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

[burtbollinger]

Does the MJ1200 fit in the 24G without any modifications? Or do I have to trim some things to make it fit?

[steelhealr]

To VBA..give the percs time and make sure there is no aggression between the two. They may not eat during acclimation. My ocellaris eats everything...try different foods: cyclopeeze, flake, sinking pellet and mysis shrimp. My clown is a pig and eats everything.

 

To szeteve...trekbear has it right on. Here are some pix of the chambers:

 

first chamber with bulkheadless outflow

 

second chamber with refugium, fuge light, temp and pH probes

 

third chamber with heater and pump...the outflow you see in this pic was moved to chamber one

 

 

To burtbolinger...the MJ1200 fits perfectly in the 3rd chamber without modification. SH

SH

[limulus]

Hey SH,

Are those orange Rics from Old Diver on ebay? I keep looking at those and may try to get a pair in a week or two.

[steelhealr]

Yes..they are...and mine I think are splitting now too. Was very happy with him. I'm due to do a tank update soon. Adding new stuff. SH

[steelhealr]

Update

 

Battling the cyano seems to be over....for now. I've reclaimed my tank but can't predict whether this is a permanent situation for now. It feels good to have white sand again. Embarking on the path I took was not an easy decision. I never added anything to my tanks besides a water change and buffer. However, I can't be a hypocrite. I know I have to rectify the possible causes of the cyano outbreak. (If FAC-NY saw what I did, he'd whack me one). New steps include:

 

--buying a skimmer. Although I am a proponent of water changes, I may have to bend and start skimming. I know the type I would get and that is an AquaC Remora.

--added more live rock, 2 1/2 lbs of Solomon Islands, brings my total to almost 26lbs (23LR/3LR rubble). I got so used to my aquascape that it is hard getting used to having a new big piece in there. Added to hopefully increase the chances for denitrification

 

For NC owners, there isn't a skimmer that fits in our tanks, so, choices include:

1) Plumbing in an external by drilling in the back hood

2) DIY and create one

3) Wait for one to be developed by JBJ

4) Buy a hangon external and skim nightly with the hood ajar or periodically during the week. The most popular skimmers for our NC's are the AquaC Remora and the CPR BakPak.

 

Mods

 

1) The submersible fuge light seems to function. It's been months now and my halimeda and chaeto are still alive

2) I purchased a Hydor Flo and I"m looking into either modifying the stock outlet or just adding it to the end of my 'bulkheadless' outflow. I'll post this mod when I decide how to fit it in

 

Corals

 

1)I started adding plankton for the corals and will also start zooplankton periodically. Since most my corals are 'softies' and leathers, zoo's and LPS, I went with CoralPlankton and will also try ZooPlex

2) I've been dosing my tank with B-Ionic...seems to be helping my alkalinity

3) Two new members...can you ID them?

 

 

 

Livestock

 

1) added 4 cerith snails...haven't seen my nassarius in awhile and wonder if they are gone. Someone stated that they are short lived. Wonder if this contributed to the cyano outbreak

2) new member of the team...can you ID?

 

 

 

 

Hope this helps NC'ers to follow.

 

SH

[Billio]

Looking good SH.

 

My horseshoe crab reappeared tonight. He still seems to be chugging along!

 

 

Here is a full tank view for the time being:

 

 

and here is a close-up of my newest addition, the starfish:

 

 

Saturday, I added an Green Open Brain and I'm hoping he fully expands. I fed him a little bit of brine shrimp Sunday and a small piece of krill tonight. He had expanded to the edge of his skeleton but retracted with the food. Coloration seems good. Hopefully, he'll finish adjusting to the new surroundings and expand. I'm not too happy where I've placed him at the moment but I want him close to the lights.

 

Ah the fun of a newbie reefer. I'll either have a beautiful brain coral as my centerpiece or an expensive mistake. The place where I bought my Green Button Polyps and brain has a hair and bubble algae problem. I believe I irritated and stressed out the brain while trying to remove bubble algae.

