new nanocuber, questions about the cube

[gilly76]

Hello, I just got my 24g after lurking the forums for the past fe weeks. I'm taking my chances with the tank and hoping I didn't get a cracked one . My question is about stands. I don't care for the stock stand and was wondering what you guys were using as stands. I considered a night stand or even a tv stand, but most tv stands i've seen call for 240pounds max weight. Assuming the tank itself is about 30-40pounds(?) and 24 gallons of water at 8.3 lbs/gallong, we're talking 230-240 pounds, and thats without rocks etc. So what are you guys using?!

Thanks, Hector

[gilly76]

I already forgot to add that I saw an oceanic(?) stand, but $240 seems kinda pricy

[shao-lin nano]

I think the $240 price tag is for the tank and stand. You're refering to the 30g cube right?

 

A night stand is a good idea. I was originally going to go with that but couldn't find a nightstand with a top big enough for the footprint of the 24g. Nightstands are generally shorter too. You'll want something about 30 inches tall for best viewing IMO. This way it'll look good weather you're standing or sitting and still low enough for easy maintaince.

[sclark0548]

Congrats on your purchase of your 24G! When I purchased my cube, I really didnt like the stock stands available either. I thought the base was very small. I have two young children who run through the house way to much, and I was afraid of getting my tank knocked over.

 

It is hard to find any pre-made peice of furniture other than a true aquarium stand that will support the weight and handle the water spills over time. Like Shao said earlier, some nightstands are good canidates, but they tend to be too short and I would still worry about the weight issue over time.

 

I ended up putting my own together out of 3/4" oak plywood with red oak trim. I spent about $80 on materials and wood stain. If you used a lower grade wood and painted it instead of staining, the cost would be much cheaper. It was a fun project. If you are interested let me know, I will be glad to pass on the details of the design I came up with.

[paingod]

my custom 2-24G stand should be complete in the next couple days.

I will post a pic if I can figure out how???

[Nickeleye]

I actually built my own stand with a steel frame and skinned with plywood. I know this isn't an option for everybody, but if you can have that made or can do it yourself I'd recommend it. Although this usually requires knowing how to weld or know somebody who can.

 

The other thing to consider, at least in my opinion, is that these tanks are glass. Glass tanks need to be level to reduce the amount of uneven stress being placed on the glass. So, my only gripe about putting one of these tanks on a night stand (especially the 24g) is that unless you know it's going to be very close to level or have some way to make it level, you may be stressing the glass without even knowing it and it may lead to problems down the road. Then again, it may not. I choose not to take the chance.

 

Just my two cents.

[steelhealr]

Gilly..I'm the underdog here...I bought the stand and I thought that it was cheesy initially also. Building one if you have the time is great. The NC stand, although narrow, is functional. SH

[Nickeleye]

Well, functional as far as holding a tank goes. IMO they aren't real functional when it comes to holding your extra chemicals, cleaining supplies, power strips, etc. At least not in an aesthetically pleasing way. Maybe I'm paranoid, but another gripe about the "S" shaped stand is that I have a hard time believing it's very stable. If you're like me and live in California, I sure wouldn't want to take my chances in an earthquake with that stand. Also, if you have kids or large pets that could bump into the stand I wouldn't trust it much either.

[debbeach13]

you can use foam between tank and stand to make the tank level. I remembered to do this on my 29gal but forgot on my 24gal nano-cube. I got it at home depot. It is pink and I have not figured out how to cover it or paint it but the tank is level.

[gilly76]

Thanks everyone. I went to Oak Express here in town and they had a pretty sturdy end table that supported both myself and my gf(i'm 180, she's... well, i'll be nice and say 100!) and there seemed to be no rocking or any sounds of stress on the table. Its only 21 inches tall, but wide and long enough to support the cube, it was also on sale at $95 which was a nice price. The problem is that it is 2 weeks backordered and I'm impatient so I ordered that along with the JBJ Cabinet stand from some ebay online store that said they had 400 in stock, only to find out after I paid for it, that they are backordered a week! UGH. I might cancle the end table and stick with the JBJ stand anyways.

 

1 more question, here is everything i've gotten already and was wondering if i'm missing anything:

Nanocube 24g

maxijet 1200

temp probe

hydrometer

pH/NH3/NO2/NO3 test kits

salt

gravel cleaner

heater

 

i'll probally run the tank in freshwater for a week to make sure there are no cracks in the tank and to get used to running the tests and using the gravel cleaner and changing water. If I do this, can I just add the salt directly into the tank and let it dissolve that way, or should I just premix the salt and let it run for a week? this, of course will be before I add live sand/rock.. which i'll probally order a week after the stand comes in.

[Nickeleye]

Stand of course is up to you. So good luck with the JBJ stand (didn't know they had a 24g version). Sounds like you've got all the parts you need to get started. A couple thoughts though...

