LFS Recommends BioCube to start

AJSTITAN14

AJSTITAN14

New member
Hi Everyone,

I've been interested in saltwater for a few years now and decided to look into it again. Much to my delight when I took my girlfriend to the LFS she went tumbling head over heels in love with the invert tank stating that she was going to sit and watch the pistol shrimp and goby behaviors all night. She was crazy about the starfish, hermit crabs crabs and other life in the tank. It really is nice to watch it all happening in there. I'm sure it's been said before that it is more interesting than watching TV.

So, we talked with some of the people that came in and they said they really liked the staff and that it was one of the best stores in the area. Had a customer comment that he had had friends at work start tanks in the BioCubes that had better earlier success than he did in a larger tank. LFS guy said that the 14g BioCube would get us a bunch of little inverts and a fish or two and it was as good way to get into the hobby and learn how to keep a tank.

My girlfriend and I are definitely into the reef aspect of it. While we find some of the fish to be very attractive we are enchanted with all the little inverts.

Is a BioCube a good recommendation?
 
Yes and no... The nice thing is that they are small, so the initial set-up costs are low. You can only keep one or two small fish in a 14 gallon tank, but if you just want some soft corals and invertebrates, they are great. The difficult thing about small bio-cubes is that you are dealing with a very small window of error due to the small quantity of water you have. Any small error can lead to disaster. Larger tanks have more wiggle room because the volume of water is so great. Read up before you take the plunge, it can be frustrating if you have problems right away. The articles at the top of the New to the Hobby forum are a very good place to start.
Welcome!
 
+1 the smaller the amount of water the harder it is to keep everything stable and happy not to say it cant be done. most of the time people that go into the nano tanks are experienced and have had successful reef tanks in the past. so i recommend to go bigger for the first tank just a big start up cost and welcome to the hobby.
 
+1 ^^^^ what they said. Don't worry about what's easier or what looks more complicate. All the basic principle that will make you successful are the same for a small tank or a large one. First figure out how much you can afford and how much space you have. Then figure-out your must have fish, invert and coral.

knowing the money and what you want will help you decide on what equipment to get.

Figure in addition to the tank, lights, live rock and sand your going to need another $500 or so for all the little stuff. Mixing tanks, RO/DI filters, refractometer, test kits, heaters, extra pumps, books, fan, etc..
 
We got a great deal on a barely used BC29. I think it's perfect for our needs and the available space. Anything larger would not fit into my apartment.

We want mostly inverts.

From research our best option for water appears to be from a good grocery store filter system with a sticker indicating a recent filter change. RODI will come later probably after a protein skimmer if we need one.

LFS does free water testing and I guess the next steps will depend on how much, if any algae we end up with.

Our goal is to be filled and cycling by next Wednesday.
 
Great! I think the 29 gallon tank will be a much easier tank for you to start with than the 14 gallon tank you were first loking at. Best of luck!
 
Congratulations. Getting an RODI will definitely pay for itself, not just in cost, but also in the pain of going back and forth to the grocery store. I'd give that priority over even a protein skimmer. With regular water changes, you can definitely maintain a 29g tank without a skimmer. Ask plenty of questions, try not to rush into anything, and enjoy your new tank. You just took the first small step towards a much bigger addiction.
 
I have a 12G aquapod and would strongly suggest getting the 29 instead. The 12 is just not nearly large enough for this addiction once you get started.
 
Thanks everyone. Both LFS said to go with the BC29 and skip the 14 because more volume means wider margin to error in.

The tank we got has a few dead bugs in it. GF was going to "wash it out real well" but I warned her that we don't want to put any chemicals in or on the tank. She is proud and wants to take good care of it and spiff it up as much as possible.

So we can just pick the bugs out and fill it up, right? I can't see organic solvents and soap residue doing any good to marine life down the road.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14771297#post14771297 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sdc19982002
Wipe it out with some vinegar and water and you'll be fine
Click to expand...




white vinegar, water, & some EBG (elbow grease) works wonders!
 
