Getting started!!

[gwiley]

hey everyone! After four years of getting out of the hobby, I have finally found time (rather money) to get my feet wet again. I plan on trying my luck on a JBJ 12g Nano Cube.
If anyone has any tips and helpful wisdom i would greatly appreciate your help and keep you posted on this journey.
I plan on starting off with 15lbs of argonite sand bottom and 15lbs of cured LR. On my last aquariums I used Instant Ocean salt, but after much research i have learned that it has recieved a very poor score. However, i never did have any problems and still have a lot of it in a rubbermaid container.
After the LONG WAIT for everything to settle down, i plan on adding the following clean up crew:
2) Turbo snails
4) Nassarius snails
5) Blue legs
4) Scarlet legs
I could always make this larger since the algae will be growing up to the ceiling.
Please let me know if i need to change or add anything...critics are welcome...(Insert foot)

 

[chankanaab]

Welcome back.

i would use tropic marin salt IMO.

 

[gwiley]

okay I have decided that I have the worst of luck when it comes to having things mailed to me. Today I finally recieved my JBJ 12g nano, but (and this is a big but) when i opened the package, with all my anticipation and exitement, i noticed that the glass was busted out of the front...

Man i was soo mad. I immediatly called the company i ordered the tank from and got a replacement ordered...what a great Fri. 13

 

[dksart]

Originally Posted by Gwiley
okay I have decided that I have the worst of luck when it comes to having things mailed to me. Today I finally recieved my JBJ 12g nano, but (and this is a big but) when i opened the package, with all my anticipation and exitement, i noticed that the glass was busted out of the front...

Man i was soo mad. I immediatly called the company i ordered the tank from and got a replacement ordered...what a great Fri. 13
When we got ours (24g JBJ nano deluxe) the lights didn't work. The company immediately sent out a whole new hood and ballast, they're great. I love, love, love my nano!
Good luck, and welcome back!

 

[gwiley]

Originally Posted by dksart
When we got ours (24g JBJ nano deluxe) the lights didn't work. The company immediately sent out a whole new hood and ballast, they're great. I love, love, love my nano!
Good luck, and welcome back!

who did you order your tank from?
I got mine from pet solutions, im hoping that my next order will not have any problems with it. im crossing my fingers.

 

[kjohansen]

I would only do 1 Turbo. I have an Aquapod 24 and the Turbo is the bulldozer and probably going back to the LFS very soon. Four Astreas is good I really like mine. Maybe only 2 Nassarius snails.
I too used to run Instant Ocean with no problems. It does seem that it does not have enough calcium in it though. I asked about salt here and the resonding favorite was Reef Crystals which is what I use.
I hope you get your tank issues resolved quickly!

 

[gwiley]

Just wanted to inform everyone that i have finally recieved my replacement tank.

Tommorow i will be putting in LR and LS. I think im just going to use left over IO salt.

 

[gwiley]

thought i would post some pics and show how everything is going. So far it has only been cycling for one week today.
My parameters so far are:
Ammonia NH3/NH4+ .75ppm
Nitrate NO3- 0ppm
Nitrite NO2- 0ppm
pH 8.2
my specific gravity has been around 1.027

 

[reef diver]

Well check out the nano mods thread. But Ill list a few here: Use half of an old cassette tape case, place over the intake and wallah instant surface skimming. (Look at the thing just over the intake grate, its the cassette case)

Also replace the pump in the third chamber of the filtration with a Maxijet 900(better flow, no extra heat). Also Cut away the vinyl on the back of the tank to reveal the second chamber. Fill with Small LR rubble and chaeto. Place a 6500k PC desklamp ($20 at home depot) behind. Instant refugium. You cant do a few other good mods because you already filled it though.
OOPS didnt notice you'd already bought the surface skimmer. Also lower your SG a bit.
Good to see you getting back into the hobby again.

 

[gwiley]

well i have already set up a refugium in the back. i went ahead and put LR rubble in the 2 chamber, and put macroalgae in the 3 chamber. i just put some fiber media in the 1st chamber.

 

[gwiley]

well two weeks into cycling and my tank has starting producing algae like no tommorow. i have never seen this much micro algae. It is really neon green in color and seems to even be floating on the surface. im keeping my lights on for less then 10 hours a day. ill try and get a picture either tonight or tommorow.
if anyone know what this could be i would appreciate it. im hoping it can be resolved soon.

 

[howardj]

what kind of water did you use?

 

[gwiley]

Originally Posted by HowardJ
what kind of water did you use?
RO/DI. im also not adding any extra elements or nutrients to the water.

 

[howardj]

can I use culligan water? that's the only type of reverse osmosis water I am seeing in stores..

 

[gwiley]

Originally Posted by HowardJ
can I use culligan water? that's the only type of reverse osmosis water I am seeing in stores..
yes. you can use culligan, but the cost will begin to catch up with you. I would look around town for cheaper RO/DI alternatives. All RO/DI water is the same in regards as to how it is filtered. In my town we have RO/DI stations located at different areas of the town. Also LFS usually have RO/DI water. Good ole' Walmart also has fillup stations.

 

[howardj]

uh.. a wally world competitor has a blue machine.. exactly like culligan, but it doesn't have a brand name..
It has a sign that says .29 (29 cents) is this per gallon? I didn't see anything around it that said per gallon or anything.. but it did have the same reverse osmosis stocker with otherpurities on it (same as culligan)
safe to use?
.29 per gallon for 12 gallons isn't bad at all

 

[gwiley]

Originally Posted by HowardJ
uh.. a wally world competitor has a blue machine.. exactly like culligan, but it doesn't have a brand name..
It has a sign that says .29 (29 cents) is this per gallon? I didn't see anything around it that said per gallon or anything.. but it did have the same reverse osmosis stocker with otherpurities on it (same as culligan)
safe to use?
.29 per gallon for 12 gallons isn't bad at all
yes this should be similar to what im talking about. i would just check and make sure that it is monitored and checked regularly, and that the date is posted on when it is checked. It should be .29 cents per gallon, that sounds like the going rate.

 

[lbaskball]

Good choice for going with the JBJ. I like the JBJ over the Biocube which I know have.