24G Nano Cube, gettin' there

[steelhealr]

Just thought I'd post some pix of my corals for anyone interested in seeing that you CAN have good results with stock lighting in a Nano Cube. I have a long way to go re: adding more corals. For those who do not have the skills for or do not want dremelling,drilling, retrofitting, etc, you can still have a nice tank:

Green fluorescent mushrooms:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/coral25.jpg

Spaghetti finger leather (cladiella sp)

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/coral23.jpg

Organ Pipe and Trumpet Corals

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/coral22.jpg

Zoanthids

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/coral20.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/coral21.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/coral24.jpg

Yellow Fiji Leather (sarcophyton elegans)

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/coral19.jpg

Ricordea florida (splitting)

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/coral17.jpg

Red Actinodiscus

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/coral15.jpg

Hawaiian Feather Duster

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano47.jpg

SH

[Esper]

very nice!!! do you have any full tank shots?

i give you lots of credit for sticking to the stock cube.

i've modded mine for the fun of it, and because i really like metal halides, but i'm really glad you showed people what is possible with the stock nanocubes!

[steelhealr]

Well....I've done SOME mods. I built an 8 4000MCD LED moonlight for my 46G FW tank, so, I have electrical capabilities. When I got the NC, it was in the early part of the learning curve....purchased mostly for looks and was a little 'p.o'd' when I learned later that it was inadequate lighting for SPS. So...instead of modding, set a goal to make the best looking I could with stock to see what I could do with it. Have a long way to go, but, so far, haven't lost a coral.

Here are the last two shots I took most recently:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/coral18.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano44.jpg

SH

[moatcarp01]

very nice!!

[tmantaylor18]

Looks really good dude.

[steelhealr]

Thought I'd add a few updated shots:

Ricordea florida, has split into three polyps

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano68.jpg

Euphyllia ancora, hammer coral

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano67.jpg

Acanthastrea echinata

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano66.jpg

Cladiella sp (?spaghetti finger leather), needs fragging

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano65.jpg

tubipora musica, Organ Pipe

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano64.jpg

Pterogorgia sp., Purple Gorgonian, Purple Sea Whip

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano63.jpg

Zoanthids, button polyps, blue ricordea

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano62.jpg

Just a few pix. It CAN be done. If expense and time are issues with regards to having an SPS tank, you can still have a colorful and aesthetic marine aquarium if you work at it. SH

[bkztrini465]

Lets see a full tank shot with all the new stuff.

[billm44]

Yes, a full tank shot please! It must look great!

[thebrian]

Originally posted by bkztrini465
Lets see a full tank shot with all the new stuff.

I was thinking the same thing...

[nonamesright]

that hammer coral is gorgeous. i am in envy.

[steelhealr]

Thanks.....at night...it has the weirdest sweeper tentatacles. Looks like a skeleton arm reaching out to grab something.....sorta like that bank where you put the penny in the slot and the hand reaches out to grab it. LOL. SH

[nonamesright]

where did you get it and how much was it?, i can't get over how sweet it looks

[steelhealr]

I bought the hammer from platinumreefs.com..most people know him by Tighaboy. SH

[torchstang05]

Very nice tank. you should try putting that hammer higher up i guarantee that thing will grow like crazy. I had a 1 headed in my 12gal which by the way was the first nano to come out with the single bulb. I did nothing to this tank and the hammer has 4 heads in less than a year and everything else grew like crazy. i had mine at the top and it loved it. Try that out if you can. Awesome tank though man!!!

[alice_curiouser]

That's awesome! I started SW with the 12-gallon Nano-Cube, and I loved it! Mine was all stock, and turned out pretty well, I thought (http://www.aquaria.madwonderland.net/saltwater/tank/nanocube_final.jpg).

[steelhealr]

Very nice alice. Agreed.

As for the hammer...I have him on the bed and it is almost hitting the glass now. That thing has expanded from a golfball to a baseball. If he gets bigger...I will have to move him tho'. Thanks Torchstand. I'm recovering a brain and I may switch their positions. SH

[steelhealr]

Well...I did move the hammer up higher and to the back...don't have a pic of that move yet. Here are some updated shots..but..they are basically looking the same as above.....so....just addtions next time.
I never want to be accused of overstaying my stay. SH

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano76.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano78.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano79.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano80.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano81.jpg

OOPS..sorry..wanted to get my clown and sixline on the marquis here, lol:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano82.jpg

[mightymouse]

thats a great looking fromia star i had one but didnt know they needed a longer acclimation time i only did an hour adn it just disintegrated

[steelhealr]

Hi...I was finally able to find a 'score' at a local lfs. Added a fungia, orange plate coral:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano86.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano83.jpg

Also, my new blue ricordea are splitting:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano84.jpg

My dying brain (no jokes) is recovering nicely:

before

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/brain4.jpg

after

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano85.jpg

SH

[reefwick]

WOW! (applause) looks great, one of the best i've seen.

