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

[RAF007]

Steelhealr...The tank is amazing...Thanks for all the good info for us starters, I just got a Nano Cube 28g. HQI and have cycled it already...I have a CUC that consists of 8 Scarlet crabs/10 Astrea snails/1 sand shifting snail...

 

I have also purchased an firefish goby and a yellow watchman goby, I want to start adding corals but dont know what chemicals are needed to support them??? What do you add to yours to keep it looking so nice...

 

Any help would be appreciated...

 

RAF007

[todd03blown]

very nice!!

[thebrainbot]

RAF, from what I understand, we don't need to add chemicals to support MOST corals. Though, I'm at the point now where I'm about ready to add corals. Maybe try some mushrooms and easy frags first. If they don't survive, then neither will the more exotic ones.

 

But a question to other NC owners.... Whats the flow like in teh back chambers? Mine kind of.. sucks. The 2nd and 3rd chamber, you can see no visible water movement at top. the MJ1200 seems to be pushing water fine and I'll clean the pump to make sure, but I'm expecting to see more movement.

 

*edit*

 

*cough* corals do need to be fed... forgot about that :-D Not sure if thats what you meant...

Edited September 29, 2008 by thebrainbot

[debbeach13]

Bump again for some of the nanos I have seen started up

[steelhealr]

I did something I never thought I would do....I added a bicolor pseudochromis. That's what happens when you wander thru the LFS with your 5 year old daughter. It has been very well behaved and has actually turned my yellow watchman goby into a mid-tank hanger/swimmer: competition for food. My tank is now 3 1/2 years old. My clown is the same age. I have zero nitrates and don't protein skim.

 

SH

[rhunter513]

Hey steelhealr - I never stopped to thank you for this thread. It was a year ago this week that I started to slowly read through this whole thread which got me super psyched to start my tank. I have the same tank 24g nanocube. Its had it's ups and downs and I am still learning a ton. So thanks for putting this thread together and sharing your experiences with us!

 

Rob

[steelhealr]

Rob....my pleasure. As I have told many others, the impetus to start this thread originated from the first day I opened the box and found out that there were no directions.

 

My 4 year anniversary is soon coming up. My original clownfish is still alive. My watchman is a coupla years old and a copla corals are up there.

 

After 4 years there are some very basic rules I will leave here....follow them if you wish or ignore them and try, like others, to break the rules.....

 

SH

[Jasong]

I just finished reading all 57 pages. Very informative and interesting. Thank you.

 

I recently started a 24G Aquapod. I have 20 pounds of live sand and 35 pounds of live rock. The only mod I have made is to add two Koralia Nano PHs. It has been 4 days, and I am still not getting any ammonia readings. I will give it a few more days, and if I still get 0, I am going to buy another test kit.

 

My question involves the refugium. I only have 2 chambers. Where should I create the refugium. I have the pump and heater in the left chamber. For now I have sponges in the right chamber (I plan on removing them when I do my first water change). I am planning on creating a media basket for the first chamber. I will use filter media and Chem Pure Elite in that chamber. I am concerned, however, about creating a fuge in the same chamber as the pump

 

I don't want to do anything on the outside of the tank, so a hang on fuge is out.

 

I would appreciate any advice.

 

Thanks.

[steelhealr]

Does the back of the chamber have peel off laminate like the NanoCube? SH

[Nick's Reef]

Does the back of the chamber have peel off laminate like the NanoCube? SH

Sh I've had my ap24 for almost 2yrs and yes the back has a peel of sticker.

[debbeach13]

Hi Steelhealr

I am requesting a FTS for the anniversary. I know it is a couple months away so you have plenty of time to clean the glass and remove the magfloat, ha ha.

I noticed a few new AIO set up recently and just love to bump this thread for the noobies.

Hope all is going well for you and the family.

[Cee²]

My first post is in this thread and it's an honor. I haven't bought anything yet, but am just doing my research for everything. Finished up this thread in about 3 days and I read through everything.

 

Particularly liked the pistol shrimp/watchman goby symbiosis.

 

Just wanted to drop in and give props to SH for creating this thread. It was like going through a time machine over 3 years in a matter of days.

 

No doubt I'll have more questions as I get going, but this thread is my bible.

 

Cheers!

[davidr2340]

Bump!!!

 

[steelhealr]

Bump

Bump!!!

 

Bump indeed. SH

[lakshwadeep]

Has your thread always been a sticky?

