New 24g Nano Cube, Help & Suggestions Please

[NanoCubeNewbie]

Hello everyone! Santa was very good to me this year and brought just what I asked for. It's a 24 gallon, Nano Cube DX. This thread will show my progress and with your help and suugestions hopefully it will some day be as awesome as most others I have seen on this site.

This is my first SW tank and I would like to eventually like to have all sorts of reef life, as the of the tank will allow. I also asked for this kind of all-in-one tank so that I could keep it as neatly packaged as possible in my office at work. I was hoping that the DX would have adequate filtration and lighting to house most of the possible inhabitants. I'm seeing lots of posts of mods and add-ons and I'm trying to get some advice to see if they are really necessary.

Below I am posting some pics of the set-up so far. I will list the inventory below, but you will see that I have added live rock, sand and pre-mixed SW from the LFS.

Any help you can be with identifying anything you see in the pics would be apprecited, especially the greenish-whitish lichen looking thing and the little redish-pinkish dots.

Thanks! More to come shortly.

[NanoCubeNewbie]

[NanoCubeNewbie]

[NanoCubeNewbie]

Here's what I have purchased so far:

24 gallon Nano Cube Deluxe Aquarium w/FREE Nano Cube Stand
21 lbs. Live Rock
20 lbs. Live Aragonite Black Sand
25 Gallons Salt Water
API Saltwater Test Kit
Top Fin, 100 Watt, Submersible Heater
Power Sentry, 1100 Jules, General Purpose Surge Protector
Instant Ocean Hydrometer
Thermometer
(2) 24 Hour Mechanical Timer

LIGHTING
The 24 gallon Nano Cube Deluxe includes two 36-watt 50/50 compact fluorescent lamps offering 72 total watts or 3 watts of lighting per gallon. Installed with a splashguard lens for bulb and ballast protection. Energy-saving ballast allows for "flicker-free" starts and dependable long-term performance. Provides maximum light output with the least amount of heat production. Will this amount of light sustain MOST corals and SPS and LPS, etc that I might want to add to this tank?

FILTRATION
This discreet filtration system is hidden to provide maximum space for your aquarium inhabitants. Sponge filter traps detritus and free-floating particulate matter. Activated carbon bag removes dissolved organics and odors. Ceramic Rings and Bio-Balls provide the ideal environment for beneficial bacteria. I have removed the Bio-Balls as most have suggested. Any other minor changes or suggestions? Is a skimmer only necessary with certain kinds of inhabitants?

PUMP
The included submersible pump is rated at 290 gph for water circulation. Will this flow be adequate for MOST things I may want to add?

DOUBLE FAN COOLED CANOPY
Heavy-duty ABS canopy can be flipped back and held in place for easy access for cleaning and feeding. Specifically designed for extra heat output with 4 vents and 2 built-in cooling fans to dissipate excess heat. Ensures cooler operation to extend the life of bulbs and ballast. Deluxe Nano Cube features a ventilated reflector.

[NanoCubeNewbie]

I would really appreciate any information, help, guidance, etc. I am really trying to be patient before adding anything, but haven't really been able to get an exact and straight answer about when it's ok, and I see all these people setting their tanks and adding fish and stuff the next day. I know thats too soon, but my LR and water came from an up and running system and I bought the LS with the water in the bag thats supposed to have all the good stuff alive inside. I hope all this will help shorten the cycle time.

A day after I set up the tank here are the readings I got (keep in mind it was my first time using a test kit).
Nitrate: 40
Nitrite: 0.50
Amonia: 0
ph: 7.8
1.026 S.G. (seems high, but like I said, I got this water premixed and running in an established system. could be the hydrometer i guess. planning on getting a refractometer in the near future.)

Please respond with any insight. Thanks!!!

[Illuminati]

The lighting is not good enough for SPS. You can do almost any softie or LPS you want except photosynthetic gorgonians.
Things like Ricordia mushrooms, xenia, kenya tree, zoas, candycane, etc... would be perfect.

No skimmer needed, weekly waterchanges with fresh saltwater are a good idea. I also use both Chemi-Pure and Purigen which comes in media bags in the back chambers.

