16G Biocube! 1st Reef Tank!

[LaraLouM]

Hello everyone! I just did my new member post and had a field day at the cherry coral polypalooza this weekend and was recommended to start a member tank thread to document our Biocube progress... so here it goes.

This is my first reef tank, my boyfriend had had some but it was many years ago so we are combining my research with his past experiences. We bought the Biocube for our 19 month old son who just loves fish and he got it from Santa for Christmas. We had it set up in our closet for a month prior and moving it was the worst idea I think I have ever had!

Aquarium: Coralife LED Biocube 16G
Lights: Stock
Pump: Stock
Skimmer: Coralife (came free with tank, the reviews are none to good though)
Filtration: InTank media basket with filter floss, Purgien, and Chemi-Pure Blue
Sand: 20 lbs Fiji Pink (1/2 - 3 inches deep over bottom of tank)
Rock: 11 lbs cured live rock
Heater: Cobalt 75 watt
Powerhead: Jebao OW-10
Don’t think I am missing anything?

Current Stock:
2 x ORA Golden Dot Clowns
2 x Red Legged Hermit
1 x Tiger Conch
1 x Frogspawn
1 x Xenia
1 x Canbage Leather
1 x Jack-O-Lantern Lepto

We started the tank with just reef rock, sand, water from LFS, and Aqualide Activate. At 3 weeks our numbers were all 0 (API Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate) with PH at 8. Took some water to the LFS to be tested to verify results and everything looked good so we got our first fish!

2 x ORA golden dot clowns!

We kept the fish for 1.5 weeks and had pretty stable numbers so we bought some Xenia and a Frogspawn. They opened up beautifully and the frogspawn since has a tiny new head growing, literally like half a centimeter big of that lol)!

Fast forward to ray and we are going into the 8th week and added a good sized cabbage leather a couple of days ago, but only 1/2 of it has opened up. I read they could be finicky? Also added a Jack-O-Lantern lepto which has stayed vibrant this far. It is at the bottom of the tank in lower light and med/high flow.

Current numbers:
- 8.3 PH
- 0 ammonia
- 0.5 Nitrite
- 10 Nitrate
- 390 Calcium
- 1300 Magnesium
- 8.6 dKH

I have two types of Macroalgae on order to assist with the Nitrates and will be doing a water change. I have started adding copepods and phytoplankton to hopefully get some colonies going.

Feeding:
I am still working on getting this down. I feed half a flake of CS Proflake Calanus and Spirulina and I have frozen baby brine shrimp I have feed once a week to clowns and frogspawn. I need to broaden the food options as the last time my frogspawn did not accept the brine. Any recommendations are appreciated!

I also attached some pictures and look forward to thoughts and advice!

 

[dylana407]

Very nice.

 

[maevepotter]

Hey welcome!! I'm another member with small kids (3 and 1 year old girls). They are great helpers [emoji23]. I think you could stand to add more cleanup crew.

 

[LaraLouM]

I think my favorite thing so far is watching the frogspawn eat! I’ve never seen that before and it is so cool. His tiny new head is so neat.

 

[LaraLouM]

Hey welcome!! I'm another member with small kids (3 and 1 year old girls). They are great helpers [emoji23]. I think you could stand to add more cleanup crew.

It’s awesome how mesmerized my son gets just watching the fish!

I was just wondering about more clean up. I am just starting to notice some build up of brown algae on the rocks and a few tiny spots on the glass I keep cleaning off. Any recommendations?

 

[LaraLouM]

Well tested my parameters today after trying to calculate the dosing of Red Sea ABC. Apparently I don’t understand the directions... oops ;Bored
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 10
Ph: 8.3
Magnesium: 1510
Kdh: 10.1
Calcium: 490

 

[reef lover]

Looking good so far! At this point theres probably no need for dosing water changes should keep up with levles. Its easy to get parameters off dosing different things...just take it slow. Only does what you can test for and only as needed. Hth!
And that baby head is adorable!

 

[maevepotter]

It’s awesome how mesmerized my son gets just watching the fish!

I was just wondering about more clean up. I am just starting to notice some build up of brown algae on the rocks and a few tiny spots on the glass I keep cleaning off. Any recommendations?

Start reading up on cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates. I have a magnet cleaner for the glass and tend to vacuum the sand when we do water changes to cut down on the dinos in my tank. Apparently they can take over and smother corals. Check your phosphate levels and evaluate if you're overfeeding. Small daily or every few days water changes can help with a nano. Also doesn't hurt to dose some extra Dr Tim's nitrifying bacteria to establish your biological filter more.

