My new BioCube 14

[JasonB]

OK so I started a new aquarium. I picked up a new BioCube 14 last week. This weekend I mixed up the salt and added 20lbs of live sand and today I added 20lbs of live rock. So far it is looking pretty good. I did have some cloudy water issues with the sand at first, but it is all clear now as long as I don't disturb anything.

I am going to be using the complete stock filtration and lighting setup for now and see how it goes.

What do you think?

 

[Cdiggy]

Awesome! Love it!

 

[Classklown90]

Yeah looks good. What are you stocking it with?

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[BuGG]

I love that cave formation!!

 

[matt2939]

That would be awesome for an eel!! If that could be replicated in a larger aquarium that would look so cool having an eel head popping out of there.


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[JasonB]

Thanks for all of the kind words. I just moved back to NJ from the Caribbean and set it up to look like it looked there. Lots of rock from the sand bed with steep walls all the way up, sometimes breaching the surface. Lots of tunnels and holes everywhere and pure white soft fine sand. I have some videos and even put a few online. I tried to put a link to a particular video, but the forum would not allow the link.

 

[JasonB]

OK, so I received my test kit today and everything tested out perfectly other then my salt being a little low. Anyway I am guessing I can start adding a few things this weekend or whenever I have time. Any input on what would be good to start with?

I figure I can add a few pieces or coral, a shrimp, maybe a few snails and hermit crabs, maybe a starfish along with a fish if I can find one that I like. I am having a hard time deciding on what type of fish to add. I think I like the goby with a shrimp idea, but I am not certain. Anyway I was hoping for any insight or opinions.

 

[NikkiT]

Hi Jason,
Welcome to the nano world!

We have a 12g JBJ, and I love the size of the 14g biocube.

I have a question. What did you test for? Are you using a hydrometer or a refratometer? If your SG is low, other tests will be less accurate, so keep that in mind.

I saw that you used live rock and live sand, but 3 days is a bit short for a tank to cycle. Did you add anything to start the cycle, or just add the live rock and sand?
If you didn't add anything to start the cycle, the tank is not ready yet even if the test results are good.
If you have not added anything to start the cycle, you have a couple of options- you could add a small piece of shrimp (from the grocery store), you could add a small amount of ammonia, or you could add a bacterial culture designed to create an "instant cycle" by populating the tank with an appropriate volume of bacteria. Any of the three methods will work.

Regarding livestock, I would not try sensitive inverts like a star or a shrimp yet, and I would not try coral yet. Give yourself at least a month or two to learn to manage the nano. The best thing to do is think about what you want your nano to house. Mine houses a pistol shrimp, a goby, and a basslet, along with zoas, a favia, a dendro, some pretty clove polyps and some inverts.

Go on to live aquaria and take a look at the nano fish. Also, take into consideration what kind of lighting the biocube came with. If it came with power compact lighting, you are going to have trouble keeping SPS. If it came with LED lighting, that shouldn't be a problem.

 

[JasonB]

Well the live rock came out of an existing saltwater aquarium and had been in there for several years so my assumption is it is already loaded with bacteria. And yes the live sand as well, but I have my doubts on how much, if any good bacteria are really in that. The specific gravity was slightly low, but has since been corrected and the test results are still the same.

This is not my first nano saltwater aquarium, but 27-28 years ago when I had my first saltwater setup things were way different. In fact my LFS told me over and over that 20 gallons was not enough for saltwater and I needed a minimum of 55 gallons. Well I guess they were wrong! Anyway I am just new to keeping corals really, but it doesn't seem that hard.

By the way, I don't plan on adding anything until Sunday when I am off, so that gives me a total of 7 days. As long as everything tests out fine then I am going to start adding things.

 

[NikkiT]

Hi Jason,
If the rock and sand are reused from an existing system where it was for several years, I would be cautious. You assumption that the rock has bacteria in it is likely correct, but that that might not be all that is in it.
Reusing live rock has created some serious issues with photosphates leaching from the rock and sand for several other members. How old is the rock? Did it come from a reef system or a fish only system? Did you cook or etch the rock at all before setting up the nano?
What are you testing for? Nitrates, Nitrites, Phosphates, Ammonia?
I've been keeping SW tanks for about 20 years now, all nanos until 2 years ago, and a 14g nano in practice is a whole lot different from for example a 20g.

 

[JasonB]

NikkiT, we are getting way off track from my original question and I feel like this is not going in a positive direction. Again MY question was what are opinions of good occupants for my BioCube 14?

 

[JasonB]

OK some new additions to the aquarium today. Picked up 2 Bumble Bee Snails, 2 Snails (I don't know which type), 1 Dwarf Zebra Hermit Crab, 1 Electric Blue Hermit Crab, a Button Polyp Frag, a rock partially covered with Zoanthids, a 6 line wrasse and a Watchman Goby. I hope to get a pistol shrimp to pair with my goby as well as other inverts and more coral in a few weeks.