Brando457 - 14g Biocube - New to Hobby

[Brando457]

Hey everyone,

I am just getting in to the whole saltwater aquariums thanks to my cousin giving me his 14g biocube after he upgraded to a bigger tank. So far I have everything up and running.
At the moment I have:

14 pounds of live rock
oceanic biocube protein skimmer
rena smartheater 50

I checked my salinity level and it was a 1.021

The tank has been running for about 3 or so weeks and I did a small water change as well.

Absolutely Fish tested my water and said that my nitrate levels are still too high to add any fish, but I'm waiting patiently.

I'll have pictures up soon and plan to update as I progress in to this hobby.

Any tips or advice is appreciated.

 

[ricwilli]

Welcome to the club. You are off to a good start. Waiting and being patient is key in this hobby. Just take the time to read even though your cousin is helping you out. The more you know the easier it gets........ Well maybe not . Good luck with the build. Looking forward to seeing the pics and progress.

 

[JRWOHLER]

You did the first thing right which was be patient. ;D

Show us some pics,ask any questions you want, and read as much as possible.

 

[rodclement]

Welcome Dude!

You have a lot of other nano people here to help you when help is needed!
Be patient as you have been and you wil be fine! I would recomend at this time to start a stocking thread with what you want to put in your tank so people can chime in and discuss stocking level, compatbility, etc! Always fun threads!!!

Rod

 

[Brando457]

You did the first thing right which was be patient. ;D

Show us some pics,ask any questions you want, and read as much as possible.

Where do you recommend purchasing some fish, coral, and other livestock from? I am located in North New Jersey, in the Caldwell area.

Also should the white lights have the fans spinning while it is on and the blue lights not? The way the biocube is wired only one switch functions with the fans, which at the moment is white light + fans, I can swap the bulb positions so blue light + fans, but I think the white produces more heat and thus should be closer to the fans.

As for stocking I was thinking 5 snails, cleaner shrimp, emerald crab?

Right now I have a False Percula in there with the live rock

 

[JRWOHLER]

All the snails you get in the LFS are fine, your invert group is fine you can probably have a few more snails. I don't know about stores up north the farthest north I go is Aquatic Obsessions, OGII and Red Sand. They are all off the 287 corridor more or less.

If the fan is directly over a bulb then keep it on the white one, but if it is a general fan over the ballasts then you could switch.

 

[youpey]

pics? ;D

 

[Brando457]

Pictures as requested

 

[youpey]

i really like your clown. what kind of pump is that in the back corner?

 

[Brando457]

i really like your clown. what kind of pump is that in the back corner?

The left side nozzle? I'm running the stock biocube 14g pump, the item on the right is the heater for the tank.

Any advice on getting to the bioballs?

 

[ricwilli]

Any advice on getting to the bioballs?

I don't see any reason why you will need bioballs. With that size tank, you should be OK doing weekly water changes.

 

[Brando457]

Any advice on getting to the bioballs?

I don't see any reason why you will need bioballs. With that size tank, you should be OK doing weekly water changes.

I understand that, but when trying to access the compartment where the bioballs are located it seems as if it is sealed for eternity.

 

[JRWOHLER]

Sorry I read it in both threads hopefully someone will chime in on how to get them out....I don't know? Is there some sort of cover in place that you cannot get out? Check online for an owners manual is the only thing I can think of.

 

[youpey]

the cover is kind of a pain to get out. you have to lift on an angle, i dont remember if i grabbed it from the back or the front, but it wont come out if pull strait up. i think i used needle nose pliers, but i dont remember. its definitely not in there with silicon or anything, you just have to get the right angle


wait until you try to remove the false floor in bay 1, that took me an hour with cutting away the silicon with a knife.

 

[Brando457]

the false floor in bay 1 is bay 1 where the pump is?

im going to try to remove the cover tmrw, i have some new bioballs to put in there

 

[JRWOHLER]

the false floor in bay 1 is bay 1 where the pump is?

im going to try to remove the cover tmrw, i have some new bioballs to put in there

Don't use bioballs at all....better to use some live rock rubble or just hang a bag of carbon or something that you can switch out. Bioballs just tend to create nitrates.

 

[Brando457]

the false floor in bay 1 is bay 1 where the pump is?

im going to try to remove the cover tmrw, i have some new bioballs to put in there

Don't use bioballs at all....better to use some live rock rubble or just hang a bag of carbon or something that you can switch out. Bioballs just tend to create nitrates.

Would it be wise to remove the bioballs slowly then or remove them all together and drop a bag of carbon in there?

 

[ricwilli]

You should be able to remove them all as you do not have many fish in the tank.

 

[youpey]

i wouldnt remove them all at once. i would do maybe 15% to 25% per week. they do their job with holding the good bacteria. if you remove it all at once, you may get a small spike causing a small cycle. to me it isnt worth the risk.

If you can afford it, the intank media rack is the best investment i made on the tank. (or you could build one if your handy)
http://shop.mediabaskets.com/BioCube-14-Media-Basket-BC14MR.htm

I bought this and replaced the cheapo media it came with. In my media basket i have filter floss, carbon, chemipure elite, and purigen. What i have is overkill with the different media, but my tank water is always crystal clear. I change the filter floss out 1 time per week, but i could probably wait 2 weeks.

It is a slightly large investment in buying the rack and some of the media, but it is cheaper then repacing the stock media a lot(although realistically you probably just need filter floss, chemipure or purigen, and some people put in chaeto in the middle with a light)

 

[ricwilli]

i wouldnt remove them all at once. i would do maybe 15% to 25% per week. they do their job with holding the good bacteria. if you remove it all at once, you may get a small spike causing a small cycle. to me it isnt worth the risk.

If you can afford it, the intank media rack is the best investment i made on the tank. (or you could build one if your handy)
http://shop.mediabaskets.com/BioCube-14-Media-Basket-BC14MR.htm

I bought this and replaced the cheapo media it came with. In my media basket i have filter floss, carbon, chemipure elite, and purigen. What i have is overkill with the different media, but my tank water is always crystal clear. I change the filter floss out 1 time per week, but i could probably wait 2 weeks.

It is a slightly large investment in buying the rack and some of the media, but it is cheaper then repacing the stock media a lot(although realistically you probably just need filter floss, chemipure or purigen, and some people put in chaeto in the middle with a light)

What spike and cycle? He only has ONE fish in there. The rocks alone would take care of that fish. Plus the sand and the skimmer. He could do it before he does his next water change.