First tank EVER! Biocube 32g now at 5 months

[Jbmart]

Hi everyone, I've always wanted a tank but didn't pull the trigger until recently. A LFS opened up right around the corner and the staff/store really gave me the push/confidence to give it a go. I started with a stock biocube 32. Currently has media basket (floss, puragen, chemipure) & refugium (cheato, started this recently). Stock filter/pump & lighting. Hydor koralia nano circulation pump 425 in use since beginning. I started with 2 domino clowns day 3 and after a month or so and full cycle started adding more.

Current Stock:

fish: 2 domino clowns, pearly jawfish, neon goby, royal gramma, lawnmower blenny, Christmas wrass - all fish doing great and about zero aggressive toward one another. no one nips coral either.
inverts: blood shrimp, coral banded shrimp, halloween urchin, brittle star, 10-15 or so mixed variety of snails (turbo, bumble bee, on and on), fighting conch snail, 7-10 small hermits, 2 emerald crabs.
coral: rasta zoa, miami vice zoa, lazy lashes zoa, gatorade zoa, armor of god, green grandis poly, hammer coral, trumpet coral, toadstool leather, kenya tree and most recently added (last night) duncan

I also added a baby rose tip bubble anemone last night....looked great this morning...we'll see!

Upgrades this week: ATO smart system coming in Next Monday, I am also going to go lidless (ordered lid from kracken) as I will be upgrading lights to Kessil a360x tuna blue with WIFI dongle, and finally vortech MP10 pump (cannot wait for all this!)

I feed pellets in the am, frozen in evening (LFS guys make frozen mix of shrimp, scallop, clam, and vitamins).

5 gallon water change weekly.

Things have been going well, getting this figured out and everyone seems to be doing good and healthy.

No fish or coral deaths.

any ideas/thoughts always appreciated!

 

[revhtree]

Very nice and....

Welcome to your new home for saltwater reef aquarium resources and fun! Welcome to the family!

 

[Jbmart]

 

[Jbmart]

Baby rose tip bubble anemone added yesterday, latched on to its spot and is doing well so far.

 

[harley32907]

Welcome to R2R!

 

[murphy357]

Looks awesome! Have fun and good luck!

 

[Jbmart]

Alright friends, I did the big upgrade after I moved. Thank god LFS offers moving tanks bc even though only 25 minutes, I had no idea how to do. All critters/fish survived! Lost a few Zoas...but overall gr

lid: kraken 3D printed mesh (amazing)
Light: Kessil a360x with WiFi dongle. Wowzers, unreal light.
return: sicce 1.5
Pump/flow: vortech MP10. Amazing
ATO smart micro auto top off.

Question: where do y’all put your pumps/flow heads? Not really sure what if there even is an optimal spot. Thanks!!!

light is insane...I moved it down to about 8 in from surface, higher in pics below.

thanks!

 

[TerryLowe]

So far, I just have the standard hood lighting.

What made you pull the trigger and get the Kessil light? Were you having any issues with your coral? Or were you trying to get them growing more enthusiastically?

 

[MERKEY]

Welcome to R2R!

We started with a biocube 32 as well and it was what got us hooked. It looks as tho you have already gotten bitten by the bug and are moving along quite nicely!

 

[Jbmart]

So far, I just have the standard hood lighting.

What made you pull the trigger and get the Kessil light? Were you having any issues with your coral? Or were you trying to get them growing more enthusiastically?

no issues, I just know I’ll eventually upgrade tank size. The light is amazing, just in real colors and the wifi dongle/all work great.

some recent additions, will post full tank pics soon, acclimating lights slowly so pics hard to do right now!