 

I've been thinking about the Hydor Flo as well. I'm curious to see your results. As for the protein skimmer, I'm waiting on the nano-customs version as I have little to no time for DIY projects at the moment.

[steelhealr]

Billio,

I have little to no time for DIY projects at the moment.

 

I hear ya....hence my thread..trying to make it easier for some of us with less time and less tools. LOLOL .

 

Star looks good. I read mixed results about them, but, some really do have success with them. I had my OWN disaster with a brain, so, I'm gonna catch my breath first before getting another one. Otherwise, tank looks good and coming along. As for skimming and waiting...AquaC gets good comments here. I'll photo the HydorFlo when I get it installed. SH

[gjones]

Nice yellow stripe clingfish SH

[gjones]

Thanks for making this thread SH, it's been a huge help. I'm not stariing a nano cube, but this thread has a wealth of information that has helped me in my decisions in what supplies to buy and make. I have a 29gal, with a homemade internal fuge, prizim skimmer, 30" current USA Satelite dual PC fixture, Hagen 802 powerhead, danner magdrive 1.9 in the fuge, and my old zoomed powerhead, total GPH around 800, may add another 1.9 to fuge. No water yet, savin up for a RO/DI. I've been buyin parts since april, (shows how lobg it takes to make a nano-reef on a 16yr olds salary) I want to buy ALL the drygoods before I add water, or anything tothe inside of the tank, even water.

 

I will be taking a road trip to Premium aquatics in Indianapolis (4hr round trip) in july to get my LR, LS, and and fuge crude.

 

Billio, is that a pistol shrimp in ypur tank? Hows it doing? I am looking into getting one as a pair with a watchman goby, or another "shrimp goby"

[steelhealr]

Hey GJones....WTG..that is the BEST way to start a nano...PREPARE. You're going about it the right way. BTW, I went school in Cincinnati....crossed the Norwood lateral many a times. Make sure you post back here when you get your tank up and running and thanks for the support. It's posts like yours that keep me going...just wanted to help people get their tanks up and make informed decisions. SH

[burtbollinger]

yeah, steelhealr, thanks for keeping this awesome thread going..I check it daily.

[gjones]

Thanks alot SH your thread is awesome, and very informative.

 

Your clingfish is cool too, I've been thinking of getting one when my tank gets up and running. I've read they're slightly more agressive than other nano sized, reef-friendly fish and probably maxes out around 2". They're a good looking fish, and won't bother your plants, 100% carnivore. You'll have to keep us posted on how he does.

 

I'll try to get some pics up, but the only digital camera in my house is VERY OLD, and the pics look horable. I don't know if they're gona work on my pc (old pice of junk too, everything is mismatched parts from old computers, it's ebay-riffic, but it gets the job done)

 

Thanks for the advice, and the encouragment.

[steelhealr]

I'll keep people posted on the clingfish. He is great so far, very unusual and hovers and undulates...didn't eat today tho' (cyclopeeze). I'll try mysis in a day or so. I've already read posts that they can be moderately difficult to keep and it is unknown if the symbiosis they have with sea urchins is necessary. Hang out before buying one and I'll let everyone know if they can be kept easily. SH

[gjones]

Ok, thatks again SH.

[Billio]

Originally posted by gjones

Billio, is that a pistol shrimp in ypur tank? Hows it doing? I am looking into getting one as a pair with a watchman goby, or another "shrimp goby"

 

I have 2 shrimp in the tank at the moment. A skunk cleaner and a camel shrimp. I plan on removing the camel as I hear there are questions on how reef friendly they are. Unfortunately, he got tired of me trying to catch him and moved to the back of the tank in the LR caves.

 

My cleaner shrimp is very cool, though. Sometimes, when I'm cleaning the tank, he'll come out to inspect me and climb around on my hand. My clowns are tank raised and eat from my hand.

