Newb question: keeping sps in a stock biocube??

[Chrisalrutz]

hello,

After being a member for only a few days I can hear acro calling my name... All I have the room/time/money for is my 14g biocube... Eventually when I'm no longer renting a house I'd like to get a real nice and big setup, but I'm a working student and I can't dedicate the effort to a big tank right now.

That being said I still would really like to try my hand in sps with what I have.. The guy I've been talking to at my lfs says that I could probably try growing this stylo frag I have my eye on.

My biocube is the stock coralife biocube + a heater. No bio balls I took them out and replaced the, with LR and live sand. I'd like to grow mostly sps especially acro and stylo. I'd also like to add a BTA and true percula. Sorry for the stereotypical newb questions... I've tried to do as much research as possible but there's so much to learn its hard for a scatterbrain like me to remember what I've learned.

My questions are:

Is my desired setup possible?

What problems will I most likely run into growing sps due to my limitations?

Can I buy better bulbs (I'd like 20,000K if possible) for my biocube without having to change the hood completely? (The coralife website isn't that helpful)

Should I get a better pump?

Thanks in advance for the help, this is the first forum that I've found that doesn't seem too stuck up to ask questions to.

 

[CodyRVA]

I would start with water tests. With such a small volume of water, your swings are going to be harder to manage than anything else. If you can keep your CA, MG, ALK, and PH consistently in check then you should be fine. You may be able to do this with large water changes considering the volume is so small, and possibly with kalkwasser. I didn't find any stronger bulbs, those may work, you could probably buy a new fixture, but I would check your par readings first. If you really want an SPS, i would try something like your LFS recommended.. a Stylo, Birdnest, Slimer, etc... only after you know your water is good. If your lights are too weak you'll know. A coral can live longer under weak light vs too much light, then you can adjust accordingly. These easier to keep SPS are a good place to start, i would not buy an Acro off the bat.

 

[IdahoNano]

Check out "The Fishtank Guy" on youtube, or his site here: http://www.thefishtankguy.us/

His stock cube has some great success.

 

[cmcoker]

I would upgrade the stock pump. On my biocube 14, I use a mj900, I also trimmed the wall between chamber 1and 2 so that water could flow over the entire partition instead of the the notch it came with. That reduces the water noise of increasing flow. I also have a koralia nano for more flow.
Could also check out a pressure sensor type ATO, I like avast Marines ATO the sensor tube easily fits the return chamber. I just keep mine as a softie tank these days, but think you would probably have a hard time with acros under stock lighting.. Might check out a retrofit led kit from rapidled or steves leds. Rapidled has some decent prices on the kits. They also run much cooler, I had Temps hit 84 even with the feeding lid open during the summer..

 

[Josh King]

You could replace the lighting with a Kessil A150 for around $180 with gooseneck clamp. If you do weekly water changes to replace trace elements, Calcium, Alkalinity, and Mg; I do not see any reason you could not keep stylo or birdsnest corals. You will have to keep your evaporation in check daily or your salinity will swing like crazy in a small tank like that. Just my opinion. I am no expert and my stylo is growing nicely.

 

[Josh King]

And I don't know if you even have to change lighting, I know nothing about a stock biocube. Just a small volume is harder to keep from swinging parameters than larger volumes. And to keep sensitive corals you will be limited on fish and feeding. Unless your changing water every other day. Once you have more corals you will need Kalkwasser or 2 part or some other method to maintain calcium and alkalinity. Maybe you will get some more knowledgable people to chime in that have had success with small tanks. Good luck!

 

[Chefbill]

I grew birdsnests, slimer, montis and povonas in my stock cube.

 

[BryanS4]

You will need better lighting for any type of acro. I had a 29g for a while set up for my daughters tank and it grew the lower light Sps already mentioned, Monti/Birdsnest, but the PC lightning won't support acros. Personally I'd run an AI Prime or a Kessil if you want to keep acros. The par put off by the PC lightning is low 100 at best. I tested about a year ago, so really forget the numbers.

