New BioCube 14g build

[Brownmarc]

Hello my fellow reefers,

 

I have had my biocube for a little over year now and only within the last few months have I been interested into venturing out into the reef keeping portion of this hobby. I have tried owning a few corals and have failed so now I think it's time to stop being a stubborn 22 year old male and actually ask for some help.

 

First question I have is am I starting to small? Through all the forums and articles I have read they suggest to go bigger. So I bought a 40 gallon breeder tank and have yet to set it up because I refuse to spend 300 dollars on a stand. I originally went with the 14 gallon because I was renting a room when I first moved to the area. I have since upgraded to an apartment and have a lot more space than I use to. The 14 gallon is sitting on a bookcase that holds it's perfectly in the center of my living room, but enough about looks. Let's talk tank chemistry.

 

Since I have been researching I have removed all the bio balls from the tank and added a skimmer, and that's about it so far. So I am here soliciting your help!!! Below is a list of current livestock, hardware and materials I have at the moment. Also I have attached pictures of how the tank looks. Please give me suggestions help me out.

 

LIVESTOCK

1. Two ocellaris clownfish

2. One Royal Gramma

3. One Lawmower Blenny

4. One Emerald Crab

5. Five Snails

6. 2" live sand bed

7. Man made reef rock

 

CORALS

1. I thinks it's a purple forgspawn- has completely belched out in the past 2 months

[tomtom2245]

14gal is not too small at all. I actually started out with a 10gal and did just fine. If you're wanting to start keeping some corals, I would upgrade your lighting. The stock power compact lighting in the biocubes just doesn't cut it. Rapid LED has a nice upgrade kit that integrates right into the original canopy of the biocube and works great.

[Origami]

I would probably add a small powerhead to the tank. Flow is very important, and the flow through the back chambers often isn't enough. How do you manage top off? You may want to begin to move the hammer up a little higher, too. I'd start with improving flow, though.

 

Sent from my Rezound on Tachyon using Tapatalk

 

 

[tomtom2245]

Oh, and another thing, get rid of the Kenya tree ASAP! He may look all cute right now, but when it grows up it's the devil. Drops little branches all over the place and before you know it your whole tank is covered in them.

[londonloco]

14gal is not too small at all. I actually started out with a 10gal and did just fine. If you're wanting to start keeping some corals, I would upgrade your lighting. The stock power compact lighting in the biocubes just doesn't cut it. Rapid LED has a nice upgrade kit that integrates right into the original canopy of the biocube and works great.

+ 1 on this, better lighting will def help.  However, once your successful with this tank, your going to want a bigger tank, that is the nature of this hobby.  This means that upgrade will be wasted money.  If I was in your position, I would:

 

- Figure out the biggest tank that will fit in your apartment (check with you landlord).

- Read the forums (here, reef central, reef2reef are good forums), google is your friend. 

- Make a list of the inhabitants you want to keep that are size appropriate for that size tank.

- Figure out the best equipment you can afford using the knowledge you've gathered from reading the forums.  

- Look here for deals.  Don't rush.  It took me 15 months to gather all my equipment, many here have taken longer, doing it right the first time will save you from doing it twice.

- Have a plan first, and stick to that plan.  

 

I can't stress enough to read the forums, when you have questions, ask here, and use google to find answers else where.  This hobby changes often, keeping up with new information will only help you.  

 

Hope this helps.....

[Brownmarc]

14gal is not too small at all. I actually started out with a 10gal and did just fine. If you're wanting to start keeping some corals, I would upgrade your lighting. The stock power compact lighting in the biocubes just doesn't cut it. Rapid LED has a nice upgrade kit that integrates right into the original canopy of the biocube and works great.

Yea I have been considering upgrading the lights. My biggest fear is that I will quickly get tired of the 14 gal and will want to upgrade. So I rather buys lights that can be transferred to the next tank.

[Brownmarc]

I would probably add a small powerhead to the tank. Flow is very important, and the flow through the back chambers often isn't enough. How do you manage top off? You may want to begin to move the hammer up a little higher, too. I'd start with improving flow, though. Sent from my Rezound on Tachyon using Tapatalk

Yea I have totally noticed that. Even though it seems to look like a nice flow I believe it may need a little more. Any suggestions on smaller good grade power heads?