[vanmo92]

i'm jelous because i really want a firefish.

[waterlily]

Very nice! I can only hope mine looks half as good. I'm downsizing from a 75. I threw caution to the wind and went with the crack-prone 24 instead of the smaller nano-cube.

[fishman805]

Very well done SH..... Just wanted to let you know that I've added the LR to my 12g nano ( tonight ) and posted pic's in my "starting over again" thread.... Take a peek and let me know what you think .... The LR was from Fosters & Smith... Supposed to be Prem. Figi... but looks too branchy to be that... Let me know what you think....


Bob

[steelhealr]

Some updated pix:

My sixline curious about reflected light in the tank:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano94.jpg

New hitchhiker, foraminifera homotrema rubrum:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano96.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano95.jpg

SH

[fishman805]

Very impressive SH .... Mine is still bare ( LOL ) ....

Soooo Tiga is a business man eh..?? May have to check that out as well.... He's doing an impressive job with the videos...


Bob

[vanmo92]

nice pics

[vanmo92]

looks good

[steelhealr]

Just a few new pix. New addition to the tank are three green ricordea. Here is a pic of one of them:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano97.jpg

Couldn't quite catch it but my clown was trying to host in an hammer. Can anyone tell from this pic if it's a true or false perc?

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano98.jpg

Updated side shot...the cladiella needs fragging. It is getting huge:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano99.jpg

It's almost six months from setup and the system seems to be reaching a partial state of maturity....I think. I may have room for one more small fish. Room for more corals is becoming scant. Note the coralline algae now on the back walls and starting to begin on the glass itself. Scraping is now becoming necessary. SH

[fishman805]

And all that growth from stock lighting..?? Amazing SH ... It just goes to show me what I'm going to be able to achieve with mine...


Bob

[steelhealr]

It's true...not boasting here, but, I've been able to support every coral that I have put in my tank under stock lighting, INCLUDING a purple gorgonian. Granted, no SPS or clams in there, but, that'll be my future large tank when I hit MegaMillions. LOLOL. I think that if you keep good water conditions, you can do a lot more with stock lighting than people let on here. SH

[fishman805]

I'm having to agree with you... Your tank says it all..... By the way, have you checked up on my progress lately..?? I added some stuff to my 12gal today ( mushrooms from the 150gal and some tubeworms ).....

Bob

[isawill]

Wow...That's awsome!!
I just got done cycling my Stock 24 NC and was wondering what kind of clean up crew you had? (What kind of critters? How many?)
I'm really excited to see what can be done with this tank.
Thanks
Isabelle

[steelhealr]

Isabelle...keep it up. You can have a beautiful tank. Here was my starting cleanup crew for my 24G:

5 astrea
5 nassarius
1 emerald crab
2 blue legged hermits
2 scarlet hermits
one skunk cleaner

If I did it all over again, I'd forgo the hermits (I think they are WAY overblown...big underachievers). Since then, I've added 2 trochus snails, 3 margaritas and several ceriths to replace losses.
Astreas clean your LR. Nassarius stir up. clean the substrate. Margaritas/ceriths/trochus clean the glass, plus. Emeralds ate my bubble algae. Skunk cleaner is just plain fun. SH

[physicslord]

First of all, I think the nanocube can be made into a really successful reef system. I plan on setting up a few more of them.

I do think your tank looks really good, BUT this is not a mature tank by any means. The live filter system is just getting established in there. I would wait a year before boasting about any of this.
As I have learned through hard knocks, every tank looks this awesome for six months after you set it up. ;)

[fishman805]

Originally posted by physicslord
First of all, I think the nanocube can be made into a really successful reef system. I plan on setting up a few more of them.

I do think your tank looks really good, BUT this is not a mature tank by any means. The live filter system is just getting established in there. I would wait a year before boasting about any of this.
As I have learned through hard knocks, every tank looks this awesome for six months after you set it up. ;)

You've said alot here but I'd appreciate it if you could share your past experience in this hobby to us to qualify your statement... You appear to be new to this forum and RC as a whole and I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome you here to RC and the Nano Forum.... I'd also like to mention that there are many tanks that have been setup in all the forums that are looking and operating supurbly and many of them have only been running for a short period of time... Many of these tanks have been setup by experienced reefers who have already graduated from the school of hard knocks and have used their experience to achieve great sucess in a short period of time....