 

[klesel]

Put a kessil 150 u can grow Sps or anything if got mine full of Sps for 7 months and growing like crazy some going to be pulled out to Put in a frag grow out tank because there getting to big got 8 montipora 4 different birds nest 6 Acapora and 8 other Sps and all doing great. So yes a kessil u can do this in a 29 bio cube just change out filter add a good protein skimmer

 

[Chrisalrutz]

I would upgrade the stock pump. On my biocube 14, I use a mj900, I also trimmed the wall between chamber 1and 2 so that water could flow over the entire partition instead of the the notch it came with. That reduces the water noise of increasing flow. I also have a koralia nano for more flow.
Could also check out a pressure sensor type ATO, I like avast Marines ATO the sensor tube easily fits the return chamber. I just keep mine as a softie tank these days, but think you would probably have a hard time with acros under stock lighting.. Might check out a retrofit led kit from rapidled or steves leds. Rapidled has some decent prices on the kits. They also run much cooler, I had Temps hit 84 even with the feeding lid open during the summer..

I grew birdsnests, slimer, montis and povonas in my stock cube.

Thanks for the information guys, it's good to know it's possible. I think I'll start like a cheapskate and just upgrade my water flow maybe ill add a koralia nano or mj900... I hesitate to trim my tank just because I suck at DIY and my girlfriend who bought it for me would probably smack me for even trying.

Unfortunately getting kessil or any lighting that I'd have to get a new hood for, I probably will have to wait for a while before I could afford a nice lighting system, other than upgrading the bulbs in the cube.

I would start with water tests. With such a small volume of water, your swings are going to be harder to manage than anything else. If you can keep your CA, MG, ALK, and PH consistently in check then you should be fine. You may be able to do this with large water changes considering the volume is so small, and possibly with kalkwasser. I didn't find any stronger bulbs, those may work, you could probably buy a new fixture, but I would check your par readings first. If you really want an SPS, i would try something like your LFS recommended.. a Stylo, Birdnest, Slimer, etc... only after you know your water is good. If your lights are too weak you'll know. A coral can live longer under weak light vs too much light, then you can adjust accordingly. These easier to keep SPS are a good place to start, i would not buy an Acro off the bat.

Ok so I'll definitely buy some testing kits.. My question is what do I buy to fix a problem if I am having a "swing" I'm aware of ph Up and ph down, but what are other must have when it comes to keeping SPS? My lfs is far away enough that I can't get there at the drop of hat, so I'd like to have everything I need to fix a problem before I even buy my first frag.

 

[CodyRVA]

As far as test kits, go with Red Sea, Salifert, Hanna, etc. Don't get the cheap API kits, they're horribly inaccurate. To maintain your ALK and CA you can use Kalkwasser. There are a plethora of videos on youtube as well as instructions on the package on how to use it. You can also buy pre-mixed solutions from companies like Brightwell, say for your MG, or your CA and ALK, thats up to you. I can't say what would be easier in your setup, it's a personal preference. I personally only use BRS brand additives to supplement my system, so i can't speak to using pre-mixed solutions from brands like Brightwell, but if BRS doesn't typically sell low quality product. I would look up the reviews just to be safe.

 

[cmcoker]

And don't chase pH. You shouldn't need to dose pH buffers if you are maintaining your alkalinity and calcium levels.
You should watch pH if you start dosing kalk, it can spike pH and you have a small water volume. But it should be manageable.

Checkout the chemistry forum there is a ton of articles Randy has written in the stickies that will tell you about the parameters to monitor and dose for.

 

[Bunnee911]

Learn as much as you can about reefkeeping. Then, when you are more comfortable testing and keeping your numbers in line, reward yourself with a nicer piece if coral. I am new to reefkeeping, but not to salt water. My Biocube29 is 5 months old and I am now adding some more challenging corals. I started with zoas.
The newer corals I added are a candy cane, gsp(green star polyp), Duncan, and a torch. The candy cane is doing great since I learned he is nocturnal. I feed him after lights off. The Duncan will eat anything, anytime. Lol. The gsp is not doing as well as it was. I have pipe organ coral too. It is thriving. All under stock lights.