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

[the life aquatic]

hey SH,

 

I reached inside the tank and I can't feel any kind of "step" where the crack is. I can tell by looking from outside, that whatever it is crack/scratch is on the inside. Do you think this could mean it is just a scratch? Can you feel anything inside yours? BTW, where is your tank cracked? Thanks.

[steelhealr]

My hairline is in the 'coffin corner' of the JBJ nano cube...the upper right side over the seamless corner. There is a pic of it on this thread. Sometimes the crack can be silicone, but, you could feel this. If there is room near the crack, you may want to invest in a cheap plastic bucket for now...and observe. In the worst case scenario if there is a catastrophic failure, the bucket/tub may catch some water. Contact JBJ. SH

[the life aquatic]

SH,

 

In the past 2 days I have found 4 more "stress cracks" on my tank. This is driving me crazy... I can't imagine them developing this quickly, but at the same time I have been inspecting the tank very closely and regularly since day one. I am afraid this thing is going to crash any day now. Two of the new cracks are on the inside, and two are on the outside. I can feel all of them when I scratch the surface with my fingernail. I have two five gallon buckets on the floor on either side of the stand, and a few other containers/ice chests in place in the event this thing bursts. I have left a message with JBJ and am waiting for a return phone call. Tomorrow morning I am going back to the LFS where I bought the tank to talk with them.

 

I love the design/aesthetics of these tanks, but this whole situation has been so stressful that I really don't think there is any way I would accept a replacement tank from JBJ. I have been researching the past few hours, trying to find a suitable replacement tank in the event that the LFS will give me store credit for a return. I trust that you can give me some honest/good advice on where to go from here. I am looking at the Oceanic 30g... and I have seen 2 posts on this site that refer to an "all-in-one" Oceanic biocube... but I can't find any info about such a tank online. Are you aware of any such tank that is made by Oceanic?

 

I apologize for my recent posts... I feel like I am hijacking your post, which is an awesome tutorial, and I hate to pollute it with dumb newb questions and such... Regardless, I am desperate and the thought of coming home to a small apartment filled w/ saltwater and broken glass is driving me mad.

 

I NEED YOUR HELP!

[steelhealr]

It's not pollution....fuhgedaboutdat....the Nano Cube is a love hate relationship. If you keep finding new cracks, I'd get out before it's too late. If you can't be sure, that's the safest thing. For me, I had taken SO MANY pix for this thread, my tank was virtually mapped out.

 

IMO, all the 'self-contained' systems are gonna be about the same construction. The manufacturers are afraid, IMO, to construct something solid because it will put it out of reach cost-wise, for the average aquarist. In the self contained categories you have:

 

1) JBJ's NC

2) Current USA's Aquapod

3) This Biocube

4) Eclipse systems

 

Eclipse tanks are a bear to DIY and I would stay away from them. Oceanic's is untested as yet. I initially pushed AquaPod, but, turned out it had some cheesey construction.

 

The most solid tanks to go with are AGA's; there is also and I personally love Oceanics 30G. Have you seen it at an lfs? Man..thick solid tank. If you go AGA, go with the 20 long. Bowfronts tend to be a little on the deep side. A long tank allows better light penentration and easier aquascaping. SH

[the life aquatic]

I have seen the 30g Oceanic... in fact that's the one I'm hoping to get as the replacement. My only concern is that they are not truly reef ready. If all goes well and I can actually drain this cube on my time, then that won't be a big deal, but when and if this thing bursts I will need a replacement that is ready to go, otherwise I might lose everything. I guess it is good that I'm lightly stocked after all.

 

The guy at the lfs said he would try and help me out. Not sure what that means exactly. He mentioned the possibility of an Oceanic 58g. That would be awesome if I had a stand big enough, and money for more live rock, more sand, more critters, not to mention a tank for the sump, protein skimmer, etc. Regardless, from what I can tell they do a pretty good job of taking care of their customers (so far/fingers crossed.) We'll see what happens.