I replaced the stock pump with a Maxijet 1200 and would suggest you do it as well.
From the start I did this and used the stock pump to mix water for waterchanges. The stock pump died on me after about 6 months when it was only used 3 days per week. Also Maxijets use less watts and less watts = less heat in the tank.

It seems like you are off to a great start. Most of the pictures your looking for ID's are dead corals (The last picture is a dead SPS coral).

[WM15]

ive got the same tank a couple months before christmas
so far ive gotten rid of the stock pump and put in a MJ 1200 (less heat and power usage)
ive also added a koralia nano
i have 35 lbs of LR but i think that 21 is fine
and no the water S.G. is fine
also try to get that pH up to about 8.3

most importanty take you time!!!

[NanoCubeNewbie]

I would really appreciate any information, help, guidance, etc. I am really trying to be patient before adding anything, but haven't really been able to get an exact and straight answer about when it's ok, and I see all these people setting their tanks and adding fish and stuff the next day. I know thats too soon, but my LR and water came from an up and running system and I bought the LS with the water in the bag thats supposed to have all the good stuff alive inside. I hope all this will help shorten the cycle time.

A day after I set up the tank here are the readings I got (keep in mind it was my first time using a test kit).
Nitrate: 40
Nitrite: 0.50
Amonia: 0
ph: 7.8
1.026 S.G. (seems high, but like I said, I got this water premixed and running in an established system. could be the hydrometer i guess. planning on getting a refractometer in the near future.)

Please respond with any insight. Thanks!!!

[NanoCubeNewbie]

Does the MaxiJet retrofit into where the stock pump and blower head are now? Will I need to do any hacking or cutting into the tank to put the MaxiJet in?

Also, how does the Koralia Nano attach? I'm assuming it suctions to or magnets through the glass, right? And that's just for added flow?

What about using floss in one of the filter chambers? Anyone think that would be a good idea?

One, last question. How soon do you think I can add my first living thing and what should it be? A coral or a fish?

[Illuminati]

With the Maxijet 1200 it fits fine but you will need to strip it down to it's basic unit, there are a lot of add on parts that come with them that you don't need for this tank.

The Koralia is a great idea for more flow. You are correct, it is held in place by magnets.

I use filter floss instead of a spong. The first thing the water hits when it goes over the overflow is the floss and catches the debris, replace at least weekly if not more. (When it's brown it's time to replace it).

As for stock your testing will tell you when. Once your nitrile is at zero do a water change to help lower the nitrates. By then you should see brown algae on the sand and rock, that is diatoms and 100% common in new tanks. That is when you should invest in a cleanup crew:

Nassarius Snails - Sandbed Cleaners
Cernith Snails - Sandbed, Rock and Glass
Nerite Snails - Rock & Glass
Hermits if you want (I have had GREAT luck with the baha hermits from www.premiumaquatics.com)

After your 3rd week you "should" be ready to add a fish (I would add a fish first).

Any idea's with the fish you want to keep? Personally if you ever want a clown I would start with one, they are fairly hardy and colorful, stick to the True or False Percula species.

[McCrary]

Monitor your nitrites and wait until they are all converted to nitrates, then wait a little before doing any water changes. Then see if the nitrates are down and you don't have any ammonia. 1.026 is fine, but I like mine around 1.025 so that I have .001 in either direction. Don't worry about your pH, it should stabilize on its own, it isn't necessarily important that it be 8.3, but it should be stable. Get a refractometer as soon as possible, it can you save you a lot of trouble. I got mine off marinedepot.com. I like to add fish before coral, but people have done it either way.

[Bmgrocks]

I would also reccomend that you choose wisely with your LPS selection, alot of LPS can do fine under 3wpg, but not grow and get the good color you would expect if under higher wattage, this is most prevlant in your Euphillia species, torch, hammer and frogspawn. They simply don't have the best growth rates or color, If you plan on keeping them, place them high in the tank.

It looks good, as far as filtration I have a 12ap and 24ap, and weekly 2.5g on the 12, and 5g on the 24 keep my perameters stable, I also have a AquaClear 70 Fuge on both filled with Chaeto for nutrient export, it works wonders..Good Luck!

