First Tank Ever - BioCube 32 Newbie Build

[Katrina71]

Should I be increasing the size of my cuc a little now? I currently have 2 scarlet hermits, 1 random hermit and 2 Mexican turbo snails.
@Katrina71

I wouldn't yet.

 

[Subsea]

So I know patience is important but I really struggle with this part of the hobby, lol.

My lfs had a big sale start today. I ended up picking up two clowns and two coral frags. I figured move cosmo and if he gets sick he is the only fish in my DT so he wouldn’t infect any other fish. The use my QT for the clowns. I am probably gambling a little here but I am going to roll the dice. Wish me luck!

Congratulations, you are now hopelessly addicted. I have been that way for 47 years.

I shoud point out to you two things about quarantine, it is difficult to almost impossible to do and you have broken protocoal for elimination of pathogens into your tank. Don’t fret on it. When you introduced snails & hermits, you possible introduced pathogens into your tank.

@Paul B & I both have the same opinion about quarantine, we don’t do it. A healthy auto immune system is the best defense against pathogens & infection. Healthy live food along with stable parameters reduces stress, which kills more fish than pathogens.

Good fortue on your reefing journey. Katrini71 is a great mentor as your guide.

By adding the Coral Beauty first, you have established your apex predator. It woud not be wise to add anymore drawf agels into this tank. Stress would be introduced with “resident aggression” against newly introduced fish.

PS: The rustic finish on your stand is outstanding.

 

[Katrina71]

Very kind @Subsea, but nooo I'm definitely not a mentor.

 

[Subsea]

Very kind @Subsea, but nooo I'm definitely not a mentor.

noun

1. 1.
   an experienced and trusted adviser.
   
   I think you fit that definition. I have read your post.

 

[Katrina71]

noun

1. 1.
   an experienced and trusted adviser.
   
   I think you fit that definition. I have read your post.

I can promise to connect him with people that really know their stuff!

 

[jabberwock]

Yeah, quarantine is to keep stuff out of your tank. Most of the stuff used to treat pathogens will kill your invertebrates and be absorbed by the rock and sand. So you can't medicate in your tank... I don't quarantine either mostly because I have a small system and a small number of fish. I did loose a couple to ich. Either way, now you have a great QT or hospital tank ready to go.

Ok, that GSP will go nuts and spread all over. Lots of people (myself included) isolate it on an individual rock and maroon it on the sand bed to control it.

 

[Unskilled Reefer]

So I am a little nervous. I made my second big mistake. I overlooked the fact that my coral beauty didn’t really eat day 1 in QT tank. I was feeding omega flake food. I didn’t think to check to remove it. I found a few pieces rotting under a rock. Between the flake food rotting and the two clowns it was producing way too much ammonia. I started with a water change but two hours later the ammonia was right back up. Oh and I didn’t find the rotting food till after the water change. If I would have pulled it out first I might have been ok. I now was out of DI water so I had to just chance it and move them to the display tank. I am keeping a very close eye on the water. Hopefully it will handle the bioload.

I also ordered some Prime to have on hand

 

[Unskilled Reefer]

So all the animals made it through the night! Phew...

No ammonia spikes. The bio load was handled by the tank.

 

[jabberwock]

How are they doing socially? The clowns look small, so i am guessing that there is very little tension.

You need to build up water supply. I have a 32 gallon tank (about 28 gallons of water). I have two 7 gallon containers. One of them is always full, so I have at least a 25% emergency water change on hand at all times. Once a month I do a light sand bed vacuum which takes about 5 gallons. I change 64 oz of water every other day or so, so I keep moving through the supply and replenishing 1 container at a time. There is always at least one full 7 gallon container on hand. I buy my water from a LFS, so this is pretty easy to maintain, and not overly expensive.

 

[Unskilled Reefer]

How are they doing socially? The clowns look small, so i am guessing that there is very little tension.

You need to build up water supply. I have a 32 gallon tank (about 28 gallons of water). I have two 7 gallon containers. One of them is always full, so I have at least a 25% emergency water change on hand at all times. Once a month I do a light sand bed vacuum which takes about 5 gallons. I change 64 oz of water every other day or so, so I keep moving through the supply and replenishing 1 container at a time. There is always at least one full 7 gallon container on hand. I buy my water from a LFS, so this is pretty easy to maintain, and not overly expensive.

Socially they seem fine. It’s definitely the coral beauty’s tank but she gives the clowns their space. They can swim pretty close by each other with no issues. Clowns just are not allowed in the bottom of her rock cave.

I normally keep 15g on hand. I just happened to use my last 5 gallon that night. I get my water from my lfs too.

I have a new issue though. Trying to figure out if my coral beauty is sick.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/coral-beauty-velvet-ich-or-something-else.517853/

@Katrina71

 

[Katrina71]

You posted in the right place. Let them look at your baby. I have very little experience with illness.

 

[Unskilled Reefer]

Remind me to

You posted in the right place. Let them look at your baby. I have very little experience with illness.

Ok. I figured I would ping you just in case you had any other tips. You are lucky to not have much experience. That tells me you have some healthy fish

 

[Unskilled Reefer]

So I am still waiting for confirmation in that thread but after someone said lympho it steered my to look into it. I think it is Lymphocystis.
@Katrina71

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/lymphocystis.257461/

 

[Schlagel Bagel]

Did you get your Clowns from an actual LFS or a petco? I dont have much for a LFS anywhere close but have a large clean petco and was wondering if maybe they have gotten better on fish?

 

[Unskilled Reefer]

Did you get your Clowns from an actual LFS or a petco? I dont have much for a LFS anywhere close but have a large clean petco and was wondering if maybe they have gotten better on fish?

I did get my clowns from a LFS.

 

[Unskilled Reefer]

Cosmo is still eating and very active today. That’s good news! The two spots remain but they didn’t get bigger or spread

I did start her on freeze dried Mysis today soaked in selcon vitamins

 

[Unskilled Reefer]

My snails have been going to town munching on the diatoms. Rocks are looking much better. Starting to see some algae growth on them now too!

 

[Katrina71]

You'll be amazed at how quickly those rocks will color up.

 

[Unskilled Reefer]

One of my two new corals are in that picture. It’s my new Duncan coral frag. Just got it today and it hasn’t opened yet

 

[Unskilled Reefer]

My other new piece is a yellow trumpet coral.

Current state of how the tank looks...