[steelhealr]

Well...reef ready means, sorta, 'ready to go for newbs like us'. I think one can make a far better setup with a little work, with an AGA tank or Oceanic. We all can make a nice reef with a nano cube with a little work, or, some elbow grease. The main reason I initially went for a nano cube was the lines....I think it looked cool. I think there are better setups to be honest. I don't think that they have really made the NC strong and reliable as yet. Cost is the issue IMO. At one point, I actually toyed with the idea of designing a ready to go nano tank that was solid.

 

Some people have created a back sump area similar to the NC by siliconing a piece of black plexiglass in the back and creating 3 chambers. it's a bit of work, but, they looked cool. It is more of a challenge to set up an Oceanic...you have to buy pumps, pick out lighting, etc...but....I think you get a nice look, a solid tank and more water volume. Let me know what you decide on. SH

[PirateFish52]

Steel,

 

I have a few questions about the filter media you use. My ammonia and nitrite levels are zero. I cannot get my nitrate levels down.

 

You use Algone, Chemipure, Seagel, and Purigen all at the same time? What is the setup i.e. which chamber/ chambers are you using for this. How much of each etc. Do I need all 4?

 

My setup is: 1st chamber fission protein skimmer towards the top, small mod of sponge by intake, and carbon bag and ceramic tiles on the bottom. Second chamber is U/V sterilizer and third chamber is heater and stock pump.

 

I do not want to remove the protein skimmer or U/V sterilizer. Once I put them in about a month ago, I saw drastic improvement of my water quality, clarity, and it looked like much cleaner water. Water definitely became less funky.

 

I am looking at replacing the ceramic tile bag and the carbon bag. Which filter media do you recommend? I have been trying to get my nitrates down and am leaning towards Algone. Suggestions?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Piratefish

Edited April 11, 2006 by PirateFish52

[steelhealr]

Hey Piratefish....YOW...what are those ceramics doing in there? You can always get up a nice debate on using a sponge or not to, but, I don't think there are many nano reefers here who will put ceramics in there.

 

1) All my media is in chamber one, on top of the stock pump. Choosing your media is the 'art' part of nano'ing. My four media inserts 'work' for me. I use one bag of ChemiPure, changed every 3 months. I use 1/10th of the liter bottle of SeaGel, changed once every 3 months. I use Algone, one packet changed every 2 months. Small packet of Purigen and I recharge it every 3 months.

 

2) IMO, a UV sterilizer is a substitute for good water changes. I don't think it really has a place in a nano tank

 

3) I've heard the fission skimmer is getting poor reviews. If it works for you, keep it going

 

4) I don't have any sponges in my tank

 

5) IMO, the greatest impact on my nitrate levels in my tank occurred by converting over to the external fuge light mod and adding the light that I am using. My nitrates have been at 0 now for over 3 weeks and I attribute it to my chaeto growth:

 

Before:

 

 

 

After, my middle chamber is PACKED from top to bottom:

 

 

SH

Edited April 12, 2006 by steelhealr

[garrettm]

How long did it take to get that much growth?

[NYReef]

The "reef ready" concept of the nano cube isn't entirely accurate. While all the parts are in one package, it's not necessarily the best parts, but a compromise of sorts. I was first going to buy a cube myself till I read this thread last year and asked a few questions to SH, and I decided not to because of the cracking and average quality of lights and equipment. This is not to say the cube is bad, for an office tank, or a person on a serious budget. But truth be told the high cost of corals, live rock and other supporting items for a reef tank, even a nano reef, precludes budget being a factor in tank choices. I now own a 30 gal Oceanic cube, got it with stand at Petsmart(is it Pets Mart, or Pet Smart? lol ) for about $200 out the door. Then I bought a sunpod MH, two powerheads, heater and Aqua C skimmer at PA to get it up and running. All told about $600 but its more volume, the tank and stand are so well made, it looks bulletproof. No cracking, the light is already upgraded and the skimmer is great. My opinion is, if you spend a little more money up front, you'll have the setup you'd want in about 6 months anyway. Also, these items have a good resale value should you decide to upgrade or move on in the future.

Edited April 13, 2006 by NYReef

[PirateFish52]

Thanks for the help as always Steel.

 

My plan is to get the ceramics out, change the carbon bag, and replace with a combo of the 4 in the first chamber.

 

I already tossed the bioballs and the sponge will go today when I get home from work.