[lhoy]

I would recommend redoing the "rock wall" and do some searching here on aquascaping. It will help with detritus removal by improving flow behind the rocks. There are some great formations in tanks here on the site.

Hope you enjoy your Xmas gift!! Great start.

Lee

[snommisbor]

One test kit you should get is a KH. You fill to the line and put drops in until it changes from blue to a yellowish color. Count how many drops which should be from 9 to 12 before change. If it is for example 7 then you need to add some buffer. I use superbuffer by kent. About a half teaspoon a day until you get to were you want it. I run mine at 11-12 kh. Easy test and once you get your system going you really dont need to check nitrates or ammonia or nitrites as long as you maintain a good water change regiment. I change water in my 12 gal nano about every 2 to 3 weeks but I have just one fish so not a big bioload. I am going to try and pair my clown soon so I wil change about every 10 days. But once you get going buffer is about all you need for now. Later depending on what you get into which wont be anything hard like SPS because you dont have the lighting you will begin to add other things like iodine or calcium, but for basic mushrooms and stuff and some nano type fish buffer is all you need. Start simple then later rip your light canopy off, buy a clip on 150watt MH and put whatever you want in there: Clams, SPS most any type of coral. Thats what I did

[NanoCubeNewbie]

Originally posted by lhoy
I would recommend redoing the "rock wall" and do some searching here on aquascaping. It will help with detritus removal by improving flow behind the rocks. There are some great formations in tanks here on the site.

Hope you enjoy your Xmas gift!! Great start.

Lee

I thought there would be adequate flow behind the "rock wall" the way I have it stacked. Take second look at these pictures that show the area behind the wall and confirm or deny. Thanks!

[mathias999us]

I think your aquascaping looks totally fine for flow. You may find that it may be difficult to place a lot of coral on it though, since it's so vertical. You may want to consider making some more flat shelves to place corals on. I think your approach to the aquascaping LOOKS cool though.

I think I would consider your lighting scheme to be a low-light tank. Species with low light requirements will do well. Species with medium lighting requirements may survive, but will not thrive. Species with high lighting requirements will die. Stick to lower-light species, and you will be a lot happier with the results (healthy low-light species sure beats mediocre results with medium-light species).

Agree with others - you want more flow.

A skimmer is by no means a requirement (and admittedly, a bit of a controversial subject), but most reef aquarists consider them to be an invaluable tool. You can get by without them fine with good husbandry skills and modest regular water changes, but a skimmer would just be another tool to further you to your goals of success.

Bmgrocks hit the nail on the head - the BEST thing you could do, which would be my next step if I were you, would be to incorporate a refugium with macro algae. He's right, it will work wonders for controlling nuisance growths of algae and other undesirables in the long run.

You've got the potential for a nice tank here, but keep your goals modest for this first tank. Choose hardy, low light corals, and you will have a tank that flourishes, and builds your confidence for more ambitious systems in the future.

[NanoCubeNewbie]

Can I use and would you suggest using one of my back chambers as a refugium? And if so, where and how much chaeto would you suggest? Right now I have a black sponge taking up the whole first chamber, a bag of ceramic rings on the bottom, a bag of activated carbon in the middle and another black sponge on the top of the middle chamber and nothing but the pump in the last one.

Also, I am going to get some filter floss, where do you all suggest to put it? I've read that it should be the first thing the water filters through when entering the back of the tank.

Also, I checked my water again today. The API test kit I got checks for:
High Range PH
Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrate

Is this complete or will I also need to check for other things when I begin adding livestock? "snommisbor" has suggested to get an additional test to check the Kh. What is that? When is it necessary to check it?

Also, some of the colors of the water being tested in the test tubes are not like any color on the card to compare it to. I'm not sure how to address that. Anyone else have that problem?

As far as adding shelves for more coral, I think i'm going add just a few and then maybe something down in the sand like a clam. Not trying to have a really high bioload. But thanks for the suggestion.

I do plan on getting the MaxiJet 1200 and the Koralia Nano Powerhead as suggested previously.

Should I wait until all my tests are at zero before adding the clean up crew?

Thanks for all your advice and suggestions!

