Stocking an Oceanic Biocube 29 HQI

laxplaya1234

laxplaya1234

Member
Hey guys I've always wanted to set up a saltwater tank (preferably a live reef)and I've done a lot of research so far... I think I have what it takes... Anyway I found the 29 gallon oceanic biocube hqi and it comes with just about every thing besides the power heads, uv sterilizer, live rock, etc.. I just wanted your opinion on what I should stock it with....the fish need to reef friendly and will have no problem living together. These are my options keep in mind that I have no experience but have the desperate will to learn.
Fish:
Ocellaris clown fish (2)
Porcupine puffer fish
Pacific blue tang
Yellow tang
Sand sifter goby
 Pacific cleaner shrimp
6 line wrasse
Firefish goby
Mandarin goby
Flame angel
Royal gramma basslet
Or any other types of basslets, blennys, or gobys that you think will go together...
My main priority is the 2 clown fish so aside from that I'm all ears... Thx
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Welcome to the forum!
The BioCube is a great little all in one tank. I love mine. Don't waste your money on the UV sterilizer, especially if you're wanting a reef tank.
Quote:
Originally Posted by laxplaya1234 http:///t/392056/stocking-an-oceanic-biocube-29-hqi#post_3479527
Hey guys I've always wanted to set up a saltwater tank (preferably a live reef)and I've done a lot of research so far... I think I have what it takes... Anyway I found the 29 gallon oceanic biocube hqi and it comes with just about every thing besides the power heads, uv sterilizer, live rock, etc.. I just wanted your opinion on what I should stock it with....the fish need to reef friendly and will have no problem living together. These are my options keep in mind that I have no experience but have the desperate will to learn.
Fish:
Ocellaris clown fish (2) Perfect for this size tank
Porcupine puffer fish Not reef safe and will grow WAY too large for this tank
Pacific blue tang Tangs are too large for your tank
Yellow tang
Sand sifter goby
Pacific cleaner shrimp
6 line wrasse These guys can be aggressive. Make it your last addition if you do get one.
Firefish goby
Mandarin goby I would not recommend in this size tank. Mandarins have specific feeding requirements that really can't be met in a tank your size
Flame angel Some people have done it, but I wouldn't. If you want a dwarf angelfish, I think you'd be better suited with a Coral Beauty or African Flameback that stay smaller than the flame angel does
Royal gramma basslet
Or any other types of basslets, blennys, or gobys that you think will go together... Royal gramma can't be mixed with other basslets, it will fight with them
My main priority is the 2 clown fish so aside from that I'm all ears... Thx
Here's an idea of a stock list for your tank:
2 clowns
tail spot blenny (or similar small blenny like a bicolor)
yellow assessor or royal gramma basslet or 2 firefish gobies or a six line wrasse
dwarf angelfish (Coral Beauty) or a cardinalfish or
small sand sifting goby such as a yellow watchmen goby
I kept a Yasha goby/pistol shrimp in my BioCube for a long time. I still have them, but moved them to a 55G. The pistol shrimp is a randalli (red and white striped) and he's very peaceful and has never went after any of my cleaning crew members (other shrimp, snails, hermits, etc). The shrimp/goby combo is really neat to watch and they're well suited for smaller tanks where you can see them all the time. I actually have more than one randalli pistol shrimp and both are peaceful. Some of the other varieties of pistol shrimps are more aggressive.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Welcome to the site...yep I totally agree with what BTLDreef said....but LOL, I would go with a Lemonpeel dwarf angelfish just because I love the Yellow with electric blue outlines on the eyes fins and gills.
 
laxplaya1234

laxplaya1234

Member
Ok I've narrowed it down to a couple fish based on your feed back...
Fish:
Ocellaris clown fish (2)
Some type of watchmen goby
Pacific cleaner shrimp
6 line wrasse
Firefish goby
Royal gramma basslet
Ive decided that when the time is right ill add some coral such as a mushroom and i really want to add an anemone that is hardy and that the clown fish will gravitate towards :)
Thx for all your help by the way
I just wanted to ask also why not the uv sterilizer?
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by laxplaya1234 http:///t/392056/stocking-an-oceanic-biocube-29-hqi#post_3479552
Ok I've narrowed it down to a couple fish based on your feed back...
Fish:
Ocellaris clown fish (2)
Some type of watchmen goby
Pacific cleaner shrimp
6 line wrasse
Firefish goby
Royal gramma basslet
Ive decided that when the time is right ill add some coral such as a mushroom and i really want to add an anemone that is hardy and that the clown fish will gravitate towards :)
Thx for all your help by the way
I just wanted to ask also why not the uv sterilizer?
Sorry but that is still too many fish for a 29g tank. Get only one...either two firefish, one Royal gramma or one 6 line wrasse...not all of them. Keep the goby and the two clowns and then add ONE of the others....OR... You can add two firefish.
The UV gizmo kills the night time tiny critters that live in the live rock. It doesn't help much for anything else either. I was always told it was a waste of money and the aforementioned were the reasons I was given, so I pass it on.
 
