Wow Totally Overwhelmed!!!!!

[blueram22]

I have read alot about reef tanks, and i thought i was ready. After reading some forums, I feel as if i am going to explode. Talking about sumps and everything I am going to get the 12 Gallon JBJ nanocube deluxe when I am ready. I just need to know what I shjould do for the sump, and everything like that. I also want to make a moonlight system but am totally overwhelmed by that also. COuld anybody walk me through this I need your help so bad:x :*( .

 

 

Thanks?:*(

[peco54]

I feel as though you have not researched enough. I researched heavily for 9 months before I purchased my first and only tank and I still feel like an idiot...lol, no offense to you.

 

Anyway to answer your question about the sump... A sump is "basically" a water reservior (sp?) that is usually placed under your aquarium. water between the reservior and the aquarium continuously gets cycled through. People use sumps to hide equipment. The sump can also be designed to act as a fuge but thats another topic all together. For a nanocube, first, you would not really need a sump for something that small, and second, trying to rig a sump to a nanocube kinda defeats the purpose of the nanocube as an "all-in-one" system.

 

As far as equipment goes, all you probably need is a nice glass hydrometer, a 25-50 watt heater, a thermometer, and some salt. You don't really need a moonlight but you can easily hook one up or just buy a nanocube already rigged up from www.nanocustoms.com .

 

hope this kinda helps. Good luck. Remember, there is always more to learn

[Chronicles]

Just get the 12DX, it will have 2 moonlights in it. The rear of a nano cube is a "sump". It will hold the pumps, heater, even turn the center into a fuge. Don't waste your money on a glass hydrometer when a refractometer @ DFS is only $35.

 

What's even easier, is if you have a petco near you, go get 2 boxes of catalina ocean water. If you do it this way you'll never have to mix water. Just buy a 5gal box and you're set for the month. Total cost to run will be the $10 of water. You'll need about 10lbs of sand, and maybe 12-15lbs of live rock. My cube only took 9gal of water to fill with sand and almost half the rock in. It's up to you if you want to mix your own water. I chose the 12 over the 24 for the exact reason that I can now buy a 5gallon box of saltwater and never have to screw with mixing again.

 

So: get the cube, set it all up and don't touch it till the cycle was over. I can honestly say I've wasted over $700 in this hobby from not understanding it to start. I had 4 tanks out in my shed, a boatload of chemicals I'll never use, and livestock I can never bring back. :*(

[blueram22]

12 Gal Nano Cube DELUXE JBJ LED. this one?

[Chronicles]

yeah, I got mine at petsolutions for $149. It cost $20 to ship the cube and the stand, not bad

[afiser]

or you can buy from the petsoulutions store on ebay and shipping is only $10

[afiser]

here is a link (not sure if there is an LED moon light on this one tho)

[DitchPlains]

WELCOME TO NANOREEF!!

 

IN case nobody said welcome, your questions are all valid. This hobby can be overwhelming at times, this website I have found, can say lives...The lives of your livestock, both corals and fish, as well as inverts. Keep researching before you make any purchases on livestock, for now stick with the basics, and getting your tank wired for future creatures.

 

Good luck Buddy! :phone:

[blueram22]

Thanks, that helped alot!

[skilter]

i wish i had first researched when i entered this hobby, i remember going to the LFS for some feeder fish and saw a display 40g tank and was amazed, so i walked out w/ a skilter 250, a 10g tank, and a bag of LS. and i had no idea what i was getting into. that was 5 yrs ago. but its really not that hard, as long as you are religious about taking care of the tank and water changes, nano's are really quite simple. its when you get into skimmers and kalc reactors and drips and having several different types of fish that it gets confusing. but.... its sure addicting! GOOD LUCK on whatever you decide!