I for one think that SH's tank is outstanding and I doubt very seriously that he will experience any crashes... I would therefore say that he has every right to boast.... I also pull from my years of experience in the aquarium hobby to state that your filtration system reaches it's balance once the system has "cycled"... and with care ( always ) and proper husbandry, you'll enjoy years of sucess with your system.... It's only if you "forget" or get "lazy" that things change for you and change in a hurry most times for the worse....


Bob

[steelhealr]

Physicslord..it wasn't a boast....read the line again. It was an encouragement to others that stock lighting can be quite satisfactory for those who can't afford expensive setups or those who don't have the technical ability or time to 'mod' the nano cube. Having been completely 'lost', like other newbies, when I first purchased my tank, I try to remember my 'roots'. Considering that disaster can come quickly to anyone running a nano system, boasting would be the last thing I'd ever do in this forum. SH

[lil_fishey]

that tank is gorgues great job

[steelhealr]

Thanks Lil Fishey. SH

[fishman805]

Originally posted by steelhealr
Thanks Lil Fishey. SH


:confused: What about me SH..??? Where's my pat on the back for standing up for ya...huh..???

( golly gee wiz... man... hrumph.... help a guy out..... yada yada yada..... )





:lol:

Bob

[fishman805]

Originally posted by steelhealr
Thanks Lil Fishey. SH


:confused: What about me SH..??? Where's my pat on the back for standing up for ya...huh..???

( golly gee wiz... man... hrumph.... help a guy out..... after all we've been through........ yada yada yada..... )





:lol:

Bob

[fishman805]

CRAP..... double posted...... ( the second one was the edited one...lol )

( sorry )



Bob

[steelhealr]

Did you get my PM fishman???? I sent you a PM yesterday. SH

[fishman805]

Originally posted by steelhealr
Did you get my PM fishman???? I sent you a PM yesterday. SH



OOPS.......:D


( that means I got it .... thanx )


Bob

[jknut]

Couldn't quite catch it but my clown was trying to host in an hammer. Can anyone tell from this pic if it's a true or false perc?

By the thick black bands around the white stripes you can definitely tell that it is a Amphiprion percula (True Percula) because on the Amphiprion ocellaris (False Percula) those black bands will be relatively non-existant.

By the way, your tank looks great!

Jason

[steelhealr]

Thanks Jason....I think clinched it in my books. SH

[oddiseus]

Not sure if I just missed it but did you post what you are running as far as setup. I know you mentioned stock lights. I am about to downsize from a 55 and I have a nice little 29 that I want to transfer all my zoo's to and I would rather not have to buy lights if you have done this well stock. I have read a lot about people that use stock "NO" lighting and have good results so I knew it could be done.
Is this just a regular flourescent in a normal hood?

Beautiful tank btw!!
Keep up the good work.

-Odd

[steelhealr]

Thanks Oddiseus...all stock lighting...I recently did up a tank summary to help people out if they are considering the same system. Here goes:

Tank Summary

Born on date
April 9, 2005

Lighting
JBJ stock lighting, 72watts PC 50/50 actinic

Maintenance
-Weekly 10-15% water changes.
-Biweekly SW and topoff water making with AquaSafe 6 stage RO/DI unit. Water aged and heated.
-Started with Oceanic, tried Tropic Marin, currently trying Reef Crystals.
-check s.g. every 1-3 days. Daily topoff, summertime, with 1 liter pure water
-parameter checks 1X per week, more frequent if tank looks problematic

Tank Supplements

None except for B-Ionic or Kent CB Two Part for calcium/buffering.

Live Rock
Initial 20lbs from Premiumaquatics.com, mixture Kaelini, Marshall Islands, Fiji; 3lbs live rock rubble

Additions: 2.5lbs Solomon Islands, 1lb Marshall Islands

Substrate

20lbs lbs CaribSea Aragalive Aragonite sand
3lbs live find sand from existing tank

Chambers

Chamber 1: Stock pump, Chemipure, SeaGel, Purigen, Algone, PuraPad
Chamber 2: lr rubble, chaetomorpha, submersible 10watt quartz halogen lamp, Coralife digital temp probe, pH probe
Chamber 3: MJ1200 PH, Ebo Jager 100W heater

Modifications

1) Additional Maxijet 1200 PH, total 590 gph, 25X turnover
2) Stock pump in chamber one with bulkheadless outflow
3) Chamber 2 refugium with light
4) Dorfitu cassette tape cover surface skimmer