 

It might take a while to get the media combo together, as I am going to buy it from Dr S&F online. Significantly cheaper than any LFS. I have been comparing prices between the site and my local LFS's and their prices are way cheaper.

 

Where can you buy chaeto at? Anywhere online?

[debbeach13]

Thanks for the help as always Steel.

 

My plan is to get the ceramics out, change the carbon bag, and replace with a combo of the 4 in the first chamber.

 

I already tossed the bioballs and the sponge will go today when I get home from work.

 

It might take a while to get the media combo together, as I am going to buy it from Dr S&F online. Significantly cheaper than any LFS. I have been comparing prices between the site and my local LFS's and their prices are way cheaper.

 

Where can you buy chaeto at? Anywhere online?

 

Send me a pm your address and I'll mail you a baggie with some in it.

[steelhealr]

Drs. Foster and Smith can be cheaper if you buy all your stuff at once. Eg. they frequently have sales on Chemipure for about $5.00 a bag and I buy 3. If I order other stuff, the savings usually beats what I can pay locally. I DO support some of my lfs' for the quick need things and if I find a bargain on something.

 

As for the chaeto, that growth has occurred over 3-4 weeks....dramatic growth and my nitates plummeted when it occurred.

 

I would be happy to give away chaeto also, however, as many of you know from my thread, my main tank has a red macroalgae and chances are fair that the chaeto could contain a spore(s). If that doesn't bother you, I can give up some chaeto as well.

 

As for NYReef, he speaks the truth about the quality of the 30G Oceanic. HOWEVER, the 24G tank is FULLY capable with tweaking for supporting softies and LPS. I also agree with him that, if you go nano, more water volume makes life much easier. SH

Edited April 12, 2006 by steelhealr

[Obsessed Reefer]

SH --

 

What do you have in your chambers?

 

Great thread.

[littletyger]

Hey, SH!

 

When is the last time you've posted a fts? Could you give us a show?

[NYReef]

Equipment is never a replacement for a knowledgeable, competent aquarist. People have done amazing things with their nano-cubes and continue to do so. My take on the equipment is, I can NOT take the chance of a tank cracking and leaking all over, so the nano-cube was immediately ruled out for me. Having a more robust tank was just part of the win-win situation of making the setup around the Oceanic 30 cube, sunpod, remora. But, as SH points out, the equipment is not what leads to sucess or failure as much as the aquarist, and the nano cube can certainly support varied corals and livestock when properly tended to. All beginner's, and even experienced aquarists, are very lucky to have this thread to refer to, and learn from. As I stated previously, it helped me decide which route to go, and prevented me from making several foolish mistakes. Read and learn from it, it is a real world application from a devoted and sharing hobbyist.

Edited April 13, 2006 by NYReef

[steelhealr]

Thanks NY....I have to get an updated FTS. It won't be as nice as some previous shots since my urchin has devoured a lot of coralline and some my zoos are taking their time recovering. My spaghetti finger now takes up a whole corner of my tank. My chambers:

 

Chamber 1: stock pump, ChemiPure, Algone, Purigen, SeaGel, filter floss (changed 2X a week, experimenting)

Chamber 2: chaeto, LR rubble, temp and pH probes, external fuge light

Chamber 3: heater, MJ1200, Hydor Flo nozzle

 

SH

[WildPastures]

Just got an Aquapod 24 Gallon w/70 watt 14,000K HQI as a present. Been lurking quite a few of the nano forums and this thread is, well, amazing. I'm one to research everything before I get started but now that I have a tank, I think I'm ready to take the plunge.

 

Thank you to everyone and especially Steelhealr. By the way I copied all of the posts (except the kudos and questions I saw were handled in earlier posts) and put them into a Word doc. In case your curious its 157 pages.

 

[JHipkin]

By the way I copied all of the posts (except the kudos and questions I saw were handled in earlier posts) and put them into a Word doc. In case your curious its 157 pages.

 

 

A book perhaps????

[steelhealr]

Just got an Aquapod 24 Gallon w/70 watt 14,000K HQI as a present. Been lurking quite a few of the nano forums and this thread is, well, amazing. I'm one to research everything before I get started but now that I have a tank, I think I'm ready to take the plunge.

