Now that it's finally up and running....

John J in Pickens · Mar 26, 2023

Well, It's been a long time since Christmas, when my wife gave me the BioCube16 for Christmas, but I finally got my Clownfish in the BioCube this morning. I carefully drip-acclimated them over an hour, and they seemed just fine an hour after I released them into the tank. They have also eaten since getting into their new digs. I had picked up a few Astra snails and Hermit crabs, and two Nassarius snails to start my cleaning crew. I'll continue to test the water daily over the next two weeks to make sure no ammonia spikes sneak up on me. I know I have heard from several people to wait about 6 months before adding corals frags, which I am willing to do. I'm wondering how long to wait before adding a combo of a Watchman Goby and a Pistol shrimp to the tank. (I'm really intrigued about the symbiotic relationship between the two.) Any thoughts?

blaxsun · Mar 26, 2023

Make sure you have a cave or spot that the goby and shrimp can claim as their own. A natural rock crevice near the sand bed is a welcoming spot for them.

If you have the right lighting there's nothing stopping you from adding corals in short order. Stick with soft corals first as they're less demanding, ie: zoas, mushrooms, leathers, xenias, polyps, etc.

brandon429 · Mar 26, 2023

Also noted from pics

was that live rock from a pet store, wet when you set it in the tank

or was it dry

that’s what determines when you can add coral, the age of your live rock. Moving in from a pet store brings in that original age

John J in Pickens · Mar 26, 2023

Brandon,
The rock was packed in a box (I think about 10 pieces) and the label stated the pieces were sized for nano-size reef tanks. I didn't use all of it. I do have several places where it looks like a Goby and Pistol shrimp could find a nice place to create a cave.

brandon429 · Mar 26, 2023

Was it lifted out of a pet store reef tank, then you took it home wet

theres the live rock bin at my local pet store for comparison

John J in Pickens · Mar 27, 2023

brandon429 said:
Was it lifted out of a pet store reef tank, then you took it home wet

theres the live rock bin at my local pet store for comparison

Nope, it was in a box. I think it might have been "CaribSea" brand coraline rock. I had a rough time trying to use the putty-adhesive that I bought to stick a couple of pieces together. I wound up just stacking and leaning pieces together to make a few hiding places. I'm hoping to get a Yellow Diamond Watchman Goby and a Pistol Shrimp eventually and then start adding some small coral frags and try to learn about those, since I have never kept them before.