New tank help!

[hassasin]

Hi all,
This is my first post on this board, aswell as my first saltwater tank. I'm about to start a saltwater tank, im going to go with a 12 gallon tank, maybe the Nano Cube.
I want to put some live rock, and live sand, a couple of shrimp, and a couple of hermit crabs. To top it off, maybe 1 or 2 small clown fish. :help:
Any advice that you all can give me would be greatly appreciated.
I hope to become a permanent poster around here, and as soon as the tank starts to take shape, I hope to put up pictures, and get feed back again.
Thanks again for any help, and all suggestions will be appreciated. :thinking:

 

[bot587]

i would get a decent lighting, at least 80-90 watts to get nice coraline algae growth. Don't forget to let the tank run for at least 2 weeks before introducing anything. Put the rock in at the very beginning, that way it will cycle the system. Good luck buddy and have fun with it!!!

 

[hassasin]

I appreciate it, and yeah, I expect to have alot of fun with it.
Ive been waiting to start one for a long time, and as soon as I pay for my classes in a couple of weeks, I'm gonna get started. I know I newbys should start with a bigger tank, but I dont have that luxury. Also, I have spoken with quite a few people, and read many articles, and it seems like the technology has reached a point where it is more feasible to maintain the smaller tank.
Thanks again

 

[hassasin]

Bump.....bump......and away!!!

Sorry, I need help. and I probably wont get many responses 3 pages back. :nervous:

 

[salty cheese]

Welcome aboard

Here is a good a post about starting your tank.
Click Me

 

[t n h]

welcome aboard the board has a lot of good info just type in new tanks and hit search lots of good info

 

[hassasin]

Salty, that is a great article, thanks. Now, when I go into the LFS, what are the things I should buy. So far I was going to buy a tank (duh), some LR, and LS, and Ill buy a dead shrimp the way the article said. The LFS I am going to go to has salt water he mixes, and I can get from a pvc tube he has in the store. He sells it for 50 cents a gallon. Would that be anygood :notsure: ?
I dont have any reason to mistrust my LFS, but I dont want to waste money on stuff I dont need.
The tank im buying is a Nanotank brand, 12 gallons, so how much sand and rock do I need. :thinking:
One last thing I can think of now, are there pumps or what not that I should buy, or make sure the Nanotank has? Anything u guys can think of me needing, please reply here. :help: I appreciate all the help, and the welcome to the boards.

<--I just love that smilie, so I put it. lol

 

[hassasin]

Hey all, I have a question. I am planning on buying the nanacube, and was wondering if it has some sort of an equivalent to a powerhead built in, or if I should buy one? :notsure:
Also, what is the purpose of the powerhead? I think its to keep water flowing for the fish, but if thats all it does, then doesnt the pump do that? I dont know, so I need help!!

 

[evilss]

you can cycle your tank with just he live rock. it should cycle pretty quick. thats how i cycled my 29 gal.
by the way i like this one too.

i put it on every post.

 

[barry cuda]

The nanocube has a built-in powerhead that takes water from the bottom of the "sump" area in back, across the tank from the overflow, and returns it to the top of the tank. Although it's not that great a PH. It tends to run loud and isn't that powerful. A very popular modification is to replace it (it just lifts out) with a Mini-Jet or similar. Its purpose is just to keep water circulating through the tank.

 

[bigbobsull]

I don't want to hi-jack this thread, I have almost the same stuff as Hassasin, but I just bought a Penguin 550 powerhead. I have a 12 gallon tank to, and was wondering if I got to big of a powerhead. Its not like I have huge waves or anything, but in such a small tank my perc. clown now has to fight a current constantly. Suggestions? TY

 

[ams153]

about the sand its around a pound of ls per gallon in all you want about 3 in. to really do you some good i have 30 ls in my 30g tank and its just about 3 in. off the bottom so maybe get like 15 pounds

Andrew