Lighting for 29g biocube sw

[LiiDsz]

Yea because I'm looking on eBay and I don't know what watts I should be looking for like I said I'm very new at this. But a lot of the ones on eBay look home made :/ I means is it cheaper to make your own? I rather spend 100 on material then 200 on lights someone made. And also the biocube has these four compartments for other LEDs are their certain ones I should buy to help whatever coral I could put here thrive?

 

[bskerrichard27]

There are leds you can add to enhance the lighting ..but being your new at this the lower light corals tend to be very hardy and with your current set up will do realy well.. imo stick with the beginner corals and once u get more experience up grade to better lights and coral... My aquapod has 80 watt pcs and I have a variety of coral and imo it looks remarkable..Once I was able to maintain that tank I moved to a larger tank with mh lighting and started growing sps corals ..just be patient what you have now u can have a realy nice tank.. some coral I have under pc lights just to give you a idea...

 

[LiiDsz]

There are leds you can add to enhance the lighting ..but being your new at this the lower light corals tend to be very hardy and with your current set up will do realy well.. imo stick with the beginner corals and once u get more experience up grade to better lights and coral... My aquapod has 80 watt pcs and I have a variety of coral and imo it looks remarkable..Once I was able to maintain that tank I moved to a larger tank with mh lighting and started growing sps corals ..just be patient what you have now u can have a realy nice tank.. some coral I have under pc lights just to give you a idea...

Thanks so much! Is that a purple basslet i think imma just stick with what i have already get more led and work around it then just for a while and if I can bug u my goal for fish is a flaming angel a pair of percula clowns pair of flame darts one red one purple and clown fairy wrasse (have one at work ) and maybe 2 bangii or Pj cardinals are choice good together?

 

[Convict2161]

You don't need to do a water change until the cycle is finished. You want the levels to raise so the proper bacteria can develop, and then the levels will drop off on their own. That is how you will know when your cycle is finished.

For lighting... I would upgrade to something like this.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BIOCUBE-29-GALLON-DIY-WITH-20-LED-LIGHT-KIT-W-BALLAST-DIMMABLE-60W-NANO-LIGHTING/281083802663?rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222005%26algo%3DSIC.NUQ%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D16096%26meid%3D8419890970565667246%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D7683%26rk%3D2%26sd%3D280775055604%26

I agree 100%

 

[Convict2161]

I've actually have modded the filtration a little I have a marine land mj1200 powerhead in the tank and in chamber one a protein skimmer and heater chamber 2 DIY media rack with live rock rubble purgien and chemi pure and chamber 3 is coral life s-100. Salinity is sitting pretty at 1.025 the temp is 84.4 and I've only had the tank up and running 4 days 2 turbo snails were attach to the lr from my job and made it to my tank but they are doing great. my nitrate was high as well as my ammonia so I did a 5% water change last night so I'm gonna test it later on tonight and suggestions? Also if I do mod the hood what do you suggest I go with given the type or corals I'm trying to house?

OP nice tank btw...

 

[Convict2161]

Was not trying to start a pissing contest was just informing the op that a cheap upgrade to 40 watt pc bulbs which can be done with out a new ballast that these corals can be kept ...As for the brains they are growing and have realy good color the red one has doubled in size...And not sure but this pic imo it seems to look good and healthy ...

No harm man... We can agree to to disagree. I think a lighting upgrade would be beneficial. It's all good man... I come off hard sometimes but mean no harm

 

[LiiDsz]

OP nice tank btw...

Op? And thank you mean alot would u know if the fish I have chosen are combatiable?

 

[bskerrichard27]

Its all good ,I'm. Still learning things myself on hear I just try to share things which I've read or tried...to the op its a strawberry basslet very pretty fish but if you can notice I only have one other fish in that tank a clarki clown which hangs in the anemone most the time the basslet I would not recomend in a tank your size if you want a community tank .. they are very territorial and aggressive I'd get rid of mine but he was a freebie cause he was gasping at the bottom of the tank from ick at the lfs I was there and he was fixing to get tossed and I said I wanted him I nursed him in qt for four months and he made it so I can't find the heart to get rid of him .. I've had him two years and it seems the bigger he gets the meaner ....