Livestock

1) Initial cleanup crew:
-5 nassarius
-5 astrea
-2 blue legged hermtis
-2 red legged hermits
-2 emerald crabs
-1 skunk cleaner
Additions since: 3 margaritas, 2 trochus, 3 astrea, 3 cerith

2) Current fish
-Sixline wrasse
-true percula
-common firefish
-Yashia haze goby/Randall's banded pistol combo
-Banggai cardinalfish

Corals

Softies/Leathers
-cladiella sp.
-sarcophyton elegans
-tubipora musica

Zoanthids
-green, orange (firecracker), green/pink

Corallimorphs
-ricordea florida: orange, blue, green
-actinodiscus: red, fluorescent green, blue

LPS
-fungia sp (orange plate coral)
-caulastrea (trumpet coral)
-favites (green brain0
-acanthastrea echinata (rainbow acan)
-euphyllia ancora (hammer coral)
-tubastrea aurea (orange cup corals)

Gorgonians
-pterogorgia sp (purple sea whip)

Feeding

-phytoplankton, cyclopeeze, occasional Zooplex, every other day
-frozen mysid, flake, slow sinking pellet, enriched brine shrimp for fish every other day
-orange cup corals every other day, alternating pulling them from the tank to feed
-very occasional small piece of seaweed

Tank Losses/Insults

1) Green clown goby disappeared after acclimation
2) Severe cyanobacteria infestation; eradicated with E-M tabs
3) Large open brain died, disintegrated, contaminated tank
4) Yellow striped clingfish died after two weeks
5) Common firefish trapped in cassette mod, drowns
6) Sea star, fromia indica, disintegrates after 48 hours and contaminates tank, 30% zoos close down and some lose their color permanently
7) Hawaiian feather duster drops its crown, disappears and reappears 2 weeks later
8) Various invert losses/deaths/stolen shells
9) Halimeda fails under present fuge light; chaeto survives

SH

[twagshot]

What camera are you using to take those pictures? I love the clarity

[FateX8]

very nice many love those zoos

[steelhealr]

Don't laugh...I"m using a Pentax Optio S. The pix surprise even me sometimes. SH

[steelhealr]

Unfortunately, one of my fellow nano-reefers here from LI keeps telling me about new stores to check out. He's killing me (and my wallet). I caved..new tank additions:

Fox Coral, Nemanzophyllia turbida ..still not open and acclimating

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano101.jpg

Open brain (?trachophyllia?), not fully opened yet

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano102.jpg

Banggai (Kaudern's) cardinalfish

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano100.jpg

SH

[nonamesright]

are the green shrooms out? i can't seem to locate them in the full tank shots.

[FateX8]

nice picture of your bangai

[steelhealr]

They are out and open. I'm due for an updated pic..but...looks much like the last full tank shot here. If the fox survives and opens, I'll take a better shot. SH

[ChrisMan123]

I'm thinking of getting a Nano Cube, either 12g and 24g... I was thinking about getting the deluxe model though because of the extra lighting... Im glad to see that its been working out... but ive heard some bad things about cracking and scratching of these nano cubes... Im still researching them but so far they look pretty cool and would be a good size tank to start up a nano reef with for the space i have, anyone know any information or have any experience with the Nano's please let me know, send me a message or something i need to know more about them before I decide on purchasing one... (like what corals I can keep, would i need to MOD it and how many fish i can support and that kinda stuff)

[steelhealr]

Chris...I sent you a link to help you out with a 24G setup from soup to nuts. There are cracking issues with the 24G. This is my rec with regards to purchasing one:


Causes

1)Of the three JBJ Nano Cubes, the 24G seems most prone to cracking, either by shipping individually or, unfortunately, latent catastrophic failure.

2) The MOST LIKELY etiologies are thin glass; weakness at the seamless corners and JBJ stated some gluing issues and packaging.

If you still want one

My recommendations are the following:

1) DO NOT ORDER THE 24G over the internet or via Ebay. They are shipped individually this way instead of by palettes to lfs'. This way they are exposed to careless handling. If you do order it over the net, WEAR GLOVES when reaching in to take it out of the box. There may be shards of glass in there.

2) Purchase it from an lfs. Have them open the box there and inspect the tank. Look for cracks, scratches and run your finger under the rims and feel for stepoffs. Ask the lfs what the return policy is and KEEP YOUR RECEIPT.

3) Minimize your mods to the tank to keep your warranty intact with JBJ.

4) Do a long test run with fresh water in an area where failure won't harm your home. Consider a week long test period. Consider setting it up over a plastic bucket.

What happens if it cracks?

1) Take digital photos if possible
2) Call JBJ and report it. Ask for either a replacement tank (which may crack again during shipping) OR a refund
3) If there is damage to your house, it will probably be covered under your homeowners policy but some people here have reported that they might increase your rates.

