The "Family 6", an adventure for all of us!

[CharlesFoxtrot]

Greetings to all, and it's great to be making my first post first thread on this forum. I've been lurking and learning, and it's finally time to put it all into practice and start my first nano reef! Well, my first reef at all, really. I'm reassured by the research, though, and I think it'll be a worthy challenge. 

 

So, we'll be starting a 6 gallon JBJ Nano Cube (LED) for the family, now that we are in our own house and can keep it set up indefinitely. I, of course, will be the primary on the project, but Dearly Beloved will be helping, giving input, and most importantly allowing me to set up a tank in the first place. It's my first tank that she has ever been excited at all about, and I'm pretty stoked about that. 

 

I'm from a FW background, and choosing to go to SW, and a nano at that, was driven in part because of... integrated shelving. Our place has big shelves built into the living room walls, and it really cuts down on usable floor/wall space to setup a larger tank. Basically, the tank has to fit on one of these shelves, and the NC 6 is the biggest tank that will fit the bill.  Fortunately, the shelves are really large and sturdy, being built into the wall, so structurally we should be good to go.

 

And so, this thread. Dearly Beloved and I will be going to pick out live rock this evening, and the Family 6 will be ready to start cycling tonight. More about the setup, equipment, and blurry pictures to come! I mostly wanted to start this thread now in case anyone wants to chip in setup advice. The info I've been studying seems solid on this, but most of it seems to have been written prior to 2010 or so, and I wanted to get the latest updates, if there are any. 

 

My only pressing questions are these three. One, how tight are the tolerances for SG on the water? Mine is measuring 1.024 by float hydrometer; will that be close enough to cycle with? Two, will the pH be correct if I mixed the water to the right SG? It tested at about 8.4 or so when mixed, but I don't know if that's proper, or how to change it if it isn't. Finally, should I scrub my LR whenever I get it home? There seems to be some disagreement about that. 

 

Well, that's us. Thanks for the answers and support, and sorry if I'm asking some of those already-answered questions. Cheers, and updates are to come! 

[fishfreak0114]

As long as your SG is between 1.023-1.026 I think you're fine. Definitely to cycle. I'd recommend getting a refractometer, they're much more reliable  by the way. Hopefully someone will come along with more answers. 

[Christopher Marks]

Welcome to the community @CharlesFoxtrot!

 

For your newly mixed saltwater, keep in mind that the temperature of the water will effect your readings, especially with cold water this time of year. Scrubbing your new live rock won't hurt it, but it's really up to you, see how you feel about the rock once you're picking it out, you'll see the kind of system it's coming from and the condition of it. If it's uncured rock, a good scrub is advised.

[ReefSafeSolutions]

A pH of 8.4 is perfect.  And even if the pH drops bit in your tank I wouldn't worry about it.  I spent a lot of time chasing pH in my last tank and I ended up killing my corals.  Once your cycle is complete (shouldn't take long if your live rock is dried out and is still cured) and you have corals in your tank, you'll want to focus on keeping your magnesium, alkalinity, and calcium at the right levels, rather than chasing down pH.

 

In regards to scrubbing your live rock, it depends on the rock you're planning on getting.  If it's live and has a bunch of critters and stuff on it, you could scrub it with a brush or something if you wanted.  This rock will likely already be cured and will cycle very quickly, as the bacteria population will already be establish.  Scrubbing the rock shouldn't remove the bacteria population as long as its manual scrubbing, no chemicals.  If you're getting live rock that has been dried out, I'd definitely scrub it and try to get off as much dead organic material as possible.  What will happen is once you submerge the rock and start the cycle, the dried out organic stuffs will start to decompose.  May as well just remove as much as you can beforehand.  Granted, this assumes you'll be using bottled ammonia to start your cycle.  If you AREN'T using bottled ammonia to start the cycle, just leave the dead organic material on there, as it will release ammonia as it decays and get your cycle going.  It could be a pretty long cycle though.

 

If you're going with dry rock that has NOT been live, no need to scrub.  You'll need an ammonia source to start a cycle with this rock, though.  Either dead shrimp, or bottled ammonia.  I prefer bottled ammonia.  It's faster and you avoid the old seafood smell.  

 

I know you didn't ask about this, but I'd also definitely look into bottled bacteria, if you're using dry rock.  It won't cycle your tank in as fast as the bottles always say, but it will definitely speed it up.

