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Clownfish14's Nano Cube HQI


clownfish14

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:) Hey all of you nano reefers out there :)

Most recent FTS: 4-22-11

 

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Fish

Occ. clownfish (2)

Purple firefish goby

 

Inverts

cleaner shrimp

peppermint shrimp

tuxedo urchin

red starfish

 

Coral

Red Acan

Yellow Polyp

random zoas

green digita

christmas tree favia

green star polops

orange ricordia

purple montapora

Cali tort

Green slimmer

Lots of sps whoes names i dont remmber

 

Equipment

JBJ Nano Cube HQI

Radium 150 watt 14k Metal halide

200w heater

Stock Protien Skimmer

Two Stock Return Pumps

Coralife Digital Thermometer

vortech mp10

JBJ LED Nano-Glow

upgraded media basket

Two little fishies phosban reactor

Diy Auto top off

 

Filteration

Poly-Fill

Chetmorphia algea

BRS high quality carbon

BRS GFO

 

 

Original post starts here

 

I just got a nano cube hqi and have had it for about a week I have to say it is great. I wanted to share the experience with every one so I thought why not start a huge thread about the life of my tank.

 

To start it off heres a picture of it right after I got it when I was testing it for leaks.

post-47964-1256170953_thumb.jpg

After this I emptied the water and filled it up with r/o water. It looked great. That night I went out and bought salt. After I put it in I tested it with my hydrometer it read 1.025. I left the light off until two days later when I bought cured live rock and live sand. I brought it home and put it in sand then rock. It was really foggy after I put in the sand so I left it alone with the rock just in a pile in the middle. The next day the water was clear so I thought I would aquascape. This was hard. I had small enough rock but I wanted it to look amazing in the small tank so I made this

post-47964-1256171466_thumb.jpg

Not perfect but i liked all the holes and tunnels so I let it sit and got advise from my family. They told me that I should make it into a horseshoe shape in the corner. I didn't care for that because the rock has a great shape to it and I wanted to use that. So I decided to move it into the back corner and move the rock on the left side to the right side in order to make a nice sand bed. This looked awesome here let me show you.

 

Front shot

post-47964-1256171786_thumb.jpg

After I tested the water (using API's salt water test kit) and got 8.4 PH, 0.25 ppm Ammonia, 0 ppm nitrite, and 15 ppm nitrate I went to my LFS and bought two Green Chromis Damselfish thats what the guy (Andrew) at my LFS recommend. I got home and started to acclimate them to my tank. After about 45 minutes of that I put them into the tank. They immediately found a hole in the rock to hide. I couldn't get them out so I tried feeding them wow let me tell you they weren't scared once I did that. They loved the frozen brine shrimp that Andrew at my LFS sold me. That was yesterday. They are doing fine today and look great I will get more pics up tonight.

 

Thanks,

clownfish14 :D

 

Ps: Any and all comments are appreciated and any ideas on how to change any thing will be useful.

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Hey guys B)

Here are a couple of more pics of the tank

 

 

Here is a pic of one of the fish the other one is camera shy :huh:

post-47964-1256178671_thumb.jpg

 

 

Here is a FTS :D

post-47964-1256178977_thumb.jpg

 

Thanks, :happy:

clownfish14

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:lol: Hey guys :lol:

Well i just tested the water and there has been no change in the ammonia levels.

How long does it usually take to cycle a nano cube hqi 28 gallon? :huh:

 

Thanks,

clownfish14

 

:P Thanks got2envy for your reply :D

 

-clownfish14

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Since you used fully cured live rock you will probably experience a soft cycle...be prepared to do a 10% water change when you see the diatoms on the sand (brown dusting) and add your clean up crew then. I would have waited on the fish, most don't use fish for the cycle any more ( stresses the fish out)

I would wait a few weeks before adding more bio load to the tank.

 

HTH clownfish14

 

M

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Thanks got2envy so the tank wont go through the entire cycle with the high ammonia and nitrites.

Another question is how long should i wait and how do i know the cycle is done.

 

Thanks,

clownfish14

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Militant Jurist
Thanks got2envy so the tank wont go through the entire cycle with the high ammonia and nitrites.

Another question is how long should i wait and how do i know the cycle is done.

