Help with my 29 Biocube please

[CantImagineWhy]

Hello all. I am not a new user, but I just recently got back into the hobby after about 6 years. I'm at a point where I've got the money to properly care for my aquariums now. Some of it is coming back to me easily, but I've got plenty of questions. I just bought an established 29 gallon Biocube. The guy I bought it from really had no idea what he was doing, so I may have a lot of work ahead of me, but I'm up for the challenge!

The previous owner also bought it as an "established" set up from someone who did know what they were doing, or at least it appeared that way to me based on some of the equipment it has. Each of them had the aquarium set up for one year. There's plenty of live rock with soft corals (fuzzy mushrooms, star polyps, button polyps) and it also looks like there may be two small hard corals in there. I have no clue what kind they are. I will post pictures to get them IDed after the sand settles. I am willing to get them to a new home if they can't stay in my tank.

The following fish are in the aquarium: 1 six line wrasse, 1 clown fish, 1 blue damsel, 1 green chromis and 1 blood shrimp. There are also two small hermit crabs. I could not find any snails. All of the fish look very healthy and are great eaters. They are active and don't seem to be stressing over the 2 hour move.

The last owner did not dose with anything and didn't test the water aside from the salinity. He used a refractometer, which he gave to me. It is currently at 1.024ish. He replaced 5-10 gallons of salt water every month and topped it off with RODI fish store water as it evaporated. He also "raked" the sand every so often with a tool that has cleaning attachments.

The tank has a protein skimmer and heater in one compartment, the pump and a UV sterilizer in another and then some green plant and bags of media in the middle. I forget what the plant is called (previous owner didn't even know what it was for). There is a stick on LED white light on the back to give the plant some light. I don't know what is in the media bags yet as I'm waiting for the tank to settle before I pull them out to look. There are also two Koralia (sp?) jets inside of the tank.

Here are a few of my many questions: in a tank this small, what chemicals do you recommend testing/dosing for? Is my fish stocking list okay or should I rehome some of them? What other fish would you recommend? How many/what kind of snails do I need for my CUC?


Any other recommendations are welcome!

Also, I have my own RODI system. I need to run out today and pick up new test kits (my old ones are probably expired) and a proper power strip with a GFCI. I've got three fresh water tanks (a 220 gallon cichlid tank, a 50 gallon cichlid tank and a 20 gallon semi aggressive community tank), so I'm not jumping into this hobby completely blind. I know they're very different though!

Thank you!

[coralsnaked]

You should test for anything you dose IE: foundation elements CA Alk MG. You can also test a new set up for Ammonia, Phosphates and Nitrates. for proper levels.

Stocking list looks OK but I wouldn't add to it.

You could add 10 snails, I like Astrea as they clean rock and glass. Make sure they stay right side up. Nerites ll clean the top of the tank where waterline is. Ceriths will clean the sand and the Margarita will eat algae like the Astrea but ccan right itself.

By the way make sure you calibrate your refractometer with calibration fluid each and every time you use it.

[CantImagineWhy]

I guess the better question is what chemicals should I be adding?

As far as my CUC goes, should I add more hermits too? Can I get a star fish also? I will probably do 5 margarita and 5 cerith snails if I can find them. Do I have to worry about my wrasse eating them?

I didn't know the refractometer needed fluid, guess I'll have to order some of that too!

[CantImagineWhy]

Anyone else care to chime in? I'm going to my LFS tomorrow to pick up supplies.

[CantImagineWhy]

Well I went to my LFS and picked up some snails. I got 2 cerith snails (all they had) and 4 banded trochus snails. While adding these to my tank, I noticed that I have 2 bumble bee snails which must have been hiding in my sand bed. My wrasse was nipping at the new snails after I added them... I hope he doesn't eat them.

I also noticed that my switch labeled "LED 2" doesn't turn anything on. I think I may be missing some lights? I just have a row of 3 blue LED bulbs in the middle of my day and atenic bulbs. Should I bother replacing these?

It looks like my middle chamber has a media rack and a fuge in it. Not sure if it's set up correctly. There's some loose green grass (maybe cheato) in the fuge. I still haven't pulled out the media rack to inspect what's in it...

The panel on the hood behind the light switches that says "push" won't do anything for me. Is it supposed to pop open for the back chambers?

Also, is a skimmer really necessary?

This forum isn't quite as active as I remember, hoping I can get some answers.

[CantImagineWhy]

I can't seem to upload pictures from my phone. I clicked the attach button, chose a photo to upload and then hit the upload button, but the page won't load to actually upload it. Is there a way to do this from an iPhone?

[chefbill]

Use rodi water or vinegar to clean the larches on the access door. Skimmer isn't necessary, but helps. The LEDs are just visual, they don't help growth.

[CantImagineWhy]

Thanks. I got the compartment to open up now.