Alternatives

1) Go with the new AquaPod. Thicker glass. Better surface skimming. Reportedly better lighting even with less wattage.

2) Oceanics 30G cube. A solid all around tank.

3) Can never go wrong with a 20L or 29G AGA. Overall, the most versatile tanks you can get.

Hope this helped. SH

[ChrisMan123]

this is really nice... how long as this tank been running? how long have you been working on it? any complaints about the nano cube? Im glad to see the stock lighting can support these very nice corals and such...

[steelhealr]

Tank has been up for almost 6 months and working on it all the time. It's settling in now and not much to do during the week short of topping off and feeding.

Tons of complaints about the NC, mostly the very tank I have, the 24G. Glass thickness seems to be the issue. SH

[steelhealr]

Couple more shots than I'm going to sit back with a cup of coffee and read OTHER's threads. LOLOL.

The fox coral is open and nicer that I thought it would be:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano105.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano107.jpg

Updated tank shot, sorry for the bright washout in areas:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano106.jpg

To answer above, the green mushrooms are below and to the left of the yellow Fiji leather. SH

[Ronald]

Great looking tank SH, must be low mainenance with a surgeon's schedule. :D Didn't I see you walking out of the hospital with a scalpal, maybe to frag a coral? :lol: Just kidding, I lived on LI for 6 years when working at LIJ, good thing I didn't know about reef keeping then or I would have never finished residency!

Ron

[steelhealr]

Ronald..thanks for stopping buy. Yeah...wouldn't have had any vacations at all. Can you post any pix of your 72G? Fill me in on what equipment/setup you have. Thanks. SH

[ChrisMan123]

do you have any links to the sites for information on the Oceanic... or the AquaPod, or the AGA tanks?

[ReefWreak]

Pun intented, but you've certainly got that tank filled up to the gills. Nice tank, as always. Are you still using yours with a crack in it?

[steelhealr]

Yes...one of my errors, if it really is at all...I kept room around the entire reef to be able to clean and do maintenance. Hence, my LR is NOT piled against the back. I do lose a bit of substrate space in the front of the tank but I also have less height. So, wide footing....hence...a 'gillsy' appearance if you will. However the back of the reef is empty except for a hammer I have in the back left corner and a feather duster in the back right. I'm just about done except for maybe some tiny frag somewhere.

Yes...still with the crack. Here it is:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/crack.jpg

SH

[ChrisMan123]

will that crack further?

[steelhealr]

No guarantees...it could. I was waiting for Chris at nanocustoms to come up with an 'acrylic nano cube' but that venture fell thru. So, now I'm eyeing AquaPod to see how if fares. SH

[Ronald]

Hi SH,

I'll keep this brief so nano is the name of the game. My old setup is gone due to a move, I sold all coral but still have the equipment. I had a 72g bow front with a 48 inch corallife 265w pc light (underpowered as far as I am concerned). i ran an overflow box from CPR (continuous overflow to a 40gallon one chamber home made sump with a euroreef skimmer. This lead to an iwaki pump running 2000gph at the given pressure head. The flow split to a hang on CPR refugium with chaeto and some rocks, and to a cascade of 3 refugia/prop tanks one with chaeto, one with mangroves and one for frag grow out. I had 96watt coral life quads over the refugia. The main tank return was a home made manifold with a scwd. The whole thing took 4 days to take apart , clean and store all livestock survived to be resold to the lfs. (I could not get to my new house to set up ahead of time). This link has pic's of the old system. (http://homepage.mac.com/ronaldalberico)

Now I am starting a nano and can't wait for my tank. I am going with a 10g acrylic cube from first class aquatics.

Ron

[steelhealr]

Ronald, you're experience blows away mine but, if I can be of any help in the nano area, let me know. Our basement has yet to be finished and..one day..when I hit the megamillions, I hope to have a nice marine system built/plumbed, etc. I can dream, right? SH

[Ronald]

Thanks for the compliment, but that was my first system and I really stumbled through it until it finally got going (made aLOT of mistakes). Notice how low the wall overhangs the tank? It made it almost impossible to clean or target feed anything!

I just got my advanced aquatics corallife fixture today along with an in line heater and hope to get my new cube in a few weeks. I can't wait to get back into this!

Ron

[steelhealr]

This will probably be a snap for you then. That beautiful red coral..was it a cynarina? SH

[Ronald]

Yes it was my favorite! It was almost 6 inches across and would eat big pieces of shrimp. Oh, by the way that big bubble coral ate my blue spotted goby! Watch out for those guys.

