24G Nano Cube DX Startup, Setup, Manual for newbies, in the works

[woobycat]

C:Documents and SettingsHP_OwnerDesktop

[woobycat]

Hey guys,

 

Going to try this picture posting thing. If it works, here is a photo of my 24g Cube from the side. It is two months old today. Thanks to SH for starting this excellent thread for all of us newbies

 

Regards,

 

WDM

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/gallery/showphoto...&sort=1&cat=500

[steelhealr]

Great job Woobycat...blows mine away...I'm battling cyano right now, and, for the moment, I seem to be ahead. I'm not adding any new corals until things are under control.

 

To post photos, go to photobucket.com..set up a free account, upload your pix, cut and past the link under the picture into your post. WTG Wooby...now I have to catch up to everyone. SH

[Billio]

Woobycat: You tank looks good. How about some specs and the type of corals you have in there?

 

I'm trying to find out what placements for lighting and what current works best for some of the common corals out there. I just picked up my first corals for my tank on Saturday and I'm playing Move the Coral to find places they prefer in the tank. My pulsing Xenia seems to like mid level with less current in my stock 24dx with an extra maxijet 1200 (Same Config as SH)

 

SH: That's depressing to see the red algae outbreak. There is a small amount of hair algae on one of my frags and I'm hoping it doesn't bloom. I also picked off a piece of bubble algae off a different frag. The frag had a piece of bubble algae on it when I got it and we removed it before bagging it. I was hoping it wouldn't come back. At least it was easy to remove from the tank.

 

On a different note, my snails and crab are a little rough on my frags. I've watched them push two of them over and watched intently as my emerald crab picked at the rock with my zoos. I wanted to see if he was going to take a hunk out of them. I don't believe he touched anything except rock but he almost pushed the frag off the LR. How big can these guys get?

 

Also, I have a loose camel back crab in the tank, thanks to incorrect info at the LFS when my wife picked it out. I saw him next to my zoos yesterday. I'm going to count the polyps and see if he's attacked anything. I have to drain the tank to redo the base of the shelving and move it a few inches. I'm going to move everything into a 5G soon to be nano and pucket for the LR and remove this guy from my tank.

 

So far, I really like my lawnmower blenny. He's the biggest fish in the tank but he's pretty cool. My cherub angel is fun to watch as it weaves through the LR and my clowns will eat from my hands.

[VBAQUARIUM]

Hey WDM,

 

That looks really good. I'm at 1 1/2 months now, and I have no corals yet trying to just get my Nitrates down.... I can't wait to get my tank to look something like yours. What is the plant on the side? Keep it up man.

[sr71pav]

Woobycat, that tank is gorgeous! Hope you don't mind, but I just set that pic as my new background for motivation when I get one underway.

[steelhealr]

HI Billio...I wanted a xenia....someone told me that they can grow like weeds. You may have to 'prune it' at some point. You have to do a little research on these corals..there are so many combinations for them, between high placement, low flow, etc. Try peeking at liveaquaria.com...they sometimes list where they go in the tank.

 

As for depressing, well....it is, but, I'll post a before and after pic tomorrow. It's been just about 96 hours and the cyano is gone....25% water change tonite...2 more days to go and my biologic filter is holding at present. No loss of life so far. I have an 'emergency' filter in since the carbon has to be out...polyfilter, PhosGuard and I'm trying Algone. Funny thing about this cyano:

--I have featherdusters coming up

--my frag that had the yellow colony polyps on it that died and I scrubbed the s#$%t out of...two survived and are coming back

--all my other corals are thriving

--haven't had to scrape diatoms in a week and a half

 

My recommendation to everyone:

IF YOU THINK THE FRAG IS DOA, THING TWICE BEFORE PUTTING IT IN YOUR TANK. I was going to set up a 'holding tank'...I should have. Lesson learned. And don't you believe those comments that cyano starts because of 'low flow'. Bah Humbug.

 

Thanks for everyone's support!! SH

[mowerman]

Ur Phone broke?

[steelhealr]

? ? ? SH

[woobycat]

Hey guy’s,

 

Thanks for the kind responses regarding my Cube. SR71, I am flattered, of course you may use the picture if you really wish to. SH my sage, how is the Cyano saga panning out? I have been very lucky thus far. Taking it as you would say, SLOWLY.

Thus far I have added Green Star Polyps, pulsing Xenia, Purple Mushrooms, Green Ricordia, Super Color Zoo’s (?) Devils Hand, three Feather Dusters and a Blue Sponge. As far as livestock, the usual clean up crew (no crabs) a Bi Color Blenny and Pink and Blue Blenny and a Cleaner Shrimp.

I have modded into the sump wall additional flow with SH suggestion of a Maxi 1200 (X2, one replacing the stock Rio and the add-on) I used SH egg light mod with cheato and LR in the 2nd chamber. In the first chamber is a Maxi 1200 and ChemPure, and in chamber 3, Maxi 1200, Purigen Bag and heater. I cut out an egg crate cover over back chamber to stop the dreaded fish in the back syndrome.I use Purple Up every night to promote coraline and raise ph.

