Need help with 12 gallon nanocube

[Reefwick]

I've had the tank for 2 1/2 months. I have 1 clown, 1 scooter blenny, 1 long spine sea urchin and 5 snails.

I have 12 lbs of live rock and I use sea lab no 28. I have had an anemone but it died three weeks ago. I need to know a few things.

 

1st) Should I remove my bioballs? ( I was told to do so )

 

2cd) Is there a certain direction I should point my jet spout?

 

3rd) The algae gets really bad on the glass is there anyway to get that cut down?

 

4th) What is protein skimming and should I be doing that?

 

5th) What kind of corals can live in there with my stock lighting? ( I have the deluxe )

 

6th) Should i vacuum the sand?

 

7th) just any other things that could help me on my journey with this fabulous new hobby

[Colossus]

I actually joined nano-reef.com to ask just about the same questions you are asking. What I do know (at least what I was told) is that you should remove all bio balls, the ceramic rings and even the sponges if you are going to have live rock and live sand as they will work against each other if you don’t. I set up my Nano Cube 12Dx about a month ago with 12lbs of live sand, ten lbs of live rock and RO salt water. My problem and question is similar to yours. The purple algae that was on the live rock seems to be dieing and I’m wondering if this living reef filtration system is actually working?

The guy at the reef shop said some people were blocking the grill where the water intake is on the back and cutting an opening closer to the top to create more of a skimmer effect? Any help with that one? Or bottom line, will my live reef natural filtration eventually kick in?

[newbiecarlz]

hey reefwick, im going to answer your questions based on my own experience with my 12 gal cube (ive had it 9months now).

 

first off, how long did you let the tank cycle? normally you cycle for at least one month before adding ANYTHIG. an anenome and two fish in a 2 1/2 month old tank is bound to cause problems, i wouldnt add anything else for a while (and i wouldnt replace that anenome, i dont think they belong in nanos). also does your scooter blenny eat prepared foods? you wont have enough pods in the tank to feed him otherwise. now to your questions:

 

1st) I dont have any bioballs or filter media in my tank. just live rock rubble in one back compartment.

 

2cd) Is there a certain direction I should point my jet spout?

where do you have it pointing now? the idea is that you should try to have good circulation in the tank - ie no 'dead' spots

 

3rd) The algae gets really bad on the glass is there anyway to get that cut down?

what kind of snails do you have? if they arent cleaning your glass maybe you should get some that will, or you can clean it yourself with a algae scraper (or an old credit card works fine). you should look at why you have algae, im guessing because you have such a new tank that is probably part of it, but you could be overfeeding or your water supply could be bad. test for phosphates if its ongoing.

 

4th) What is protein skimming and should I be doing that?

protien skimming is the process of removing dissolved organic compounds out of the water. to do this you need a protien skimmer. lots of people on this site dont use them on nanos. i dont have one. you will need to do regular water changes - i do about 15% per week.

 

5th) What kind of corals can live in there with my stock lighting? ( I have the deluxe )

I would start with some 'hardy' corals like mushrooms and then do research on any that take your fancy to see if they will work in your system.

 

6th) Should i vacuum the sand?

i have never vacumed my sand. your sand operates a bit like your live rock and will support a heap of bacteria and other organisms. i would just leave it alone, you probably do much more harm than good i would think. why do you want to vacum it? is it dirty? you can siphon off any loose debris etc.

 

7th) just any other things that could help me on my journey with this fabulous new hobby

 

do some research! you could have answered all these questions by searching this site or visiting another place like www.wetwebmedia.com - because im bored and trying to avoid doing some study, so ive just answered all this for you. also PATIENCE! dont add anything else to your cube until you have all your parameters stable and make sure to do some research before buying livestock.

[CRAVIN CRITTERS]

take everything out of the back compartments they cause to much nitrates. protien skimming is personal preferance mainly but also depends on your live stock. you shouldnt put an anemone in the tank unless youve had your tank along time they are really hard to keep and if they dont have a perfect spot in the aquarium they will move around alot. If you dont no how protien skimming works you need to spend alot of time researching more. I was here for at least 5 months before I started.

[Reefwick]

Wow thanks for the help! I have been doing alot of research but you hear different things to do on the same subject depending on where you hear it from. (kinda frustrating) I did let my tank cycle for at least 6 weeks before i added anything. Then I got the scooter blenny and about 2 weeks after that i got the anemone and clown.

 

So should I buy the live rock rubble before i take out all the stuffin the back compartments?

[newbiecarlz]

yes put the rubble in before you remove the media in the back. you would have a substantial bacterial population in the media and you need to change it over slowly - i would add the rock and then leave it for a week or so before starting to remove the media a little bit at a time.