What media do you use in your nano cube?

[bigtank]

I have a 12g deluxe nano cube, took out the bio-balls and ceramic rings. Do people leave the sponges in or should those also come out?

[Jimbo327]

How I set it up.

bioball out, ceramic rings out, sponges out.

2nd chamber converted into a chaeto macroalgae refugium.

1st chamber, purigen media, phosar phosphate removing media, carbon.

[bigtank]

Thanks. I do have a poly-filter pad and phosphate test kit coming. Algae remains a problem after several months.

[dynaschm0e]

bigtank, we have a new NanoCube 28. I have the foam filter in now while the tank is stabilizing: tank is a week old. I made a hang-on 9x5” mini PC for the back and plan to pull the foam filter out also and have a chaeto refugium in the overflow. I hope to not need any other nutrient removing media/chemicals in the other compartments of the overflow. I am a first timer newbie, so we will see what we see. HTH -Trey

[joetekyun]

If you take the sponges out, what catches all the debris in the water?

[dynaschm0e]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10877350#post10877350 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by joetekyun
If you take the sponges out, what catches all the debris in the water?

Good question joetekyun. I am a first timer newbie, so this is all an experiment to me. I am thinking that some of the debris would be filtered by the chaeto ball and hopefully then devoured by the pods and detrivours living in the algae ball. We will see...

Anyone with experience to share about debris catching with the sponge removed and a refugium setup in the overflow of nanocube?

Thank you. -Trey

[audio101]

I took out the sponge and filled the first chamber with rubble rock and poly fill, more rubble in the second chamber and then cheato in the third chamber.

You'll need some type of filter floss/rubble rock to catch most of the debris if you have a high bio load.

[bigtank]

So far I am not incredibly impressed with the design of these things. The companies don't seem to listen to the reefkeepers. I had a "real" tank in high school and miss the flexibility with that.

Do people add a separate light to grow the chaeto in the back?

[joetekyun]

Yes, I had to peel off the black paint on the back of my nano and I attached a flourescent cabinet light in the back of the middle chamber and covered it up with aluminum foil to not get annoyed by the light while I sleep since the light stays on 24/7.

[audio101]

I found a nice little clip on light at petco I put at the very edge of the right side of the tank and I've been running it the same amount of time as my main light.

[GoingPostal]

I have some cheato in the back of the tank and nothing but a heater and pump in the back chambers, I don't have any fish, just coral and shrimp in a 12 gallon.