 

[LiiDsz]

Its all good ,I'm. Still learning things myself on hear I just try to share things which I've read or tried...to the op its a strawberry basslet very pretty fish but if you can notice I only have one other fish in that tank a clarki clown which hangs in the anemone most the time the basslet I would not recomend in a tank your size if you want a community tank .. they are very territorial and aggressive I'd get rid of mine but he was a freebie cause he was gasping at the bottom of the tank from ick at the lfs I was there and he was fixing to get tossed and I said I wanted him I nursed him in qt for four months and he made it so I can't find the heart to get rid of him .. I've had him two years and it seems the bigger he gets the meaner ....

So scratch the cardinals but the rest are ok?

 

[bskerrichard27]

Thanks so much! Is that a purple basslet i think imma just stick with what i have already get more led and work around it then just for a while and if I can bug u my goal for fish is a flaming angel a pair of percula clowns pair of flame darts one red one purple and clown fairy wrasse (have one at work ) and maybe 2 bangii or Pj cardinals are choice good together?[/QUOTE I'm not sure if I would put all those in a 29 gallon seems overstocked to me .. the flame angel in my opinion should be housed in a bigger tank .. the clowns and cardinals would go nice

 

[LiiDsz]

My levels after the 5% water change last night is this good or bad

 

[bskerrichard27]

I would start with a pair of clowns ...You can't add to many fish at one time or the bioload will be overwhelming the bacteria bed and cause a mini cycle which can kill your live stock ...then maybe two other fish later on but you have to remember u only got 29 gallons and less then that due to sand and rock imo 4 fish is the limit I would go in your nano tank ...

 

[bskerrichard27]

From what I can tell everything looks good except you got some nitrate which is normal with new tanks ....just a hint when I used that brand test id hold a white paper behind the vile it makes it easier to see the color ....is there any green at all in the ammonia vial or just yellow?

 

[LiiDsz]

From what I can tell everything looks good except you got some nitrate which is normal with new tanks ....just a hint when I used that brand test id hold a white paper behind the vile it makes it easier to see the color ....is there any green at all in the ammonia vial or just yellow?

Yellow is was greenish yesterday n I did the water change and these are the products I been using

 

[ktomminello]

I have a REALLY low tech/ decently low cost temporary solution- use a couple desk lamps with a bendable neck and pick up a couple full spectrum led lightbulbs- they are a little pricey for a lightbulb ($35), but you can spotlight areas with up to 10000K (from 3000K)...

 

[bskerrichard27]

Stop using those for now your tank is still cycling and don't do no more water changes untill ammonia and nitrite are zero .. those products will eliminate the ammonia which then will not fuel the bacteria to establish a biological filter... Btw what are you using for a water source?

 

[LiiDsz]

Stop using those for now your tank is still cycling and don't do no more water changes untill ammonia and nitrite are zero .. those products will eliminate the ammonia which then will not fuel the bacteria to establish a biological filter... Btw what are you using for a water source?

That the thing my water is already establish its from my lfs 400 gallon reef tank which I believe why my nitrate was high because the tank is new but not the water

 

[LiiDsz]

I have a REALLY low tech/ decently low cost temporary solution- use a couple desk lamps with a bendable neck and pick up a couple full spectrum led lightbulbs- they are a little pricey for a lightbulb ($35), but you can spotlight areas with up to 10000K (from 3000K)...

Good idea!

 

[bskerrichard27]

The water don't establish the bacteria it is in the sand and rocks... If your getting ammonia your tank is not cycled...

 

[LiiDsz]

The water don't establish the bacteria it is in the sand and rocks... If your getting ammonia your tank is not cycled...

No anemone just went to my lfs ad spoke the the guy who has been helping me he said everything is ideal and I could get a fish so he hooked up me with a percula clown for $8 just incase it does die atleast I didn't spend alot of money but I'm drippig him now it's been little over 10 mins I want to drip him for at least 30 mins or is that to long ?