[Clown79]

Welcome!

 

Sg at 1.024 is fine. Corals do better with 1.025 or 1.026 but 1.024 is fine. Just remember to top up everyday with freshwater. Make a mark on the tank with a marker in an area that isn't noticeable and top up to that mark everyday.

 

As for liverock cleaning. It depends. I have always brushed it lightly with a new toothbrush and dipped it in water to remove alot of the gunk that comes in on it.

 

Ph- don't chase it. It fluctuates throughout the day and is effected by photosynthesis. Don't buffer it either.

If your alk is fine, your ph should be too.

 

Hydrometers aren't very reliable. I learned that after getting a refractometer. 

1 air bubble, uneven, or salt residue will alter the sg in a hydrometer. 

 

Once you set up the tank with liverock, start testing within 24-48hrs as liverock cycles can be much faster.

[CharlesFoxtrot]

Well, Dearly Beloved, the Heir Apparent, and I went to choose live rock yesterday evening, and now the LR and LS are in place! I used 6.6 lbs of quite porous rock, and a like amount of AragAlive west Caribbean reef sand. I was going to go with Fiji pink sand, but I like this kind because it's a little less homogenous. Also it doesn't seem to "sand dune" as easily due to some larger particles. I'm a bit concerned that my rockwork is too tippy; if I try to shift it, it will sometimes rock a little. Do I need to putty it together, do you think? 

 

Tank equipment includes a Sicce Syncra return pump @ 185 gph with a Hydor rotating deflector, Cobalt Neo Therm 25W heater, 3 LEDs at 10000K, and another 3 at 20000K. I also have a Koralia Nano that is on standby for now. Hopefully I won't need more flow, though. Thoughts? 

 

Pictures are below (I hope). The tank is a little cloudy again, because I had to shift a little more LS under that overhang. I used the ladle from the kitchen. DB will never be told about that tool choice. The idea of live sand has her a little creeped out, she was expecting to see it moving or some such. You can see the built-in shelf in one of the pics. 

 

Bottled ammonia has been added, and the water now measures at 1 ppm. Not sure if I should add a little more ammonia? 

 

BTW, yes that is an LCD thermometer on the front of the glass. I'm not relying on it, just using it as a quick look to see if the digital thermometer needs to come out. Interestingly, the LCD thermo is pretty accurate according to the digital thermo. Temperature is holding steady at 79 degrees. I'm glad I got the quite expensive Cobalt heater, because I discovered the Jager would have been too tall to fit in this tiny tank! 

 

Any advice on photoperiod while cycling? I've heard 12 hrs, also heard start with 2 hrs and gradually increase. 

 

And, blessing of all blessings, our LFS seems to be a really good one. The owner didn't try to up-sell me when I first went, even though I gave her a few chances. Also found out that a friend of DB's works there as a second job. The husband of the friend has known my sister for about 15 years. Doesn't mean they'll be knowledgeable, but I think they'll be honest with me. Still, I'll season it with salt (so to speak).

 

A final note: please forgive me if I'm being preachy, presumptuous, or long-winded. I'm just trying to articulate my decisions and thoughts the best I can, because I found very few 6 gal threads out there to read about, and I'm trying to make this a good one. Thanks for all the great advice so far, and can't wait to hear your thoughts!  

[Weetabix7]

I've found that Turkey Basters also make a great Reef tool. 

I'll let you decide whether or not tell DB about that. 

 

Looks like you're off to a good start. 

I notice you're in Florida. Where at?

Just curious, cause I used to work at a great LFS called Fish's Paradise in Hallandale. 

[ReefSafeSolutions]

For what it's worth, I left my lights off while I cycled my tank.  Since you don't have any livestock, you don't need a photoperiod for this part of the process.

[CharlesFoxtrot]

Weetabix7, thanks for the heads up on the turkey baster. I was required to buy my very own, and to keep them out of the kitchen at all times. I actually got 2 of them, and cut about .75 inches off the end of one. So now I have a squirter and a sucker, I think they'll both be worth their weight in something valuable from what I've read. Also, I'm in Ocala now, but I lived in Miramar when I was a kid. We used to go over to Hallandale for the beach. Never visited the LFS, though.

 

And thanks for the tip on the photoperiod, ReefSafe. I may need to keep the lights on a little bit though, because my son likes to look in there. I imagine he'll like it even more when there's stuff in there to look at. It's really funny, he has picked up on the lingo, he's been talking about live rock for days, and has now started asking every 10 mins if the tank is cycling. Toddlers are sponges.

