My brand spakin new 12g nano

[gregrocks79]

<B>I am settin her up right now. Ill post some pics of the set up + sandstorm soon. Any suggestions on how long I need to cycle it, and then what goodies can I put it and or course when...?

Thanks!
G:rollface:

[zma21]

I also just ordered a nano deluxe.

Post some pics up so i can see the goods!

[gregrocks79]

<B>Ok so here is the very first round of pics of my mini ocean in a box! Of course I will be re arranging some stuff around and all that fun, but here she is with a lil sand storm. Suggestions about how long to cylce and when I can add goodies would be great...

Thanks!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/bekkenmusic/th_DSC00475.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/bekkenmusic/DSC00475.jpg)
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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/bekkenmusic/th_DSC00474.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/bekkenmusic/DSC00474.jpg)
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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/bekkenmusic/th_DSC00473.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/bekkenmusic/DSC00473.jpg)
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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/bekkenmusic/th_DSC00472.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/bekkenmusic/DSC00472.jpg)

[zma21]

Looks great, mine comes in saturday; I can't wait.


Well, you should cycle until all of your levels (amm, trites, trates) are zero for a week or two. That's just my opinion. After that, you can add the goodies...SLOWLY, and not very much in that tank.

In my 12 deluxe, i plan on having an onyx show clown, purple firefish and a yellow clown goby. I'm only doing that because i'm going to have one hell of a protein skimmer on there, in addition to a 30 gallon sump packed with live rock and a deep sand bed.

[gregrocks79]

<B>Very nice! Thanks for the advice. Ill post some new stuff in a few weeks once Ive cycled and started adding goodies.

Thanks!

[gregrocks79]

<B>HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Just updating some pics of the aquascaping... cant wait till I start throwin in some goodies! Eat lots of turkey

Thanks
G
:D

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[zma21]

Looks great! You've given me a couple of ideas on how to do mine. :p

[gregrocks79]

<B>Thanks! Ill have some updated pics soon once Ive started gettin the goods... Have a happy turkey day everyone :)

[AzaZeL]

Tank looks great. Love the rockwork. I recently setup my AP12. The one thing I have been told is DO NOT RUSH IT. I am one of the most impatient people on the planet and I forced myself to wait about a month before putting my cleanup crew and pair of clowns in. Keep on top of water changes and check params often. You will see the ammonia spike and then drop. If you wait, your ocean will last for years, if you rush it, its a never ending battle.

[gregrocks79]

<B>So I stare at my tank pretty much all day long and I have noticed some lil feather dusters and other lil guys comin out to say herro! Think Im gonna add my clean up crew on Wed after a water test.

The fun begins soon...

[scaast]

When I started my nano I took some advice I heard and put a small piece of raw shrimp in the tank. As the shrimp decays it kicks off the nitrogen cycle.

[gregrocks79]

<B>hmmm good to know. Thanks scaast... Anyone else hear about this?

My LR is already cured and I did a water test. I need a lil more salt and the only thing high is nitrates. Any ideas?

[ThomasinKind]

If you're only registering nitrates then your initial cycle (the cycle is actually perpetual) is over. You do not need to add a shrimp. I would do a water change and then add a very small cuc. I personally would let the tank mature further (a month or two at minimum) before adding anything other than a few snails/hermits.

[zma21]

Don't add a shrimp, it will just prolong the cycle.

Trust me, i forgot to take the shrimp out, and ended up having a 12 week cycle. I almost pulled my hair out.

[gregrocks79]

<B>Wow good stuff thanks guys! Yea I noticed some green algee growing too. I think on Wed I'm gonna add the clean up crew of some snails, hermits, and something else maybe a yashia shrimp goby paired with a red banded pistol shrimp. Maybe even some hulk zooanthids. Hmmmmm

haha thanks!
:rollface:

[Slakker]

Don't add the fish and corals yet...give your cleanup crew a week or so to get to work and to have a bit of a buffer period, just in case your initial cycle isn't quite over yet.

[gregrocks79]

<B>Sounds good. Thanks Slakker!

