Setting up first salt water - 29 G. Biocube

[RCKY]

I just placed my first shipment of rock and sand from TBS in my tank three hours ago. I have five great looking pieces of rock and for now I have them spread out in one layer.
I am new to salt water and would appreciate input. I am especially interested in whether to remove the bio balls in the second chamber and fill that area with live rock and whether I should just toss the charcoal filter.
Thanks

[e46slc]

Yes, remove the bioballs as they trap detritus. I wouldn't put live rock in there as they cut flow and trap detritus too. Also, cut the tab between chamber one and chamber two for better flow and noise reduction and remove the false floors in both chambers. Get yourself a media basket and put in filter floss, purigen, and chemi-pure after your tank's cycle. This will be a good start. If you want anymore help, feel free to pm me. I love my bc29!

[sponger0]

Toss the bioballs, dont put live rock in there either. Toss the filters. I have one without either and my tank is crystal clear. I made a media basket out of eggcrate and put purigen in it and i have a top rack with filter floss to capture waste from the water and change it everyday. Its very inexpensive and thats all i do for filtration, minus 28 lbs of live rock for matural filtration. I plan on putting some macroalgae in in there. Im all for natural filtration. But My tank runs perfect. I have a 29 biocube too

[thebkramer]

WELCOME TO RC & THE ADDICTION!!!

[RCKY]

Thanks for the input. I removed the bioballs and will buy the materials to put in a media basket.
Do you not run protein skimmers?
Also, what items in my reef will gorilla crabs kill? I have found 2 which means there are probably more. I found an anemone and would like to see it make it.
And should I remove a black urchin?
Thanks for your help!!

[sponger0]

You can run a protein skimmer if you want but not necessary if you do a 10% water change every week. Also, if you do weekly water changes you wont need to dose for the corals. Water changes will help keep the nutrients in the water up to good levels.

Never heard of gorilla crabs.

Also, unless you upgrade your lights an anemone shouldnt be kept.

An urchin shouldnt be a problem. They will just munch on algae, but make sure your rock work is stable. They may cause it to tumble.

And if you need any help or advice on making a media basket I can show you pics. I just redid mine the other day

[e46slc]

You can run a protein skimmer or not, it's totally up to you. If you don't, then do what sponger0 suggests, weekly water changes. I run an aquaticlife 115 on mine and love it. Your tank is still pretty young to have an anemone. Maybe you can keep him in a friend's tank while yours is stabilizing?

[crobattt]

If you wanted you could always put some purigen back there.

[RCKY]

I may be using a nickname for the crab(s) I have. I know they are from the "xanthid" species, hairy guy with black tips on his claws.
I was able to spot one of the shrimp in my tank. It is about 3/4" long with the head area blue and the tail area red. Makes lots of snapping noises. Anyone know whether this is a young Mantis or Pistol shrimp? Something totally different?
Also, how do I keep track of threads? I have never been part of a forum before. I am always chasing this thread by when I posted it.
Thanks!!

[RCKY]

Question on the anemone. Is the reason I should not keep an anemone because I have not built up the correct nutrients in the water?
If I were to put it in a friends tank, how do you catch/grab one? He is in a tunnel through one of the rocks.

[sponger0]

Oh snap... you got a mantis??? To my knowledge pistol dont make a snapping noise

[sponger0]

First off, a stock Biocube doesnt have enough lighting for an anemone. Some people will say some but keeping something alive and have it alive are two diff things. Its like you and me as compared to living in jail. Id rather be happily living.

Second, you do need a well established tank for an anemone

[e46slc]

Originally Posted by RCKY

Question on the anemone. Is the reason I should not keep an anemone because I have not built up the correct nutrients in the water?
If I were to put it in a friends tank, how do you catch/grab one? He is in a tunnel through one of the rocks.

Yes, correct. Your tank hasn't even gone through it's cycle yet so the anemone will die a horrible death if you keep it in there.

The anemone will attach itself to a rock once it finds the spot it likes. There are several ways to unattach it when your tank is ready (both water parameters wise and lighting wise). For example, pointing a power head at it will sometimes make it leave it's spot. Once this happens, catch him and you're good to go.

[crobattt]

Originally Posted by sponger0

Oh snap... you got a mantis??? To my knowledge pistol dont make a snapping noise

"Pistol"?..

[blind1993]

toss bio balls, replace with live rock rubble or make a fuge

[RCKY]

Thanks everyone. I will get the anemone out.

I am not showing a rise in ammonia and have had the rock in for a little over two days. I did have some live sand in the aquarium for a week before adding the rock. Could that have helped?

Is it okay to blow the dust/detritis off your rock with a turkey baster?

Thanks

[sponger0]

If its only been a few days...wait. Give it two weeks to see an ammonia spike. Be patient. Its hard but it will nonly make it easier if you wait.

Dont put rubble rock in the sump. It will trap all kinds of debri and cause high nitrates.


As far as the debri, give it a bit and consider getting some clean up crew to clean it up