[Brownmarc]

Oh, and another thing, get rid of the Kenya tree ASAP! He may look all cute right now, but when it grows up it's the devil. Drops little branches all over the place and before you know it your whole tank is covered in them.

I have heard mad horror stories of kenya tree domination but only after I bought the darn thing. The same horror stories are what have made me stray away from the pulsing zenias.

[Brownmarc]

+ 1 on this, better lighting will def help.  However, once your successful with this tank, your going to want a bigger tank, that is the nature of this hobby.  This means that upgrade will be wasted money.  If I was in your position, I would:

 

- Figure out the biggest tank that will fit in your apartment (check with you landlord).

- Read the forums (here, reef central, reef2reef are good forums), google is your friend. 

- Make a list of the inhabitants you want to keep that are size appropriate for that size tank.

- Figure out the best equipment you can afford using the knowledge you've gathered from reading the forums.  

- Look here for deals.  Don't rush.  It took me 15 months to gather all my equipment, many here have taken longer, doing it right the first time will save you from doing it twice.

- Have a plan first, and stick to that plan.  

 

I can't stress enough to read the forums, when you have questions, ask here, and use google to find answers else where.  This hobby changes often, keeping up with new information will only help you.  

 

Hope this helps.....

That helps Lot thanks for the advice. I think the only reason I haven't started working with my 40 gal breeder is because my partner and I are considering moving to Charlotte in the next year and a half. But I still rather have something up and running as I have been in the fish keeping hobby ever since my mom bought our first 55 gal fresher water tank when I was 5.

[Brownmarc]

I would probably add a small powerhead to the tank. Flow is very important, and the flow through the back chambers often isn't enough. How do you manage top off? You may want to begin to move the hammer up a little higher, too. I'd start with improving flow, though. Sent from my Rezound on Tachyon using Tapatalk

I forgot to respond for top off. Right now I'm adding water as I see it evaporating. This has only recently start effecting me since added the skimmer as I have not had a chance to purchase a dremal tool to make any hood modifications.

[tomtom2245]

As for extra water movement, check out the koralia nanos. They have a very small footprint and would work great in your tank. You could go with two of them at different locations to really add some turbulence to your flow.

[Brownmarc]

As for extra water movement, check out the koralia nanos. They have a very small footprint and would work great in your tank. You could go with two of them at different locations to really add some turbulence to your flow.

Those look like a great option. Do you really think I need two of them tho?

[Brownmarc]

Hey everyone here is a friendly update. I have since added a small powerhead to the aquarium and have started dosing 2 part dosing as well. Since i have added the powerhead the water is clearer which makes me extra happy. I assume the position of the powerhead pushing the water right into the chamber of the skimmer so its been pulling more crap than normal as well. I have to say that I am really please with the ESOPPES PSK 75 GAL it pulls nice chucks of crap out of the tank. Also since i have started dosing the tank my frogspawn has started to regain its color and its tenelcles are nice and plump. Well thats all the updates I have for you at the moment. 

Edited November 24, 2013 by Brownmarc

[Happyfeet]

Hello Brownmarc and welcome.

 

O First off, you need to upgrade your lighting if you want to do anything more than Kenya Tree's and mushrooms. I just jumped on the LED bandwagon, but there are plenty of options out there, especially with many folks selling off their old lighting as they upgrade to LED. (Check out the For Sale Section of the forum for some good deals)

O Second, make sure your chemistry is correct, I started off with a hydrometer and a skimpy filter. GET A REFRACTOMETER this will be your best buy, it's a little expensive, but honestly, I can't see keeping coral without one without making a lot of mistakes. Make sure the water you use for top offs and water changes is clean, a TDS meter is cheap and will tell you instantly whether it is or not.

O A lot of people go bigger, but some people, such as myself, go smaller. I found I like the size and appearance of the Biocube 29 over my old 75 Gal and 55 Gal. It all comes down to personal taste. I could care less about fish, so the size of the tank really ceased to matter to me.

O You will need some water flow and powerheads are cheap (relatively speaking), pick one or two up. I recommend the Hydor Korelias for starting. A Nano would probably work for what you need, even in the 40.

 

O You might want to look into a media reactor, they are fairly cheap and can really help soften any mistakes you make early on. Good beginner filter, especially if you have a smaller tank, I ran one in the begining until my tank stabalized.

