NC12: diary of an L.A. tank

[gena]

NANO-CUBE 12DX

 

 

4/8/12

 

Specs

 

Tank

Nano-Cube 12DX

 

Lighting

2X Ecoxotic Panorama Pro LED Module 24V- 19 Watt 12K White/445nm Blue (pg. 16 for pics.) 1 Panorama Pro LED Module 24V- 19 Watt 445nm/Magenta

 

Filtration

InTank media basket

Filter floss first compartment of basket

Chaeto at bottom with JBJ Nano-Glo 4-LED Magnetic Refugium Light

Chemi-pure elite in NC12 3rd chamber

 

Heater

Eheim Jager TruTemp 50 Watt Fully Submersible UL Approved Heater

 

Controller

Digital Aquatics ReefKeeper Lite Controller Level 1

 

Rock and Sand

approximately 14 pounds Marco dry rock

CaribSea Dry Aragonite Fiji Pink Reef Sand 15 lb (didn't use entire bag)

 

 

Livestock

 

Fish

1 B/W Ocellaris Clownfish

2 Green Banded Gobies

 

Cleanup crew

2 blue leg hermits

2 nano serpent stars (from sealifeinc.net)

assortment of snails (2 nass, nerite, cerith, etc)

 

Inverts

2 Skunk cleaner shrimp

2 pompom crab

 

Coral

 

Softies

Green star polyps

pink cabbage leather

Kenya tree

clove polyps

blue star polyps

yellow star polyps

blue, red, watermelon, superman, spotted, rhodactis, st. thomas mushrooms

neon green toadstool

regular toadstool

Asst. ricordeas

 

Zoas and Palys

Nuclear green

Purple death

green palys

palythoa grandis

tubbs blue zoanthids

armor of god paly

pink zoanthids

Sunny Delight

Magician Palythoa

 

LPS

Pink and Green open brain

 

SPS

Magenta birdsnest (pink with purple polyps)

Meteor Shower Cyphestrea

Purple rim Green Monticap

ATL pink polyp monticap

Neon green birdsnest

 

 

Maintenance Routine

2.5 gallon water changes twice per week

every other day glass cleaning with mag cleaner

top off 1-2x per day

Feed 1x per day

[ednangel]

Welcome back, i know, there is no methadone for this adiction.

[gena]

Tank started 2/8/11. I knew I wanted to go small and all-in-one. I had a Biocube 14 in the past and sold it, so I couldn't bring myself to buy another one, brand new. I decided to try out the Nano-Cube instead. The dimensions of the NC fit better in the space I was planning to put it as well. Looking forward to stocking this with "easy" coral. Leathers, mushrooms, zoas, polyps, and possibly the most "difficult" addition will be an open brain coral or plate coral.

 

Fish plans: One percula clownfish, one tailspot blenny, and a goby/pistol combination.

 

Right now the tank is all stock. I've added an InTank media basket. I will have chaeto growing at the bottom of the basket. Bought a JbJ nano-glo LED light for the refugium.

 

I used aragonite fiji pink sand and dry marco rock. I seeded the tank with one piece of half-cured live rock from my LFS. Started the cycle with a cocktail shrimp. I'm two weeks into a very strong cycle. Ammonia is no longer detectable. Nitrites are off the chart. Will test again this Friday 2/25.

 

Leak test:

 

 

Rock and sand in place:

 

 

Water added:

 

 

Where I'm at right now:

 

 

Now I'm just sitting and waiting for the cycle to complete. I'm enjoying visiting the reef sites to get ideas for how I want to design the coral placement in this tank. My goal is to have a VERY grown in reef tank. I did the little frag plugs here there and everywhere and I'm done with that look. I really want a natural looking reef, well maintained, with a laid back attitude

 

 

 

 

Welcome back, i know, there is no methadone for this adiction.

Thanks That is soooo true.

[latteslave]

Looks like a good setup. Really like how the rock turn out!

[gena]

Looks like a good setup. Really like how the rock turn out!

Thanks! That's the main reason I went with the dry rock. So I could arrange the rock at my leisure! No worrying about live rock sitting out of the water too long. I was able to take my time and get just the right fit. Course, I have to wait a longer time for the tank to cycle. But, that's ok.

[bps7772000]

Nice rock sculpt. That is a giant MagFloat har har.

[Cam barr]

nice!!

[gena]

Nice rock sculpt. That is a giant MagFloat har har.

har har is right I'm waiting patiently for the nimble nanos to come back into production. Supposed to be any day now!

 

nice!!

thank you

[Rain24]

There's your thread! I really do like those Marco rocks. If I didn't go all live, Marco was my other option. And I like that it's on your desk. I wish mine was closer. I need to find a way to work near the tank.

 

Looking good so far. How often are you testing?

[gena]

There's your thread! I really do like those Marco rocks. If I didn't go all live, Marco was my other option. And I like that it's on your desk. I wish mine was closer. I need to find a way to work near the tank.

 

Looking good so far. How often are you testing?

 

Thanks! I'm testing once a week. It's a slow cycle. I'll have the next results this Friday.

