BioCube 29 Tank Upgrade Questions - & Fishies Too!

[OmegaOmega]

Hello All -
I just purchased an Oceanic BioCube 29 and am starting my first voyage into SW tanking.

There's a ton of information on this forum, which is also why I decided to join, and I was glad to see a bunch of others with some sort of BioCube setup.

I've tried searching on some of my questions, as to avoid experienced members having to repeat themselves over and over - so if you have a link or if I overlooked something, let me know.

1) Can anyone help with acronyms? This site is filled with them. LFS, DI, etc. I tried acronymfinder.com and wanted to cut my wrists afterward. When i tried to do the Google forum search for an acronym post I received a link to penis enlargements. I cried.

2) I was sold a bag of Bio-Active Live Aragonite reef rock and about 30 gallons of ocean water, 25lbs of live-rock. I've put this in the tank and had the filter on all day but the tank water looks wretched - cloudy and dirty. Is this from the sand settling, new stuff, etc? How much rock is too much? How long can the rock stay out of water? Can it be partially submerged and some sticking out?

3) Perhaps to point 2 above, I notice that the pump well to the far left nearly empties due to poor flow (i'm assuming). When I clean out the filter and reverse rinse it in the sink, the flow seems to be ok for a few hours. Can the tank not handle the initial setup using the built-in filtration system? Is there something I can do to help?

4) To point 3 above... Can i purchase a supplemental 'in-tank' filter that's compatible or discreet with the bio-cube system? Is there such thing as 'too much' filtration? i.e. purchasing a (55g) 325 gph Aqueon to help supplement the regular built in system? What about a canister system?

5) For this tank (or I guess any in general) can I mix eels with fish with anemones? Is there a site or a guide that helps you determine what you can accomplished based on size/experience? What about food? I see a lot of people on the forum recommending frozen food. I'd prefer throwing my neighbors toddler in as food, but it's a small starter tank - how do I manage diversity?

6) How do I create a 'wave' system in the biocube? But really, more importantly, what is a 'wave' system - is it recommended? Would my mother do it?

7) How do you go on vacation, for say, two weeks? Are there automatic feeders? I have a timer power strip to help manage lights/pump, etc.

8) What should I invest in, if money weren't an issue? Pump? Chemicals? Name brand stuff?

9) Is it better to have just a few really large fish, or several/more small fish?

10) I've read so many different sites that have different recommendations for temperature. I generally see 78-79 as the average - would you agree or is this, again, totally fish/tank specific?

P.S. Thank you for reading and replying!

 

[PufferGuy]

welcome to the site first of all, i dont know too much about the BioCubes but you can never have too much filtration. Usually people have about 1.5 to 2lbs of live rock per gallon of water. The rock should always be kept at least moist in order to keep the baceria on it alive. I'm guessing the water in the tank is cloudy because of the sand and it should settle in a day or two. In a 30gal tank you are pretty limited to what you can keep... and it really all depends on what you want to keep as far as if you want corals or not. Food also varies with the fish you keep. Some fish need to eat algae, some need meaty foods. Frozen foods are almost always higher quality and fish are more likely to eat it. I assume "wave system" refers to circulating water for which you'll just need a powerhead or two to spin the water around in the tank. When i go on vacation i usually have someone watch my tank so i dont really know about any automated feeders. You will need to buy (i dont know what comes with the biocube) powerheads, heater, sand, liverock, test kits for water, etc. My tank has been at a steady 79 since ive had it. The biggest issue with temp is to make sure it doesnt change too abruply as it can really stress your fish.

The overall most important thing with saltwater tanks is patience. Let your tank cycle and get established and try to do everything just once because otherwise it will get expensive.

Hope it helps.

 

[OmegaOmega]

Thanks for the info.

DOes anyone have any additional information or links to reading or addressing some of the questions above? I've read some of the 'getting started' stuff on about.com and a couple other forums, but there seem to be key pieces missing - especially when it comes to tank specific questions.

Some other questions: Tank placement; is it bad to have a tank in/near sunlight? I've seen a number of pictures here on the site and noticed no one had their tanks near a window.