What chemicals should I be adding to the tank? or is this even necessary? I want my corals to grow and expand over the rock work. I also plan on getting more frags after a while, is there such a thing as having too many zoanthids in there?

Still not sure how to post pictures. I got some taken of the hard corals in my tank. One looks like just a skeleton and the other still has some pinkish color to it. I want to know if these are able to be saved.

[CantImagineWhy]

Just got done water welding all the loose frags. I decided since I already made the water super cloudy that I would pull out the media rack/fuge. The media rack is an "in tank" acrylic rack with three levels. The top level had a media bag with very small white beads in it and on top of that was a blue filter pad. The second/middle level had a thick black sponge with a media bag on top with slightly larger white beads in it. The third/bottom level had a blue filter pad with a larger media bag filled with black noodle shaped things (carbon?). The sponges and bags are dirty so I'm guessing I need to replace them.

What do you suggest in the media rack?

The fuge was also acrylic and had a small ball of green grass in the bottom. Again, I'm only guessing that this is cheato.. Not sure what it does.

[BarryV]

Just got done water welding all the loose frags. I decided since I already made the water super cloudy that I would pull out the media rack/fuge. The media rack is an "in tank" acrylic rack with three levels. The top level had a media bag with very small white beads in it and on top of that was a blue filter pad. The second/middle level had a thick black sponge with a media bag on top with slightly larger white beads in it. The third/bottom level had a blue filter pad with a larger media bag filled with black noodle shaped things (carbon?). The sponges and bags are dirty so I'm guessing I need to replace them.

What do you suggest in the media rack?

The fuge was also acrylic and had a small ball of green grass in the bottom. Again, I'm only guessing that this is cheato.. Not sure what it does.

I run Chemi-Pure Blue, poly-filter and filter floss in my intank media basket.
Also I am not running cheato.

[CantImagineWhy]

Thanks. Should I post this in a different section? My post keeps getting knocked past the 2nd page and only a few of my questions have been answered. I thought this was the right section but guess not.

[homer1475]

Thanks. Should I post this in a different section? My post keeps getting knocked past the 2nd page and only a few of my questions have been answered. I thought this was the right section but guess not.

There is a nano section if you scroll down some on the main page. You will find many biocube build threads in there with many helpful hints and tricks for our biocubes.

Nano section of the forums, click here! (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=75)

The extra switch is for the other 4 LED sockets in the top. You can add more LED's to the stock top, but the LED's that come with the biocube are junk and not worth spending the money on. If you really want to go LED, look into retrofit kits for the biocube specifically.

Secondly, you should not be adding anything to your tank unless you can test for it. Right now with your light bioload, just a good salt mix is all you need at this point. I currently have 4 zoa rocks, some GSP, Xenia, gorgonian, frogspawn and hammer. I have yet to need to start dosing anything, just a good salt mix with weekly water changes keeps my parameters in check for now.

[ZeeSparrow]

As was previously mentioned, you should test anything for which you dose. Tank size doesn't matter, Ca Mg Alk should be tested. With (mainly) just softies, you likely won't need to dose for anything so long as you keep up on water changes.

I highly recommend reading the sticky on the top of this forum SETTING UP. Most if not all of your questions will be answered there.

Welcome back and best of luck!

[CantImagineWhy]

Thank you. I think I have all my corals IDed besides two. I have zoas, two LPSs(one huge brain coral and one little one) and mushrooms. I'm pretty certain the two hard corals in there are beyond my help and are merely just decoration at this point. I will pick up test kits for ca, mg and alk as all mine are expired.

I plan on doing water changes every two weeks at 10 gallons each.

I hadn't seen the nano section before, thank you! I will read up on the build threads.

After watching a ton of YouTube videos and reading the company's reccomendations for my inTank media rack, I will be using filter floss, chemipure and purigen. Which do you prefer for ordering these in bulk; bulk reef supply, foster and smith or someone else? None of my LFS have these aside from filter floss, which I already have tons of. Do I replace the media monthly?

[CantImagineWhy]

I am going to the hardware store in a bit to pick up a large container to keep pre mixed salt water in for my water changes. I have a 5 gallon bucket of Instant Ocean reef crystals. Is all I need for the container a heater and a power head to circulate the water?

[cvportagee]

I run filter floss, Chemi-Pure Blue, and purigen in my intank media basket. I also run rowa-phos in a reactor and a tunze skimmer, but as others have said this is not necessary. Just be mindful of your feeding habits.

As far as your salt mixing you are on the right track. I recommend two brute 20 gallon cans - one for RODI and one for salt that has your heater and power head.

[CantImagineWhy]

Thank you. I wasn't able to find a 20 gallon brute so I got a 32 gallon one. My RODI water is in a 55 gallon drum right now. I may get another because 55 gallons is only enough for a water change in my 220 gallon tank.