28g JBJ HQI Club....

[SamK]

SamK: Live rock is either purchased at a local fish store or ordered online through a fish store in the same country. The best way to go is find a store you can drive to so you can pick out pieces that will work well with the size of your tank. Buying online is a good option if you are buying for a larger tank (over 75 gallons) since you usually get better prices when you buy alot at once.

 

A UPS is a pretty unrealistic solution if your power goes out for 8+ hours at a time. Your entire tank would likely not last an hour with a typical UPS, but you could probably just power your heater and powerheads for a while. A better way to go would be to get a gas powered electric generator, since they are relatively cheap and can last days on just a few jugs of gas.

 

Thanks so much, Cytosol. Unfortunately, my car was totaled & the issue is being resolved in court. Ugly. So, unless I want to wait a month or two to get started, I'd have to borrow a car, rent a car, or get someone to drive me around.

 

It seems that Drs Fosters and Smith seems to be well regarded around here.

 

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/aquariu...plies.cfm?c=393

 

There is a special assortment rock for nanos on this site, but it's quite pricey and designed for smaller nanos. I guess a 28g is at the borderline of nano and regular aquarium. Should I just get regular live rock from them? Is Vanuatu really worth it? Frankly, the prices for Fuji, after I add in the ~ $1.40/lb for shipping, don't seem extraordinarily high. But I don't know. What rock size is too large or too small for this tank? It also seems to me that given that I am not needing to buy huge amounts of rock, and given that this rock will be the foundation of the tank in terms of aesthetics, I should be willing to spend more if I get nicer looking results. Maybe I'm obsessing too much about this.

 

Regarding the UPS, I see your point and agree completely regarding the generator. Unfortunately, I live in an apartment, and I have been told very firmly that I may NOT get one of these generators and store it outside. Yes, I've gotten annoyed at power outages before. As I said, every third year in this area....

 

Here's what i think I'm going to do. I'm going to email tech support for JBJ & ask for the total power draw for this product, with and without the halides on. Someone there must know. I would expect to pay maybe $350 for the UPS (pure sine wave models are expensive).

[viinse]

Dont worry about getting rock pieces that are too large. A hammer and chisel is an easy solution to that problem.

[Cytosol]

Yeah true, if you order the LR and it is too big, you can chisel it apart pretty easily. Also, you can go to a hardware store and purchase a meter that measures the total wattage for your system during peak draw (just plug your power strip into it). I think these sell for about $20 and are pretty accurate.. get your peak draw and work out the math, see what you would need in a UPS.

[SamK]

Thanks, viinse and Cytosol. Hammer and chisel. Even I can do that. What was I thinking? It's rock!

 

Cytosol, thanks for not laughing at me regarding my power draw conundrum. Yes, I can measure this when I get the tank before I put anything live in it.

 

I'll be sure to post my results here, however.

[NanoClown]

forgot to tell you guys i have a thread up for my nanocube HQI, link in sig

 

thanks

[mutiny64]

SamK,

 

Please drop me a note if you decide on a UPS. That's my next purchase. I'm considering the APC 1500VA, about $250 I plan to run 1 of the stock pumps and a 100w heater off it. If it lasts long enought for me to get home from work and start the generator, or alternate power source, then I think it's a good investment. I'm hoping to bring one home from work and conduct a test. I'll let you know how it goes. BTW, I would expect the power consumption to be printed on each piece of equipment.

[Cytosol]

Be sure to post your results on your success with a UPS. Even though it is probably something I wouldn't consider, it would be good to know what this tank draws in terms of wattage.

[Cytosol]

Hey guys, I have been cycling my JBJ28 for 4 days now, and I am having some problems with micro bubbles. They are a BIT better than what they were the day I started, but it is still pretty bad. Is this normal for the first week or so, or is there something I need to do to fix this? Is this a part of breaking in the two pumps?

 

Also, how high should the water be in the outer pump water columns? I keep them about half full.

