this great!+ what new stuff?

[jjlove]

hey guys, this forum is great! back in the 80s, I was completely winging it and completely screwed things up. So, making a fresh start years later, with this forum, is fantastic.
Okay, im starting a nano reef and am going with the reef crystals.
Next....do i add the live rock? (cured or uncured?) and what substrate do you recommend? Also (and hopefully i dont wear out my welcome here) whats a good 'starter' coral?
thanks as always

[foxesreef]

Let us know your lighting as well as if you have any inhabitants in the tank currently. If you do not have anything live, could start with a small piece of cured rock and get the rest uncured. It will take a while with several water changes, but most certainly a possibility. Heat and flow and you should be able to do it.

PS You will never wear out your welcome by asking questions for advice.

<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central</b></i></big></big>

[jjlove]

I just unpacked my Nano Cube....so Im starting from the ground up. I wanted to do my homework before I started adding anything, but Im getting antsy.

[jjlove]

also, thanks for the nice welcome. Im very excited to be a part of this forum.

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12369858#post12369858 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jjlove
hey guys, this forum is great! back in the 80s, I was completely winging it and completely screwed things up. So, making a fresh start years later, with this forum, is fantastic.
Okay, im starting a nano reef and am going with the reef crystals.
Next....do i add the live rock? (cured or uncured?) and what substrate do you recommend? Also (and hopefully i dont wear out my welcome here) whats a good 'starter' coral?
thanks as always

questions are allowed here--so you won't wear out your welcome:D

just starting up:
read the articles at the top of this forum:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1031074

for your size of tank you should have 14 lbs of live rock and a one or two inch sand bed of medium grade argonite
put your sand in, then your live rock, then fill the tank with ro or distilled water--not tap water
Your tank will then need to sit for the next three to four weeks to allow the bacteria to grow in on the live rock and sand bed

You will need a test kit for ammonia and nitrates
As the live rock cures--dead stuff comes off it and produces ammonia. This ammonia causes the bacteria to cycle and work on the ammonia to break it down to nitrates etc
Using the test kits will show you a spike or increase in ammonia, then a reduction to zero and similarily a spike in nitrates, ending up with a reduction to zero
At this point your tank will be ready to add a clean up crew, then coral and finally fish

[jjlove]

thank you so much for the help! You may have saved the lives of a few unsuspecting marine creatures!!

[foxesreef]

Let us know your lighting as well as if you have any inhabitants in the tank currently. If you do not have anything live, could start with a small piece of cured rock and get the rest uncured. It will take a while with several water changes, but most certainly a possibility. Heat and flow and you should be able to do it.

PS You will never wear out your welcome by asking questions for advice.

<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central</b></i></big></big>

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12371248#post12371248 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by foxesreef
Let us know your lighting as well as if you have any inhabitants in the tank currently. If you do not have anything live, could start with a small piece of cured rock and get the rest uncured. It will take a while with several water changes, but most certainly a possibility. Heat and flow and you should be able to do it.

PS You will never wear out your welcome by asking questions for advice.

<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central</b></i></big></big>

if you are prepared to monitor ammonia spikes carefully and do the necessary water changes then uncured rock has the possiblity of containing alot of interesting hitch hikers

[jjlove]

sounds awesome! I like monitoring the water chemistry and it gives me an excuse to "play" with the tank. Do you get your rock online, or LFS?

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12372507#post12372507 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jjlove
sounds awesome! I like monitoring the water chemistry and it gives me an excuse to "play" with the tank. Do you get your rock online, or LFS?

you have the advantage in the US--very difficult to get uncurred rock here.
If there is another reefer from my area that knows where to get it let me know

in your case I would go directly to the lfs store where you can check it out yourself and pick the pieces individually esp when you don't need that much

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12372507#post12372507 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jjlove
sounds awesome! I like monitoring the water chemistry and it gives me an excuse to "play" with the tank. Do you get your rock online, or LFS?

make sure you read and or participate in the reef chemistry forum
Your testing and what you test for will change as your tank matures:smokin:

[clownFish1313]

i dont know where in ohio you are but there is phishybusiness.com or reefsystems.com for rock and every thing. Todd at reefsystems is a awsome guy.

[jjlove]

Im west of Cleveland, and I remember an awesome place near the Airport...RMS?