 

Will post a frontal picture with this post. How do you just post a picture and not a thread to a picture like SH does?

 

Regards,

 

WDM

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/gallery/showphoto...&sort=1&cat=500

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/gallery/showphoto...g&cat=500&page=

[steelhealr]

Four days later and reclaiming my tank:

 

Before

 

 

After

 

 

Before

 

 

After

 

 

And now (after completing the cleanup), back to designing my tank.

 

 

Thanks to everyone here who PM'd me with support. And once again, thanks to Trekbear who encouraged me to 'go where no man's gone before'...afterall, FAC-NY would have a stroke if he saw this post. LOLOLOL.

 

Here's looking at you. SH

[woobycat]

Hey SH great looking reef sir. I really like your Candy Cane. What are you feeding your corals with?

Regards,

 

WDM

[steelhealr]

Right now....nothing...as I didn't want to add to the bioload while I'm 'doing away' with the cyano. HOWEVER....in my fridge....I have a nice fresh bottle of Coralplankton ready to go and also ordered Zooplex. I ordered th Coralplankton on the recommendations of others. SH

[trekbear]

Thank you for the kind words SteelHealr!

 

Sometimes even great husbandry practices need a helping hand ! I am always willing to help out when I can, and I mean that. You are doing just great! :woot: Look at the wonderful nano reef you have coming up :woot: !

 

Keep it up!

TrekBear

[steelhealr]

Don't try this at home kids. Professional driver on closed track. Just kidding. TB is da man. SH

[steelhealr]

Right now....nothing...as I didn't want to add to the bioload while I'm 'doing away' with the cyano. HOWEVER....in my fridge....I have a nice fresh bottle of Coralplankton ready to go and also ordered Zooplex. I ordered the Coralplankton on the recommendations of others. SH

[sr71pav]

Well, I got a couple of the recommended books today from Amazon. "Simple Guide to Mini-Reef Aquariums" and "New Marine Aquarium". I know not everything applies to a nano, but I feel I've picked up enough around here so far to tell the difference (more or less). Time to begin some reading!

[steelhealr]

WTG Sr71pav...that is the BEST WAY to setup a nano reef....by buying the books and reading first. Although written for a mini reef, many of the principles apply. I read both and you will DEFINITELY BE AHEAD OF THE GAME after finishing them....I guarantee it. We're all here and ready to help when you are going to setupthe aquarium.

 

Felt comfortable adding one more coral. Pix:

 

 

 

 

SH

[trekbear]

Gotta love those orange rics. I like your placement. Keep it going, slow and steady as she goes...

 

TB

[VBAQUARIUM]

Hey everyone,

 

Just an update on my 24G tank. Thanks SH for all your help thus far. I'm still working on lowering the Nitrates. I took out the sponge for a few days, but put it back in when my water change kicked up some debris and clouded my tank. I'll take it out in a few days.

 

My snails are hatching eggs left and right. However, I'm sure they won't make it, but we'll see. I ordered a free crew from Kenton, and they were nice to add onto my small collection.

 

Hey SH, try ordering from Petsolutions, they had some good sales on stuff you use in your first and third chambers.

[steelhealr]

Thanks VBA.....your comments and others like it keep going. I haven't been to their site yet but I will check it out. So far, I've been Drs S-F have been pretty good by me.....even with shipping tacked on, they are competitive or even lower than the local lfs. I still support them tho' with buying livestock and other things. I'm looking into some other things now to work on...hoping that my cyano stays away. SH

[steelhealr]

Hi...walked in on the tank tonite to check s.g. and saw my new ricordea florida....in the dark. Wow. Have a good evening. SH

 

 

[VBAQUARIUM]

Hey SH,

 

Had to find this thread! I got rid of my damsels, which took some great effort.I got two Percula Clowns yesterday, and they have not eaten yet.. .What should I do? I tried feeding them flakes. Let me know. Thanks!

[szesteve]

Hi SH,

 

Great job doing the documentation!

 

Do u think u could post pictures of the individual chambers?

 

Also, why are u using 2 pumps? Do u find that the stock pump doesn't provide sufficient flow?

[trekbear]

szeteve,

 

Most of the users of the Nano-Cube have upgraded the Stock pump to the MJ606 for 12Gallon users and MJ1200 for the 24gallon users. They then take the stock pump and move it to the 1st chamber pointing thru the grate to create more flow for the tank.

 

The reasoning is the stock pump puts out rouhgly 10x flow of tank volume and typically for a mixed reef you want between 20x-40x the flow.

 

The stock (roughly 10x) configuration will provide enough flow for softies , but the lps and most softies will thrive better in more volume of flow than the stock cube provides.

 

sorry to hijack here SH, just had to put my thoughts on this subject in here.

 

Trekbear