My daughter does baby sign, and one of her first three was "fish" my three year old can talk about it intelligently and point out various specimens to visitors

 

[aquaman99]

Of course I am going to have to follow this thread. I feel like we bonded during the sale.
I have to do all my tank set up this weekend and update my build thread. But I get a shipment of coral today so that’s exciting and should motivate me all weekend.

 

[Coralreefer1]

Be careful with the Xenia because it is a fast grower and will suffocate and kill other corals as it encroaches them. Your Torch has long sweeper tentacles that will sting neighboring corals as well. Nice start to your tank. Enjoy and best of luck! Awesome that your son enjoys the marine environment.

 

[LaraLouM]

Of course I am going to have to follow this thread. I feel like we bonded during the sale.
I have to do all my tank set up this weekend and update my build thread. But I get a shipment of coral today so that’s exciting and should motivate me all weekend.

That’s so exciting! I get mine from the sale next Friday and I can’t wait. I’m hoping I don’t kill all of it...

What is your build thread? Are you going to browse the AquaSD sale this weekend?

 

[Katrina71]

Pretty tank! You need to try a rock flower anemone when the tank matures. They have a cool feeding response too. They'd be fine in there.

 

[Retro Reefer]

Nice looking Biocube.. Good choice for a starter, I have the same one and it has been a great tank!

FWIW.. I would not use any additives until you understand their usage and how they effect your tank, also that glass table your tank is setting on makes me nervous

 

[LaraLouM]

Start reading up on cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates. I have a magnet cleaner for the glass and tend to vacuum the sand when we do water changes to cut down on the dinos in my tank. Apparently they can take over and smother corals. Check your phosphate levels and evaluate if you're overfeeding. Small daily or every few days water changes can help with a nano. Also doesn't hurt to dose some extra Dr Tim's nitrifying bacteria to establish your biological filter more.

My daughter does baby sign, and one of her first three was "fish" my three year old can talk about it intelligently and point out various specimens to visitors

Ok great, I need to get a phosphate kit, that’s one I haven’t purchased yet. I know I’ve read some places they should be zero, others that there should be some phosphate? Do you add copepods to your tank? I was interested in starting a population of those to help with the bottom of the food chain also.

That’s awesome about the fish sign! My son, Stone, only knows a few basic signs like more and eat, I will have to try and teach him fish!

 

[LaraLouM]

Pretty tank! You need to try a rock flower anemone when the tank matures. They have a cool feeding response too. They'd be fine in there.

I’ve seen a couple, they look beautiful!

 

[LaraLouM]

Nice looking Biocube.. Good choice for a starter, I have the same one and it has been a great tank!

FWIW.. I would not use any additives until you understand their usage and how they effect your tank, also that glass table your tank is setting on makes me nervous

Yeah, I tried doing all the readings and following instructions, thanks LFS for recommending something I don’t need lol, I’m sure it will not be the last time.

The glass table... yeah, we don’t know how to measure and the tank was hanging over the edge of the wood cabinet. I’m in the market for a used Biocube tank stand!

 

[aquaman99]

That’s so exciting! I get mine from the sale next Friday and I can’t wait. I’m hoping I don’t kill all of it...

What is your build thread? Are you going to browse the AquaSD sale this weekend?

My thread should be this link. Lets see if they let me post it. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/65g-mixed-reef-for-seahorses.526422/

Yes, I plan to do the AquaSD live sale. Will be 4 weekends in a row of live sales for me I think with this one.

 

[LaraLouM]

Well I think I totally freaked my fish out. I was adding some calupera to the tank, I thought it would give the little clown extra places to hide and help oxygen, etc. after I get done they are both swimming sideways in spots of the tank I never see them. I couldn’t take pictures because I literally finished right as we were laying Stone down to bed. Not sure if it was having my hand in the tank too long, or the Macroalgae? I hope they pull through though.

 

[Coralreefer1]

In my opinion, Caulerpa is not the Macroalgae to have in an aquarium. It is an invasive species that if it goes sexual, you will be in trouble. It is best to go with Halimeda, Maidens Hair, Gracilaria, Mangroves, Chaetomorpha and Ulva.

 

[LaraLouM]

Well I added a few strands of Calupera and a ball of hypnea and totally bottomed our my ph... eek! With the help of @Katrina71 i think we’re out of the woods, but there is still more work to do. Next step clear up the cloudy water and make sure everything stablizes.