About to setup

[drillsar]

Well got my new JBJ 28g HQI tank today but Stand is broke :(

So im waiting on stand,

Couple of questions:

I dont run skimmer correct until it cycles?

Take charcoal out as well until cycle

I dont need the ceramic rings correct?

Does anyone know where I hook up the chiller to?

[evoracer]

Run the skimmer during the cycle. Remove carbon, no ceramic rings or bioballs (ever).

[airinhere]

Wont hurt a thing to run the skimmer while your tank cycles. Running your skimmer jsut helps to minimize the nutrient load overall in your tank. The ammonia cycle (cycling) focuses on the development of nitrifying bacteria. A skimmer also increases oxygenation of the water. The removal of excess nutrients is just the icing on the cake.

Charcoal (Carbon) is just a means of removing stuff from your water. It also provides a huge surface area for nitrifying bacteria. Use it only if you have a need for it. Reduction of alleopathic chemicals is a common reason for its use. Its huge surface area full of nitrifying bacteria are a potential issue if those bacteria start producing nitrate. Like bio-balls, carbon has the potential to become a nitrate factory.

Avoid this issue by changing your carbon every two weels or so.

Ceramic rings are for freshwater. They are supposed to be a place for the nitrifying bacteria to populate and help maintain the bacterial load in a freshwater tank. I have no idea why JBJ puts them in their nanotanks. I guess they could become like live rock rubble eventually, but there is really no need to use ceramic media in my opinion.

Yours came with a chiller?


Sorry to talk so much about nitrifying bacteria. But thats all that freshwater systems tend to worry about.

And it seems like most all of the nano tank systems are designed for saltwater but are equiped with freshwater components. (Carbon, ceramic media, bio-balls)

I have no idea why, but I bet it has to do with getting rid of tons of useless junk the manufacturers made a decade ago thinking thy had "this fish keeping thing figured out".

And then some crazy Germans started using ocean rocks instead!

Good luck on your tank!

[evoracer]

Running the skimmer during the cycle gives it a chance to break in, that's why I say to do it.

[drillsar]

Didnt come with a chiller I bought it, Was a deal, if you bought the tank you get the chiller for $199.00. Im pretty sure I need one I live on top of a laundry mat and in summer can get pretty hot in here.

Ceramic rings Thats what I thought but when it came with this it confused me. So do you run carbon or no?

[drillsar]

Im thinking of buying this heater in 125 watts these are good correct?

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3743+3858&pcatid=3858

[airinhere]

Glass heaters are a bad choice everytime. Get a titanium one. Glass breaks. Titanium doesnt.

I sometimes run carbon if I have a reason to do it. Sometimes in my vietnamese tank or my bubble reef. I also run it in my nonphotosynthetic tank, but the jury is still far from being decided on that tanks viability. You can see my tanks at www.AirInHeresReef.com

If the chiller is a stand alone, does it have an internal pump system? If it does, you just need to run some tubing into the tank and hook up the chiller just like it was a cannister filter.