Thats my two cents, I'm sure someone above has probably answered your questions better than I ever will.

[lutz123]

I agree with all of the advice, but have one more to add...set a budget! It's very easy to get carried away, especially with sps. People will happily suggest gadgets that are "necessary" (and some are). It can be more expensive, though I have seen successful small SPS systems do great with regular water changes and very little dosing.

 

Find out which ones are easiest, or better yet, what you're likely to see growth on within a year. If you're planning to move you may not see many results before dismantling it if you pick a slow grower. A small system can be alot of fun, but I'm sure you know you'll be limited. Not a problem, but think ahead about what you want in the tank. Take into account aggression, both chemical and tentacles. Also lighting. If you like lps and zoas and you upgrade to intense lighting, you will kill it all.

 

What type of owner are you? Do you spend lots of time tinkering and researching, or do you get enjoyment with minimal intervention. Are you fine with target feeding? How much time and effort per week would you like to spend on the tank? It will be much easier to offer advice if you have some initial direction.

[FishyPapa]

+ 1 on this, better lighting will def help.  However, once your successful with this tank, your going to want a bigger tank, that is the nature of this hobby.  This means that upgrade will be wasted money.  If I was in your position, I would:

 

- Figure out the biggest tank that will fit in your apartment (check with you landlord).

- Read the forums (here, reef central, reef2reef are good forums), google is your friend. 

- Make a list of the inhabitants you want to keep that are size appropriate for that size tank.

- Figure out the best equipment you can afford using the knowledge you've gathered from reading the forums.  

- Look here for deals.  Don't rush.  It took me 15 months to gather all my equipment, many here have taken longer, doing it right the first time will save you from doing it twice.

- Have a plan first, and stick to that plan.  

 

I can't stress enough to read the forums, when you have questions, ask here, and use google to find answers else where.  This hobby changes often, keeping up with new information will only help you.  

 

Hope this helps.....

 

+1

 

Go slow and look for deals on quality equipment.  They do come up quite often (also check reef2reef sale forum).  Spend a bit extra now and it will save you having to pay even more for better equipment later when you need it.

[FishyPapa]

I agree with all of the advice, but have one more to add...set a budget! It's very easy to get carried away, especially with sps. People will happily suggest gadgets that are "necessary" (and some are). It can be more expensive, though I have seen successful small SPS systems do great with regular water changes and very little dosing.

 

Find out which ones are easiest, or better yet, what you're likely to see growth on within a year. If you're planning to move you may not see many results before dismantling it if you pick a slow grower. A small system can be alot of fun, but I'm sure you know you'll be limited. Not a problem, but think ahead about what you want in the tank. Take into account aggression, both chemical and tentacles. Also lighting. If you like lps and zoas and you upgrade to intense lighting, you will kill it all.

 

What type of owner are you? Do you spend lots of time tinkering and researching, or do you get enjoyment with minimal intervention. Are you fine with target feeding? How much time and effort per week would you like to spend on the tank? It will be much easier to offer advice if you have some initial direction.

+1 to Ashley's comment also.  Truthfully things like a skimmer are not an absolute necessity on a tank of this size if you're regular about cleaning detritus and doing water changes.  IMO one of the best things to get as far as equipment or tools is a good set of test kits for NItrate, Calcium, and Alkalinity.  That way you can tell what's going on with the water and what might need to be added. (I use Salifert BTW but have also used Red Sea Pro which works)

[SaltLife]

Why are you dosing? In a tank that small water changes should be a frequent thing and unless you have a heavily stocked sps tank your elements should be fine.

 

I'm not yrying to come off as a jerk. Just to save you money and possibly headaches.

Edited November 26, 2013 by SaltLife

[PatrickB]

Have you thought about less fish?

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

 

 

[Brownmarc]

Hello Brownmarc and welcome.

 

O First off, you need to upgrade your lighting if you want to do anything more than Kenya Tree's and mushrooms. I just jumped on the LED bandwagon, but there are plenty of options out there, especially with many folks selling off their old lighting as they upgrade to LED. (Check out the For Sale Section of the forum for some good deals)

 

O Second, make sure your chemistry is correct, I started off with a hydrometer and a skimpy filter. GET A REFRACTOMETER this will be your best buy, it's a little expensive, but honestly, I can't see keeping coral without one without making a lot of mistakes. Make sure the water you use for top offs and water changes is clean, a TDS meter is cheap and will tell you instantly whether it is or not.