[gregrocks79]

<B>The tank has really cleared up a lot and all the lil feather dusters are out and ready for some buddies! Also, there is a good amount of green algae growin. Cant wait for my clean up crew to go in on wed to start the mini ocean in a box happy fun times! Anyone think it would be a bad idea to introduce the yoshia goby red banded pistol shrimp combo too or wait? Im too excited but I know being patient is crucial. Patience grasshoppa!

[scottydo]

Nice rocks - lookin' good.

[SaltwaterChris]

WAIT on putting fish or it may come back and bite you in the you know were:D

[InLimbo87]

Looks good. Really like the scaping :)

[gregrocks79]

<B>Thanks it took me a while to get that scaping done perfectly!

So I added some goodies last night. I put in some red legged hermits, some turbo snails, a blue tux urhchin (he has a sweet super green shroom on him too), armor of god zoos, and a torch coral. Im gonna post some pics tonight. Next on the list is probably a perc clown with anenome and maybe some spiderman zoo frags. I heart spidey. I also want some hulk zoos too! Ill have a lil superhero tank!

Pics coming later tonight.
:)

[gregrocks79]

<B>And here are some pics... Anyone know what kinda shroom that is? And also what about the zoos?...

thanks!

Torch
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Red Legged hermit
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Blue Tux Urchin with shroom camo
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What kinda of Zoos are we?
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[NanoReefWanabe]

far to early for corals...it has only been a week...since your first post...two things are certain in this hobby:
1. it is expensive.
2. haste makes waste.

and further more on that..there are two ways to go about this hobby...
1. the expensive way, or
2. the really expensive way.

i will be surprised if the torch doesnt stress and die within a week or two..the zoas and mushrooms though they will stress heavily they will likely be okay..

your tank needs more time to cycle and mature...just because an empty tank with cured live rock reads zeros on the ammon, nitrite, and nitrate doesnt mean it is ready to be bombarded with livestock..people who add stuff to their tanks in the first week usually have taken LR out of an established tank...NOT fully cure lr from the LFS..they have also taken a good portion of live sand out of the established tank as well as water too...

PLEASE for the love of all that is good about this hobby, DON'T add an anemone, in a 12 gallon tank...especially one that was setup last week...bare minimum of 6 months befroe adding a anemone...same goes for clams...

i like the aquascape...but am hesitant to compliment on the addition of corals so early..best of luck with your venture into salt water..i hope to see good updates in a week or two...

[reefman13]

I agree with pretty much all of what NanoReefWanabe said. I think he stated it in a little more of a 'harsher' way then needed....

It is a young tank, now everything seems happy, but just keep and eye on things.

I had a tank cycle in three days, and the first thing I added was 6 zoa polyps, and now I have about 20. (Tank was setup in May). The thing is, I heavily dose phyto and make sure I keep ALL levels at a premium. That is how I was able to add a clam after 4 months and an anemone after about 5. The thing is, you really won't be able to do the same kind of near to over dosing I did in such a small tank, because it will just foul up the water.

Just see how everything goes. Watch closely on how your corals do, and you might be able to add another fish sometime next week.

[NanoReefWanabe]

i wasnt trying to be harsh...the net has a way of doing that...i just wanted to point out the obvious truths about this hobby...

it just seems like Greg could have done a little more research about the hobby first..

i am just concerned for the little creatures..

the hobby is addictive and mystifying, and i can honestly see how one gets caught up in the whole...i need to add to my tank syndrome..

[olrac]

NanoReefWanabe, you are far from harsh, I would have been much more blunt. I have been into SW and RT for 23 years now and I am still amazed how so many just "dump a bunch of cash into a tank and hope it all works out". There is no substitute for learning and listening as well as patientence. I just don't get the I want it now mentality of so many geting into this wonderful hobby. Just my rant... take it of leaveit

[gregrocks79]

<B>Wow!!

Maybe you shouldn't be so harsh, and maybe you shouldn't assume. That's all I'm sayin. You have no clue where I got my stuff from and how much I paid...

No need for comments are harsh words... Why don't you just check back in a few weeks and see....

Thanks

[gregrocks79]

<B>Can anyone ID those zoos and mushroom?

Thanks

[martinphillip03]

Any updates?

Marty

[gregrocks79]

<B>Shes still doin fine. Noticed a few more baby zoos growing and the torch is doing just fine... Ill post some pics later on.

Thanks
G