[SamK]

mutiny64 & Cytosol, I will be sure to post my results on power draw. mutiny64, I'm not sure how well labeled (in terms of power draw) all the parts are for the cube. DIY allows us to know these things immediately. I also am thinking of a nanotuner-modded system, based on comments elsewhere, so this will add another bit of complexity.

 

mutiny64, I see that you, too, had a long power outage. As I said, this really worries me, especially if I am out of town for a couple of weeks. I can get someone to feed/service the tank, but power outages require flexible response. One thing I'd be sure of though is the waveform that the APC produces. Unless it says "pure sine wave," one cannot know what it will do to motors, as some of them will not operate properly with the "approximate" sine waves (square waves, in fact). Heaters don't care, as they are just heated by electrical resistance. I know all this because I had to do some research for my work computer, which is a massive 64-bit workstation. Oh, and I'd also get a model that has replaceable batteries (all the APC should have this). You can charge extra batteries and keep them ready (they're lead acid and stay charged for a very long time). This allows one UPS to function any multiple of times longer than it's rated.

 

I see this like life insurance. We hope we won't need it, but the worst case must be protected against.

[viinse]

Hey guys, I have been cycling my JBJ28 for 4 days now, and I am having some problems with micro bubbles. They are a BIT better than what they were the day I started, but it is still pretty bad. Is this normal for the first week or so, or is there something I need to do to fix this? Is this a part of breaking in the two pumps?

 

Also, how high should the water be in the outer pump water columns? I keep them about half full.

Are you running both pumps constantly or using wavemaker?

 

I keep my water level about 1/2 inch from the top of the baffle.

[Cytosol]

I was using the wavemaker but I had them on full.. I tried turning the wavemaker to 60 seconds, what do you guys use?

 

I don't really understand how it works.. Does it make waves every 60 seconds, or does it make waves FOR 60 seconds every 60 seconds? If it does it every 60 seconds, how long does it make waves for? I read the instructions but this wasn't explained very well.

[viinse]

I was using the wavemaker but I had them on full.. I tried turning the wavemaker to 60 seconds, what do you guys use?

 

I don't really understand how it works.. Does it make waves every 60 seconds, or does it make waves FOR 60 seconds every 60 seconds? If it does it every 60 seconds, how long does it make waves for? I read the instructions but this wasn't explained very well.

It just alternates which pump is on to create turbulence in the tank.

 

I run min on 30 second intervals. Whatever you prefer though.

 

Right pump runs 30 seconds then shuts off and left pump runs for the 30 seconds and this cycle continues.

 

I tried to run both pumps continuously but it created micro bubbles. I couldnt keep water level high enough.

You can use those long sponges to slide down the wall so the water flows through it, but I didnt want to have to clean those sponges all the time. They seem like they would be nitrate factories in long run.

[Cytosol]

Thanks for the info, this makes more sense! I can see (and slightly hear) the pumps switching off every 60 seconds, as well as the water swirling around in different directions. Not a huge amount of turbulance, but my koralia should fix that.

 

I found that when the pump chambers were half full, the trickling of the water produced big bubbles which were sucked into the pumps and spit out as micro bubbles. I think clogging the overhangs with floss should cure this..

[SamK]

BTW, do people still find that the heat is ok without a chiller? (I mean, without a chiller but with the two-fan unit added on that people have mentioned.)

[Cytosol]

I have been running my lights for 12 hours a day during cycle and my heat w/o a heater is around 74. No problems with heat whatsoever.

[226-fan]

BTW, do people still find that the heat is ok without a chiller? (I mean, without a chiller but with the two-fan unit added on that people have mentioned.)

 

 

If the ambient rom temperature is below about 75 you can probably avoid a chiller but temp could reach 82-83. I don't have air conditioning so during warm spells a chiller is a must. Also the more pumps you run the more heat in the water.

[lqdKaos]

I am hoping to pick up my new 28Gal HQI tomorrow after work. Its going to be a LOOONG day with the anticipation of getting a new tank.

[Cytosol]

I found the JBJ28 to be extremely high quality and I am very happy with it.. However, did anyone think the worksmanship on the stand was just awful? The instructions were next to useless and there were numerous problems with various parts that made it difficult to assemble. The paintjob on the wood is terrible and covered in deep gouges that they didn't bother to sand, just painted over.

