Speculating a Biocube 29

[WindSwept]

Well all you lovely saltwater keepers have convinced me to look further into a 29 gallon Biocube, and now it's top priority on my little wish-list for the holiday! C:

I am amazed at how much information there is to learn on this stuff, (and I'm guilty of spending more time studing saltwater than algebra)! So now I've come up with a newbish plan and have some general newbish questions for you all-knowing saltkeepers! There is alot I don't know, and google decided to confuse me, so I feel better asking than finding out the hard way. Huzzah!

1. Does this seem like a feasible plan for 29 gallons?
2. Does anyone have expirence with flame angles/coral beauties in a reef enviroment? They seem caprious, but they are stunning little fish~
Stocking;
x1 Tomato Clown
x1 Firefish
x2 Spotted Cardinal Fish
x1 Clown Goby

3. Do porceline crabs get along with emerald crabs? Are emeralds as bad as the here-say?
4. How many snails? My goodness the cuc packages say 20 astreas for a 30 gal!
Invertabrates (Clean-Up-Crew);
x5 Astrea Snails
x1 Trochus Snail
x5 Narsissus Snails
x1 Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp
x3 ( Blue or Scarlet Leg) Hermit Crabs
*Extra Shells nessassary
x2 Porceline Crab

5. How exactly do you feed corals? Live food? :|
6. Can you add nutriets to the water, like you do with bottled fertilizers in freshwater?
7. Our tap water is really hard and high in ph, so RO water all the way, right?
8. I'm trying to find peaceful specimens without predatory tendencies/stingers, so any suggestions? Stories are also welcome! C:
9. Will these all survive(/thrive) under the Biocube's stock lights?
Corals;
Leather Corals
Green Star Polyps
Xenias
Zoanthids

Tech;
API Saltwater Master Test Kit
Refractometer
Digital Thermometer

That was alot, and you seriously deserve a medal if you read this far through my newbish ramble! Seriously, thank you.

 

[NyteGTI]

Well all you lovely saltwater keepers have convinced me to look further into a 29 gallon Biocube, and now it's top priority on my little wish-list for the holiday! C:

I am amazed at how much information there is to learn on this stuff, (and I'm guilty of spending more time studing saltwater than algebra)! So now I've come up with a newbish plan and have some general newbish questions for you all-knowing saltkeepers! There is alot I don't know, and google decided to confuse me, so I feel better asking than finding out the hard way. Huzzah!

1. Does this seem like a feasible plan for 29 gallons?
2. Does anyone have expirence with flame angles/coral beauties in a reef enviroment? They seem caprious, but they are stunning little fish~
Stocking;
x1 Tomato Clown- too big for a 29 Cube
x1 Firefish - fine
x2 Spotted Cardinal Fish - fine
x1 Clown Goby - fine

3. Do porceline crabs get along with emerald crabs? Are emeralds as bad as the here-say? - Emeralds are my prefered choice just from looks. if they have enough food they'll get along fine with the fish I believe but I can't comment on if they get along with porceline but general rull is 1 "big" crab for a nano tank maybe 2 if it's on the big side of nano
4. How many snails? My goodness the cuc packages say 20 astreas for a 30 gal! - 20 is about right. but start small don't throw 20 CUC members in at once if you don';t have the algea to support it
Invertabrates (Clean-Up-Crew);
x5 Astrea Snails
x1 Trochus Snail
x5 Narsissus Snails
x1 Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp
x3 ( Blue or Scarlet Leg) Hermit Crabs
*Extra Shells nessassary
x2 Porceline Crab

5. How exactly do you feed corals? Live food? :| - they feed off your lighting and the nutrients in your salt mix for the most part (there are corals that sweep for pods, etc. or feed moreso off the calc, mg, etc in your salt mix but they're not recommended for a beginner)
6. Can you add nutriets to the water, like you do with bottled fertilizers in freshwater? - You can dose the water with nutrients but it's not recommended or needed for beginners & beginner coral
7. Our tap water is really hard and high in ph, so RO water all the way, right? RO is the preferred way so you can manage exactly what goes into your tank
8. I'm trying to find peaceful specimens without predatory tendencies/stingers, so any suggestions? Stories are also welcome! C: don't make the newbie mistake and want an anemone for their clown and think it's required. some corals will sting, just goto www.liveaquaria.com and pickout corals you like(try to stay in the "beg. corals" section and see what they need.
9. Will these all survive(/thrive) under the Biocube's stock lights?
Corals; - yes to all 4, the xenia will grow all over your tank and at first it's awesome but it will become a problem if it's touching other rocks as it will grow on anything it can reach.
Leather Corals -
Green Star Polyps
Xenias
Zoanthids

Tech;
API Saltwater Master Test Kit - get the API reef kit aswell
Refractometer
Digital Thermometer

That was alot, and you seriously deserve a medal if you read this far through my newbish ramble! Seriously, thank you.

see my comments

 

[WindSwept]

Oh man, thank you! That clears up alot, alot!

Do you think that a Pink Skunk Clown fish at 4" would be suited for the tank, or the even smaller 3" breeds? Shame the Tomatoes get too big, they are beautiful.

Do you think a dwarf angel would be comfortable in a 29 Gal tank?

Again thank you!