[Clown79]

Brand new turkey baster, brand new tooth brushes, brand new baby bottle brushes will all come in handy.

 

I always epoxy my rocks, better to be safe.

 

If you are using liverock, theres no need to dose ammonia, it can actually kill any life form on the rock. Not bacteria but any beneficial critters.

[CharlesFoxtrot]

Someone said that the thing to do while cycling is to find another hobby for a while. Not having much luck there, so I built a DIY media holder this evening. It's not so much a rack as a table, more or less to hold my bag of chemipure (or whatever) up from the bottom of compartment 1 for easy access. My hand is not quite small enough to reach all the way to the bottom.  Picture is below, got to love egg crate and zip ties.

 

I hear that filter media like chemipure, purigen, and sea gel can be helpful in the absence of a protein skimmer. Do you have any favorites? 

 

Thanks for the gear tips, Clown79. I wouldn't have thought of baby bottle brushes. And I think the epoxy is a good idea, although I thought I might be able to get away without. That'll be on the soon to do list. And we watch and wait...

[Clown79]

I used chemipure in the past but stopped. It doesn't last as long as claimed and i saw no benefit for the cost.

 

I use a good carbon like Seachem Matrix or Kent in a media bag. I rinse the bag weekly to remove any detritus and change out the carbon every 3 wks.

 

 I use small quantities of phosguard when needed. 

 

I also use purigen although can't really say if its done anything to the tank.

 

I also use filter floss which i buy in bulk. This is changed twice a week.

 

During cycling, I'd use floss only.

Keep lights off to reduce algae outbreak

 

To keep yourself occupied during cycling:

 

Test the tank daily- keep a log

 

Purchase stuff you will need for maintenance: turkey basters, bottle brush, buckets, small containers, tooth brush, tweezers(u want all new stuff that isn't used for anything else)

 

Read up on corals you like

Plan on corals you want and placement of them 

 

Organize all your supplies

 

 

[CharlesFoxtrot]

Clown79, sounds like a good list. I appreciate your feedback on the filter media, too; there really seems to be a lot of variance there, especially when protein skimmers aren't being used. I plan on doing all my water tests, even if only to get some practice in using the non-FW variety. 

 

I've been doing some reading up on corals, and I'm wondering which are truly hard to care for or else really inappropriate for a 6g nano. What I want to avoid is choosing a lot of corals I don't really like just because people say they're good for beginners. But, I also don't want to get corals and kill them because I'm not ready for them yet. Anyone else have this quandary starting out? What was your solution? 

[fishfreak0114]

I started with Zoas which I love because they're easy and come in awesome colors, and then a couple mushrooms that I was unsure if I wanted.  I don't mind them, but they grow FAST. Might just be the type. Followed by a hammer which was also really easy. I say, if they're aren't any Zoas/mushies/leathers you like, get an LPS you like. I would hold off on sps, but that's JMO. I still can't keep sps lol you might have better luck. If you started with something easy you didn't like, you could always remove it later. 

[Weetabix7]

1 hour ago, CharlesFoxtrot said:

Clown79, sounds like a good list. I appreciate your feedback on the filter media, too; there really seems to be a lot of variance there, especially when protein skimmers aren't being used. I plan on doing all my water tests, even if only to get some practice in using the non-FW variety. 

 

I've been doing some reading up on corals, and I'm wondering which are truly hard to care for or else really inappropriate for a 6g nano. What I want to avoid is choosing a lot of corals I don't really like just because people say they're good for beginners. But, I also don't want to get corals and kill them because I'm not ready for them yet. Anyone else have this quandary starting out? What was your solution? 

 

Look at member's tank threads and start writing down all the corals you like that you see in their pics. Especially make a note of the ones that you seem drawn to in multiple setups. 

Then research those corals and see which would be the best to start with. 

Generally speaking, it's best to start with Soft Corals, then move to LPS, then on to SPS once your tank is stable and you have a good enough understanding of how to care for it. 

[xAyanex]

I don't think protein skimmers are necessary in smaller tanks.

 

Light is unnecessary during cycling. It promotes growth of potential nuisance algae.

 

Also during cycling I only used filter floss. After cycling was done I use chemipure elite and purigen with the filter floss.

