29g BioCube QT tank

I normally wouldn't post pictures of a quarantine aquarium, but John @Flagg37 double dared me to quit lurking. Here are just some casual pictures of my small holding tank as I upgrade to a 72 incher. This QT tank has been in continuous operation for about 10 years, but the live sand & rocks are about 22 years old migrated from previous setups. No sump or skimmer, but the filtration in back compartment is sand, coral rubble, and macro algae. An external Eheim canister filter provides additional water polishing. Flow is from back filter water return and Eco tech MP40. I use real ocean water and periodically do 100% water changes when the corals look "off" to me. I only dose with 2-part B-ionic every 2 weeks and top off with R/O water from my kitchen sink every other day. Light is from one Orphek PR72 LED pendant.

 

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Bali Gold Torch
Inferno RBTA (?) Colorado Sunburst or Lemondrop RBTA (?)
Gold Hammer

 

Leng Sy Purple Rim Cap
Atomic Green palys
GARF Bonsai
Pink Lemonade (?), ORA Blue Digi in background

 

Mindblowing Palys
Green & purple frogspawn

 

All that in a 40b.

 

Sweet, I'm new to creating Saltwater Environments. This one is very, very clean. I have sand and now wonder why I didn't just go without. I'm still breaking mine in...

 

Ben - you have some beautiful fish in your tank - especially all the angels but do you ever worry that they may start nibbling on your corals? I thought they were not "reef safe"......

 

@Wyatt Naschke there's sand in the filter, just not in the main display. The crushed coral sand is kept in two skinny media bags in the rear and adds to the system's stability. I get the benefits of a deep sand bed without the long term problems. SPS, high current, and sand don't mix.

@Geneva Lett thanks, they are a joy to observe. Many larger marine fish have their own individual temperament/personality, especially angelfish. Which adds to their charm. I had coral only tanks for many years in the past, but in this iteration I focused on getting the fishes I had always wanted first. I never liked the sterility of FOWLR tanks, and doubt it's healthy for fishes in the long run, so eventually started adding test corals here and there to see what would survive. Mr. Majestic is definitely not reef safe, I've caught him red handed eating zoas multiple times. The other angels tend to leave the corals alone but do nibble here and there when curious. I keep my fish well fed once or twice a day, so I think that helps. Having said that, the tank is now clear of pesky neon zoas and flourescent discosoma mushrooms. The palys, rhodactis, and Yuma mushrooms are left alone. While I mourn the disappearance of those corals, it saves me money because I can't buy them for my tank. Instead, I get to focus on acros, montis, and other corals. It sure saved me time at the last frag swap when everyone was milling about the zoa tables, while I walked off with some great acros and yumas instead. I now wouldn't trade my angelfish for all the zoas in the world. I'm building my reef tank around the fish which has worked out pretty well.

The angels haven't nibbled the LPS corals: frogspawn, hammer, torch, & duncans. However, I know better than to risk adding a brain coral or giant clam. I like keeping bivalves in the tank for water filtration, and noticed the cryptic ones on the live rock are thriving. I want more of those....

Once in a while I put in a piece of live sponge or zoas for the fish to eat as a treat and ameliorate whatever craving or missing nutrients is in their diet. I rotate between 10 different kinds of food, pellets and frozen. They also graze on the various macro algae I initially seeded on the live rock. My emperor has grown from a quarter sized baby to a three inch puppy dog since I've had him, and the same size increases for the African yellow belly Regal Tangs. All the fish are fat little piggies, and accept food from my fingertips.

Fish inventory:
Majestic/Navarchus Angel
Imperator Angel
Queen Angel
Passer Angel
Flame Angel Pair
Regal Tangs x3
Hoeven's melanurus Wrasse

Once the 260g is setup, I would like to add a Blueface Angel and a pair of Regal Angels.

 

You are brave. So you think your angels would nibble on a maxima?

 

John, I don't know what the Angels would do with a maxima until the clam is actually in the tank. Each fish is different, but they do learn and pick up habits from each other. I've read in other forums people having problems with Angels and clams, that's all. I would test it out if I inherited a clam or got it for cheap, but wouldn't take the chance with an expensive ultra clam. For the money, I'd rather buy myself a prime rib dinner than give the fishes a maxima clam feast.

I'm not brave, I just take calculated risks. Other people before me have kept schools of angels together, and other people before me have kept large angels in reef tanks, so I knew it had a chance of success. I also realize that as the Angels mature, most of mine are juveniles at the moment, they might morph from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde; but I'll deal with that when/if it happens... or get a bigger tank!

 

I like the approach....that is, adding corals after the Angels. Rather than having an established reef and adding the Angels afterwards.

 

New pink RBTA on the left, courtesy of Wilfred.

 

Cool.


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Sic.


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@Benaminh, How's your tank doing? Any progress with the plans for the bigger one?