 

[all4wheels2]

Just an FYI, the Biocube 29 actually only holds about 20 gallons of water. I have one, and was kinda disappointed with the false advertisement :/ Still love the tank, just something to keep in mind

 

[joy13]

Clown fish of all types seem to be a little bit of a bully, I wouldn't keep one with a fire fish. I have a baby clown about an inch long now and it goes after my midas blenny who is about 3 inches long in a heart beat. I wouldn't risk corals I really cared about to an angelfish I have a lemon peel which lives in my junk tank anything and everything I don't really like goes in there the sad thing is it looks better and better all the time.

I must say you have done your research!

 

[xxStLxx]

Stay away from the crabs. IME they like to eat all of your snails if they get the chance in search of new shells to climb in. I recently had to tear apart my tank to find all 6 of my herms cause I was sick of losing snails. Plus theirs a snail for every job.

 

[Crabs]

I don't know about your experiences with crabs. But in general, crabs r pretty cool and can be a tremendous asset to a nano CUC. I've got a couple emeralds that live peacefully in my 14bio. I got them after noticing bubble algae. Took care of that. Also have a pair of Pom Poms. They're sorta small but I can watch them for hours. I've never seen any aggression fm any of my crabs. And I don't find it necessary to feed them. I did have a hitch hiking Teddy Bear crab when I first set up my tank. He was going thru my snails pretty quick before I found out these critters aren't reef safe. I got rid of him and alls been well since.

 

[joy13]

I have only had 3 hermit crabs to kill snails but then I have plenty of empty shells in my tanks. Some people like crabs others don't they aren't something you have to have but something you can consider.

 

[xxStLxx]

I made a error in my post didn't realize it till now. I meant to say herm crabs. Ive never had problems with emeralds, but have had problems with Sally light foots eating my gobies and other fish.

 

[WindSwept]

Ah, silly advertisers. I guss that takes angels and other 30 gallon fish off list! May I ask if the display area only allows 20 gallons, or does the entire tank only take 20 gallons to fill?

Clowns seem to be a bit more aggressive than I origionally thought (and alot of them get big at that). I think I'll skip them all together-- small space and a big ego doesn't sound like a fantastic combination!

Are marine snails very prolific? I might try just one hermit crab then, and if it decides snail shells are the new fad then the impact won't be so great. Is that a good idea, or are they social and keeping one alone would only lead to more trouble?

The emerald crabs are handsome things, so I might stick with a porceline and an emerald.

Also for the cirulation pumps, would a koraline 425 work nicely?

x1 Firefish
x2 Spotted Cardinal Fish
x1 Clown Goby
x1 Yellow Watchman Goby (Would all these hiding fish take up too much of the hiding holes to work?)

Thanks for all the tips guys!

 

[all4wheels2]

Ah, silly advertisers. I guss that takes angels and other 30 gallon fish off list! May I ask if the display area only allows 20 gallons, or does the entire tank only take 20 gallons to fill?

Clowns seem to be a bit more aggressive than I origionally thought (and alot of them get big at that). I think I'll skip them all together-- small space and a big ego doesn't sound like a fantastic combination!

Are marine snails very prolific? I might try just one hermit crab then, and if it decides snail shells are the new fad then the impact won't be so great. Is that a good idea, or are they social and keeping one alone would only lead to more trouble?

The emerald crabs are handsome things, so I might stick with a porceline and an emerald.

Also for the cirulation pumps, would a koraline 425 work nicely?

x1 Firefish
x2 Spotted Cardinal Fish
x1 Clown Goby
x1 Yellow Watchman Goby (Would all these hiding fish take up too much of the hiding holes to work?)

Thanks for all the tips guys!

When I originally filled the tank, I got about 21 gallons in total (the back fills up during this time). That was with a 2.5 inch sandbed. Then I added around 30 lbs of rock and of course had to remove some water :/

I have a Koralia 425 powerhead - works great.

Your stock list looks fine. I have a bonded pair of perc clowns and a yellow watchman goby. I'm thinking about adding a four line wrasse, but I'm not sure yet. As far as hermits, they are ok when they are small. However, my large one (quarter size) ate a snail today He'll be going in the mantis tank now, I prefer my snails to live

 

[xxStLxx]

Occelaris and percs are great clownfish they just are aggressive eaters and can get a little territorial around their nem when they're about to spawn. Other that great fish. And would fit fine in that tank.

 

[WindSwept]

I'm fine with the rocks and sand taking up volume! I'm still wondering how I'm going to lug ~20 jugs of distilled water in from the grocery store...

I've heard some wonderful things about clowns, but also some problems. They aren't a nessessity to me, so I think I'll leave them out for now. Who knows, plans can change! But I will be happy with happy fish C:


I've come up with a new question for all you lovely people! I saw that male Spotted Cardinals will attack each other, and since I cannot discern a way to sex them I was wondering if it would be better to buy just one, or to chance it and get two so they can kind of school?

 

[xxStLxx]

Just based on when you buy multiple of the same fish you should buy them in odd numbers (i.e. 3,5,7...) also get random sizes. Not sure if cardinals ate like this but most fish are asexual till a certain age when their sex is determined by becoming the dominant male and the rest become females.

 

[joy13]

From what I have read online the dorsal fin of the male is larger Pajama Cardinalfish This article says 30 gallons but I have seen some sites say as small as 20.