Reef

[skae310]

I dont know very much about corals and i want to learn more about what I can get with a 14 gallon biocubes stock lighting. It equals about 3.43 watts a gallon. Whats a basic list of what i could get with that lighting and space?

 

[Flake]

With the pc in the biocube, you could grow mushrooms, zoas, polyps any of the softies fairly easily. Once you start looking into the hard corals, you'll start finding issues.

 

[skae310]

Ok what kind of hard corals could i keep? if any haha

 

[Flake]

If you're going to push the envelope, stick with lps. You may be able to find something in that range that can tolerate it. I'm not sure if i'd chance that though.

I'd just stuff it full of little polyps.

 

[Aquarium1]

Isn't there a lighting upgrade for it (HQI)? If you had tht I'm pretty sure you could keep more of a variety of coral, If you can afford it.

 

[Flake]

When I went looking for one, they told me the nanocubes with the halide lighting were no longer in production. As it stands, the 14g biocube has less light than the coralife fixture on my 10.
The bulbs are probably easy to retrofit but i'm not trying it. There's not a whole lot of room in them.

 

[Aquarium1]

Ok nvm then. But here's some mh lighting although expensive as all mh is. Some might fit your tank.
Fish & Aquarium Supplies: Metal Halide Fixtures

 

[skae310]

Money is the real issue haha. The cube as a tank in the first place was smaller than i would have liked.

 

[Aquarium1]

K just letting you know your options. Polyps are pretty cool btw.

 

[skae310]

I agree My LFS doesn't have much of a variety of polyps though. They seem to have a lot of corals. Just not a lot of one kind.

 

[thominil]

IMO, you would be fine with softies and most LPS. That is basically the standard range of coral with the biocube's PC lighting. You should be fine with the euphyllia species like anchor, frogspawn, or torch as they are LPS, just need to watch the placement of them. Candy cane is another good LPS coral that you can try. HTH.

 

[Bige]

I have a biocube 29 and I have less light per gallon and my tank is stuffed. You might be limited by your lfs but you have tons of options.

 

[austinsdad]

Mushrooms, small leathers, zoas, or most softies will do fine. Just make sure they aren't the kind that spread real fast since you ain't working with a lot of real estate. Either that or be prepared to frag and share, sell or trade in to the LFS.

 

[skae310]

I really do like frogspawn. Are they easy to care for? or not for a begginer?

 

[Flake]

My frogspawn has been a piece of cake to take care of. I've only just started adding calcium and iodine to my tank, and in the month i've had it, it's grown 3 heads.

 

[skae310]

They aggressive?

 

[Flake]

yes. All of the euphyllia are, torchs, frogspawns, hammer corals.. They'll sting anything they can reach so they need to be fairly isolated.

 

[austinsdad]

And I'm a big fan of the water changes instead of adding chemicals like iodine and calcium, unles your doing hard corals and need the calcium addition.

 

[melosu58]

And I'm a big fan of the water changes instead of adding chemicals like iodine and calcium, unles your doing hard corals and need the calcium addition.

Good advice Ray, as usual.

 

[skae310]

How far is "fairly isolated"?