So, I got a bag of sand with the tank when I bought it. I put that in the bottom and filled it with 10 gallons of reef water from our LFS and it seems to have a lot suspended in the water now. The water is brownish now and I can see about 7 inches into the tank. Not sure if this is good bad or indifferent, having no experience starting a tank.
 
Here's my current (I'm sure I will have more as you post ;) ) advice: take things SLOWLY. Don't let your GF's excitement cloud your judgment. Read as much as you can and understand what it takes to keep a tank running and healthy, what to expect your first year (I should write a book, like the one for pregnant moms), and what does and does not go well together. Too often, people move way too fast and jam pack their little tanks with a bunch of stuff that looks "neat" but as they learn more and more they realize that all that stuff really doesn't play nicely together, was a bad decision, etc. One example--I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but do NOT buy any Xenia. It looks oh so pretty waving back and forth, but - take it from a one-time victim and learner of lessons - when it completely takes over your tank so that there's not an inch of space, you'll be cursing it. At some point, you and/or your GF will likely want a clown fish and an anemone. Sadly, your tank really is not big enough for either. Clowns can get 6 inches and are generally mean as hell; anemones get 12" to 18" (or bigger).

I would suggest getting about 25 lbs of fully cured pacific live rock from a good LFS and letting it sit for a good week. Test the water and if the params look good, add 6 or so hermits and 6 or so snails (ceriths are great). Let them be happy while your tank goes through the inevitable diatom bloom. Once you're over that (a couple weeks), add in two cleaner shrimps and maybe a small community fish. Think hard about your fish choice, because you're only able to keep 2 or 3 max in that tank depending on species/size. If it were me, I would get a pretty and active fish that likes to eat algae--not only will you enjoy the fish, but it will provide a valuable service. Personally, I love combtooth blennies, Atrosalarias fuscus, because they are neat, pretty and love to eat algae off the rocks, glass, etc. They come in various colors, but I am partial to the Gold Sailfin: http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/4055/product.web and the Black Sailfin: http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/18108/product.web

I have had these and really enjoyed them. Another great small fish to consider is a Royal Gramma. Very beautiful, peaceful fish that won't take up much room.
 
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Thanks.

We intend to go slow after the initial startup if not for any other reason than we are not made of money.

Appreciate the advice but GF has a Pistol Shrimp/Goby combo at the top of her list followed by starfish. Clowns are nice enough I suppose but we both like the magenta Pseudo and the mandarin as far as feesh go. All told we are actually more interested in Gobies and blennies. Gf found some sort of bottom living fish i na tank that was so ugly it was adorable.

She wanted a snowflake eel until I told her it would eat her pistol shrimp. I've never seen someone lost interest in keeping an eel so fast. :p
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14787599#post14787599 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by AJSTITAN14
Thanks.

We intend to go slow after the initial startup if not for any other reason than we are not made of money.

Appreciate the advice but GF has a Pistol Shrimp/Goby combo at the top of her list followed by starfish. Clowns are nice enough I suppose but we both like the magenta Pseudo and the mandarin as far as feesh go. All told we are actually more interested in Gobies and blennies. Gf found some sort of bottom living fish i na tank that was so ugly it was adorable.

She wanted a snowflake eel until I told her it would eat her pistol shrimp. I've never seen someone lost interest in keeping an eel so fast. :p
Click to expand...

I would think twice about any type of pseudochromis. They are pretty fish of a suitable size, but can get mean as he11 and act as if they own the tank; they will bully fish larger than themselves. It took me three days to get a bicolor pseudo our of my 58 (he had all the other fish in hiding). A mandarin is a beautiful fish but their main diet is copepods. It would be very difficult to sustain a population of copepods large enough to sustain the mandarin. Most people who have them have larger, more mature tanks, with refugiums that support the copepod population. Lastly, there are some starfish, such as the black brittle star, that are a useful part of your clean-up crew. But there are other starfish, such as the linkia and choc. chip star that are very difficult to sustain. Do your research before you buy one. You may have a great local fish store, but do your own reading and research as well.
 
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