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

[iamtheone]

Added a new zoo frag today yesterday:

 

SH

 

 

Great site and great information for a newbie! Thanks..... I just ordered my Aquapod 24g w/HQI. I can't wait.

 

 

Question #1. When cycling with cured rock - is there light needed?

Question #2. On a brand new tank - Is it ok to mix the salt into the fresh water in the tank or does it mix better in buckets. (maybe a silly question but wanting to do everything right)....

[steelhealr]

For the first time mixing, you can add the salt to the pure water that you fill the tank with.

 

I usually recommend to start lighting the light for a short interval and increase it over 2 weeks. Eg, you could start at 4-6 hours per day and increase it by a half hour per day. SH

 

As noted above, I had lost my yashia haze goby leaving the pistol shrimp alone and unprotected. Replacing the yashia is not easy as they are not found readily in my area. What they DO have tho' are yellow watchman gobies. I decided to avoid the shipping costs and also decided to stay 'conservative'. So...bought one. The goby initially was pecked at by my sixline wrasse. Probably just a 'I'm the boss here' warning. Initially, he parked himself under my orange plate coral which had MOVED on it's own. Yes folks, the coral moved itself into that position overnight (pardon the coralline algae):

 

 

 

 

Fortunately, the goby found the pistol's cave and they've shacked up. The goby is now making the same protective posturing as the yashia did. SH

[NYReef]

Gobies are nice little fish with a Dr.Seuss kind of face. They are hardy little guys and, when they get used to the tank, come out to look at you through the glass, like the one in your pic, SH. Of the three fish I keep in my reef tank, one is a Tangaroa Goby, which is opaque with red, orange and white spots. Nice addition you made SH, and as for the plate coral's locomotion, all these corals amaze me daily with how they cope and survive.

Edited May 19, 2006 by NYReef

[iamtheone]

Thanks for the info.

 

One more question:

 

I know when water evaporates the salt doesn't. So usually top off with filtered water only. But, when doing water changes, what level of salt is added to the water?

[DocToxyn]

SH,

Great choice on the goby and great thread also, beautiful pics, solid info. I spent way too much time at work reading it...quite a body of work. I checked out an Oceanic 30G cube today and was again impressed by that company's construction quality. I have one of their lizard lounges in about 40 breeder size and it's a beautiful tank, my tortoise loves it. The 30G was being sold with a glass hood and single strip light (obviously not enough for any planted/reef system). My question is about hood make-up. In my planted FW tanks I've removed any glass or plastic that was placed between the bulbs and the surface. Is the NC stocked in a similar way with something between the bulbs and water and if so, do modders regularly remove this? Or is this some type of "permissive glass" that allows the correct wavelengths to pass undiminished? Again, very comprehensive, yet easily approachable thread, thanks.

 

DocToxyn

 

BTW- researching to set up a 20G nano at work, wish me luck.

[steelhealr]

To Iamtheone...always do your water changes with the same s.g. gravity that you want to maintain. If you want to lower the s.g. lf the tank, you con do it very slowly over days with topping or better yet, the most accepted way is to do your water changes with a s.g. gravity lower or higher, depending on which way you want to go.

 

To doc....

[iamtheone]

To Iamtheone...always do your water changes with the same s.g. gravity that you want to maintain. If you want to lower the s.g. lf the tank, you con do it very slowly over days with topping or better yet, the most accepted way is to do your water changes with a s.g. gravity lower or higher, depending on which way you want to go.

 

To doc....

 

 

Makes sence, thank you!

 

When you guys replace the stock pump with the MJ1200 (just placed an order for one) does the stock tubing/coupler fit the MJ1200? Stock is 3/8" if I am not mistaken.

[Mallacht]

Makes sence, thank you!

 

When you guys replace the stock pump with the MJ1200 (just placed an order for one) does the stock tubing/coupler fit the MJ1200? Stock is 3/8" if I am not mistaken.

 

I put in a MJ1200 as well and the tube connection from the stock pump was a little bit larger than would fit snuggly on the MJ1200. Mine had plastic "ties" to tighten the rubber hose to the fittings. I pulled off the stock pump, tested the MJ1200 fit and it was a little loose. I tightened the plastic tie a notch or two and then it fit nice and tight.