laxplaya1234

laxplaya1234

Member
No but I guess I'll change my mind to getting one regular fire fish and one purple firefish :)
Btw what kind of corals and anemones do you recommend for a beginner
 
laxplaya1234

laxplaya1234

Member
I've actually been researching the whole goby pistol shrimp combo and it's actually pretty interesting I think I'll change the list to....
Fish:
Ocellaris or percula clown fish (2)
Yellow watchmen goby
Pistol shrimp
Pacific cleaner shrimp
fire fish goby (2) (since I've heard the wrasses are usually bullies)
So what do you think? I was also wondering how do you get the companionship started or does it just happen? Do you need to introduce them both at the same time?
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
WAIT! STOP
I really don't recommend an anemone in that size tank. Bubble tips, especially rose bubble tips can grow quite large. If you get one that moves (and most do), it's going to sting everything in it's path (and it's path will be short, so it's even more likely in that size setup). Clowns DO NOT need anemones. If you really want to see clowns interact with something that's going to host them, and there's no guarantee that the clown will accept the host by the way, do a frogspawn, hammer or torch coral, in that size tank.
Not all wrasses are bullies. I'm personally not a fan of six line wrasses, but plenty of people have them and they're fine. It's all about what type of tank you have and when it's added. If you have other aggressive fish, you're likely to get an aggressive six line. If you like the six line, add it last for the best chance of it staying docile. Fairy wrasses, possum wrasses, and even most flasher wrasses are not aggressive. Most of the aggressive wrasses are not reef safe or are larger wrasses that won't work in your size set up anyways.
Since you like the idea of the pistol/goby combo. Make sure you get them paired already. It'll make your life a lot easier.
As for the firefish. I'd recommend they be the same color to minimize the possibility of them fighting with each other.
 
rickross23

rickross23

Active Member
It will take a while for the nem to grow quite large, so you can keep one in a tank of your size for a couple of years depending on how you feed it, tank parameters, etc. If you put the anemone in a central area of flow, light and food( twice a week) there is no reason or way the anemone will move. Anemones move when they are unhappy where they are. If you provide flow, light and food, they won't move.
 
laxplaya1234

laxplaya1234

Member
Ok thx for the tips... How do you like my revised list based on what you said
Fish:
Ocellaris or percula clown fish (2)
Yellow watchman  goby and Pistol shrimp pair
 Pacific cleaner shrimp
fire fish goby (2) or a reef safe wrasse
 
rickross23

rickross23

Active Member
sounds Fine. By reef safe wrasse, you left it in the open. They are MANY reef safe wrasses and truthfully a lot get too big. Their are many beautiful fish for your tank however, so no worries. I say firefish over the wrasse.
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by rickross23 http:///t/392056/stocking-an-oceanic-biocube-29-hqi#post_3479595
It will take a while for the nem to grow quite large, so you can keep one in a tank of your size for a couple of years depending on how you feed it, tank parameters, etc. If you put the anemone in a central area of flow, light and food( twice a week) there is no reason or way the anemone will move. Anemones move when they are unhappy where they are. If you provide flow, light and food, they won't move.
Again, WHERE do you get this info? No way for an anemone to move?
"If you provide flow, light and food, they won't move" is a blanket statement and false in so many ways. It's more complicated that just providing light and food and flow.
Firstly, there is little to nothing you can do from preventing an anemone to move. If it's unhappy, it will move. Some never find a happy place. Some just prefer to wander no matter what is done. Some anemones are referred to as "walkers" because they're as healthy as can be, but never anchor their foot permanently.
And I've kept bubble tips that have literally doubled in size in less than a month. I actually have fragged my bubble tip anemone because it got so big and wasn't splitting on it's own. Which brings up another issue: splitting anemones. Bubble tips are notorious for this. Then you have two anemones in a small tank.
In a small tank, where feedings are going to be isolated, it's very easy for them to eat and grow quickly. Keep in mindthe Bio Cube HQI comes with a 150w MH over it. It's a small tank, with isolated high levels of light and isolated areas for food to circulate, this is prime for an anemone to grow. Also, anemones can swell to twice their size by taking in water, which is another issue in a smaller tank.
 
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