Nano 12g Modifications?

[Reddawg43]

I am getting a nanoCube 12g this weekend. I wanted to know of all the modifications that could be done to make it work even better, especially those that people would recommend as necessary from experience!

[Clayton07]

It really depends on how much money you want to put into it. I am looking to drop another $1500-$2k in mine to REALLY trick it out. But here are some really basic cheep things you can do

 

1: Put a maxi-900 as your return pump

 

2: Put a Korlia 1 intank for circulation

 

3: swap out the 50/50 bulbs for strait 10k/10k if you are looking to keep SPS. Or swap at least one out. They wont as blue, but you will get more intensity out of those little bulbs.

[Reddawg43]

Cool....I definately will do those changes.

I am also going to add a Nanocustoms ICA 2.0 and a 70w MH.

It's a b-day gift for my mother-in-law. So I won't be spending a grand on upgrades, but any simple stuff like the MJ900 and the lights is a must.

Thanks...

[eklikewhoa]

Make sure you go with the upgraded fans with the MH... I have those upgrades on my NC12g and the fans really help the heat.

[RayWhisperer]

Look into a refugium with the external light.

JMO, but, I wouldn't put another pump in the display area. It's already small enough as it is. You could put it at the bottom of chamber 1 or 2 and drill out a hole in the false wall.

Here's a quick run down of it.

Place the pump against the false wall where you want to put it. Mark the wall, so you know where to drill it.

Drill it.

Here I did it with a Rio 800 and a refugium in chamber 1 and 2. They are on opposite photoperiods.

No bulkhead required, I use the duck bill attachment to hold it in place. Here is all you see in the display.

 

 

I should note... The firs two pics were just an example. That's a completely different tank. Someone wanted an explanation, and I had no pics of the build out of it.

[Weetabix7]

Great pictorial and explanation RayWhisperer!

I keep hearing everyone say switch out for a MJ900, but I tried that and couldn't fit it in the back. It's just too big for the small space. How is everyone doing this?

[RayWhisperer]

Thanks Weetabix.

Well, it depends on what model NC you have... If it's the OG, I',m not entirely sure it could fit. I'd have to check one of mine and try. If it's the DX, you should be able to squeeze it in chamber 3, even with the suction cup mounting bracket. You have to put it into the chamber at an angle, then straighten it out once in. Though, I must tell you, one of the suction cups won't stick. It'll be pushed into the corner of the chamber. You could over come this by cutting the bracket, removing a bit of it, and re gluing it though.

[eklikewhoa]

I cut the sides off the suction cup plate and it fit perfectly in chamber3 of my NC12dx......Ray...that is one clean mod with the second pump!!!!

 

I wished I ran into this sooner I would have done that on my tank.

[RayWhisperer]

Thank you Ek.

I've done some other stuff with extra pumps too. If your interested in a semi hidden MaxiJet mod, here is one.

take out the false wall, drill it with a 1 15/16" hole saw.

re install false wall.

Put in MaxiJet mod (this one is a MJ 400).

If anyone is interested in doing any of these mods and needs help, feel free to PM me about it.

[Reddawg43]

So RayWhisperer....that would be 2 return pumps? Would that affect the amount of water getting all the way to chamber 3? Will it make a difference if it is in chamber 1 or 2? Also what pump is that you used? I love the idea....that way I could have movement behind the rocks.

The nanocube I got is a reg 12g not the deluxe....will I be able to change the return pump for the MJ900?

 

What other mods you recommend? I will be adding a 70w MH (DIY add on), moonlights, a fan and a chiller from nano-tunners.

[RayWhisperer]

So RayWhisperer....that would be 2 return pumps? Would that affect the amount of water getting all the way to chamber 3? Will it make a difference if it is in chamber 1 or 2? Also what pump is that you used? I love the idea....that way I could have movement behind the rocks.

Yes, two return pumps. I run a MJ 1200 in the stock position, and a Rio 800 in the first chamber. The MJ 1200 isn't a good idea on a 12, due to heat production. I however, run the 1200 on a wavemaker. This means it's only on intermittently, thus not producing excessive heat. If you plan on running it constant, use a MJ 900 or something similar. The Rio 800 runs constant, I did this because it clatters really loud on every startup(it's in my bedroom.) This setup doesn't seem to starve the last chamber of water. Don't missunderstand, the level in the last chamber does fluctuate. The pump never runs dry though(unless I forget to top off.) One thing, the water level in the display fluctuates. It's not too bad though.

 

When you say regular, do you mean OG?

 

It makes no difference what chamber you put the second pump in.

 

The fuge, like I posted. That's one of the best mods I have done. Only due to increased water quality. That tank is rock solid, I've never had any problems with it. Well, save one.... I now have 4 RBTA's in a NC 12 that I can't get out!

[Reddawg43]

Chamber one for you RayWhisperer is all LR and chamber two is all cheato?

Is there anything else you use? If I did it that way, could I run carbon in the last chamber?

[eklikewhoa]

what I do is leave a little room in chamber1 on top of all the live rock in case I need to run some chem-pure or something but the rest is LR and chamber 2 is the fuge with LR and chaeto.

 

Those are some awesome mods RayWhisperer! I wish I would have found them before setting up my tank though.

[RayWhisperer]

Here I did it with a Rio 800 and a refugium in chamber 1 and 2. They are on opposite photoperiods.