 

I have a 5 gal minibow I'm going to setup for a pistol shrimp/goby combo if my wife doesn't kill me for the money I've spent on this tank so far.

[gjones]

I was wondering because i was looking into them, and they seemeed very cool, and safe. But the people at a close LFS told me they would kill my fish, is this true, or they misunderstanding me, and think i'm talking about a mantis shrimp?

[gjones]

SH, since you're familiar with the cincinnati area, maybe you've heard of Gorilla Glue (supposedly the strongest glue on earth)? (factory mad and located in cincinnati) It's 100% waterproof and solvent free.

 

Do you, or anyone else know if it is reef-safe, It takes a very long time to cure, but I need to glue sand, or small rocks to plexiglass, in order to disguise my internal fuge in a natural, astetically pleasing way. You can get it in large quantities, but believe me, a little dab'll do ya, some people claim you can glue a honda to the road with a 16oz tube. (don't know if it's true, i'll have to test that)

[gjones]

Nevermind the gluing rocks to the plexi, bad idea, but i would still like to know if anyone has used it in a nano.

[steelhealr]

Not sure...you can use silicone....or....epoxy putty if that will work for you. I use that to attach the frags to the LR or to stablize pieces of LR. SH

[steelhealr]

Sideview update photo..pardon the coralline dieoff on the new piece of LR.

 

 

I believe my ricordea is splitting in two. The frags from LA have really opened up and I have been very happy with their service and livestock. For the 'younglings' following up from behind, my corals include:

 

1) Ricordea florida

2) Actinodiscus, red

3) Actinodiscus, green fluorescent

4) Sarcophyton elegans

5) Zoanthids, green and orange

6) Caulastrea curvata

7) Cladiella sp.

8) Tubipora musica

 

SH

[gjones]

Ok, thanks, I think i'm going to try to call the gorilla glue company # tomorow after work. I'm preforming a test tonight, with epoxy, gorilla glue and silicone on a scrap pice of plexi, some rocks and sand. Then I will soak them in water later in the week, scrub, c what holds up best.

 

Your corals look great, how much calcium and other supplements do you add to the H2O if any? And what do you recomend?

[steelhealr]

I was using Oceanic salt but have switched to Tropic Marin. My calcium has been in the 400-500 ppm range. However, I am supplementing my tank with B-Ionic, 2 part buffer system. SH

[szesteve]

SH,

 

Where did you get your fuge light? Does it add extra heat to the water?

 

On another note, I'm almost through selling my 50gallon. Was surfing here and was tempted to upgrade the nanocube to include everything but kicked myself in the butt!

 

I'm gonna stay as close to stock as possible. Only changes i'll make are the pumps and possibly nanobob's skimmer intake.

[Billio]

Originally posted by gjones

I was wondering because i was looking into them, and they seemeed very cool, and safe.  But the people at a close LFS told me they would kill my fish, is this true, or they misunderstanding me, and think i'm talking about a mantis shrimp?

 

I've heard of a pistol shrimp killing something if it's fighting over territory but I believe they are otherwise peaceful.

 

I live in the south Dayton area and I'm familiar with Gorilla Glue. I actually have some. I'm curious how your test come out.

 

As for my brain coral, is actually a green speckled scolymia and seems much happier in less current.

 

Here's a nice link with a list of corals and preferred conditions:

 

http://www.reefermadness.us/CoralCare.htm

[steelhealr]

To Billio...I got my fuge light at a local landscaping/nursery biz that does outdoor ponds...the Egglite was there and I bought one to illuminate an outdoor water feature (which is now down one lite..lol). In the winter time, it didn't add any heat to my tank ( or should I say it took over the job of my heater) and the temp was steady at 78-79 degrees. Since then I added the stock pump back in, have the AC on for the summer time and my temps are steady at 79.5-81.5 degrees. It does add heat but I'd say not major. I think if you go over 10watts halogen, it definitely would do it. SH