Ron

[steelhealr]

NO WAY...how? Just closed down around it? Sh

[whatnot45]

What kind of a clean up crew do u have with that thing?

[steelhealr]

My startup up crew was:
5 astreas
5 nassarius
2 red leg hermits
2 blue leg
2 emerald (mithrax) crabs
one skunk cleaner.

Since then I've added;
2 trochus
2 cerith
2 margaritas
...to replace a couple of losses. SH

[Ronald]

The blue spot just swam too close when it was hungry I guess. I found it in the coral's mouth the next day partially digested.

Ron

[isawill]

Could you tell me exactly how the cassette surface skimmer thing works? I really need to set one up for my 24NC, but I'm not sure how...
Also, where did you find the light for the refugium? I'm thinking of doing that as well, but I'm worried about heat issues (my tank already runs 82-84)
Thanks and keep those beautiful pic coming.....

[steelhealr]

HI Isawill...the cassette skimmer is half of a cassette tape case. If you pull the case apart, one half will almost exactly fit over the upper left intake grate on the 24G. If you adjust it up or down at that point, it will redirect the water intake to surface water, thus skimming the surface of buildup.

The light I'm using is an 'Egglite or Egglight'. The cost is about $25-30 and they have them on Ebay. The light is a 10 watt halogen and they CAN get hot. If you are already running at 82-84, it could cause increased heat if submerged. However, you could mount it with Velcro betweem the two fans above the middle chamber. SH

[fishman805]

Isn't there any of the stock lighting that bleeds into the filtration chambers..??

Bob

[steelhealr]

There could be. Some people have posted that they were able to keep it alive without a fuge light. SH

[steelhealr]

Hi..more than three months ago, I posted an I.D request for something I found in my chaeto in my back fuge. Here it was:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/hitcher.jpg

It was ID'd the next day as aiptasia. I went back to get it and...OOPS. GONE!. Couldn't find it. Well, guess what I saw on a vacated coral skeleton on my trumpet corals this morning:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano112.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano113.jpg

I pulled up the frag and 'amputated' that calcareous limb with the hitchhiker on it. Over six months into this and voila: aiptasia. NO ONE IS IMMUNE. I get this funny feeling that this is not the end of it. IF you look at the 1:00 o'clock position from the aiptasia on the last pic and strain your eyes, do you see something I think I see? I hope this guy was the same as the one in the back fuge. What is scary tho', is if the reason it got out was it was shot thru the pump in chamber 3, I'll have my hands full. So far, I've been visited by valonia, cyano, aiptasia. I hope hair algae is not in my tea leaves. SH

[xsamx]

those sun corals are amazing! How come mine dont look like that?

[fishman805]

I feel your pain SH.... My 150 is infested with it ( aiptasia ) .... I'm thinking of getting some berghia nudi's to take care of them... "THAT's" the only sure fire way to get rid of them ... pretty much everything else folks have talked about is still hit or miss... But those little guys are pricey ( since they work so well people want them and ..well.. you know the law of supply and demand....lol

Good luck though I hope that's all you'll have to deal with... By the way, I've posted some updates to my 12gal nano thread... I'm ordering my additions tomorrow.. tell me what you think ...ok??


Bob

[steelhealr]

Ya gotta feed those sun corals man..it's tough. Takes time and you have to be careful not to overload your system. Think about it...20 heads = 20 mysis shrimp=waste from 20 mysis shrimp=nitrates. SH

[ChrisMan123]

how many watts is in your 24g tank? and is it the deluxe model?

[ChrisMan123]

and how do you take such good pics? do you use the flash? and how do they come out so clear with no blurryness?

[steelhealr]

My tank has the stock lighting, 72 watts 50/50 acitinic. No lighting mod at all. Yes...it's the DX NVM (moonlights).

As for the pix.....I use a little Pentax Optio S. I rarely use the flash. It took me awhile to learn where the 'macro' button was, but, I have two macro levels and I play around with the two until I get the shot I like. I usually just point and shoot, but, for some corals, I have this cheapo mini aluminum tripod I've used. Trust me....I delete a lot more pix than what comes out OK. My favorite fish shots to date are the one of my sixline and the Banggai cardinal. My favorite coral shots are of my green zoos and the fox coral. Looks like an underwater flower. SH

[damselindistress]

Steelhealr just wanted to say thank you for all you've contributed to this board concerning your nano - I have been following along for a good long while and have picked up neat tidbits of valuable advice in your posts... I finally felt comfortable enough to set up my own little slice and I'm loving it. Thanks again!