 

"Chamber one for you RayWhisperer is all LR and chamber two is all cheato?

Is there anything else you use? If I did it that way, could I run carbon in the last chamber?"

 

No, chamber one has live rock and a fuge.... It runs during normal photoperiod. Chamber 2 has LR and a fuge as well. I use the LR primarily to give the macro something to attach to. It does provide some biological filtration, though I believe it to be pretty limited. Another thing I should note, I made a basket(from eggcrate) that hangs on the top of chamber 1, just behind the intake grate. This basket holds filter floss. The last chamber has the heater and carbon, along with the upgraded pump.

 

"Those are some awesome mods RayWhisperer! I wish I would have found them before setting up my tank though."

Once again, thank you Ek.

[RayWhisperer]

I posted incompletely above. I was at work, and only had a few minutes, sorry. Chamber 1 has all that I listed. But, I will re list it, from the top down to avoid any confusion.

Chamber 1) Top- Filter floss in a hanging DIY basket(I'll try to get my camera back to post a pic of the basket I made)

Just under the basket- macro of various sorts

below the macro- Live rock rubble(about a small child's fist sized pieces)

At the very bottom- Rio 800 pump (running constant)

Chamber 2) Top- Cheato

Just below the cheato- again LR rubble(of the same approximate size) (You'll see in the pic, it has some sort of turf algae covering it. It's never presented a problem though.)

Chamber 3) Well, there is no real "Top" per se, but..... A bag of carbon

25 watt heater

MJ 1200

 

Chamber 1 and 2 are both refugiums. However, they run on opposite photoperiods. Chamber 1, runs during the normal daylight photoperiod for the display. Chamber 2, runs opposite, it runs at night. I have tested my PH during many different hours of the day and night. With this setup, I get very little PH fluctuation.

[eklikewhoa]

Hey ray, I am wanting to add my stock NC pump that came with the tank but I am running into some problems....

 

1. The tank is already set up and full. I think I can pull off draining the tank some to drill it.

 

2. I have float sensors in ch3 for my ATO, will the added pump effect the consistancy of water level? Don't want it to push all the water into the display falsely causing a low water level/evap tripping my ATO on.

 

Thanks

[RayWhisperer]

It will effect the water level. However, if both pumps are running full time, it shoudn't effect the consistancy. If you wanted one of them to run like a wavemaker, you'd probably need to set your float lower inorder to prevent false fills everytime the second pump ran.

[eklikewhoa]

Hmmmm..... I wouldn't want to bring problems upon myself by doing this and having it effect the water level..

 

I might just use it in the rock work to hide it and still not have to deal with it all.... we'll see.

 

Thanks Ray.

[RayWhisperer]

It only effects the water level in the rear chambers if you have a surface skimmer. I've only seen the water level in the display rise when some kind of macro I have, grows over the skimmer teeth. I've also found, the higher you leave the water level in the rear chambers, the less it fluctuates. As water evaporates, the fluctuation becomes more and more exaggerated. I think you could do it, with only minor adjustments to your ATO float. Just keep the water level back there to the overflow going into chamber 3. That way, when the second pump kicks on, it only draws it down about a half inch. Another thing that comes to mind, those NC pumps had flow adjustment on them. You could cut down the flow, allowing even less fluctuation.

[shiveley]

wow, that chaeto does not look happy. you might want to flip it every couple of weeks to let each end get some light.

 

oh, that's the turf algae on the rubble you mentioned (below the chaeto), isn't it. my bad. doesn't that turf covered rubble restrict flow?

[RayWhisperer]

wow, that chaeto does not look happy. you might want to flip it every couple of weeks to let each end get some light.

 

oh, that's the turf algae on the rubble you mentioned (below the chaeto), isn't it. my bad. doesn't that turf covered rubble restrict flow?

It doesn't seem to restrict the flow any. It wasn't there originally, but slowly grew in over time. I've not noticed any difference between then and now. So, I just leave it. What can a little extra nutrient export hurt, after all?

 

I do flip the chaeto every few weeks, BTW. This also helps loosen any stuck debris, allowing it to return through the tank, then to the filter.

[RayWhisperer]

Ok, better late than never. As promised, the pics of the basket I made to hold the filter floss.

 

Tools/supplies you will need;

1) Egg Crate

2) Acrylic

3) Super Glue

4) Hack Saw/ Snippers/ Table Saw (whatever you want to use to cut the acrylic and egg crate)

5) Sand Paper or File

Pretty simple eh...

[eklikewhoa]

Hey Ray,

 

What are you using for the output on that second pump? or how do you have it mounted cause the O.D. of the outlet on the MJ is way smaller then the I.D. on any output I can find.

[RayWhisperer]

Wait, which pump are you talking about? Do you mean the pump that replaced the stock pump? Or do you mean the pump in the first chamber?

 

I'll try to answer you the best I can here.

stock swap pump is an MJ 900. I believe it's 1/2" ID tubing, but I'm not sure as it's the stock tubing.

 

Pump in first chamber is a Rio 800. It has no tubing. I have the nozzle sticking directly out of the hole I drilled. It is held in place by the duck bill attachment it came with.

 

HTH

[eklikewhoa]

Sorry, I meant the one in the first chamber..... the pump has a small outlet and the duckbill that came with the tank is like 3x bigger then the outlet on the pump.

 

Is the pump just sitting there and the hole drilled to fit the duckbill?