 

Thanks,

clownfish14

 

I did mine with fully cured LR, a lot of dry rock, and dirty WC water to jump start the cycle, and mine still took about three weeks. The ammonia didn't spike very high for me, but the nitrite did spike. You'll still see increases in ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, but it shouldn't be as bad. You'll know the cycle is done based upon having seen the spikes (or mini-spikes) and if it's a new tank, you'll see a LOT of diatoms (looks like brown dust over everything!). Once you've hit that point, it's a good sign your cycle is done. Also, if you've been using clean RO water throughout, you'll see a final increase in your nitrate, which is the last stage (other than denitrification) of the nitrogen cycle.

 

The biggest thing with fish and inverts is to take your time. If you add too much too early, you'll end up setting things back further. I made that mistake with my first tank.

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Thanks for the reply that is great info I will watch for the diatoms. :happydance:

Also should I give the fish back to the store or let them go through the cycle since it wont be that big?

And do I do water changes at all during the cycle or just let it go? :scarry:

 

 

Thanks,

clownfish14 :haha:

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Militant Jurist
Also should I give the fish back to the store or let them go through the cycle since it wont be that big?

And do I do water changes at all during the cycle or just let it go? :scarry:

 

If you wanted the fish anyways, I think you'll be fine with it as long as you do actually have a soft cycle. If you got it just for the cycle, you could probably take it back.

 

There's a bit of a debate about whether partial WCs help with a soft cycle. There's a good thread actually attempting to test it, which is somewhere in the General Discussion forum. It's an individual choice, because you'll hear positives and negatives from both sides! Personally, I go with no WCs, but I use a lot of dry rock so I want a good and thorough cycle. Plus, it lets me be lazy for a while! ;)

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Hey guys

Thanks for that last reply and i agree i dont think i should do water changes.

 

I got some bad news one of my fish died :( it was the one that was camra shy.

I dont know why he died so if any one has any ideas let me know he was over by a rock in the corner upsidedown. I will put up a couple of pictures and my water test results a little later.

 

Thanks,

clownfish14 :lol:

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ok i just did my water tests my

ph 7.8

ammonia 0

nitrite 0

nitrate 15

let me know what you think

 

 

Thanks,

clownfish14

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:D I wanted to show you guys some more pics :D

 

 

corner view

post-47964-1256250228_thumb.jpg

 

 

moonlights

post-47964-1256250289_thumb.jpg

 

fish (scooby doo) shaggy was the one that died :tears:

post-47964-1256250456_thumb.jpg

 

 

Thanks,

clownfish14

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What are you testing with?

The fact that you're cycling with these fish can add stress.

 

Also, Chromi's are typically schooling fish, and keeping less than 3 is stressful to them (not that keeping more fish for cycling is good, just noting).

I would leave the one chromis in until you're completly cycled, then either get rid of him or add a few friends.

 

I like your cave btw!

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thanks asting for the reply it has great info now should i get rid of him if i want clownfish gobies and jawfish and lots of coral or will he be alright because i dont want more than 2 of them in my tank the just dont have much personality.

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Quick question do my pumps need to break the surface of the water or does the filter in the back do enough?

 

 

Thanks,

clownfish14 :happydance:

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:welcome: clownfish 14,

love the tank rock work looks great

sorry to hear your loss on fish they are lovely fish too!

keep pic`s coming everyone loves pic`s :)

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:D Hey guys :D

 

Well my tank is looking great there are lots of diatoms. They are making lots of bubbles on top of my rocks and sand also my fish is doing great. Here is a question for all of you experts out there, if the diatoms or dusty brown things all over my tank are making bubbles does that mean my cycle is done I did my water tests and this is what I got

PH 8.2

Ammonia 0.25

Nitrite 0

Ntrate 20

Saltinity 1.025

Temp 82-83F

 

Thanks and let me know,

clownfish14

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B) Hey guys B)

Here are some pictures of what I think are diatoms.

 

 

This one is of them on the sand

post-47964-1256529385_thumb.jpg

 

In this one you can see the bubbles on the rock

post-47964-1256529402_thumb.jpg

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B) Hey all of you experts out there B)

I need some help this brownish stuff is spreading all over my tank i was told they are called diatoms. I need to know should I add my cleanup crew now or wait until I am sure my cycle is over. My water test is the same as a cupple of posts ago.

 

Thanks,

clownfish14

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