Llj's 8G Oceanic Biocube
- Thread starter lljdma06
- Start date
🐠 May TOTM Voting is Live! 🐠
🏆 Click here to Vote! 🏆
OP
OP
Is it easy to take care of? Was it expensive? I'd like one of them if I get a pico reef
They are neither difficult nor easy. They need to eat like any wrasse, and they eat meaty foods. They are small and rather secretive, though I think my firefish makes him much more comfortable. It was $42 US, Liveaquaria sells them for $49.99 plus shipping, so I don't feel too bad.
As I told man of fish, they are secretive and shy. Your tank could actually stand to have a larger wrasse that has more sass.
The person who sold me this tank said that duncans grow like weeds in it. Seeing as mine has gone from 4-12 heads in less than three months sort of attests to that. I also regularly feed my duncan. This coral may be moved to the new build as I think he'll get too big for this tank.
I know you've wanted your six line. It's a nice wrasse, go for it. You've got a good sized tank for one. Mine are way too small.
I'll post a full tank shot when I get back from my absence and keep taking pictures to show you the tank's progress.
Lissette
OP
OP
Ok, so I seem to have some rotten luck with fish in this tank...
Found the Tanaka dead yesterday. With little burn marks. My guess, it's the elegance and possibly the Duncan. Remember peeps, corals are aggressive and sting. Usually this doesn't pose a problem, but I think with such a small fish and in a smaller tank, you get these problems. The firefish got stung too, but it's recovered and is now doing well. I have to think a bit bigger and hardier for this tank.
So I'm not sure what I want to do. Get a clown? They can certainly handle the coral stings. My friend who sold me this tank kept a single clown in it with another fish and it worked really well. Was also thinking a bangaii cardinal, which can look rather cool. Not sure. I'll figure it out. Not interested in a goby for this tank as I'd like to move the elegance back to the front so I can see it better. Corals are doing great. The elegance has grown! Woooooo! The birdsnest are growing like weeds as are some of the zoas. Some of them are wasting a bit, but this happens when you have the water quality for sps and are keeping zoas and palys. I may start feeding the tank in the morning again, so they get food. Phytoplankton.
Will be adding a shrimp to this tank, probably a fire shrimp as I like them and they are less all over the place than a skunk cleaner. Maybe porcelain crabs and add perhaps another rock of Gsp. They look sick in this tank. Haha, NEON green.
Still waiting for the new controller so I can utilize the 3rd bank of LEDs.
L
Found the Tanaka dead yesterday. With little burn marks. My guess, it's the elegance and possibly the Duncan. Remember peeps, corals are aggressive and sting. Usually this doesn't pose a problem, but I think with such a small fish and in a smaller tank, you get these problems. The firefish got stung too, but it's recovered and is now doing well. I have to think a bit bigger and hardier for this tank.
So I'm not sure what I want to do. Get a clown? They can certainly handle the coral stings. My friend who sold me this tank kept a single clown in it with another fish and it worked really well. Was also thinking a bangaii cardinal, which can look rather cool. Not sure. I'll figure it out. Not interested in a goby for this tank as I'd like to move the elegance back to the front so I can see it better. Corals are doing great. The elegance has grown! Woooooo! The birdsnest are growing like weeds as are some of the zoas. Some of them are wasting a bit, but this happens when you have the water quality for sps and are keeping zoas and palys. I may start feeding the tank in the morning again, so they get food. Phytoplankton.
Will be adding a shrimp to this tank, probably a fire shrimp as I like them and they are less all over the place than a skunk cleaner. Maybe porcelain crabs and add perhaps another rock of Gsp. They look sick in this tank. Haha, NEON green.
Still waiting for the new controller so I can utilize the 3rd bank of LEDs.
L
OP
OP
Continued rotten, rotten luck with fish.
I picked up a very nice black ocellaris clown for this tank. It died. At a loss. I tested the water, no ammonia, no nitrites, not even nitrates. Firefish is doing great! He never picks on anybody either. Very mild fish.
I may try another LFS, as there seems to be no consistent pattern with the fish that I get from the one I usually go to. They look great when I get them. I'm not stupid, I don't buy unhealthy looking fish. I mean, sheesh, I'm keeping a spotted mandarin and a panda goby healthy and happy. The sps in my Biocube are growing really well and my zoas in that tank are spreading. The elegance is extended and bigger, and my duncan grows like a weed. I don't know. As much as I love that LFS, I may try another place, especially for fish.
My dottyback is doing extremely well in the old 8g. I got him from the same place where I get my acans and Caribbean corals. This guy will get what I want, I think too. I also think he and I keep our water in more similar parameters. Perhaps the other LFS keeps her salinity a bit lower. I keep mine for sps, so it's at like 1.026. I drip-acclimate my fish carefully, but you never know.
Lots of factors, but honestly, I know it's not me. My stylos and birdsnest speak volumes on the health of this tank.
L
I picked up a very nice black ocellaris clown for this tank. It died. At a loss. I tested the water, no ammonia, no nitrites, not even nitrates. Firefish is doing great! He never picks on anybody either. Very mild fish.