 

[jackie]

LFS = local fish store :sfish:
I also an fairly new (Dec 08) when I turned my 44gal Pentagon tank to salt water.
Live sand - live rock also in my tank. Takes a couple days for everything to get settled.
Live Rocks do need to stay wet--- just last week I took my live rock out of the tank keeping them in a bucket to clean them (was over run with slime algae) I scubbed them with a (tile brush) and put them back in the tank.
You really need to before fish -- think of what you want to do in the tank. Do you want corals etc.
I have had many troubles in my tank listening to the wrong LFS advise. These sites are the best to get advise from but remember everyone's tank is a bit different.
Lighting is major important in planning on what is going in the tank.
I had an anemone die as a result (plus my tank was way too new to support) LFS advise... Really not cool watching creatures die.
Currently in my tank are 5 astrea snails, 7 black snails, 1 emerald green crab, 1 dragon goby (he is way cool sifts sand and eats hair algae), 1 Sergent Major (will out grow my tank- didn't know what he was -- plus he is very aggressive), 1 blue green chromis (didn't know they were supposed to be in groups of 3 or more-- after a week in my tank wouldn't accept any more "partners").
RO water -- VERY Important -- buy at LFS
Saltwater (sure there is an acromyn) VERY Important - buy at LFS.
Tap water - treated is bad for salt water tanks
Distilled water - treated also did not work for me

Good Luck

 

[jackie]

Also-- my tank is a corner tank. 5 sides ie Pentagon.
I have my tank in between tons of windows--- 3 side by side in the den and one in the kitchen.
The only thing that I can think that is a disadvantage having next to windows-- algae growth-- but if you have good clean up crew should be okay-- and temperature.....my tank is 79-80 degrees.
Understand that I am new to this saltwater area-- take my advice with a grain of salt -- as all I can tell you is about my experience
Enjoy your tank and take advice of others -- the slower you go the less deaths will occur

 

[OmegaOmega]

Also-- my tank is a corner tank. 5 sides ie Pentagon.
I have my tank in between tons of windows--- 3 side by side in the den and one in the kitchen.
The only thing that I can think that is a disadvantage having next to windows-- algae growth-- but if you have good clean up crew should be okay-- and temperature.....my tank is 79-80 degrees.
Understand that I am new to this saltwater area-- take my advice with a grain of salt -- as all I can tell you is about my experience
Enjoy your tank and take advice of others -- the slower you go the less deaths will occur

What do you recommend for a cleanup crew? Do you mean like illegal immigrants I would hire to come in and clean the tank or actual fish/livestock that would clean in the tank?

Do snails, crabs, etc. count equally to the overall livestock count? Generally it's 1 fish for 2 gallons, right? If there are small snails is the equation the same? :question:

 

[OmegaOmega]

welcome to the site first of all, i dont know too much about the BioCubes but you can never have too much filtration. Usually people have about 1.5 to 2lbs of live rock per gallon of water. The rock should always be kept at least moist in order to keep the baceria on it alive. I'm guessing the water in the tank is cloudy because of the sand and it should settle in a day or two. In a 30gal tank you are pretty limited to what you can keep... and it really all depends on what you want to keep as far as if you want corals or not. Food also varies with the fish you keep. Some fish need to eat algae, some need meaty foods. Frozen foods are almost always higher quality and fish are more likely to eat it. I assume "wave system" refers to circulating water for which you'll just need a powerhead or two to spin the water around in the tank. When i go on vacation i usually have someone watch my tank so i dont really know about any automated feeders. You will need to buy (i dont know what comes with the biocube) powerheads, heater, sand, liverock, test kits for water, etc. My tank has been at a steady 79 since ive had it. The biggest issue with temp is to make sure it doesnt change too abruply as it can really stress your fish.

The overall most important thing with saltwater tanks is patience. Let your tank cycle and get established and try to do everything just once because otherwise it will get expensive.

Hope it helps.

Thanks for the tips - it seems the most common thing I've read, in forums, books and everywhere is patience is required.

How do I know when the tank has fully cycled and is ready/complete? Is it just as simple as a salinity test? Testing for ammonia levels? What tests are considered minimum and what should I be testing for in general - weekly, monthly, etc.

 

[daugherty]

welcome. the bad thing about having your tank by a window is alage growth and it also can heat the tank the glass absorbs the sunlight and can heat it up. just get yourself some test kits and a bucket of salt a refratometer or hydrometer to test the salt levels. this is cheaper than buying salt water from the lfs and you know what is in the water. than for water use distalled or ro/di water. tap water is bad for salt tanks.
when the tank is cycled you will have ammonia reading of 0 a nitrite reading of 0 and you nitrate will start to rise and it is cycled keep your ph around 8-8.4 in the beginning test your water every couple days so you see the rise and fall of the nitirogen cycle so you know for shure that it is cycled. and please do not use a fish or other animal to start the cycle. use some food to gost feed the tank every day or get a table shrimp and throw it in the tank for a few days and the tank will cycle.

