New to the hobby Biocube 32

Mombo · Jul 23, 2017

If they have any trochus snails I would grab some of those. My 29g biocube is fairly new and going through the uglies. I have about 20 cerith snails 5 nerite 5 astreas and 2 trochus snails that I just barely added and they seem to be very effective. Also they can eat hair algae which the other snails will not. but maybe that's not a big deal since you are doing hermits. I think they chop down the hair algae. I'm trying to go no hermits currently.

Joshua Huff · Jul 23, 2017

Mombo said:
If they have any trochus snails I would grab some of those. My 29g biocube is fairly new and going through the uglies. I have about 20 cerith snails 5 nerite 5 astreas and 2 trochus snails that I just barely added and they seem to be very effective. Also they can eat hair algae which the other snails will not. but maybe that's not a big deal since you are doing hermits. I think they chop down the hair algae. I'm trying to go no hermits currently.

I will look into that, my lfs didnt have any. I have mostly astrea snails but i added 2 nitrite zebra snails with this last addition. so i have about 15 snails total and 4 hermits now. I added the first two hermits a few months ago and said i would never do it again because at first they seem to really make a mess and bother everything in the tank. The hermits are not so bad anymore and they are a bit fun to watch, but they will kill a snail if they want its shell so i had to add empty shells for the first two. Anyways thanks for the advise and i would mostly agree with avoiding hermits at least avoid putting the recommended number of 2 per gallon (or whatever it is), I could not imagine having that many!

Mombo · Jul 23, 2017

Ya I love all my snails! I have tons of them now haha. The nerites are my least favorite. I like how small the ceriths are and there shape but I don't think they get much done. I'll prob up my trochus population from now on. They look awesome and seems to be a jack of all algaes kinda snail.

The nerites like to climb into the back sections although I can't figure out how they fit back there. Then they either chill for a few days or suicide into the pump and mess up my flow. Won't be buying more of them.

Scurvy · Jul 23, 2017

You're on the right track by boosting the CUC. Otherwise it doesmt look bad at all and totally normal.

ill just add to make sure you clean out the back chambers every so often. It can get nasty back there pretty quick an add to the uglies.

Joshua Huff · Jul 23, 2017

Scurvy said:
You're on the right track by boosting the CUC. Otherwise it doesmt look bad at all and totally normal.

ill just add to make sure you clean out the back chambers every so often. It can get nasty back there pretty quick an add to the uglies.

Thanks! And yea I did not realize how nasty things had become in the back. I'm headed to another fish store today while tagging along with the fiance. This store has a much larger selection but it's an hour from the house. I'm sure snails want be the only things I buy today. Lol

XNavyDiver · Jul 23, 2017

Joshua Huff said:
Thanks! And yea I did not realize how nasty things had become in the back. I'm headed to another fish store today while tagging along with the fiance. This store has a much larger selection but it's an hour from the house. I'm sure snails want be the only things I buy today. Lol

My lfs is an hour and a half away, and we head there every weekend to get more snails. I ditched getting a bunch of those small snails about a month ago, and we get those giant turbo snails now. They are work horses! I put them directly on the rocks that need mowing down and they go to work. When I blow the rocks off with a turkey baster, its a cloud of gray snail poop they leave behind. But the rocks are getting cleared of GHA. I hate the new tank uglies...

Joshua Huff · Jul 23, 2017

XNavyDiver said:
My lfs is an hour and a half away, and we head there every weekend to get more snails. I ditched getting a bunch of those small snails about a month ago, and we get those giant turbo snails now. They are work horses! I put them directly on the rocks that need mowing down and they go to work. When I blow the rocks off with a turkey baster, its a cloud of gray snail poop they leave behind. But the rocks are getting cleared of GHA. I hate the new tank uglies...

I would be broke if i got to go every weekend! no control, Today i ended up buying 10 frags for $45.00 and a candy cane. Im about to post the pics, they are sitting in my QT tank. I didnt get any of the trochus they were out so i just got the corals. I saw the giant snails that i assume were Mexican turbo snails or something but i was afraid they were to large or would be to ruff on the tank.... could be wrong.

Joshua Huff · Jul 23, 2017

The quarantine tank filled with a lot of the corals i picked up from that visit to the fish store today. 10 frags for $45.00, i think it was a good deal but i could use some help identifying everything.