 

O A lot of people go bigger, but some people, such as myself, go smaller. I found I like the size and appearance of the Biocube 29 over my old 75 Gal and 55 Gal. It all comes down to personal taste. I could care less about fish, so the size of the tank really ceased to matter to me.

 

O You will need some water flow and powerheads are cheap (relatively speaking), pick one or two up. I recommend the Hydor Korelias for starting. A Nano would probably work for what you need, even in the 40.

 

O You might want to look into a media reactor, they are fairly cheap and can really help soften any mistakes you make early on. Good beginner filter, especially if you have a smaller tank, I ran one in the begining until my tank stabalized.

 

Thats my two cents, I'm sure someone above has probably answered your questions better than I ever will.

 

Thanks a lot for your input. Ill take all I can get. Are there any media reactors that are rated highly? 

 

I agree with all of the advice, but have one more to add...set a budget! It's very easy to get carried away, especially with sps. People will happily suggest gadgets that are "necessary" (and some are). It can be more expensive, though I have seen successful small SPS systems do great with regular water changes and very little dosing.

 

Find out which ones are easiest, or better yet, what you're likely to see growth on within a year. If you're planning to move you may not see many results before dismantling it if you pick a slow grower. A small system can be alot of fun, but I'm sure you know you'll be limited. Not a problem, but think ahead about what you want in the tank. Take into account aggression, both chemical and tentacles. Also lighting. If you like lps and zoas and you upgrade to intense lighting, you will kill it all.

 

What type of owner are you? Do you spend lots of time tinkering and researching, or do you get enjoyment with minimal intervention. Are you fine with target feeding? How much time and effort per week would you like to spend on the tank? It will be much easier to offer advice if you have some initial direction.

Thanks a lot I never considering taking into account my character reefer persona. I would say Im a researcher that enjoys tinkering. 

 

+1

 

Go slow and look for deals on quality equipment.  They do come up quite often (also check reef2reef sale forum).  Spend a bit extra now and it will save you having to pay even more for better equipment later when you need it.

Awesome advice thanks!!!

 

+1 to Ashley's comment also.  Truthfully things like a skimmer are not an absolute necessity on a tank of this size if you're regular about cleaning detritus and doing water changes.  IMO one of the best things to get as far as equipment or tools is a good set of test kits for NItrate, Calcium, and Alkalinity.  That way you can tell what's going on with the water and what might need to be added. (I use Salifert BTW but have also used Red Sea Pro which works)

I have been looking into the salifert kits. A lot of reefers here recommend them. 

 

Have you thought about less fish?

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

Lol I have totally considered it. I am down to two clowns and one my lawnmower bleeny. My royal gramma decided to jump into the 2nd chamber of my biocube last week and by the time i got her out she was to stressed out to pull through.

[Origami]

Moved to dedicated tank forum.

[Brownmarc]

Hey everyone one here is a small update. I started having some problems with water temp. My old school thermometer never moved from 78 degrees so I thought I was always good. I decided to upgrade to a digital thermometer and found out that my temp was switching between 80-86 degrees. No way I could let that fly so I got a computer fan a siliconed it to the second chamber and now it's 76-77.6 which I think is a good mix. Also I got surprised by a coworker "mobay1517" that bought me some acans and photosynthetic Georgian which was really nice of him. I only hope that I can keep them alive until next month when I upgrade to the rapidled biocube retro kit. Hopefully the reef gods will smile on me n let it be under the Christmas tree lol. Last but not least I found a little ricordea floating around so I glued his but to a rock and we will see where that gets us lol. Well that's the update for ya and here's the pics lol

 

 

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[Brownmarc]

Its been awhile since I updated the thread. I have finally worked out the kinks and educated myself enough for my reef to start thriving. Got the temp to 78-80 which I think will be perfect for the soft corals and LPS. I recently picked up a nice zoa thanks to sharky18 . Its beautiful and polyping very well. Thats all I have so far will give more updates once some more good stuff comes lol

 

[Brownmarc]

So I got some rapid led lights to retro fit my biocube with. I'm almost finish having them all done. Can't wait

 

 

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[YHSublime]

Now you're cooking, the LED's will really change things for you!