 

[OmegaOmega]

welcome. the bad thing about having your tank by a window is alage growth and it also can heat the tank the glass absorbs the sunlight and can heat it up. just get yourself some test kits and a bucket of salt a refratometer or hydrometer to test the salt levels. this is cheaper than buying salt water from the lfs and you know what is in the water. than for water use distalled or ro/di water. tap water is bad for salt tanks.
when the tank is cycled you will have ammonia reading of 0 a nitrite reading of 0 and you nitrate will start to rise and it is cycled keep your ph around 8-8.4 in the beginning test your water every couple days so you see the rise and fall of the nitirogen cycle so you know for shure that it is cycled. and please do not use a fish or other animal to start the cycle. use some food to gost feed the tank every day or get a table shrimp and throw it in the tank for a few days and the tank will cycle.

I was surprised to see that the pH should be around 8.4? I think I bought the wrong test strips - it says freshwater test strips on them, but the indicator says if it's dark red (8-8.4) add pHMinus - so you're saying a high pH is actually good/necessary?:question:

It's only been a day but my Nitrate (NO3) is already at 20ppm - is that good? How high do I want it? My Nitrite (NO2) is at .5ppm down from 3.0 yesterday - I added the live-rock so I'm assuming that's what's helping?

What about water hardness - mine is currently very hard - 425ppm - good or bad?

Alkalinity is 240ppm, again, what's the ideal level?

Definitely not 'testing' or use live stock until the tank is perfect, plus I'm leaving to Hawaii in a few weeks, so I just wanted to do initial setup, let it settle, then worry about adding live fish when I'm back and can keep monitoring.

 

[daugherty]

get new test kits made for saltwater. make shure the ph is a high range if it is not specific to salt water. your alk is fine it is 13.44 DKH you want it to be at least 8 DKH(142 ppm) and some people have theres at 20 DKH(357 ppm) to help kill alage. you will have PH swings between day and night just before your lights turn on the PH will be at its lowest and right before you turn the lights off the PH will be at its highest. try to keep it around 8.4 during the day so that when it drops at night it does not drop alot the other think is to keep the temp of the tank stable you dont want to have huge swings in the temp that is far worse than haveing a stable high temp.

 

[daugherty]

with what your tests say the cycle is almost over.

 

[Sharkie]

welcome to the site :)

my first thing would be to go get some liquid test kits, they come with everything you need in them and they are much more accurate than the strips... i learned that the hard way.


as far as eels and fish are concerned I have had no problem with my 15in eel in his tank with a pair of clowns and a few damsels, in fact the damsels wap him in the face with their tails (they aren't too bright) and he seems to hide from them... i think it just depends on the temperment of the eel and the size, when i first got Kona (my eel) he was about 5inches and now hes grown a ton. you have to be able to eventually accomadate their size... always go with a snowflake too, they are the least aggressive and mine even lets me pet his lil head from time to time :)

 

[dcantucson]

Welcome to Living Reefs!
They've got you covered.

 

[OmegaOmega]

with what your tests say the cycle is almost over.

Should I run my salinity high or low? Does help with managing algae or bad 'things'? Is one needed for certain types of coral or fish?

 

[dcantucson]

1.026 is closest to natural sea water.

 

[yote]

Keep your salinity at 1.024-1.026.
You've got some great advice so far.
So welcome to the site.

 

[Bifferwine]

1) Can anyone help with acronyms? This site is filled with them. LFS, DI, etc. I tried acronymfinder.com and wanted to cut my wrists afterward. When i tried to do the Google forum search for an acronym post I received a link to penis enlargements. I cried.

LFS = local fish store
DI = de-ionized (it's a type of water purification)

For the rest of them, you're probably just going to have to ask as they come up, and we'll be happy to help.

2) I was sold a bag of Bio-Active Live Aragonite reef rock and about 30 gallons of ocean water, 25lbs of live-rock. I've put this in the tank and had the filter on all day but the tank water looks wretched - cloudy and dirty. Is this from the sand settling, new stuff, etc? How much rock is too much? How long can the rock stay out of water? Can it be partially submerged and some sticking out?