 

Thank you to everyone and especially Steelhealr. By the way I copied all of the posts (except the kudos and questions I saw were handled in earlier posts) and put them into a Word doc. In case your curious its 157 pages.

 

 

 

Thanks for the great comments. SH

 

I posted this separately, but, seeing I haven't added to much new lately, I cut and pasted it here.

 

When you are finally ready to start creating a reef, you will begin to research your corals. By now, most know that corals should not be added immediately after your cycle is done. This is the most unstable time in the creation of your marine tank. By taking the time to learn your corals, you will have a good handle on where to place them, how much room they need for growth, how to avoid coral 'warfare', what their level of preference is, and, their lighting and water circulation needs. Right now is a great time to read. Assuming this is done, and, you know how to peform at least two methods of acclimatizing your corals, how do you physically and securely put them in the tank?

 

It's good to know a couple of terms:

• propagation: the method by which corals grow or extend, or, how WE get them to grow and extend. For example, Ricordea florida propagates by fission.
  
• fragging: physically splitting, cutting or dividing a coral into more than one piece in order to propagate more
  
• frag: pieces of coral, usually adherent to liverock or segments of coral polyps with their skeleton
  

Fragging and propagation of corals is an entire post (or 2 or 3) in itself, but, let's just look at some basic methods for attaching corals that you buy to your live rock aquascape.

 

Materials

 

1) Epoxy putty: this is an all-in-one two part epoxy that comes in a small tube. You can cut off small pieces and when you knead it in your hands, the epoxy is 'activated' and will harden shortly after. It is slightly difficult to work with under water, but, when it holds, it works well. It's good for corals on solid pieces of live rock and also for the bottom of a coral skeleton. BE CAREFUL: if you push too hard you can injure the coral, fracture it's skeleton or, if not wearing gloves, get a reaction to the epoxy (not common)

 

 

2) Glue: There are several brans out there which can be used to glue coral skeletons to your rockwork. They are basically cyanoacrylate, or, super glue.

 

 

3) Rubber bands: Tough to use, but, if you get a frag of a softie that is not attached to a piece of live rock, it can be rubber banded to the aquascape, or, to a piece of live rock first.

 

4) Plastic toothpicks: If you have a loose mushroom or other coral that is slimy and hard to affix, you can surround it with plastic toothpics with their tips placed in epoxy putty. Sorta a plastic fence. Takes work. DO NOT USE WOOD TOOTHPICKS. Another way is to stick the plastic toothpick into the tentacle of a frag, place epoxy on the tip of the toothpick and adhere that to the aquascape. Sometimes a rubber band is needed to hold the tentacle onto the toothpick.

 

5) Rest on the substrate: This is usually used for open brains, closed brains, plate corals. Simply lay them on the substrate.

 

6) Interlock: Sometimes the frag you buy may have a wedge shape and might fit nicely and securely into a crevice in your rockwork. Be careful that both the positioning and your aquascape are stable. If a rockslide occurs and damages the tisse on the coral, infection and death could set in.

 

7) Other:

• rings of plastic one liter soda bottles to keep softies from moving
  
• women's nylons or wedding lace wrapped around frags
  

Example

 

The following soft coral arrives from your lfs:

 

 

1) Acclimate the coral carefully, both to temp and s.g.

2) Find a temporary place to allow the coral to safely recuperate from it's shipping and open up. In this case the coral was acclimated by drip method and rested on the substrate

 

 

3) Select an area on your aquascape that will maximize the coral's survivability

4) In this case, epoxy was used. Apply gloves. Cut off a satisfactory amount of epoxy that will seat the coral frag (in the photo above, it was tennis racket-shaped)

5) Keeping the coral submerged, either apply the epoxy to the bottom of the frag or, if easier, to the area of the rockwork that will hold the coral

6) CAREFULLY press the frag in place and hold it for a few minutes. You'll feel the epoxy warm up.

7) When stable, you can release.

 

Edited April 17, 2006 by steelhealr

[PirateFish52]

Steel,

 

I need help. I saw what I am sure is a bristleworm in my tank last night. He is probably about 2 inches long. Looks fuzzy like a pipecleaner.