I may try another LFS, as there seems to be no consistent pattern with the fish that I get from the one I usually go to. They look great when I get them. I'm not stupid, I don't buy unhealthy looking fish. I mean, sheesh, I'm keeping a spotted mandarin and a panda goby healthy and happy. The sps in my Biocube are growing really well and my zoas in that tank are spreading. The elegance is extended and bigger, and my duncan grows like a weed. I don't know. As much as I love that LFS, I may try another place, especially for fish.
My dottyback is doing extremely well in the old 8g. I got him from the same place where I get my acans and Caribbean corals. This guy will get what I want, I think too. I also think he and I keep our water in more similar parameters. Perhaps the other LFS keeps her salinity a bit lower. I keep mine for sps, so it's at like 1.026. I drip-acclimate my fish carefully, but you never know.
Lots of factors, but honestly, I know it's not me. My stylos and birdsnest speak volumes on the health of this tank.
L
Sorry to hear about your fish. 
I would suspect the elegance before the duncan. My elegance toasts anything that gets near it, including Aiptasia, and it's really sticky - snares my fingers easily like an anemone. It can be a bit scarey when its hungry.
I would suspect the elegance before the duncan. My elegance toasts anything that gets near it, including Aiptasia, and it's really sticky - snares my fingers easily like an anemone. It can be a bit scarey when its hungry.
OP
OP
Sorry to hear about your fish.
I would suspect the elegance before the duncan. My elegance toasts anything that gets near it, including Aiptasia, and it's really sticky - snares my fingers easily like an anemone. It can be a bit scarey when its hungry.
Turns out that while the elegance is a vicious creature and what probably did in the Tanaka, the clown was the result of a bad shipment. ORA actually sent another bunch of animals to that LFS, including some black ocellaris. My LFS then gave me anothe black ocellaris at no charge to me. ORA ate the cost of the bad shipment. Even so, I've decided to be more cautious, & I have now doubled my acclimation time for all my fish. And I'm doing a slower drip.
There have been some developments... Stay tuned.
Biulu
Fish Aficionado
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2007
- Messages
- 3,329
- Reaction score
- 2
What a pity about the Tanaka; I thought it was a lovely and not so common fish! I hope the ocellaris does better; is it a bred variety as you say it is black? We have a guy that breeds clownfish like crazy in our club. Unfortunately he can't export to the US... 
OP
OP
What a pity about the Tanaka; I thought it was a lovely and not so common fish! I hope the ocellaris does better; is it a bred variety as you say it is black? We have a guy that breeds clownfish like crazy in our club. Unfortunately he can't export to the US...
Yeah, but now I know.
I got my replacement ocellaris the other day. Like twice the size. Beautiful fish. Seems to be doing well for now. I also, by accident really, got a two spot goby. Basically got both fish for free. I was coming in to pick up pods and noticed the goby. The LFS owner didn't have experience with the species and asked me to take it on a trial run to see if it'd be good to keep getting. It's a flashy fish and not very expensive, so it probably sells well. She just wanted to make sure before she got more from her vendors. I've seen many on sale in other stores. A sand sifter. Has an interesting habit of hovering like a Helicopter. Similar fin structure to the YWG. The ventrals are modified to form a cup. Signigobius biocellatus is the scientific name. They are hard to keep, but I've got a refugium and livesand in the tank and it takes mysis and pellet. They need to be fed a lot, that seems to be their catch. Of course, with my track record, watch that I do great with this guy. Haha, always happens to me, the tough fish do great for me.
I'll update with pictures soon. Been so busy lately.
L
Man of fish
I'm Interested in.... ----|> that
Oooooooooh free goby 
OP
OP
Yes, so far so good. Both clown and goby are doing well. I'm cautiously optimistic as I've not had good luck with fish in this tank. The clown hasn't selected anything to host yet, though. I'll be spending the weekend away from the house for long periods of time. Water quality is excellent, the corals look stunning, but I'll be leaving food for my family to feed while I'm away.
L
kelwoo
Fish Fanatic
Tank looks great!!
Love your fish and corals - stunning!
At least I'm not the only one who has ups and downs - it's the salty way I guess. I'm sorry for your losses but your tank is growing in leaps and bounds, can't wait for the next instalment!
Kelwoo
Love your fish and corals - stunning!
At least I'm not the only one who has ups and downs - it's the salty way I guess. I'm sorry for your losses but your tank is growing in leaps and bounds, can't wait for the next instalment!
Kelwoo
OP
OP
Tank looks great!!
Love your fish and corals - stunning!
At least I'm not the only one who has ups and downs - it's the salty way I guess. I'm sorry for your losses but your tank is growing in leaps and bounds, can't wait for the next instalment!
Kelwoo
Well, next installment. Ocellaris has ich. This is why quarantine/hospital tank is so awesome, as is an RO/DI and salt to make your own water.
He's being treated now, hopefully he'll recover. He's eating well, so here's hoping. I'm also finding that the goby requires pods. Bleh, another fish I have that needs pods. *sigh*
ainsy
Fish Addict
Do you culture your own pods?
Most reactions
-
240 -
223 -
155 -
151 -
120 -
103 -
96 -
88 -
84 -
82 -
82 -
81 -
75 -
75 -
57
