60 Gallon Cube build

[Reanea03]

Here we go:
Marineland 60 gallon cube with overflow (if anyone needs help with overflow and return plumbing i can help!)
40lbs of Aragonite substrate
55 lbs of live rock
15 gallon sump
Hydor koralia 750 power head
ViaAqua titanium heater 200w
Skimmer-havent decided
Blueline LED 120watt vho
Supreme mag 9.5 pump


Im in my 3rd week of full cycling, have had everything in the tank for 4 weeks. Over the weekend i got my heater up and going and my power head running. Questions i have now are:

That the heater is going i have coepods attached to the whole thing!! i even have coepods circulating thru the middle of my tank, they were there before but i think they have multiplied: will the fish eating off the heater harm them or do i need to even worry about this? also what would be a good first fish (assuming all my levels check out tomorrow) to help eliminate some pods, I really want a Mandarin! Im seriously at this point overan..not that im complaining just need to get them in check.

Second: on the sump i basically have my return and pump in there at this point its basic purpose will be to house a skimmer, add water volume and water changes, ect.. should i be putting sand and rock in there, if so what purpose does this serve, also how do i quiet the vibration noise from the pump on the glass?

Ive been able to id the following hitchhikers: a "peanut worm", a bristle worm i have a few Zoe colonies and something new that popped up today.. small white tube with a feather like thing on the end and a mojano that im not ready to tackle yet bc i have no clue how!

in advance!!!

 

[Reanea03]

edit to attach pic:

 

[Tracie6283]

Looks good Rachel! Take a picture of the one you don't know yet bc it kinda sounds like aptasia which is bad.

 

[Reanea03]

Here I the white tube guy I was talking abt...

 

[all4wheels2]

Awww...it's a featherduster (well, that's what it looks like) I love those things - no harm at all, just another filter feeder.

 

[SAAVE853]

I tried to answer most of the questions....its also late lol

"Will the fish eating off the heater harm them or do i need to even worry about this?"

Put the heater in the sump it will keep the water warm and stay out of sight.
If you haven't get yourself a grounding probe to make sure you have no run away voltage in your water.


"Should i be putting sand and rock in there, if so what purpose does this serve?"

You have a good amount of live rock in your display, a nice sized skimmer would be enough. That being said there is a couple options look up, deep sand sand, refugium, or algae turf scrubber (ATS). I personally have some live rock rubble (to frag coral) and an ATS.


"I really want a Mandarin"

If your water checks out...you have a colony of copepods then he will have food so your ok.


"How do i quiet the vibration noise from the pump on the glass?"

These usually have little rubber feet at the bottom or suctions, try and place it so it doesn't touch any of the sides.

 

[Reanea03]

The reason I have the heater in my display Is bc with its design it suppose to be fully submerged ad it's too tall for it to fit in the sump.. Unless it can be put in there sideways (which the directions say not to do) thoughts?

 

[carey]

I have my heater in my sump at an angle so it fits and all is well. I'm using a aqueon pro heater btw.

 

[SwimsWithFish]

LOVE the rock work.

 

[Reanea03]

Thanks!! I think I rearranged it half a dozen times lol

 

[Reanea03]

So i decided to get my first fish last night and checked with the LFS before buying a mandarin with 55lbs of LR and pods everywhere they said it should be fine.. woke up this morning and checked on the little one and was scared to death. apperantly they sleep in a mucous cocoon from what im gathering.. Can anyone confirm this? should he be ok by the time i get home and back to pecking away like she was last night..

 

[carey]

I have yet to see it but that's what I've heard also. Mine seems to just lie down in the sand to sleep.

 

[Tomchong22]

Now I take it the Tank is brand new correct ? I am afraid that the mandarin will die from starvation unless it eats prepared foods. They need a huge tank with lots of lr and pods along with an attached fuge to produce the necessary amount of pods. Thought I would throw my 2cents worth in. Good luck with the build. Hope everything works out

 

[Reanea03]

Thanks carey, I'll update later plan on going home for lunch to check up on her and I have a couple hundred pods on the glass so I'd assume that's a good start.. Who knows what's in the lr that I can't see..

 

[carey]

Actually, new tanks go through "pod explosions" from time to time. They generally gather up on the glass in the hundreds or thousands even and shortly after go away. My tanks go through it all the time. I would start working on getting the fish to eat prepared foods as soon as you can. I really can't see a mandarin doing well in such a new tank even if it has live rock. :-(

I have an ORA mandarin which is supposed to eat pellets but didn't. She didn't eat prepared frozen food at first either. Luckily my biocube was up for over 6 months so I had some pods plus I have a fuge in the back of the tank to help further. It got her by the month or so it took for her to eat frozen.

It's a beautiful fish but really a gamble if it can last or not. I hope you have lots of luck! Do you have a picture?

 

[Reanea03]

I will go by lfs tonight and get some prepared food and get the ball rolling with that as well and no pics bc she was behind my rocks going thru the sand..Suppose I could always take her back if she isnt responding well in the next 24 hrs, better than having her die

 

[carey]

yeah, I really hate for it to come to that but it might be the best solution. To be honest, that would be the absolute last fish i would have recommended as a first fish. I'm sure you're pretty excited about getting her, maybe in a few days she will start to eat prepared foods. It can take them months to starve so getting her on the right track might work. Some people have luck with them eating regular food right away maybe you'll get lucky too.

Fingers are crossed for you!

 

[coffeetwitch]

I will go by lfs tonight and get some prepared food and get the ball rolling with that as well and no pics bc she was behind my rocks going thru the sand..Suppose I could always take her back if she isnt responding well in the next 24 hrs, better than having her die

He's got "tiger pods". And I'm sure he told you about nutrimar ova.

 

[coffeetwitch]

The tiger pods will help get u by until you can order some online. Buy double an you have plenty for it to eat and the rest to reproduce and seed. But that's only if you think it's not eating.

 

[Reanea03]

Well went home for lunch to check on her and figured out its a him..lol.. And he was happily checking himself out and picking away at the back glass!!