico and in my 20L and it seems to get really dirty in the pico. Looks awesome though! hehe....
My dirty issue may be that the tank is so tiny i cant vacuum it though, so again, wish i could be more helpful but it's up to you which look you want.

[TheTrav13]

Do u ever have a problem with your temperature getting too hot in the cube?

[carey]

My cube without a heater runs at about 81. Not too pleased about that. :-( I tend to keep the back and front lids up though and it does help. Doesnt look real pretty but keeps the temp stable.

[TheTrav13]

Well this leads to my next question. Whats the ideal temp?

[TheTrav13]

Ps carey youve been a great help,

[carey]

Your very welcome!

A good temperature is a stable temperature. Most people go between 78-80 degrees or so. Give or take a point.

My pico is at 77, it has no heater and the rest of my tanks are at 79. The cube is the only one I have heat issues with but it runs stable at about 81 so I leave it be.