New member starting a salt water reef with a 29 Biocube

legendOfDragon · Apr 28, 2018

1.White spot is maybe copepods
2. Leave the Zoa there for a while until it attached to other rock and start spreading. usually about 1 month.

Mary Carmen · Apr 28, 2018

Thank you Legend of Dragon! I thought Copepods were orange.
The API test kit already came. These are the values. I think the alkalinity is too high, please advice.
KH (alkalinity)- 179 ppm
Calcium- 500 ppm
Phosphates- 0 ppm

Mary Carmen · Apr 28, 2018

Here are more pictures. The hydroid jellyfish are all over the place. I found some of them swimming around. The fish tried to eat them but they change their minds and they are all swimming around together.

There is also this tunnel system on my substrate. Here is a picture.

What is it? Is this a sign of another creature living in my tank? Help! Ideas?
Thank you
MC

Mary Carmen · Apr 29, 2018

Hi all,

I got a Duncan last night. It is placed in the sand and it doesn't get too much flow. It is not fully opening but I am assuming it is because it's still adjusting. I read that they take their sweet time to acclimate to an aquarium. Here is a picture. Let me know what you think about it? Also, I would like to get some advice as to how soon can I try to feed it.

I tested the water two days ago. These are the values.
KH (alkalinity)- 179 ppm (10)
Calcium- 500 ppm
Phosphates- 0 ppm
Nitrates- 0ppm
I also got another frag that I can't remember the name. Can anyone help me ID this? The lady at the store gave it to me but only 4 "flowers" opened up. What is it?

legendOfDragon · Apr 29, 2018

When the Duncan open up , you can feed it. Something small so it can swallow easy . They grow new head really fast .

Ascended Reef · Apr 29, 2018

ok. Lets get one thing straight, REPLACE THE LIGHTS. The stock lights are garbage. Grab a kessil, ai prime, or radion. Trust me.

paul barker · Apr 29, 2018

Don't go to fast the Duncan will open up I would not worry about the light right now I would lower the cal to 450 to 400 no3 to 3 to 5 ppm and po4 to .003 your tanks to clean

mike werner · Apr 30, 2018

hello mary,don't know how I missed your thread.you got some great suggestions here .i think your doing a GREAT job and doing your research first before making decisions.that's one of the most important things in reefing.enjoy the journey.

Mary Carmen · May 12, 2018

Hi all,
I hope you had a good week. I didn't post last weekend because there is not much going on with my tank, but here is my update.

The 29 gallon Biocube is now 3 months old and full of life. Here are some pix paired with some explanations and questions (like always):
The tank looks very clean because I just cleaned the rocks, but there are some dark hair algae that grow all over the rocks. I also have to replace the filter floss because most of the dark hair algae ends up in there. There is also some green fuzz growing on the rock that doesn't go away even when I try to clean it with a toothbrush. You can't see very well the back wall, but there are white dots growing that I am really hoping they are coraline.

These fish are not shy. They come right up to the glass every time I show up.

These two are a force. They are the reason why my landscape looks a bit different every day. The pistol shrimp loves to move sand and shells around. The YWG is finally brave enough to come out of the cave and swim away from it, but never ventures up towards the top of the tank.

Here is the shrimp trying to move that shell. Most of the shells are too big for him, but he is obsessed with hiding stuff in his cave. Anyone knows why is he doing this? Also, what does he eat?

I also have the following corals: Zoa, Duncan, and 2 frags of some sort of GSP or Gorgonia B. Not sure what it is and also not sure if it is still alive since the polyps are closed. I can only see the neon green dots when the blue light is the only one on. Here are some pic:

The Duncan is doing fine. Opens and closes and sometimes retracts to its base. When it does that, I can see that the base is growing taller. I feed it for the first time today. I gave it some mysis, but I am not sure if it took it or if it retracted because of the current I created with the turkey baster.

Notice that two polyps of this zoa are detached from the rock; one in front (hanging down), and the other one towards the back. I believe the hermit crab is the reason why the polyps in the back are detached. I need advice as to what to do with the one in the back. The polyp hanging in front is attached to a rock so I am not worried about it swimming away and causing trouble. I am not sure what would happen with the one in the back if it detaches.

I have some questions about this one too. In case you can't see it, it is the vertical stick pocking out of the front rock. I used to have two frags of this type of coral, but the hermit crab tried to clean it and ended up throwing it into the sand. Later, the shrimp carried it to his cave, but the coral got stuck at the door, sideways. I think this time, the shrimp might have been able to bring it all the way in. Not sure what to do. I might stir the sand and try to find it.

Finally, here are the results of this morning water test:
Ph- 8.2
Am, Nitrites, Nitrates-0
Alkalinity- 143.3 (8)
Calcium- 560 (28)
Phosphates- 0
What do you think about the results?
What should I change if I want to add more fish and corals? Do you have any suggestion of fish and coral that will do well under these conditions?

I forgot to mention that I have a refugium in chamber 2 with rubble and chaeto. The chaeto and the algae might explain why all the values are 0.
There are some pods and hydroid jellyfish living in there too. Here are some pictures of the setup:

The first chamber has the heater and the skimmer.
The second chamber hold the purigen, the filter floss, the chemipure elite, and the chaeto
The third chamber has the pump.