[iamtheone]

I put in a MJ1200 as well and the tube connection from the stock pump was a little bit larger than would fit snuggly on the MJ1200. Mine had plastic "ties" to tighten the rubber hose to the fittings. I pulled off the stock pump, tested the MJ1200 fit and it was a little loose. I tightened the plastic tie a notch or two and then it fit nice and tight.

 

 

Great! I will give that a shot.

 

 

Thank you.

[NYReef]

You should not be changing such a high percentage of water that it would affect your S.G. even if there was a slight variation between the tank water and the change water. There are always slight differences in the best attemps to match, if you change 10% there won't be much variation or disruption. Larger changes are a greater risk, unless its an emergency situation, be careful. Short term things may look good, but its long term these things really affect a tank.

[iamtheone]

You should not be changing such a high percentage of water that it would affect your S.G. even if there was a slight variation between the tank water and the change water. There are always slight differences in the best attemps to match, if you change 10% there won't be much variation or disruption. Larger changes are a greater risk, unless its an emergency situation, be careful. Short term things may look good, but its long term these things really affect a tank.

 

 

Yeah, I don't plan to do no more than 10% on my 24 gallon.

 

Thanks for the great information guys. Got the Remora installed, stock pump replaced. Good flow, water conditions are good. 5 days in...

 

Quick question, and I am the patient one. Is it possible to not get ANY hitchikers with LiveRock? It was cured Marshall from Premium Aquatics. I washed it pretty good. Also got 20lbs of sand from the FL Keys. Washed it good too. Maybe watched it too good? Or too early to see signs of life....

[NYReef]

I bought the cured Marshall Island Live rock from Premium Aquatics, it has great shapes and nice coralline algae that will come out more over time. However, it does not have a great amount of live hitchikers like uncured rock, or rock you get from a store tank and put right into your tank without shipping. I had some small featherdusters, pods, and sponges that came out over the months, but its not a huge amount, a fact verified by the guys at Premium Aquatics. It is the best looking rock around and with light and time, nice coralline will bloom, and its full of beneficial bacteria which is what you got it for, the filtering capacity. Enjoy it!!

[iamtheone]

I bought the cured Marshall Island Live rock from Premium Aquatics, it has great shapes and nice coralline algae that will come out more over time. However, it does not have a great amount of live hitchikers like uncured rock, or rock you get from a store tank and put right into your tank without shipping. I had some small featherdusters, pods, and sponges that came out over the months, but its not a huge amount, a fact verified by the guys at Premium Aquatics. It is the best looking rock around and with light and time, nice coralline will bloom, and its full of beneficial bacteria which is what you got it for, the filtering capacity. Enjoy it!!

 

Yes, I agree. It is good looking rock and I am glad of the purchase...

 

 

 

Alright, let me ask ya. I am new to this game. Been a sponge before I took the plunge however, but curious...

 

My pod was created this past Monday. It is now Saturday.

 

My levels are

 

Ammonia = .1

Nitrite = .2

PH = 8.1

Nitrate = 5

SG = 1.024

Temp = 79

 

(1st water change should level these out)

 

OK, Now I know not perfect scores, but has my tank already cycled this fast?

 

(20lbs Marhsall cured) + (20lbs Agra-Alive Pink Fiji) + (10lbs FL Keys)

MJ1200(replaced stock pump)

AcuaC Remora-MJ1200 (4 hours daily)

70W HQI (4 hours daily)

No water changes. Only several top offs.

Berlin Method filteration.

 

No signs of any algae or growth, water crystal clear. (besides the damn microbubbles - "new remora" )

 

So, any advise you could give as to maybe something I should be doing or maybe something I am doing I shouldn't.....

 

Once again, thanks for the wealth of information on this site.

Edited May 29, 2006 by iamtheone

[maaron]

hey what do u mean by setting up a cleaning station on the reef? im referring to the cleaner shrimp.

[EL CHUPACABRA]

Wheew read it in one sitting, Word SH.