[NanoCubeNewbie]

I forgot to tell you what the levels tested at....

A week ago:
ph-7.8, ammonia-0, nitrite-0.50, nitrate-40

Today:
ph-7.8, amonia-0, nitrite-0.75 (up), nitrate-40

I should be expecting them to go up before coming down, right?

Is there anything I should add to the water to help the cycling process along?

What do you think of the levels so far? Are they were I should expect them to be after only a week?

The LR and SW were from existing tanks and the LS I bought was the kind with the water in the bag that was supposed to have all the beneficial things living in it.

How much longer do you think it will be before the number drop?

[mathias999us]

Yeah, you can use one of your back chambers as a fuge, but you have to get light in there somehow. That may involve modding the hood. Another option would possibly be a HOB fuge with a small hood mod. Believe me though, it will be worth it. A fuge is an EXCELLENT and natural nutrient export mechanism. You'll probably want to start off with enough chaeto to fill about half of your fuge, and once a week, or once every other week, tear a chunk out and throw it away (dispose of it "properly") so it is back to it's original size. This way, the chaeto is helping you "export" nutrients from your tank (in the material you throw away).

You'll find that everything is a controversy in reefkeeping, but I think a good number of people would agree with the following filtration scheme in your rear chambers:
Ditch the black sponges and ceramic rings. Carbon is optional. Some people like it, some don't. I'd personally keep it. So, first chamber should have live rock rubble stacked up, with some filter floss on the top. Floss should be replaced frequently, at least once per week. Second chamber could be your fuge, or you could put your heater and your carbon in there. Probably best to leave the pump by itself in the last chamber.

Those are good things to test for. Two additional tests I would highly recommend are alkalinity (this is the same thing as the KH test) and calcium. Regardless of whether you are keeping any calcifying corals in the tank, I would recommend that you keep your calcium and alkalinity at optimal levels for the healthiest tank. Supplement as necessary with adjustments, or 2 part additives.

For the bad colors on your tests, you're either doing something wrong, or using inappropriate (like FW only) or expired test kits.

You cannot put a clam in this tank, period.

You should wait until nitrite and amonia are both 0 before adding CUC. Only add patience to speed the cycling process . It's the most effective. Numbers look as expected. I personally, would wait at least 4 weeks before putting anything in, regardless of the numbers. This is a hobby of patience.... but, it's your $$$ to risk.

(psst - be patient, and do it right from the beginning).

[NanoCubeNewbie]

If I change the stock pump to the maxi-jet 1200, can't I use the stock pump then in the main tank area as another way to move the water without purchasing the koralia nano?

Also, I have been reading that some people are using quilting batting as floss. What do you think?

[mathias999us]

If the stock pump came with an inlet strainer (not sure if they do on your tank), you *could* use it in the main tank. A koralia would be much better though, because it provides a higher volume/lower velocity flow, vs the powerhead, which provides a high velocity jet of flow, which isn't as desirable. Also, you may need to make a little mount for the stock pump. Suction cups will only last so long.

I've used polyester batting as a filter in my tanks for a long time with no ill effects observed, and so have others. Nice, cheap, but maybe not quite as effective as filter floss. Good enough for me.

[lhoy]

Yes, you look like you have space for good flow back there, but as Matthias stated, you don't have much space for corals. You have some awesome live rock with great opportunities for coral placement but the vertical orientation minimizes that. That rock should stack and mesh very well given the shape.

Hope it goes well.

Lee

[NanoCubeNewbie]

Thanks for all the great information!

Next time I test the levels in the water that look funny, I will take a picture to show what I'm talking about.

[NanoCubeNewbie]

A couple of questions, if you don't mind.

1. What kind of light is needed to grow chaeto?

2. Since my tank is just starting and still cycling, I thought about putting some in like a breading thing that still lets the water flow but sections an area off. I also saw people use a suction thing that is supposed to be used in ths sink to hold a sponge while it dries. Anyway I thought about putting this in the main tank while I decide how to modify one of the back chambers as a refugium. Would this work even temporarily?

3. Is it to soon to put some in my tank?

[NWBRADSHAW]

Learned some things here for my new tank...