 

The holes for the four main screws at the very top were filled with residue from drilling and the screws would not sit flush. I had to dremel the holes out in order to get the screws to fit properly.. And the four aluminum columns that hold the tank up looked like they would fall apart just by looking at them.

 

Maybe I just got a lemon?

[SamK]

(Thanks, guys, for the update on the chiller issue.)

[allen2656]

I have been running my lights for 12 hours a day during cycle and my heat w/o a heater is around 74. No problems with heat whatsoever.

 

 

Cytosol,

running ur lights that long during your cycle is okay but as you start adding livestock and corals you will need to shorten you lighting cycle and keep it under eight hours if not you will experince alot of algee growth

[Dutch_Reefer]

I finally got mine!

When I have all the hardware and other stuff needed for the start I will update my thread with pics.

 

What I want to know is what adjustments need to be made to fit in a Tunze Nanodoc skimmer? I prefer that one above the stock skimmer. Does it fit like a glove in one of the filterchambers or do I need to hack 'n slash in the hood? I could not find it in this thread (but it could also be that I'm cross-eyed

[viinse]

I finally got mine!

When I have all the hardware and other stuff needed for the start I will update my thread with pics.

 

What I want to know is what adjustments need to be made to fit in a Tunze Nanodoc skimmer? I prefer that one above the stock skimmer. Does it fit like a glove in one of the filterchambers or do I need to hack 'n slash in the hood? I could not find it in this thread (but it could also be that I'm cross-eyed

Check out this link Dutch Tunze hood cut

 

Down the page there's some pics of it in the back of the tank and the hood with cut made for cup to fit.

[SamK]

I found the JBJ28 to be extremely high quality and I am very happy with it.. However, did anyone think the worksmanship on the stand was just awful? The instructions were next to useless and there were numerous problems with various parts that made it difficult to assemble. The paintjob on the wood is terrible and covered in deep gouges that they didn't bother to sand, just painted over.

 

The holes for the four main screws at the very top were filled with residue from drilling and the screws would not sit flush. I had to dremel the holes out in order to get the screws to fit properly.. And the four aluminum columns that hold the tank up looked like they would fall apart just by looking at them.

 

Maybe I just got a lemon?

 

Do others have the stand issue that Cytosol had?

[viinse]

Do others have the stand issue that Cytosol had?

 

The directions that came with it are pretty pathetic.

This pdf is a little better: Stand Instructions pdf

 

Its like a lot of cheap ready to assemble furniture. Sometimes the build quality is not that great.

 

Its sturdy once assembled and I'm confident in its ability to hold the tank though.

After you get the tank on it you'll never notice the stand anyway

[Cytosol]

I have read that some other people are unhappy with the stand as well. I think it will hold up well and I wouldn't exactly recommend not pruchasing it unless you have found something else that would work just as well. Little things like that sort of urk me though, it doesn't take a huge amount of effort to make an instruction manual that isn't completely useless. It was literally made in MS paint, printed out and stapled together.. in the WRONG ORDER. I had to flip around through the book to find the next step, which was not properly labeled. The pictures were so pixelated that they were useless, and the physical parts were labeled with little white stickers, half of which had fallen off, and the rest were completely illegible. Luckily I have alot of experience building furniture like this and was able to figure it out from googling images of the stand.

 

They must have outsourced this stand to be produced by another company, because I am VERY VERY happy with the quality of the tank itself.

 

The directions that came with it are pretty pathetic.

This pdf is a little better: Stand Instructions pdf

 

Its like a lot of cheap ready to assemble furniture. Sometimes the build quality is not that great.

 

Its sturdy once assembled and I'm confident in its ability to hold the tank though.

After you get the tank on it you'll never notice the stand anyway

 

Yeah, those are the instructions that came with mine.. I wish I knew there was a PDF because I would have printed it myself. My printout as I mentioned was in the wrong order, and the pages were shrunk down about half their size