15g BioCube (MHC)? input needed-

[parrothead]

So... I have decided to start a reef tank. I bought a 15 gallon BioCube and have no clue where to start other than.... add water.....

I have visited the local reef store and am so ready for MHC. I could use any kind of input from fellow MHC keepers. I really just don't know where to start, so I figured the board would be a good place.

please help

[wolfnipplechips]

I looked into this recently. SW tanks are HUGE commitment, and a TON of work. Not trying to put you off, but it will suck up a lot of money and time, and they have a pretty steep learning curve. Just want you to be ready for a big commitment. I talked to lady recently that has been keeping SW tanks for 23 years, and she told me that a beginner should never start off with something less than about 50 gallons because there is more room for error. In a small tank, something goes wrong and all your critters are dead in half an hour.

Since I didn't actually start my SW tank, I'll let other peeps tell you how to get it cycled and what equipment to buy and stuff. Very best of luck to you. MHC's are so amazingly cute.

[parrothead]

Thx wolf. Correction, I said it was a 15g, it's actually a 14g model (oops). Anyway, I came across it by chance, I bought it for $150 and it's like NEW! I couldn't resist. I have always wanted MHC, and my husband LOVES the idea of having a salt water tank. I hear ya though, I have heard the same thing about commitment, and size. I am intimidated, but at the same time, I won't know unless I try. I wish I had room for another big tank, but that would mean less LHC, and that'll never happen.

I think I will start it as a reef tank with some MHC, some coral, and maybe one or two fish. I have gone research nuts over the last few days and am doing everything I can to research the right information. Thanks to Youtube, I have learned a lot, the rest is just going to be a curb... Wish me luck.

[emberfusion]

Good luck!

My first nano reef is currently mid-cycle. Another week or so and it should be ready for my clean up crew (I've had a quick one). Once you get past the initial additions of livestock, it seems to be just as simple as *properly* keeping a fresh water tank.

Are you doing live sand & rock or just rock and seeding sand or having no sand?

[wodesorel]

I thought that salt would be a lot of work, but if you stay away from the corals and most of the fish, they are actually pretty forgiving. The trick is to have some experience with freshwater fish first so you have a basic understanding of water quality and how cycling works, and to stick with marine species that are tidal (brackish) since they are adapted to fluxes in salinity. There are a lot of species out there that need exact temperatures and exact salinity and UV filters and skimmers etc, etc. You can "fake" a marine tank by going very heavy brackish and still have a great selection of MHC and fish that will thrive without extra equipment. Unfortunately there aren't any estuary fish that are common in the trade that can take that kind of water with that small of a tank. (ie, some true marine fish do fine with a coral and a tiny tank). Fish of that sort need 30 to 55 gallons to start off.

I guess what I'm saying is that keeping MHC in a 14g isn't going to be the hard part, it's if you wanted something living besides them.

[emberfusion]

From what I've found out lurking nano forums and constant reading is that it's really not that hard at all wodesorel.

If you're keeping something small (say 20gal or smaller) then weekly or biweekly water changes will keep you from having to buy all the extra equipment - so long as you don't overstock the tank.

Yes, temperature is important, but it's not that bad so long as you buy a decent heater and a thermometer to monitor it. Salinity isn't that hard to keep stable - somebody once suggested to me to take a marker and draw a line on the outside of the tank where my water level is when the salinity is where I want it and to always top it off to this level. That has worked wonderfully so far. When doing water changes, mix the water outside of the tank to the desired salinity - take out the water and fill it back up to that marker.

With fish it's really about introducing them the right way and always quarantining them first so you don't introduce something nasty to what you already have (much like we iso new crabs) & also being careful not to push your bioload. Clown fish are popular in nanos as are different types of gobies. I've seen these most often recommended for beginners.

Soft corals (such as mushrooms or zoanthids) seem to do really well without putting enough nasties into the water to notice (again, this is if you are absolutely religious about your water changes), some large polyp stony corals and small polyp stony corals can turn your tank nasty, but if you research the ones to stay away from it shouldn't be too much of a bother to keep a few corals in the tank (of course, corals are a lot pickier than most fish equipped to live in a small tank like this and require certain calcium & alkalinity levels to stay healthy).

***Also, to anyone reading this: if you go the coral route, look into getting coral frags from someone who gets them out of their own personal tank instead of buying them from a store. So much better on the environment.***

All that being said - it's not a hobby easy on the wallet. If you're not keeping corals you can skimp out on the lighting system, but if you ever plan on having corals you may as well put the money up in the beginning for a good lighting system as a lot of the corals suited for small tanks are photosynthetic. You need a kit to test your pH, ammonia, nitrite, & nitrate levels (the api master kit usually runs around $30), plus the money for live rock (that adds up quick as it's usually suggested anywhere from 1.5-2lbs per gallon), you're gonna need a substrate (don't believe anyone when they say live sand is absolutely necessary - it's completely fine for you to seed "dead" sand with live rock), a powerhead for water flow, a nice filter always comes in handy - I think I've covered the absolute basics here.

As long as you've got the money to put into it and can remain 100% dedicated to your water changes, the only hard part is waiting for the cycle to end so you can *slowly* start adding critters.

[parrothead]

Ok, UPDATE: So I went to pick up the Biocube today which I was told was a 14gallon... I got there and it was a 29 gallon!!!!!!

Serisouly, for only $150 bucks! It's like new too. I took it to the reef store and they gave me a great big thumbs up and offered to buy it from me on the spot for more than I gave for it!

In addition to that, the guy at the store works on his days off setting up new tanks for people for a small fee (he maintains the tanks locally at the dentist etc.) So my gracious hubby paid him to come out Thursday and do a full set up and share his Jedi like knowledge with me... YIPPEE!

While I was at the store, I went ahead and picked out all of my live rock and he's gonna bring it with him Thursday when he comes for the set-up.

SO, moral of the story... I got a 29g Biocube (like new!) for $150, and a knowledgable reef guy to set it up... I'm on

can I get a WHOOT WHOOT!?

[wolfnipplechips]

I've very jelly of you.

[Happy Crabber]

Very cool. I'm not sure what a biocube is. Can you post a pic?

Sounds awesome. Those MHC are soooo cute.

[parrothead]

Very cool. I'm not sure what a biocube is. Can you post a pic?

Sounds awesome. Those MHC are soooo cute.

I don't have mine set up just yet, so I copied an image from google. It's a self maintained salt water tank with built in sump/filter/heater etc. It's pretty impressive.

http://neptuneaquariums.com/images/prod ... cube29.jpg

[Happy Crabber]

ahhhh, very cool. I'm dying to know how it goes. I've been seeing so much salt water tank stuff on craigslist, I'm getting really interested in trying it out. BUT- that will be waiting a while.

[parrothead]

I am gonna download pics when it goes up. I'll have to do it in stages because it takes 2-4 weeks for the water to acclimate, and the live rock and coral are ever changing. I'm SO excited!

[gpw9167]

WOW that sounds really cool! Congrats on the tank. Can't wait to see the pictures!

[wodesorel]

Yay to the bigger and the professional help! Sounds like you'll be enjoying that new tank a whole lot.

[parrothead]

@Wodesorel: I can't wait! he comes over tomorrow... the clock is tick tick ticking! I have 5 MHC on hold at the reef store, he said I will be ready for them in a week!