Gettin geared up for nano cube. Need your opinion!

[thedocta]

Well there can be a number of causes...stress cracks are a big one. In shipping, in the car, when setting up the tank, or a number of other times your tank might get a stress crack which is a little crack, usually at the seams of the tank. Those will grow due to big temp differences between the air temo and water temp. Also if the tank is on a surface that isn't level you will almost definately get a crack over time. Another reason is liverock leaning against the glass. And the last main reason is when people move the tanks with lots of LR, LS, and water still in it. I've done my best to avoid all of these...emptied the tank almost totally when I moved it to it's final location, leveled the desk it's on, and was carefull to not bump, drop, or do anything that would cause a stress crack.

 

[firefish21]

eventually i would like to get the stand for it, but right now i put it on my dresser.. will it be okay there?
would it be too much stress to move it to the new stand when i get it or should i go ahead and get the stand soon before my tank cycles?

 

[thedocta]

I'd get the stand, or make sure the dresser is level. If the dressers level it'll be alright.
Heres a pic of my tanks flow...only pic I could cut down to size.

 

[thedocta]

Here's an update:
Added my first corals, button and zoo polyps. They're doing great so far. Levels are all the same except SG has gone down to 1.026, temp up to about 80 yesterday (it was hot) and about 77 today. Had a little cyano today so I did a water change and added 8 nassarius snails. Also added a 70 GPH powerhead for additional flow. Have a ghetto surface skimmer (case of a tape). Ordered a refractometer so I'll have good testing equiptment now. LR is showing lots of life...little clams, pods, bristle worms etc. One pest that I found on my corals I bought yesterday is 1 stalk to aiptasia. It's very very small but I'm worried it'll spread. Should I just forget about it since there's only one? And one last thing...I started my feeding. Lugols solution yesterday, today a tiny bit of DT's.
LMK if you have any advice. Thanks. -Greg

 

[thedocta]

Here's an update. I posted my levels below, do you think I can add my clown now? It's in my friends tank and he wants it out so he can get some aggressive stuff. Before I get my clown I'm gonna get 4 astrea snails, I have 9 nassarius right now I'll probably take 1 out when I get my astrea's. I have a little red slime algea mostly on my rocks. Will the snails take care of that, should I try to eliminate it with water changes or scrub it off? I'm getting the astreas today and my clown today or tomorrow. I know it'll screw my levels up a little by adding so much stuff at once but I'll just do a few water changes in the following days. Open to any and all suggestions/advice. Thanks. -Greg
PH: 8.0-8.2
Alk: "Normal"
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Amonia: 0.25
Temp: 80 F (lights off)
SG: Still waiting for my refractometer I ordered!!!

 

[thedocta]

I got my refractometer, calibrated it, tested my water and I read 1.030! My hydrometer read 1.026. The worst part is I had 7.5 gallons of saltwater all mixed up for future water changes that I thought were 1.026 SG, but really they're 1.030. -Greg

 

[tuningvis]

Originally Posted by TheDocta
Here's an update. I posted my levels below, do you think I can add my clown now? It's in my friends tank and he wants it out so he can get some aggressive stuff. Before I get my clown I'm gonna get 4 astrea snails, I have 9 nassarius right now I'll probably take 1 out when I get my astrea's.why would you take one out? I have a little red slime algea mostly on my rocks. Will the snails take care of that, should I try to eliminate it with water changes or scrub it off? take as much out as you can and mine went away after having my lights off for a day... maybe you should try that now before you get corals I'm getting the astreas today and my clown today or tomorrow. I know it'll screw my levels up a little by adding so much stuff at once but I'll just do a few water changes in the following days. Open to any and all suggestions/advice. you write to much

Thanks. -Greg
PH: 8.0-8.2
Alk: "Normal"
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Amonia: 0.25
Temp: 80 F (lights off)
SG: Still waiting for my refractometer I ordered!!!

 

[thedocta]

I no I write to much...if only I spent my time writing in school.

 

[115eagles]

This is the 5th time I have herd about how crappy the 24g nano cubes are, and also how bad the filtration is. I was searously considering getting 2 of them for my living room, but don't want them to crack, and leak, or have numorus problems with settup, as a result of the supposadly crappy filtration system they have. Can someone please email me, or pm me with some answers about how good or crappy they realy are, and weather or not I should just go big. I also was going to get 2-24g nano's because I thought it would be great for hospital tanks later when I get my big tank. anyway, thanks for any input you guys can give me on this matter. Ryan C.