[steelhealr]

Sorry....to doctoxyn:

Is the NC stocked in a similar way with something between the bulbs and water and if so, do modders regularly remove this? Or is this some type of "permissive glass" that allows the correct wavelengths to pass undiminished? Again, very comprehensive, yet easily approachable thread, thanks.

 

Some people have modded the 24G by completely removing the hood so that they could use a metal halide lighting fixture. Unfortunately, some sort of covering has to be made to help reduce evaporation AND..most of the fish we keep are escape artists, particularly firefish, sixline wrasses and some gobies.

 

As what NYReef stated, changing 10% water will not greatly affect the tanks s.g. unless the difference between the tank and water change is huge. Eg., if your tank is at 1.025 and you change up water that is 1.026, your tank will not show a change enough to shock the tank. SH

[NYReef]

And as SH said, my tank is not entirelly covered on top and my poor little gobie took the "leap of faith" a couple of weeks ago, miss the guy rushing up to the front when it was feeding time.....

[Fast Eddie]

Great Info: my 24gl Aquapod is on the way!

Can't wait to get started

Ed

Edited May 31, 2006 by Fast Eddie

[PirateFish52]

Steel or anyone who might be able to help me,

 

I am looking for Sea-Lab No. 28 Automatic Replenisher's website on Google and cannot find it. Anyone know it?

 

I recently found a box of this stuff in my vacation home in Florida that I was hoping to use for my tank in Ohio. The cubes look like they are in pretty good shape. That being said, the cubes are about 7-8 years old. Shelf life issue?

 

The cubes look brand new.

 

I don't want to kill everything in my tank, although I doubt that what's in the cubes can kill anything in the tank. You supposedly cannot overfeed with them.

 

I have been using these cubes in my tank in Ohio before I found the box of these cubes in my house in Florida. They work really well.

 

Thanks for any help.

 

PirateFish

[doofoo]

steelhealr,

 

I really appreciate what you've done here as far as a complete startup guide. I've read through about 39 pages so far and am still going at it.

 

I have started to try and decide between a nano (24cube) and a larger tank (72gal+). I am looking to have some sort of reef setup, I am new to the game here and this would be my first sw tank.

 

My biggest fear is that I am going to lose everything with small fluctuations of a smaller tank.

 

I am leaning towards a larger tank, but I can find no such guide as this one for larger reef setups. Your guide has given me a lot of confidence to jump in on a nano, but some of the stuff here does not translate well into larger tanks (doing large water changes on bigger tanks for example).

 

Do you, or anyone else on this thread know of any howto's similar to this for larger tank setup (72gal+), going over each component of the setup, maintenance, etc?

 

Much appreciated, and still reading.

 

-Mike

[LifesAreef]

Hey Steel

 

Dan from FF, Glad to see that your thread is as popular other here as it is back 'home'

 

Great Thread

[steelhealr]

Hey Dan..thanks....and welcome aboard.

 

To Doofoo: I highly recommend the following books as basic starters:

Paletta's book on The New Marine Aquarium, out of date but good with pix

 

Jeffrey Kurtz's book How ot Start a Mini Reef. Basic, recently published.

 

SH

[Mr2KiEu]

first off this thread is awesome!.....im still too lazee to read all of it....im just kind of skimming thru the pages......

 

SH......how did u mount the external 27w light on the back? i have the regular stand and its hard trying to figure out a way to mount it on the back with my limited wall clearance in the rear......

 

i bought the same style light w/ 27W pc bulb (cheaper plastic version) at Home Depot for $15.99 on sale this week.....

 

trying to think of ways to mount it.....

 

any help would be great! thanks!

[steelhealr]

My fuge light simply rests on a cardboard box behind the tank. Some people have found a way to remove the base and screw it into the back of the NC stand if you are using that.

 

I had to throw out a huge amount of chaeto yesterday. The middle chamber was VERY tightly packed...the growth is phenomenal. SH

[mels95yj]

Wow! I finally made it through the thread. Great thread SH!

 

Question though. In the post, where you originally installed the fuge light behind the tank, the picture shows an Azoo palm light that you clipped onto the cord. When I look those up, they say they're 7 watts. Recently, you stated that you use a 27watt light. Did you change it, and I missed it? Thanks for your help!

 

Mel