res1bxh3 Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 Hey i am i newbie here i have had freshwater setups for a year already 3 tanks now but i recently bought a 12g nano cube and am going to start a mini reef i want to know everything i already read the articles i want everyones advise and opinions. i want to know what works best for u. my tank has a built in 3 stage filter in the back. i don't know any thing about reefs so any help is greatly appreciated THANKS Link to comment
colemanitis Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 What exactly are you wanting to know? Can you narrow the question down a bit? Link to comment
caja Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 This is exactly where you start. A lot to read, but excellent information, Welcome to nano-reef! Link to comment
AbSoluTc Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 i already read the articles - i don't know any thing about reefs ??? Caja's link is a great place to start. I would consider getting rid of some of your freshwater tanks as reefs are more time consuming. Having too many tanks can be overwhelming. So stick with one, and go from there. Link to comment
res1bxh3 Posted November 18, 2003 Author Share Posted November 18, 2003 OK guys i think i got the basics from what i can see so far i am going to use about 15 lbs of live sand and about 6 lbs of live rock and for the water i will use either marinlands saltmix or get it already mixed from my lfs OK now I'm pretty sure that i kneed the temp at 78 degrees but u guys tell me what u use. i would like to have at lease some clown fish and a cleaner Shrimp and what ever else will fit. can u guys tell if i got good beginning and i would like to know good reefs to start out with. THANKS Link to comment
colemanitis Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 Originally posted by res1bxh3 OK guys i think i got the basics from what i can see so far i am going to use about 15 lbs of live sand and about 6 lbs of live rock and for the water i will use either marinlands saltmix or get it already mixed from my lfs OK now I'm pretty sure that i kneed the temp at 78 degrees but u guys tell me what u use. i would like to have at lease some clown fish and a cleaner Shrimp and what ever else will fit. can u guys tell if i got good beginning and i would like to know good reefs to start out with. THANKS 6 lbs isn't a lot of rock, I would get around 15 lbs for a 12g. As far as temp goes, 78* will work. I prefer mine to be a bit warmer than that - mine's kept at 80*. Link to comment
birdman204 Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 It really depends on the rock you get. I have 8 lbs in my 7 g, and it looks like the same as 20 pounds in my 10g, 2 different types of rock. I always run my tanks at 78 degrees, the lights bump it to about 79 to 80 during the day, then back down to 78 at night, but no lower. So cal reefin'!!! Salties is off the 91 at tyler, they have some good reef stuff, I am from OC so that is really the only store I could point you to out your way, Although the owner isn't very helpful / knowledgeable , well he knows alot, it just may not be right . Good luck! ask Q's if you have em! Link to comment
res1bxh3 Posted November 24, 2003 Author Share Posted November 24, 2003 OK u guys this is where I'm at so far i have 8 lbs of LR and 10 lbs of LS i got salt already mixed from my lfs i got some kind of bio thing to decrees cycle time they said go back in about 5 days and get a sample fish. does this sound about right. i also bought a test kit to keep an eye on everything just curious wat levels should these be at:PH, Hardness, Alkalinity Thanks Link to comment
res1bxh3 Posted November 24, 2003 Author Share Posted November 24, 2003 sorry 4 the smile i ment PH Link to comment
ninhsavestheday Posted November 24, 2003 Share Posted November 24, 2003 dont buy a "sample fish". wait till your cycle is done.. then add livestock. during your cycle period all youll need is the basic saltwater fish test kit. ph, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. youre going to look for a sudden increase in ammonia.. that is when your cycle begins.... you probably know everything from there. Link to comment
cjl Posted November 24, 2003 Share Posted November 24, 2003 You need a source of ammonia to push the cycle through, then let your live rock and sand do the work. They wiil act as your main source of biological filtration. Keep the temp. at 78 degrees and test your water every day to every other day; Small tanks can lead to big problems. I bought two hardy fish as my source of ammonia, both damsel fish. They survived my cycle so I kept them. My 12 gallon is fully self sustaining due to the live rock and sand, however do get an outside combo filter (biological, mechanical, PROTEIN SKIMMER!!) I also have an under gravel filter with a power head(no bubbles) this basically turns a filter bed into a biological filter ( Good current= good oxygen diffusion) Get good lighting and a good book. The marine aquarium handbook by Martin A. Moe, Jr is a good one Link to comment
res1bxh3 Posted November 26, 2003 Author Share Posted November 26, 2003 yah i got the JBJ Nano Cube. whick has built in filter in the back with foam, carbon, ceramic rings, and bio-balls. without a heater my tank is substaning a good 78-79. so i guess i dont need a heater. now i am thinking about adding two lbs of sand and maybe 2 lbs of rock but it looks good right know do i really need it will i do good with 10lbs sand and 8lbs rock or is that to little.also so what should i do for the cycle i was thinking about buying a damsel or something like that. i also heard that you can throw a shrimp in and let it decay. the guy at the lfs said that i can trade back the damsel for a clow or something else latter after it cycles. Thanks Link to comment
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