JBJ 6 Gal - Assistance

[ace35]

Background:

 

Hey everybody! 1st post but been reading forever. I USED to own a 55gal Saltwater that had a whole lot in it, but ended up selling it about a year ago, regret that now . But, I'm back in the game! It's an addiction.

 

Lead up:

After reading through a lot of posts here and on the internet I decided to go with the JBJ 6 gal. This way I can easily have it on my desk and it won't be too big. I have to stay small for now. (Just ordered it yesterday)

 

 

What I want in it:

LPS Hard - maybe a plate (ST), frogspawn, and/or brain. I don't know exactly how much room I will have or the arrangement I want yet.

 

Mushrooms - a couple different ones.

 

Polyps

 

A normal cleanup crew - blue legs and smaller snails.

 

Fish (singular) - I was thinking a firefish and/or goby. Think both would be too much?

 

Questions:

Lighting - It comes with 1 x 18W. Is that going to be enough for what I want. Personally I think not only 3WPG. Can I just replace the bulbs with a higher wattage, or has a simpler method been figured out?

 

Skimmer - Is the fission nano any good? I have heard differing opinions.

 

Is the flow going to be enough in the stock pump?

 

UV Sterilizers - just kidding!

 

If there's anything else you could think of just let me know! I appreciate everything.

 

I am just hoping for some recent, solid information. The lighting information seems to be different for everyone and it got really confusing.

 

Thanks again,

Nate

[MDeth]

the skimmer is garbage. The only thing I use mine for is aeration.

 

http://www.nanocustoms.com/index.php?cPath=2 - sells lighting upgrades. They sell a 2x18 and 3x18 kit. (i'd get the 3x18 )

 

IMO the brain and plate won't be fine under stock lighting, but will be under upgraded.

 

Most people upgrade the stock pump. Check out mods in the All-In-One section of the forum

 

And fish....all depends on how much you wanna do. If you're willing to do the weekly water change you'd be fine with both

Just make sure (pleaseeee) don't get an orange spot diamond goby....they starve in 55g let alone 6

[ace35]

Just make sure (pleaseeee) don't get an orange spot diamond goby....they starve in 55g let alone 6

 

 

Alright, since you said it nicely!

 

Thanks for the help. Any cheaper DIY methods for lighting? haha

 

One more thing - OH lighting - if I stay with the stock lighting while it cycles. Which I don't think you're supposed to have the lights on at all? Correct me if I'm wrong. For a month at least? Then upgrade to the nicer lighting will that be OK?

[gilly76]

Welcome to the club. I got my 6G back in October of 05. I have the nanotuners 3X18w lighting upgrade. the stock pump was not good enough so I upgraded.. but don't remember what I tossed in there! I don't have a skimmer, I had the hang over one and used my dremel to cut it down alot, I ended up just removing it and might put it back on later. I have filter floss in the first chamber which gets removed 2x a week, cheato in the middle( I cut the vinyl out of the back and have a florescent light back there, just a garage light I put into a container to stop light bleed into the bedroom, and the heater/pump in the 3rd chamber. I DO have a slight heating problem, but I will add some sort of chiller one day(scared of drilling!).

 

I do 1gallon water changes weekly without additives and my cleanup crew is 1 margarita, 3 LITTLE nassarius and iirc 2 ultra tiny ceriths. They seem to do a good job keeping the tank clean, I might add in a hermit from my 3gallon pico before I get rid of it. The clown was from my 24gallon which is going to a friend's house as a freshwater tank.. he will be donated back to the LFS possibly soon, I think he might be too big for the tank.

 

 

here's a shot I took with my D70 with the acitinics on and with some heavy processing using aperture on my MB.

 

http://hexcor.net/wayot/6g.JPG this is a LARGE picture with all lights on and minimal post processing. I had added some of the corals over the past 2-3 weeks when I was emptying the 24gallon tank, I need to rearrange the rockwork and place the corals in better places, I just needed to move them..

[SPerry]

Stick with the stock lighting during the cycle if you want. Dont know of any other light upgrades that will keep the factory look of the NC. I put water in my NC 6 3wks ago and just added the 3.18 kit this past weekend. I also changed out the pump with a maxijet 600 and a hydroflo. I would skip the skimmer. I have a sapphire on my NC 12 but I just dont see a 6G needing one. I stripped the backing off chamber 1, added some chaeto and a light. I have some sponge below the chaeto to keep it in place. Chamber 2 has LR rubble, and Chamber 3 has pump, heater, chemipure and purigen. Some will argue but you could keep a firefish and a goby as long as you did your 1gal a week water changes.