It's going to look cloudy and dirty for a few days -- that's totally normal. It's from the fine sand particles being suspended in the water, and you'll have to wait for them to settle. You need 1 to 2 lbs of rock per gallon, so in a 29 gallon tank, 30 to 60 lbs is ideal. The rock shouldn't stay out of water for more than a few minutes at a time. If you need to take it out, soak some newspaper in saltwater, and cover the rock with newspaper while you do whatever you need to do. Rock sticking out is useless -- it's not providing any habitat or filtration.

4) To point 3 above... Can i purchase a supplemental 'in-tank' filter that's compatible or discreet with the bio-cube system? Is there such thing as 'too much' filtration? i.e. purchasing a (55g) 325 gph Aqueon to help supplement the regular built in system? What about a canister system?

Canister filters are generally bad ideas for saltwater, as are hang-on-back filters. They lead to poor water quality. Stay away from them, and just make sure you are doing regular water changes (10 to 20% of your tank's volume every week or two).

5) For this tank (or I guess any in general) can I mix eels with fish with anemones? Is there a site or a guide that helps you determine what you can accomplished based on size/experience? What about food? I see a lot of people on the forum recommending frozen food. I'd prefer throwing my neighbors toddler in as food, but it's a small starter tank - how do I manage diversity?

The Biocube doesn't have strong enough lighting to keep anemones. Anemones need more light than most corals and are one of the most difficult animals to keep in this hobby. They are considered "expert only" and shouldn't be attempted unless your tank has been set up for at least a year, and has the proper lighting. Which the Biocube doesn't. In a 29 gallon tank, you can keep 3 or 4 fish comfortably. An eel would probably not be happy in a tank that size.

6) How do I create a 'wave' system in the biocube? But really, more importantly, what is a 'wave' system - is it recommended?

You really can't in a Biocube. It's just too small. And it's not that important. Just make sure you have enough flow from a powerhead or two.

7) How do you go on vacation, for say, two weeks? Are there automatic feeders? I have a timer power strip to help manage lights/pump, etc.

Most people get a friend or relative to tank-sit. I won't lie, it is HARD to leave your tank for more than a day or two. The most important thing is topping off evaporated water on a daily basis. The pumps should run 24/7 so they just need to be plugged in. The lights are usually plugged into a timer (you can get expensive timers exclusive for reefing, but I use simple $7 timers from Home Depot on my setup). Your fish will be fine for a few days without food, but you need to top off evaporated water daily.

8) What should I invest in, if money weren't an issue? Pump? Chemicals? Name brand stuff?

In a Biocube, you shouldn't have to invest much. It should come with most of what you need. You need test kits, and if money weren't an issue, two of the most important things you can buy are a refractometer (hydrometers to measure salinity are super inaccurate and only last about 6 months). Refractometers run you $40 to $50. And buy an RODI unit to make your own water. You cannot use tap water. I can't emphasize that enough. You can get a decent RODI unit for around $100 (P U R E W A T E R C L U B).

9) Is it better to have just a few really large fish, or several/more small fish?

It's up to you. But in a 29 gallon tank, you don't have a choice. You're limited to small fish.

10) I've read so many different sites that have different recommendations for temperature. I generally see 78-79 as the average - would you agree or is this, again, totally fish/tank specific?

I keep my tank at about 82 to 84. But I live in Arizona. And I don't even use a heater. Stable temperatures are important. Try to minimize your temp swings to within a couple degrees within a 24 hour period. 76 to 80 is probably ideal.

Would my mother do it?

No, but I'd do your mother.

(Sorry, the joke was staring me in the face and I couldn't pass it up).

 

[OmegaOmega]

Re: BioCube 29 Tank Upgrade Questions - & Fish Questions Too!

We must have posted at the same time - I just saw your big reply post; great minds think a-like. Thank you!

 

[OmegaOmega]

7) How do you go on vacation, for say, two weeks? Are there automatic feeders? I have a timer power strip to help manage lights/pump, etc.

Most people get a friend or relative to tank-sit. I won't lie, it is HARD to leave your tank for more than a day or two. The most important thing is topping off evaporated water on a daily basis. The pumps should run 24/7 so they just need to be plugged in. The lights are usually plugged into a timer (you can get expensive timers exclusive for reefing, but I use simple $7 timers from Home Depot on my setup). Your fish will be fine for a few days without food, but you need to top off evaporated water daily.

:shock: So if my family's dead and I'm not one to have many friends outside of the kind that may throw a flake or two in, what other options are there? Are there no automated feeders or systems?

 

[dcantucson]

Well it certainly puts a spin on her doing your mother.