 

I have 2 ocellaris clownfish, a royal gramma, a yellow clown goby, a green chromis, 2 emerald crabs, various snails, and a pincushion urchin.

 

Along with this I have various mushroom corals, a yellow colony polyp coral, and some small supercolored zoos.

 

Should I try to catch him, or get a six line wrasse? I read that wrasses can intimidate other fish and the fish I have can definitely be intimidated.

 

Or should I even bother trying to catch him or get a six line wrasse and leave the bristle worm alone?

 

I thought about catching him by hand, but figured that might not be a good idea.

 

Any suggestions?

 

I just set up the SeaGel, Purigen, and Chemipure last night and I can already see the difference in the water. Definitely a good combination. Thanks for the advice on that one.

 

Piratefish.

[steelhealr]

Bristleworms are supposed to be good detritivores. Sixlines can eat them. I saw one in my tank in the sump once a long time ago and don't know if that one is still back there. I'd say leave it and keep an eye on it.

 

You already have 5 fish in there. Six fish might be pushing it, so, not sure if putting a sixline in at this point is a good idea. The 2 ocellaris' can get up to 4", the gramma 3" , the chromis 3". I'd say leave it be.

 

Here was my old link, but, the poll was lost. Might put up a new one:

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...ristleworm&st=0

 

SH

[YeahitsK]

SH,

 

In the past 2 days I have found 4 more "stress cracks" on my tank. This is driving me crazy... I can't imagine them developing this quickly, but at the same time I have been inspecting the tank very closely and regularly since day one.

I NEED YOUR HELP!

 

Hey I was just wondering- the closer I look at my glass the more I see. I don't have my tank set up yet, but when it came they had used shipping tape to tape the box containing the light ballast to the bottom of the tank. I peeled the tape off, but it left all kinds of little marks on the glass which I can use my fingernail to scratch off with some effort. Not sure how thorough you were with cleaning prior to setup, but is it possible that it could be residual adhesive from tape that you are seeing?

[the life aquatic]

Hey I was just wondering- the closer I look at my glass the more I see. I don't have my tank set up yet, but when it came they had used shipping tape to tape the box containing the light ballast to the bottom of the tank. I peeled the tape off, but it left all kinds of little marks on the glass which I can use my fingernail to scratch off with some effort. Not sure how thorough you were with cleaning prior to setup, but is it possible that it could be residual adhesive from tape that you are seeing?

 

 

My tank most definitely has cracks. This was actually my second cube... the first one I brought home had defects in the glass and I never even put water in it. I took it back that day and waited nearly 2 weeks for a replacement. Needless to say, after the first experience, I was very thorough in inspecting the second tank. The only way to really see these cracks is when the lights are on, and even then i use a blue flashlight which helps. The crack that worries me most is near the bottom of the left front corner and it has been growing slighlty over the past two weeks.

 

 

My LFS has been awesome. They are giving me store credit (almost the full purchase amount) and they ordered me an oceanic 30g to match my stand. It should be arriving today. When I get it I'm taking it to another local shop that does custom acrylic work. I've designed an overflow/false wall that will be professionally cut and sealed to the tank. Once that is done, I will make the transfer (I am going to deepen the sand bed and add more rock) then I will return the cube.

 

A few questions on the false wall:

I am planning on going w/ black 3/4" acrylic, overflow w/ teeth similar to that of the cube when the skimmer is in place. This wall will only extend 4" inches from the back including the 3"4 of thickness. Also, I decided on four chambers instead of three.

1) Overflow, maybe a small sponge.

2) Live rock rubble (as much as I can fit in there)

3) Cheato w/ an external fuge light (the back glass wall will not be covered.)

4) Chemipure and powerheads -

MJ 1200 to the top hole - (stock nano pump area)

Below that (6") an MJ 600

I am also planning on an MJ 400 but I am undecided on placement.

 

How does this sound? any suggestions?

[Insalubrious]

Steelhealr, thanks for the amazing and informative thread! I just finished reading the whole thing, and cut/pasted everything so I'll have an easily searchable reference. Before reading this I wasn't really sure how nano reefs work; now I feel pretty confident. I got a 24g nano cube, just made my salt water, and am ordering my rock and sand today. I can't wait to get started!