Joshua Huff · Jul 23, 2017

photos from todays shopping spree

XNavyDiver · Jul 23, 2017

Joshua Huff said:
The quarantine tank filled with a lot of the corals i picked up from that visit to the fish store today. 10 frags for $45.00, i think it was a good deal but i could use some help identifying everything.

looks like some zoa's, shrooms, palys, ricordia, acan (?), some sps (pink milli?green stylo? not sure about center and right).

Joshua Huff · Aug 20, 2017

Update on a few coral in my tank. Really excited about my rainbow acan lord!

Joshua Huff · Sep 25, 2017

I am having an issue, or at least i believe its an issue... My temperature is holding at 83f. It is very stable and i only noticed after upgrading to a larger return pump, I was running at 80f. I am not sure if it is cause of the pump or if my lighting is doing it. Is it going to be a problem long term to leave my temperature that high? it has been this way for about 3 weeks.

Mombo · Sep 25, 2017

Is the ambient temp in your house pretty high as well? I know the pumps and lights do create more heat for sure. When I switched to leds on my biocube it dropped my temps a couple deg.

I cant take the lid off mine or I would. Ive heard that helps with alot.

I do think that sustained temps above 78 are not good for the fish or coral though. The rising temps are what kill the coral in the ocean as well.

Salty1962 · Sep 26, 2017

Welcome to R2R! Better late saying it than not at all.

Bob3655 · Sep 26, 2017

generally I advise not to hover above 80f if possible, 80 is the highest I personally shoot for in the dead of summer when the chillers running all day. I believe starting around 82 and above you will start seeing negative effects. Certain pumps definitely generate more heat than others, also if the pump is much larger than the return can handle it might be putting a little backpressure on the pump which will cause it to heat up faster than a smaller rated pump of the same design/manufacturer. As mombo stated, your ambient temperature could be playing part as well. sometimes we dont always notice a few degrees difference in our house.

Edit: Also, Welcome to r2f, and watch out for that spotted puffer, those things are major @$$holes.

Joshua Huff · Oct 15, 2017

My Whole Temperature problem was from the larger pump. I removed it and put the stock biocube pump back in. I also organized the equipment inside the tank a little better and i was able to fit 2 heaters next to my small skimmer.I like having a back up heater and i love that i removed the other from the display area of the tank.

lion king · Oct 15, 2017

I love the green spotted puffer, what a wonderful inspiration for those of us that love puffers and have smaller tanks. I have a yellow belly dogface in a 21o, I'm going to research maybe putting one of these in my new 90g. Do they nip, I'm going to have lions; can you have more than one. cool

Joshua Huff · Oct 15, 2017

lion king said:
I love the green spotted puffer, what a wonderful inspiration for those of us that love puffers and have smaller tanks. I have a yellow belly dogface in a 21o, I'm going to research maybe putting one of these in my new 90g. Do they nip, I'm going to have lions; can you have more than one. cool

I really enjoy this puffer! Puffers are my favorite besides the triggers, but no way can i put a trigger in this small of a tank. I was really happy to find this one at my LFS, They were all swimming in one of the coral tanks. My puffer has not showed any interest in corals however he has shown aggression toward some of the inverts, if they are new or vulnerable. I have witnessed the bulling to new inverts and I have witnessed the attempts at eating a snail or hermit that is stuck on its back. I like the puffer so much that the 2 or 3 snails it is "suspected" of killing, I ignore. I say "suspected" because i didn't see it and they were new so could have just died then been eaten. The puffer does love to eat! Just make sure you feed shrimp or other meaty things with shells so it can grind it teeth down. The puffer is the only one i have had that fallows me around the tank while i look in... Like we are making eye contact. lol

This is my real experience with this fish. I was told at LFS it is very very rare for one to nip at corals or inverts...I hope mine does not start on the coral...I believe it has to do with being fed properly. I had a dwarf angel turn on my corals so it had to be sold. I try to feed lightly as im currently coming to what i hope is the end of an algae battle.

I would love to have a dogface!!! and a 210Gal!! but i am really trying to wait until we buy/build a new house so i dont have to deal with moving it. I would love to see photos of your 90 and your 210!

Joshua Huff · Oct 15, 2017

I few updates on the 32gal it has been awhile. I need to get more photos of the progress of some of the other coral. I picked up a few coral. during the WWC sale on this forum. I am very happy with the corals and they came in looking great!