This is the type of light I use to grow the chaeto:
D-FLIFE Upgraded New Dual LED Grow Light Desk Lamp 32LEDs Dimmable 5 Levels Plant Lamp with Adjustable 360 Degree Gooseneck&Timer(3H/6H/12H) for Indoor Plants Hydroponics Greenhouse Gardening. It is doing well considering I only have the light on for 6 or 9 hours every day.

Please let me know what you think and thank you in advance for answering my questions.
Thank you for reading!
MC

Mary Carmen · Feb 10, 2019

Hi all! I am back.

My last post is from May of last year. I can’t believe how many months have passed without an update.

A lot of things have happened and not all good. All my fish are doing great but the pistol shrimp died. I am going to guess (not really, because I was testing the water every weekend) this was due to poor water quality over a long period of time. At around the same time both my corals died. I made a water change but I think it was not enough because then I got a massive red and green algae outbreak. I decided to take all the rocks out one by one carefully and clean them up with a clean toothbrush. Then I siphoned the sand and until now, all looks good. I make 10 gallon water changes every month and it looks good. I use RODI water.
After the corals died I thought that maybe my tank was too young for corals so I decided to wait until now to try again.

This weekend I went to the pet store for a mix of red legged and blue legged hermit crabs. I also decided to try again with corals and got a small elephant ear mushroom. (Who can go by a coral display and not get one)

They also had asterina star fish and they gave me Four for free. The lady explained that they are really a pest and don’t sell them. They look cute to me so I ask for them.

Then, today, I found out that there was a new local reef store 15 min from where I live and I decided to go visit. Of course , I came back with something. I got a Xenia. I read that they are easy to take care of(or if you are out of luck, they will melt for no good reason). I took my sweet time to aclimate all corals and crabs and the crabs are going all over my rocks and the corals are now fully open and happy (Xenia didn’t melt).

I am posting some pictures. I also set my light on a timer to turn on at 10am and turn off at 8:00pm (day lights and blue actinics)
This is round two with corals and I hope everything goes better now.

Wish me luck and let me know what you think. I appreciate any advice.

Mary

vetteguy53081 · Feb 10, 2019

Asterina look cute but multiply like mice and can eat or destroy zoas depending on type. They break off a leg as seen in your pic, and the new leg forms into a new star. They can be 4 and in a month 50 or more. Just a caution.

Mary Carmen · Feb 11, 2019

I will be cautious and check on them. If I see a sign of crazy reproduction, I will get rid of them. Thank you!

Flexin · Feb 11, 2019

Congrats on sticking with it

MelReefer · Feb 11, 2019

Mary Carmen said:
Hi all!

I have been taking care of fish for several years now. I have a 5 gallon tank with a Betta fish, and a 10 gallon with 5 tiger barbs. Both tanks are planted and doing well. This year for my 40th birthday I told my family and friends that I wanted to start a salt water tank. Last weekend, I found that petco had a CORALIFE 29 biocube tank on clearance for 95$ so I took it as a sign that I should get started with my dream. So here I am. I decided to join this forum so I can read as much as I can before I start purchasing all the supplies I need. Suggestions are welcome.

Thank you for reading!

MC

Is it an all in one system?

Mary Carmen · Feb 12, 2019

Reeftard123 said:
Is it an all in one system?

Hi,
I am not sure what you are referring to. Are you talking about the 29 Biocube only?

Mary Carmen · Feb 12, 2019

Hi all,
Is it normal that the edges of the green mushroom are wrapped around the plug? I am looking at pictures and watching youtube videos and the y all look extended and flat. Is mine grabbing on to the rock because it is adjusting to the tank? I posted a picture of the elephant ear mushroom an my last update to this thread.
Please help!

Mary Carmen · Mar 26, 2019

Update-
It is taking a long time for coralline to show up in the tank. I have seen pink, green, dark pink... but I think I am getting also orange coralline. I am posting a picture here. First, it came in a plog. It was just a minuscule dot. Then I saw it In one little corner of a rock, but today I notice that it is expanding. Here are two pictures. Do you think it will stay this way? Can I do something to preserve the color?
Thank you!

Hitman · Mar 26, 2019

Welcome to R2R!!!

Mary Carmen · Apr 21, 2019

This is the latest picture I took of the 29 Biocube. Parameters are as follows:
Ca-400, Alk-8, Mag-1290
Am is 0, Nitrates are minimal, Nitrites are 0, and Phosphates are 0 too.

Almost all corals are showing signs of growth. Can't wait for them to get bigger. What I don't understand is that my mushrooms are hiding under/behind the rock structure. One is sharing room under a rock with a yellow watchman gobby. Any ideas why or how? Here is a picture. She is eating Reef Roids. It used to be bright green when she was in the light.

The other mushroom, I placed in the front rock and it hated it. First, it shrank, and then it detached and disappeared. I actually thought it pulverized but yesterday, I found it attached to the back wall. It is still tiny, and I thought it was dead, but it still has some color under blue lights. Does anyone know if it will survive? Here is a picture.

The latest additions are the candy cane coral on the sand in the front of the tank and the orange monti seating in the highest point of the rock structure. I have not glued them because I am not sure where to place them. I have the Coralife LED lights hood. Anyone with a 29 Biocube with LED hood and a candy cane ... where did you place yours?
And... I think that is it for now.
Thank you for reading!
MC