[trmisi]

i had aiptasia as well, i went to the LFS got a peppermint shrimp, and with in 5 min of being in the tank it took tare of the pest. my brother also has a 24g nano. and his aiptasia was sooo bad that we thought nothing was going to take care of it but a tiny peppermint did the job again.

So i say try the peppermint! their cheap too!

[steelhealr]

Damselindistress..thanks for your comments. Last spring when I opened up my 24G NC box and looked at the directions, I nearly choked...there was nothing in there about setting up the tank. Hence, wanted to help others get off the ground. BTW...I went to grad school in OH...Cincinnati. I misse my Graeters ice cream and Skyline chili. LOL. SH

[steelhealr]

In the hopes that I can better control the red macroalgae hitchhiker, I added a black longspine sea urchin. There are risks of losing coralline and toppling corals, but, it would be worth the macro control if it is not toxic to eat.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano116.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano117.jpg

Here is a pic of the red macro overrunning a piece of LR that supports my euphyllia ancora:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano118.jpg

SH

[whatnot45]

If its just in certain places you could remove the rock, and burn the areas that have the algea. It will kill everything in those areas includeing the algea, and it will never bother you again

[steelhealr]

Wish it was that easy...the algae is present throughout the tank and the choice would have to be to break down the entire tank to eradicate it. I"m not a phycology expert, but, I have a separate post on this macro and it had to be ID'd by a prof in Ireland. It's rare. so far, it is not invasive to my corals and seems to be doing a helluva job with nutrient export. SH

[clown fanatic]

two words suh-weet. i love your tank lol

[steelhealr]

I got tired of , uh, fishing out my guys from the back of the sump. Erroneous entries occurred:

1) clownfish 1X
2) sixline 2X
3) clingfish 2X
4) firefish 2X
5) yashia haze 1X

Got some rubber foam weatherseal:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano120.jpg

Applied it over the rear of the splash guard after cleaning it off of salt. It is not pretty and I'm not sure how long it will hold, but, seals off the back pretty well from what I can see. Although it looks close to the fans, there is plenty of room for circulation:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano121.jpg

I'll be linking this in the DIY Library so, feel free to post your own inventions for terminating unwanted fish behavior, LOL. SH

[steelhealr]

Some updates. I had added some peppermints to my tank to help with an aiptasia I found. They vanished after acclimation. I then had a nitrate spike and my gorgonian and Fiji leather closed. So...back to water changes. Despite this, my corals are really expanded. They say some prefer 'dirty water'. Some updated pix:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano130.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano129.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano128.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano127.jpg

Also, I added a new tank inhabitant, a tailpsot blenny. In one view you can see the closed Fiji and closed gorgonian:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano125.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano126.jpg

[kaserpick]

Tank looks awesome! Hope everything works out ok with the algae/aptasia

Thumbs up!

Kasey

[fishman805]

Did you find the peppermints yet..?? Did something "eat" them..??

Bob


P.S. Check out the thread on my 37gal AGA... I restarted it... Also updated pics on the 12gal Nano..

Bob

[steelhealr]

HI Bob...didn't see your new thread...will have to check it out. All peppermints disappeared and I think my sixline wrasse was the culprit. He has never touched my skunk cleaner but after I added the peppermints, he started harassing them. I think they ended up as hors d'oeuvres. SH

[fishman805]

Originally posted by steelhealr
HI Bob...didn't see your new thread...will have to check it out. All peppermints disappeared and I think my sixline wrasse was the culprit. He has never touched my skunk cleaner but after I added the peppermints, he started harassing them. I think they ended up as hors d'oeuvres. SH


Well sorry to hear about that.... Bet you now have one fat sixline....

I look forward to your critique of my tanks.... The 12gal. has pretty much turned into a maint. free tank... I do the weekly water changes and only have to clean the glass every couple of days... And since I've redone the 37gal., I'm thinking I'll have the same luck with it...

I hope you don't get a problem with the aiptasia... I'll tell you that ( at least for me ) Joes Juice did not seem to work....I'm going for the peppermints soon....

Bob


Bob

[rambolam]

Can you post a picture of your Cassette skimmer , please. I really need to do something in my Nano, lots-o-film in there.....

Also, what is that green return in that picture coming out from chamber 1?

Thanx for the help:)

[steelhealr]

Pix of the cassette skimmer:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano43.jpg

Pix of my modified stock pump in the bottom of chamber 1:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/mod2.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/mod3.jpg

SH

[steelhealr]

New addition to the tank, tailspot blenny:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano138.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano139.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano140.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano141.jpg

[steelhealr]

...via liveaquaria. SH

[Malice229]

you have a very beautiful tank...

[hschuck]

Yes, beautiful tank.

