Need Help Stocking Oceanic BioCube Saltwater Aquarium?
Jun 10th 2008adminBioCube Aquariums
I have a fully set up and cycled Oceanic bio cube 29 gallon aquarium that has been running for almost 2 months now with no problems.
Here are the specs:
10 lbs live sand (getting more, read on)
55-60 lbs live rock (with 10-15 pounds in the middle chamber or the filter)
bio cube Skimmer (made by Oceanic for the Cube)
1 Banggai Cardinal
2 Stubby Ocellaris Clownfish (Look them up, they’re awesome)
1 Coral Beauty Angel
Various Mushrooms
1 Closed Brain Coral
1 Small Hammer Coral
1 Leather Coral
A few Feather Dusters that came on some live rock
4 Astrea Snails
5 Blue Leg Hermits
1 Cleaner Shrimp
ON to my questions:
1.) Would you consider my tank overstocked, understocked, or just right? (please elaborate)
2.)My LFS thinks that a Watchmen Goby and a Pistol Shrimp is ideal for my setup, but I think I need more Live Sand for the shrimp. Any advice?
3.)How many more snails/hermits do I need?
4.)I need a coral for an open spot in the sand, any suggestions?
5.)Any other general suggestions?
Serpent Stars can eat fish when they get older.
Also, you still think I’m overstocked even with all that live rock?
I didn’t change water for 3 weeks (live far away from RO/DI source, I’m good now though) and my Ammonia and Nitrite were zero, while Nitrate was 5!
I have a bit of algae problem on the glass, but I purchased a Mag Float and that did the trick.
Nano Reef Gear
Greg W on 11 Jun 2008 at 5:40 pm #
29 Gallon Saltwater Aquarium
Equipment:
29 Gallon Tank & Stand with Custom Hood
Mag 7
15g Sump
Metal Halide Ballast with 250W
Penguin 330 Biowheel Filter
150 Watt Heater
35 Pounds Fiji Live Rock
40 Pounds Sand
Coral Life Digital Thermometer
Clownfish - True Perc
Acan
Blastomussa
Divisa
Favia - Green
Favia - Red/Purple
Favia - Xmas
Frogspawn
Green Candy Canes
Green Leather
Kenya Tree
Toadstool Leathers
Orange & Green Yuma Ricordia
Purple Mushrooms
Red Candy Canes
Xenia
Zoanthids - Various
2 - Blue Hermit Crab
1 - Peppermint Shrimp
Barney E on 13 Jun 2008 at 9:19 am #
1 &2. Yes, your tank is overstocked with fish. Do not buy any more
3. You are probably Ok for snails and hermits. Buy more if you start getting algae problems. A couple of scarlet hermits wont hurt.
4. Plate Corals are good sand bed corals, but you may not meet their lighting requirements. Go with putting your open brain on the sand.
5. Get a serpent star. They are INCREADIBLY useful utility animals who eat just about any organic form of debris.