32 Gallon Biocube from October to April

Lisa Cain · Apr 7, 2018

Below are the progression pictures of my 32 gallon biocube from October to April. I use the LED lights that come with the biocube and I use a chempure and purigen filters along with the carbon filters that come with the biocube. I was doing a 10-15% water change weekly but I stopped. Now it has been 2 1/2 weeks since the last water change and parameters are ok. I probably will do a small water change today.
I have in the tank the following:
2 clownfish
1 coral beauty
1 bi-color fish
starfish
snail, crabs and shrimp

Corals: Hammer (2), sun coral, bubble corals (2), brain coral, sponge, zoas, acan, candy cane and 3 bubble anenome and 1 carpet.

I have lost the following:

Flower rock anenome (that was painful..something was eating it)
Flame angel
1 other fish forgot its name
2 pulsating Xenia's

I am also posting a few picture of some of my favorite items in the tank

Tahoe61 · Apr 7, 2018

Fantastic progression, you're doing something right.

How are you feeding the Sun Coral and how often?

Lisa Cain · Apr 7, 2018

Tahoe61 said:
Fantastic progression, you're doing something right.

How are you feeding the Sun Coral and how often?

I have worked extrememly hard and Reef2 Reef has been helpful. I was taking out the sun coral and feeding once a week. I would place it in a plastic container. However, I have stopped. Some parts are turning black brown but I still see flowers. I may need to start feeding it directly again every week.

Lisa Cain · Apr 7, 2018

Tahoe61 said:
Fantastic progression, you're doing something right.

How are you feeding the Sun Coral and how often?

Now I turn off the filter and put in reef roids and coral frenzy. I do this twice a week. I use a a big turkey baster looking device. I squirt the solution on the sun coral and other corals. The Sun coral is HARD to feed. I still do not think that I am feeding it enough.

Lisa Cain · Apr 7, 2018

Tahoe61 said:
Fantastic progression, you're doing something right.

How are you feeding the Sun Coral and how often?

I abosolutlely love the hobby but it is a challenge for me. Eventually I want larger tank. I love anenomes. I have lost a couple of things and that was frustrating. I think a peperment shrimp ate my rock flower anenome that I loved and that was hard. I tried to save it.

Tahoe61 · Apr 7, 2018

Lisa Cain said:
Now I turn off the filter and put in reef roids and coral frenzy. I do this twice a week. I use a a big turkey baster looking device. I squirt the solution on the sun coral and other corals. The Sun coral is HARD to feed. I still do not think that I am feeding it enough.

Looks good.

Have not kept a Sun Coral in years but when I did, I covered it with a liter soda bottle cut in half or something similar and smaller. Just a device to keep the fish and inverts away to allow the coral time to eat in piece.

Reef Rods is and excellent product for smaller polyp corals. These large polyp corals really appreciate larger meaty foods like frozen Coral Frenzy. Introduce a small amount of frozen, wait 20-30 min until the coral is showing a feeding response and cover and squirt some frozen into the container and leave the coral covered for another 20 mins. Try this once a week in addition to your current feeding regime. If you do not see a feeding response initially that is normal, you have to train the coral. Once you train the coral it will show polyp extension during the day as well.

HTH

Lisa Cain · Apr 7, 2018

Tahoe61 said:
Looks good.

Have not kept a Sun Coral in years but when I did, I covered it with a liter soda bottle cut in half or something similar and smaller. Just a device to keep the fish and inverts away to allow the coral time to eat in piece.

Reef Rods is and excellent product for smaller polyp corals. These large polyp corals really appreciate larger meaty foods like frozen Coral Frenzy. Introduce a small amount of frozen, wait 20-30 min until the coral is showing a feeding response and cover and squirt some frozen into the container and leave the coral covered for another 20 mins. Try this once a week in addition to your current feeding regime. If you do not see a feeding response initially that is normal, you have to train the coral. Once you train the coral it will show polyp extension during the day as well.

Thank you!! I need all the help I can get. I will get the frozen coral frenzy today. How often do you feed your anenomes?

HTH

Lisa Cain · Apr 7, 2018

Thank you I need all of the help I can get. I will get frozen Reef Roid today. How often do you feed your anenomes?

Lisa Cain · Apr 7, 2018

Tahoe61 said:
Looks good.

Have not kept a Sun Coral in years but when I did, I covered it with a liter soda bottle cut in half or something similar and smaller. Just a device to keep the fish and inverts away to allow the coral time to eat in piece.

Reef Rods is and excellent product for smaller polyp corals. These large polyp corals really appreciate larger meaty foods like frozen Coral Frenzy. Introduce a small amount of frozen, wait 20-30 min until the coral is showing a feeding response and cover and squirt some frozen into the container and leave the coral covered for another 20 mins. Try this once a week in addition to your current feeding regime. If you do not see a feeding response initially that is normal, you have to train the coral. Once you train the coral it will show polyp extension during the day as well.

HTH

One last question, do you think that the LED lights that come with the biocube are sufficient for my corals and anenome?

Lisa Cain · Apr 7, 2018

Also how often does one really need to change water? Those are all of my questions.

Tahoe61 · Apr 7, 2018

I would have to look at the specs but judging by the images your LPS are doing well. BTA are fairly hardy and do well under a wide range of lighting and your BTA looks good. You might want to feed the BTA once or twice a month small pieces of raw seafood. Do not over feed or you'll end up with a tank full of BTA. I would not venture into more expensive SPS.

Lisa Cain · Apr 7, 2018

Tahoe61 said:
I would have to look at the specs but judging by the images your LPS are doing well. BTA are fairly hardy and do well under a wide range of lighting and your BTA looks good. You might want to feed the BTA once or twice a month small pieces of raw seafood. Do not over feed or you'll end up with a tank full of BTA. I would not venture into more expensive SPS.

THAK YOU!!

Tahoe61 · Apr 7, 2018

Lisa Cain said:
Also how often does one really need to change water? Those are all of my questions.

I am without a doubt a firm believer in routine water changes. Personally I have only seen good result when doing routine water change. The old standard was 10% once or twice monthly. With LPS and soft corals that should be more than enough in a stable tank such as yours. Removing detritus is really beneficial. Siphon it out of the back chambers, blow it off the rocks just prior to a water change, turn off pumps and let it settle and siphon out. Afterwards clean all detritus out of filter mediums such as floss or foam. I use only SW to clean them to maintain the beneficial bacteria.

HTH