 

[thedocta]

Update:
Today I added 1 turbo snail, 2 astraea snails...soon to be 4 when the LFS gets more and 1 emrald crab. Changed the carbon, removed the ceramic rings and did a 2.5 gallon water change. I'm working on plans to build a skimmer that fits in the back section, I plan to have it up and running by next weekend. A little cyano and 2 small aiptasia's are still in cuz I couldn't poke them to shoot them with boiling vinegar. Getting my clown this weekend or by monday. Also added my weekly lugols solution today. Levels are below. Thanks. -Greg
PH: 8.4-8.6 HOW DO I LOWER IT!?!? HOW DID IT SKY ROCKET!?!?!
Alk: "Normal"
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Amonia: 0.25
SG: 1.026
Temp: 89 F (lights on)

 

[laddy]

You may want to question your SG reading of 1.026 with a temp reading of 89 deg, that's way too high and skewing your readings.
With a tank this new I'd concentrate on the cycle more than what your perimeters are.
And your amonia shouldn't be detectible with simple hobby test kits, whereas, your nitrates (I would expect) to have a reading around 25 mg/L for the length of time your tank has been running.
Ironically, I've been cycling a 10g for about as long as this thread has been up......added 4-5 lbs of live rock, and 20 lbs of live sand. My current levels are fine for a four week old tank. Amonia is present, nitrites are present, and nitrates are present. All I've been doing is topping with freshwater twice a week and forgetting about it. I'm not even concerned with what the KH is at the moment.
Day 1: Add substrate, some rock, water and salt--turn on power head and heater
Day 2: Check temp, take SG reading (adjust as needed; i.e. toss in a handful of salt, or take out saltwater and replace with tap water (...did he say tap water? :scared: :scared: )
Days 3-14: Reread selected chapters in Wilkerson's book, and Borneman's book
Days 15-30: Test and try not to get too worked up with the numbers (there's going to be countless afternoons and early mornings over the next few months to do that :hilarious )
Days >30: Start to think about testing more seriously, and start to think about what I want to do with this box full of salt water in my family room, kitchen, basement, or end table.

 

[thedocta]

Well what abotu day 47? That's what I'm on so I think I've pretty much got it cycled.

 

[thedocta]

oops sorry 38 my bad

 

[thedocta]

Oops it's 79 not 89

 

[thedocta]

Here's yet another update. Hair algea and cyano are both 100% gone. I think the new turbo, emrald crab, and astrea snails helped. I now have tons of pods visible at night and a few during the day. I changed my skimmer design so I need to pick up some equiptment for that during the week. Only thing I've had die so far is a few zoa polyps. Still have those 2 aiptasias cuz I can't get rid of them till they grow. Was in lansing this weekend so I stopped by Preuss. Was gonna get my randalls and pistol shrimp but they were $60 and $25...A little steep I thought. I did buy a huge 300+ brown/orange zoa colony and a little clove polyps frag. I'm getting my clown back from my friend when I finish the skimmer or this weekend even if I don't get the skimmer done, I'm also getting a little pulsing xenia frag from my friend. My water levels are below. LMK if you have any advice. Thanks. -Greg
PH: 8.2
ALK: "Normal"
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Amonia: 0.25
Temp: 79 F (lights on)
SG: 1.026

 

[ar-15lover]

Hey doc I just got on here and posted up my reef set up. With your tank size if your house doesnt change temps much I would probably try not to run your heater much if at all. I dont run one in my tank at all as it is just something else to take up space and use power. My tank runs in the 70's all the time just from the pumps and lights. Your water looks good to me I would try to use RO in the future for every thing to keep out any polutants just the safe thing to do. Also post a recent pic if at all possible I would like to see your progress. As far as aiptasias peperment shrimp might be an opption if you can get them they are supposed to eat thes guys. Good luck with it!

 

[thedocta]

OK I have and still do use R/O water for everything. I'll try to get some peperment shrimp just to take care of the aiptasia.

 

[harial]

I have hears that this stuff works for getting rid of Aiptasia.
this is their address.
http://www.joesjuice.com
hope that helps.

 

[thedocta]

OK today I went to Preuss pets because I was in lansing. I finally picked up my shrimp/goby pair. A yellow watchman goby and a tiger pistol shrimp. $52 bucks together. Brought them home and they paired up as soon as acclimation was done. I also tried my skimmer out today...couldn't get the pump and skimmer to fit and hook up together. Think I could get it to fit with a rio pump instead of a maxi jet. I also changed my maxi jet 600 out for a maxi jet 900 for my main pump today. Thought a little more flow would prevent any future algea. Now I have 30-35 turnover per hour. From now on all I add to the tank will be corals! Well I'll test my levels tomorrow and post if there's anything off. Oh and if anyone knows where to buy a cheap R/O unit please LMK because if I don't get the skimmer working I'll be doing a lot of water changes and will need R/O water. -Greg

 

[italianwjt]

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