[gena]

 

I decided to add my mp10 to this tank. So far I have it dialed all the way down to avoid a sandstorm. Over time I hope to be able to bring the flow up. I also added the surface skimmer. Makes a world of difference. No oil slick at the surface!

[squirrelieygrrrl]

yay gena!

 

i knew you couldnt stay away long. im totally diggin the 'scape, i like the depth of field it creates.

[gena]

yay gena!

 

i knew you couldnt stay away long. im totally diggin the 'scape, i like the depth of field it creates.

Thanks, squirrel! I really, truly, honestly thought I could do it. Wait a year...just a year!!!!! OMG!!!!! It's unbelievable...the power this hobby has over me....LOL

[gulfsurfer101]

I love the look of the dry rock in there, is that live sand your using to start up the cycle.

[gena]

I love the look of the dry rock in there, is that live sand your using to start up the cycle.

Thanks! I'm pretty happy with the rock. I hope eventually you won't even see it because it will be covered with coral! No live sand. I purchased a small piece of live rock to seed and added a cocktail shrimp. The cycle is definitely underway.

[gena]

I think my cycle is done. But I'm confused by the findings! Here's the readings I've had over the past 16 days:

 

2/11: Ammonia .5-1.0, Nitrite: .25-.50, Nitrate: 5-10

 

2/13: Ammonia .5, Nitrite: 5.0+, Nitrate: 20

 

2/18: Ammonia 0-.25, Nitrite: 5.0+, Nitrate: 20-40

 

2/24: Ammonia 0 (maybe a little above), Nitrite: 0, Nitrate: 0-5.0

 

I was plannning to test tomorrow (week in between) but was curious today, so. I've not had any diatom bloom yet...but I haven't been running lights at all. Does lighting making a difference as to having a diatom bloom or not? Maybe I'll keep the lights running from now on.

 

I think I'm cycled, but don't know. Any ideas? Here's a picture of today's test results:

 

 

I retested the ammonia because I waited more than 5 minutes past the done time when the picture was snapped above. It's definitely reading 0 for ammonia at the 5 minute mark. I guess my biggest confusion is that there are no diatoms (possibly from no light) and the nitrate dropped when I haven't done anything. No water changes at all.

[squirrelieygrrrl]

looks like your on the right track, but i might give it a few days to a week and then retest just to make sure those readings are stable/accurate.

 

i would say the lack of light has something to do with no algae, if it were me id turn it on and let it run through its normal photo period. i cant come up with a good reason for your parameter question though.

 

reefing is definitely like some sort of sickness... lulz.

[gena]

looks like your on the right track, but i might give it a few days to a week and then retest just to make sure those readings are stable/accurate.

 

i would say the lack of light has something to do with no algae, if it were me id turn it on and let it run through its normal photo period. i cant come up with a good reason for your parameter question though.

 

reefing is definitely like some sort of sickness... lulz.

I think that's a good suggestion. I might pick up some chaeto for the fuge, just to keep things in check while I'm running a normal light cycle. Thanks for the advice!!!!!

[dhraakoxr]

Sweet setup man! Good luck!

[Rain24]

Nice testing pic. My first one looked almost exactly like your results!

[gena]

I picked up some chaeto today. The fuge is up and running. Got some critters included with the chaeto as well. Found a bristleworm and some nice big pods (the ones that look like fleas). That's the one thing I really miss with using dry rock...no critters.

[Rain24]

I hear you on the no critters thing. I've found a few things on mine, but I keep wishing for more. Maybe I should have gone uncured. I was too chicken though. I didn't want to end up with things I had no idea how to get rid of.

[gena]

Parameters have been holding steady even with adding fish pellets for the bacteria. I added my first few frags of coral. Got a devil's hand leather, yellow star polyps, red mushrooms, radioactive dragon eye zoas w/a couple of eagle eyes, and a bicolor frogspawn.

 

 

 

 

[squirrelieygrrrl]

hooray!

 

finally huh? lookin great gena. love where your going with it.

 

did you catch my reply about the red mushies? if not, be careful how close you place them to lps, ive lost/damaged a number of frags with mine. though your morph may be less aggressive. yours seem much more red than mine.

 

'grats hun! cant wait to see how it matures, your 10g was fantastic. so i can only imagine how great this is gonna turn out. you really seem to have an eye for coral placement.

 

[gena]

hooray!

 

finally huh? lookin great gena. love where your going with it.

 

did you catch my reply about the red mushies? if not, be careful how close you place them to lps, ive lost/damaged a number of frags with mine. though your morph may be less aggressive. yours seem much more red than mine.

 

'grats hun! cant wait to see how it matures, your 10g was fantastic. so i can only imagine how great this is gonna turn out. you really seem to have an eye for coral placement.

 

awe...thanks squirrel I'm looking forward to just sitting back and watching it mature. Like I said before...I'm taking the laid back approach. Easy coral, easy routine. I did see your comment about the red mushrooms. I will keep that great information in the back of my mind during future coral placement!!!!!