 

[CharlesFoxtrot]

Well, we're cycling right along. Ammonia down to 0.5, nitrites 0, and saw my first nitrates today, looks like about 5 ppm. 

 

Also tested Alk, Ca, and Mg.  Whew. Never had a chemistry set as a kid, but I sure have one now. I haven't titrated anything since undergrad general chem. All levels look right according to the salt mix label. 

 

My pH is down to 8.0, should I be concerned? I've been advised earlier (thanks, Clown79 and ReefSafe) not to chase pH, but is there a level where I should be worried, maybe do an immediate water change? Any guidance will be most welcome. 

 

Also noticing something that looks like cobwebs on the LR today. Some kind of hitch hiker, maybe? Possibly just die-off, the ID forums haven't been too helpful, but I can't get a decent pic. Too small and wispy. There are some strands of what appears to be the same stuff across the intake grill as well. Anyway, off to bed, it's been a long day at the zoo and Kennedy Space Center yesterday. DB loves to keep my weekends stuffed full of toddler chasing. At least he's forgotten to pester me about whether the tank is cycled by now.  Nighty-night, N-R.

[xAyanex]

Don't worry about or chase the pH. 8.0 is just fine.

 

As long as you keep up with regular tank maintenance and good husbandry, you'll be just fine.

[Weetabix7]

7 hours ago, xAyanex said:

Don't worry about or chase the pH. 8.0 is just fine.

 

As long as you keep up with regular tank maintenance and good husbandry, you'll be just fine.

 

Agreed. 

 

As for the cobwebby stuff, my official ID on that is "Tank Flotsam". 

It's normal stuff that builds up. You can wipe it off the intakes and when you do a WC, use a turkey baster to blow it off rocks and into the water column before removing water. 

Perfectly normal. 

If your tank were more established, there's the possibility of a Spaghetti Worm (a beneficial hitchhiker), but in your case I don't believe that's so, esp. with it being on the intake grill. 

Nice to see things moving right along!!

[Clown79]

For corals, stick to the easier types that you like. Softies and lps. There are many beautiful corals not just sps.

 

Yes, Sps are beautiful but they can also be a pain and cause you stress.

Any little change can cause them to go downhill, sometimes you will never know why rtn happens.

Keeping them happy requires stability and maturity of the tank. It will take time for that in a 6g.

6g easily fluctuate which sps simply don't handle well.

 

 

[CharlesFoxtrot]

Thanks xAyanex and Weetabix7 for the reassurances on the pH. I'll be sure not to stress on it. 

 

As far as the corals, I'm definitely going to stay away from sps. I certainly don't need more stress in my life. Also, I'm fairly sure my lighting wouldn't support them without retrofitting. Speaking of lights, I found this great calculator that translates watts to lumens (or lumens to watts) so it's possible to figure out relative light intensity for different lighting types. For example, my LED lumens are about equal to the lumens for 5.4W of metal halides. Here's the site, check it out: http://www.rapidtables.com/calc/light/lumen-to-watt-calculator.htm

 

I've developed a mini sand dune from my rotating deflector, but just in one spot. I'm weighing my options. I'm inclined to just ignore it for now, and maybe put something that likes high flow over there at some point. Mostly I don't want my sand bed to be too uneven. Maybe add a little more LS over there to even it out? Blurry pics below. 

 

Thanks for all the answers, everyone. It's great to get info that's really up to date, and I really appreciate your help in getting things running right. 

 

 

[Weetabix7]

Y'know, realistically, if you even it out some sand digging shrimp or fish will come along and make dunes somewhere else. 

Might as well acclimate your brain to it now, lol. 

[CharlesFoxtrot]

No problem. We'll just let the things that do not matter truly slide. OCD master switch set to OFF.   

[CharlesFoxtrot]

My ammonia has just measured 0 ppm for the second day running, nitrites also 0 ppm, and nitrates at 10 ppm. I'm rather surprised at this, figured it would take much longer than just a few days for those sorts of results. Maybe seeing some coralline algae spreading, although perhaps it's been there all along? Reddish stuff on my LR, at least. 

 

Anyone have a perspective on what might be going on in there? I'm reluctant to believe that it's already cycled, but I also don't have experience cycling with LR. Maybe things just move right along? I'll continue to monitor the water quality, but I'm wide open to any other suggestions.

 

Well, of course I'm open to suggestions. You guys are the best. 

[xAyanex]

Could already be cycled if you used live rock that was already cured.