Saltwater newb seeking advice on starting BioCube 14 Gallon FOWLR. Please help! :)

J

jamesd28

Guest
Hey guys,
I am new to the forum and to the saltwater fish hobby. I am going to start off with a 14 gallon Oceanic BioCube 14 gallon tank. My goal (at least for now) is simply to have an aquarium with some cool looking fish and a neat aquascape, while also providing a safe and comfortable environment for the fish. I will not be adding coral, anemones, etc; just fish, live rock and a cleanup crew. I will also be using live sand. Here are some of the questions that I have:
1. What type of fish/how many could I could house without overstocking to the point that the fish get stressed and sick? I was thinking of having an ocellaris clown, yellowtail blue damsel, six-line wrasse and an orange spotted goby. Is this ok for a 14 gallon BioCube with only fish and live rock? If so, in which order would it be best to introduce the fish? Also, what are some other cool looking fish that typically don't grow past 3in.?
2. I have read that many people remove the bioballs that come in the BioCube aquarium - should I do this as well? If so, what (if anything) should I put in the chamber in place of the bioballs to provide my fish with the best possible chance to stay healthy and survive? I plan on doing weekly 2 gallon water changes once the tank is up and running - is this too conservative? Could I get away with bi-weekly water changes and still keep my fish healthy? How much live sand/live rock would you recommend stocking my tank with?
I'm sorry for all the questions. I am super interested in this hobby, but I'm a total newb and would greatly appreciate any input/advice you guys have to offer.
Thanks!!
 
S

saxman

Guest
Welcome!
You need to consider that a 14 gal BC is a pretty small tank. To be honest, if you haven't bought the tank, you'd likely save money and do better with a std. 29 gal. Small amounts of water can go south very quickly (it's all about dilution) and the temp can fluctuate a lot more as well, but all that is another story...just food for thought.
The BC will be too small for the wrasse. Six-lines are big swimmers, and need some space to hunt and move around. You'd be on the hairy edge of "too small" with a 29 gal.
I'd also rethink the damsel, as they get really nasty, and with the clownfish, you've already got a nasty damsel in the tank.
FWIW, one of our 13 tanks is a NC 12, and with the exception of a group of 6 barnacle blennies, it has never had more than one fish in it at a time.
Go slow, take your time, and RESEARCH everything. If you follow this advice, you'll enjoy the hobby a lot more.
HTH
 
J

jamesd28

Guest
Hey,
Thanks for your input.
I have been told that with smaller tanks it is very important to keep the water quality good, as it can lead to bad things much faster if things go wrong. I already planned on doing 10% weekly water changes.
I have read that the yellowtail damsel is one of the least aggressive damsels and typically does better with other fish than other damsels do? Also, my thinking was that since I am not going to be adding tons of coral/anemones like many people do with the nanos, that there would be more room for the fish to swim. I definitely don't want to create conditions that will be harmful to the fish or my tank though. I would appreciate any feedback that anyone has to offer! It's hard as a newb to know what is "right"; there is often many different opinions depending on who I talk to.
Thanks!!
 
S

saxman

Guest
If you want a "non-clownfish" damsel, look into one of the chromis species. They keep to themselves in a community setting.
 
nano-newb1983

nano-newb1983

Active Member
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