 

1. If you're going to let the tank sit for a week to test for leaks, I wouldn't use your saltwater to do this. Why waste your salt? Not to mention you'll have to re-add mixed saltwater everytime you take some out. And this might create inconsistancy problems with your chemical levels in the tank (PH, salinity, calcium, alk., etc.). If you really want to test for leaks, I would just fill the tank with RO water for a week and let it be with powerhead running. If it's fine, I'd drain the tank and add your pre-mixed saltwater that you made at the same time you filled the tank with RO freshwater. This way, while you were testing for leaks you're also dissolving your salt in your water and when it comes time to fill the tank you won't have to wait for the salt to dissolve in the tank itself for a few days to a week. However, if you're going to run into the problem of not being able to mix enough saltwater for the first time fill, I'd reccomend (I know there are those who would disagree) filling up with the Catalina Saltwater that you can buy in 5g boxes at Petco (or is it Petsmart?). That stuff is good to go right out of the box and just needs to heat to tank temp. I've filled tanks with this for the first time just to get things jump started and used LFS saltwater or my own mixed saltwater for water changes after the first fill. Never had any problems.

 

2. Yes, you can add the salt to the water and just let it dissolve over a few days (up to a week I'd say). But this should only be done when starting up a brand new tank. DO NOT pour salt into a tank that's got any form of life in it. It all needs to be dissolved before adding to the tank. What kind of salt do you have?

 

3. When I mix my saltwater I let the water sit for about a week and let the salt dissolve and do its thing. When it's time for the water change I'm very careful towards the end of the water container because some of the salt does not dissolve in the water and leaves a little sludge in the container. Try to avoid putting this salt sludge into the tank!

 

4. By gravel filter, I assume you're talking about a syphon. Please don't use gravel in your tank. I'm sure that wasn't going to be the case, but just wanted to toss that out there.

[steelhealr]

Suggestions:

-Ditch the hydrometer and buy a refractometer.

-eventually, if you go corals, invest in a Ca2+ and dkH test kit

-a Magfloat is invaluable

-what are you doing for making a SW?

 

You can start out with FW so, if you have a leak, you won't have salt all over the place. Personally, I'd change out the water after the test in case there was dirt/impurities from shipping. You can refill with RO water and mix the salt in the tank. Take out about a 1/3rd of it when adding your LR/LS to prevent overflow and save it for topping off. Make sure you run all pumps/heater so you are also checking for temp and function. NOW is the time you want to learn there are problems (or not). Good luck. SH

[gilly76]

steelhealr, Do you have a reccmendation for a refractometer? I saw jbj sells one for $100 and i've seen others online for less. And the magfloat. thats a good idea, i was planning on using a sponge to clean the inside, but i can see how any impurities on that would be bad. all other test kits will be bought after I cycle the tank, whenever my stand comes in! I know you've been asked this and a website isn't the best place to check (checking the audi forums for problems with timing belts makes you think every single timing belt snaps early, and that isnt the case) but how reliable are these nanocubes? my biggest worry is that cracls develop on the cubes, oh well, 3% might be ok. I didnt quite understand your last question, do you mean how am I going to make the salt?

 

Nickeleye, i meant the syphon and i definatly wont have gravel in there, unless crushed liverock for the back chamber is considered gravel? do you reccomend making your own saltwater or just buying it from the lfs? I can see the intial 24 gallons of water being a pain to make in 5g buckets. and great Mon Calimari!

 

Thanks guys, i'm excited about all this and will be posting updates on here on how it comes around. I've already annoyed people on the other forum I frequent with pictures of the empty cube sitting on my kitchen table waiting for the stand

[Nickeleye]

Making your own salt in 5 gal. buckets would be a pain and that's why I went the route of the Catalina Saltwater stuff a couple times just to get the tank started. Not real inexpensive, but it gets things going if you don't have the ability to fill up the tank with lots of your own saltwater off the bat. Or you could check your LFS out. Some LFS saltwater is better than others so beware.

 

A refractometer is nice and all, but in all the tanks I've set up so far I've never used one once. I just toss the hydrometer in and if it looks good I call it a day. I think it really depends on how particular you want to be with your tank and what you're doing with it. If you must get one I'd look somewhere like ebay or even possibly other fish sites. People may also be selling used ones in various forums. I'm sure you could find one much cheaper than $100.

 

I wouldn't put crushed live rock into the back chambers of the tank. I would just put small pieces of rubble that are golf ball sized or small little branches etc. Plus come the day when you break down the tank it's a lot easier to clean up.

[Jermz79]

check out www.premiumaquatics.com for their refractometer. I think it's called "Blue Refractometer" or something like that ... it's $49.99 and has ATC and works like a charm!

[steelhealr]

The one I have and most recommend is the hand held 'blue' one on Drs. Foster and Smith. Runs about 39-49 dollars pending sales. Works great and worth the investment.

 

The SW options just depend what works best for you. I make my own at home. Why? My reasons:

1) I control it and know the water purity and content

2) With an urgent change, I don't have to run out and buy it

3) Don't feel like lugging 16lbs of SW home from the lfs weekly

4) Costs seemed cheaper to me

 

Whatever works for you, whether buying it or making it, it's up to you. It's a once every 2 week task for me. The bottom line...use pure water or pure sw.

 

As for nano cube reliability, isn't that like jumbo shrimp or military intelligence? LOLOL SH