New salty 29g biocube

[count krunk]

no need to upgrade the lights.

Move slowly, avoid SPS and clams until the tank is mature and steady.

mature and steady.

steady.

steady nutrient levels, salt level, water level, calcium, alk, etc are what make tanks great.

Don't focus on lights (right now), go with soft corals and LPS until you get a feel for the husbandry. Remember to feed quality foods. Quality food is not pellets and flakes.

take a peek at the "Feeding" tab on this spreadsheet i have created. It has links to many good feeding strategies and foods.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RZwaJs_jzJvWmWqcC_s7yiHOYolcuwSY0qvlA0clAMs/edit?usp=sharing

 

[TexasTodd]

I agree on holding off on the clam. I had run four very successful larger sps reefs with clams before I had the BC. Just meant it's a fairly capable little all in one stock.

 

[Bleigh]

Hello. If I were you I’d hold off on upgrading your lighting system. I know it’s superrr exciting fun but don’t rush because trust me, the reward is a hundred times better when I take the time to learn everything I can about a product or creature before purchasing it. I learned this the hard way though, my closet is full of “upgrades” I wasted money on when I started out.

There is a truly overwhelming incredible amount of reefing knowledge out there, soak it up... Sit back and enjoy the ride!

Oh and, you’re def going to need a lid unless you want your fish to carpet surf and die slowly ;-)

Anyway, good luck and full steam ahead! Following along for the ride.

Thanks for the advice! I enjoy fish tanks and learning new things, so this is fun for me on multiple levels. I do not currently have fish in my tank. I wasn't certain about adding fish in so quickly, but I went against my gut feeling and managed to get a clownfish with Brook. Tank is going fallow now and I purchased a QT tank that is cycling now. I've started to get some nitrates, but the ammonia is still really high. I imagine the cycle will line up pretty well with the fallow period. Then I'll try again but this time I'll go with my gut and take more precautions before just adding a fish to the tank. I guess the lid sin't terrible important at this time, but it will be at some point.

 

[Hemmdog]

Thanks for the advice! I enjoy fish tanks and learning new things, so this is fun for me on multiple levels. I do not currently have fish in my tank. I wasn't certain about adding fish in so quickly, but I went against my gut feeling and managed to get a clownfish with Brook. Tank is going fallow now and I purchased a QT tank that is cycling now. I've started to get some nitrates, but the ammonia is still really high. I imagine the cycle will line up pretty well with the fallow period. Then I'll try again but this time I'll go with my gut and take more precautions before just adding a fish to the tank. I guess the lid sin't terrible important at this time, but it will be at some point.

No hood isn’t so bad... much better gas exchange with no hood, no temp spikes, you can use any light you want... lol. Meh... lol

 

[Bleigh]

no need to upgrade the lights.

Move slowly, avoid SPS and clams until the tank is mature and steady.

mature and steady.

steady.

steady nutrient levels, salt level, water level, calcium, alk, etc are what make tanks great.

Don't focus on lights (right now), go with soft corals and LPS until you get a feel for the husbandry. Remember to feed quality foods. Quality food is not pellets and flakes.

take a peek at the "Feeding" tab on this spreadsheet i have created. It has links to many good feeding strategies and foods.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RZwaJs_jzJvWmWqcC_s7yiHOYolcuwSY0qvlA0clAMs/edit?usp=sharing

I did get a stylophora. I think that's the only SPS I have. I must have just gotten lucky with it cause it is super happy and growing like crazy.

Also, I do have a clam (or some type of bi-valve) hitchhiker, but I didn't know I had it until I had it in the tank. The Zoas I purchased had grown on the side of it. I've been checking the water parameters pretty regularly. Mainly because I find it interesting. With some luck, it will do well.

 

[Bleigh]

No hood isn’t so bad... much better gas exchange with no hood, no temp spikes, you can use any light you want... lol. Meh... lol

Is that a 29 gallon? It looks bigger than mine. Might just be perspective though.

 

[Hemmdog]

32. Not much bigger.

 

[Bleigh]

32. Not much bigger.

How many tanks do you keep?

 

[Hemmdog]

How many tanks do you keep?

Just that and my 90. Biocube is my coral qt and fish qt. If a fish need meds I have a 20gal I can set up on the fly.

 

[Bleigh]

Just that and my 90. Biocube is my coral qt and fish qt. If a fish need meds I have a 20gal I can set up on the fly.

My plan is that my Biocube becomes a qt tank when I get a larger tank too. I did go get a 10 gallon to qt things for the biocube though. In the future, that will become a ht if needed. Hopefully it will never get used.

 

[Hemmdog]

My plan is that my Biocube becomes a qt tank when I get a larger tank too. I did go get a 10 gallon to qt things for the biocube though. In the future, that will become a ht if needed. Hopefully it will never get used.

Nicee! You are becoming quite the pro!!

 

[Captain Quint]

@Bleigh I saw you mention a possible top if you removed your stock hood. If you choose to change we have an awesome vendor for a custom fit including necessary cutouts at a great price.

Check him out... @cromag27

Prices are posted.

 

[Bleigh]

Nicee! You are becoming quite the pro!!

Quite a ways to go before I can be considered a pro. I’d agree that I’m becoming a NOVICE! [emoji23]

 

[Bleigh]

@Bleigh I saw you mention a possible top if you removed your stock hood. If you choose to change we have an awesome vendor for a custom fit including necessary cutouts at a great price.

Check him out... @cromag27

Prices are posted.

Thanks for sharing the info!

 

[Captain Quint]

Quite a ways to go before I can be considered a pro. I’d agree that I’m becoming a NOVICE! [emoji23]

We can assist in becoming an expert.

 

[Bleigh]

The peppermint shrimp ate my cats paw. They did their job with the aipstasia. So now they’ll be going back from whilst they came. I wonder If there’s any chance that it’ll come back at all.

 

[crusso1993]

The peppermint shrimp ate my cats paw. They did their job with the aipstasia. So now they’ll be going back from whilst they came. I wonder If there’s any chance that it’ll come back at all.

A bittersweet event! I'd be a bit surprised if it came back but one never knows without giving it time.

 

[Bleigh]

A bittersweet event! I'd be a bit surprised if it came back but one never knows without giving it time.

Is it possible that the coral bleached, not that the peppermint shrimp feasted on it? I had just put in a new lightbulb. The owner of the LFS seems to think it looked more like bleaching than being ate. This is what is look like before the peppermint shrimp were added. My mushrooms bleached before the new light bulb/shrimp, but the lightbulb hasn't been changed in years. It was the original I had when the tank was set up as fresh water.

 

[mshonk]

The peppermint shrimp ate my cats paw. [emoji852]️ They did their job with the aipstasia. So now they’ll be going back from whilst they came. I wonder If there’s any chance that it’ll come back at all.

Maybe but stability will be key for it to have a chance. It appears to still have polyps.

 

[mshonk]

Alk swings are terrible for sps. A drop is better than a spike though. I have had sps recede recently and bounce back. Also keeping a lower dkh has helped immensely.