[steelhealr]

Er ...sticky? SH

[lgreen]

Congrats...it's long over due for a sticky.

[lakshwadeep]

I meant the thread is listed under "important topics". In any case, its placement will hopefully steer new members from common mistakes.

[jah2707]

wow what a great threat. I finally got through it all and wish there was more. If you are still in the hobby I would love to see an updated picture. I just purchased 24 nano cube. Very excited to try the mods and get started. Thanks again for all of the information.

 

 

(posted in the right thread this time)

[Nanostyle81]

I've got the same 24G DX and been reading this thread. I'm only on page 12, but all I can say is wow. You could publish a book based upon the experiences (both the good and not so good), advice, etc. I've been reefing for a few years now and learned a lot of the same things both through my own experiences, reading books, and threads like yours on this website. All I can say is thanks for putting this together. A must read for first timers!

[steelhealr]

Overall, besides regular water changes, I think the main key is the one most people fail to do: wait until the tank matures. That, and, a refugium. Truly, keeping a living plant in your tank scrubs it..nitrates out, oxygen in. It's just what everyone here always preaches but most young'un's don't follow. All tanks can look instantly great. It's the 'theory of PLOP' that catches up with you (plopping in corals immediately after you're done cycling). Most don't last. Keeping a fish alive for five years, keeping corals alive for 5 years, says you're doing something right.

 

Consistency and dedication. Restraint. Thought.

 

More importantly...to have fun with it.

 

SH

Edited December 28, 2009 by steelhealr

[tjguy]

Hi SH

I just started reading this thread and wow great stuff.

i have just started up my nano and its about ten days old now i got about 12lbs of LR in the tank already. and it looks as if it is doing well. i got some little feather dusters popping up as well as something with two white worm like tentacles coming out of a hole (don't know what that is).

I am very new at this and i was speaking to some guy last night and he said to me i should cut my losses now and drop the hobby of keeping SW fish.

So I would like to know is it really so much hard work as he says to keep a nice nano 24?????

I am really keen to know which of your mods worked the best as I only want the best for my nano and its inhabitants. I am going to take out the ball's and ceramic rings and replace them with LR rubble o and should i grow algae in the second chamber?

My tank was very hot last night so i thought maybe i should get a chiller but then i might as well get a skimmer and a sump and DSB and it just gose on.

So should i continue with the nano or get a bigger tank with a sump and all the extras?

 

Thanks aging for doing so well with this thread.

[funkehouse]

Hello all, i am VERY late to this party, by a few years it looks like ! I have been reading it from the beginning, im at page 13 now (a coral you bought on Ebay is dead and turned completely white), cant wait to see what else is in store ! Its so weird to be following along , and im excited to see what happens on each page, but this is all so long ago now... im sure you are a pro now ! I am a Nube, dont even have a tank yet, at least no SW tank yet. I am so excited to try this soon, im just reading and reading and reading for now, the last 4 or 5 days since i discovered this site i haven't left the house much besides work, just fascinated by all the great info on here. Its good to know that when i do start i will have a place to get all the info. Thanks for creating such a great thread, its so fun to read !

[steelhealr]

The toughest part now of keeping a nano reef is making saltwater and replacing aging parts. A mature nano tank is basically on autopilot. A refugium keeps my parameters rock stable.

 

The best mods for my tank, in order, were:

• discovering that the bank of the tank was vinyl and removable. This allowed external illumination of the middle chamber and a huge growth of chaeto
  
• the over the wall first chamber pump allowing increased flow without drilling
  

 

Simple, right? SH

 

To TJ...I still think that there is nothing better than to have a large marine tank, 200G's. Wow..imagine all the life you can keep in there. Nano reefing is a challenge in the beginning and if you read and believe in statistics, I've read that out of 100 people entering aquarism, 90% will drop out in a few years. It's a labor of love.

 

SH

 

I just realized the 'sticky thing'. Shucks, folks, I"m speechless. Hey..it only happened because there were NO instructions in the Nano Cube box except to 'remove the bioballs if you are making a marine tank'. There was a time when nothing here ever got pinned.

 

WOW...immortality of sorts. Lgreen, sneirbo, Christopher Marks, trekbear....and cracking cubes.

 

SH

[Marius2]

After being out of this hobby since high school (about 6 years ago) I randomly just bought a 12 gallon nano tank today. This thread has been very helpful to me and appreciate this thread SH.