My First Tank - 12 Gallon Nano

redwarrior

redwarrior

Member
My tank is ordered and should be here in about 3 days! :D
I bought a basic test kit along with it (Ph, Nitrates, Calcium, Alkalinity, and Phosphates). Here's my costs so far (thought it might be helpful for any other noobs out there!)
12g tank - $165
Reef Master Mult-Kit - $53
Shippping & Handling - $32.23
Grand Total so far - $250.23
 
redwarrior

redwarrior

Member
So, for CUC and, eventually, Livestock (months from now):
1 fighting Conch
1 emerald Crab
1 brittle star
5 Blue-leg hermit Crabs
8 Nassarius Snails
3 Cerith Snails
-a break for my wallet-
1 Fire Shrimp
-a LONG break for my wallet-
2 b/w Clowns
Various Soft Corrals - Ric's, Zoo's, and mushrooms
Coco Worm
Feather Duster
Sound like a nice mix?
 
iyachtuxivm

iyachtuxivm

Member
Very nice just watch the fire shrimp with any zoanthids you get, if you are getting any. They have been known to eat them!
 
redwarrior

redwarrior

Member
My tank hasn't even shipped yet. :(
I ordered it very early wednesday morning. Now it's friday night with no sign of it being shipped. I'm not too pleased with that company right now. I emailed them this morning for an ETA...no answer all day. I called them this evening and left a message...no answer, no callback. I'm beginning to wonder if that website is a scam.
Bummer...the payment has already cleared my account, so that money may be down the drain. :(
 
iyachtuxivm

iyachtuxivm

Member
Dont give up hope yet! Call the bank monday if you havent recieved word yet and see if they can do anything. They may be able to help if you dont get any word.
 
redwarrior

redwarrior

Member
Well, to cheer myself up, I went to the LFS and picked up a 20# bag of live sand and reef crystals so that when/if my tank arrives, I'll be ready to get started. :) I went with the aragalive "black" Tahitian sand, which really isn't black, but black mixed with white, but I still think it will look nice.
I did get a voicemail from the website I purchased my tank from and, while they didn't give any details on the status of my order, they did ask me to call back on monday so that they can help me resolve this...I'm hoping they already shipped and just forgot to notify me or update the site.
 
howardj

howardj

Active Member
Not sure where you bought from, but I bought some things from the two doctors one time, no email, notification, or tracking number..
My package was there 2 days later, bright and early
 
redwarrior

redwarrior

Member
I ended up having to get a 14g biocube. The place I ordered the 12g from couldn't get the lights for months. It turns out that it is a CADlights tank and they may be discontinuing it. I even looked on their website and couldn't find it listed. It's a shame because I really was in love with that tank, but I'm still excited to have my biocube and I'm sure I'll enjoy it.
Here's where I am with the biocube:
I have it set up on my desk with nothing in it so far. I've removed the sponge and bioballs and I have a buddy getting me some plexi to block the bottom intake so that I can have more of a skim off the top. I've already bought my live sand (the aragalive "black" sand, which is more grey with black specs, but still nice). I'm going to put the sand and some water in this week while I wait for the live rock I'm ordering from a local supplier. It's aquacultured rock from the Gulf of Mexico. (One of the benefits of living in Florida!) I'll post some pics as soon as I have something to show. (For now, I have my plastic shark in there just for something.)
 
redwarrior

redwarrior

Member
You want pics? Well, I got pics, but no water yet!

Here is my tank, ready to go, with my live sand and reef crystals next to it. (Don't worry, a refractometer is on my wish list...a hydrometer will have to do in the meantime.)
(Pics didn't work...moving them...)
I even already have a tank inhabitant that doesn't seem to mind the lack of water...he'll have to move out once the water comes...
(Pics didn't work...moving them...)
Enjoy! (I'm hoping to get my H2O either tonight or this weekend and get it and my sand in while I wait for my rock!)
 
redwarrior

redwarrior

Member
Pictures galore!
Here's my poor new empty tank when I got it:

As you can see there and below, my special, plastic reef safe shark, Sharky was my first temporary inhabitant:

Finally, sand AND water!
Before the water cleared:

And after:

And now today...my first shipment of live rock from the Gulf of Mexico and sand came. The water is still cloudy in this pic, but you can see a limpet that hitch-hiked on the upper right of my tank glass. I'm taking my digital camera to work tomorrow to get better pictures with the water clear!

I've already seen several small snails and even a tiny crab that looks to be a "good" crab and not a gorilla. We almost tossed him with the bags the rock was shipped in, but my husband saw him moving and we rescued him.

I'm so excited to finally have rock...I don't know what could top this!
 
blazin2k6

blazin2k6

Active Member
great update. nice looking sand you got in there. its a different look than what ive ever seen. Gonna keep an eye on this thread. Goodluck.
 
redwarrior

redwarrior

Member
It's picture time...these are from yesterday!

Full tank shot after the water cleared

One of my live rock...not sure what the orange thing is...perhaps a coral of some sort?

Keyhole Limpet - my favorite hitchiker so far, but this isn't his best side!

Picture of filter and refugium filled with chaeto

My favorite piece of live rock with red and green macroalgae and 2 cup corals

Close up of green macroalgae

Close up of rock with macroalgae and cup corals

Top down shot later in the day - you can tell my water color has changed and at that point my ammonia was spiking.
 
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