I'm just beginning setup of a nano-cube 24dx. I tried the cassette case skimmer pictured above. It's fantastic.
___________
Harry

[fishman805]

Congrats on the new addition....


Bob

[lvreefer]

I love your new little blenny. I was going to get one from my LFS but after my pistol shrimp took out my two neon gobies I decided against any more small fish.

[steelhealr]

Thanks...this guy ain't that small...he's about 2 1/2- 3 inches. Stays mostly mid tank and perched on corals. I don't think your pistol would threat him...well, JMO. SH

[steelhealr]

Thanks...this guy ain't that small...he's about 2 1/2- 3 inches. Stays mostly mid tank and perched on corals. I don't think your pistol would threaten him...well, JMO. SH

[steelhealr]

Random acts of photography:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano153.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano154.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano152.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano151.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/IMGP2105.jpg

SH

PS..threw the last one in there to throw you off. LOLOL.

[tgcreef]

can we get a full tank shot plz its lookin so cool so i want to see it all together now

[steelhealr]

Sure..last updated pix. SH

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano142.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano143.jpg

[fishman805]

Looking great ( as always ) .... I've not added anything to my 12gal NC since my last pictures were taken but everything is doing great and thriving... My Blood Red Shrimp has molted at least twice ( that I know of ) since I got him... Right now I'm letting everything "grow out" a bit......

Bob

[MVrico]

Are any of you guys having problems with high water temps?

[casabubu]

Looking great. THis tank has been great since the start.

[tgcreef]

wow awsome i love ur yelow toadstool

[Treehumps]

Tank Losses/Insults

5) Common firefish trapped in cassette mod, drowns
SH [/B]

Heya Sh i saw the firefish in ur early pics and was going to ask you how u found it.. i am thinking of 2-3 in a 20.. any advice you or anyone else can offer would be greatly appreciated i would really like a cupl of these in this tank...


Cheers
M

[fishman805]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6683518#post6683518 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Treehumps
Heya Sh i saw the firefish in ur early pics and was going to ask you how u found it.. i am thinking of 2-3 in a 20.. any advice you or anyone else can offer would be greatly appreciated i would really like a cupl of these in this tank...


Cheers
M

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


"M" ... Generally, firefish are considered peaceful towards all other fish .... not so towards fish of their own species.... You may be able to find a mated pair that would co-exist in a tank of the size that you are planning.... You could also go ahead and add them "all at once" and they may get along fine.....

Sorry, it's not solid advice. I pulled my info from Liveaquaria.com where I think SH got his fish.....

Bob

[steelhealr]

I'll be honest......although I enjoyed my first firefish, the second rarely came out of the rockwork. Both were 'jumpy' fish.....both ended up in the back sump more than once. The first one I had got trapped in the cassette skimmer and 'drowned'. The second disappeared into the LR rubble under the chaeto and I presumed he died. When I found him, he was emaciated and too far gone to save.

I think they are beautiful fish.....I think they are perfect for nanos.....their personalities can vary.....they can jump...wouldn't put more than one in unless they are a mated pair. For right now, I wouldn't get another. I've been more intrigued by the blennies. I have a tailspot now and great personality.

To MVrico......I don't mind higher temps. My tank runs at 81.5 - 82.7 by coralife digital thermometer. In fact, I think lower than 79 is too low unless you need it for a particular species. Running a tank is an art and you go with what works. IMO, the ocean's reefs where I have dived in the past average 83 degrees in summer. What's most important is STABILITY of the temp ( of course you don't want to have a stable temp of 85). SH

[MaryBebo]

What are you using to help with the coraline growth? What are your water changes now?

I just ordered the JBJ 24 DX 2006 and I am going to go with the Reg. 72 lighting. Reading your thread has inspired me to try this too. Thanks for this thread it's good to see that you don't have to have MH to have a GREAT looking reef tank. I also ordered the new little nano skimmer to use with it and the surface skimmer too. Also ordered a pump ..I think it said 350gph. Also I think I want to use the pimp that comes with it like the other one you DIY. Any help would be appreciated.

[MVrico]

thanks for the advice steel. As long as I leeve my feeder door open, its been staying a steady 80-82. But when I try leaving it shut it jumps up to around 84. I'm still thinking about the the ICA chiller from nanotuners.

[steelhealr]

To MV..I think you'll be fine in that temp range. It's not excessive.

To MaryBebo....hey, don't let any one 'steel' you away from stock lighting. You'll be amazed or maybe even laught at all those with the dremelling, drilling, piping, chillers, heaters, downdrafts, updrafts....LOLOL. Just kidding.

I presently use Reef Crystals. I started with Oceanic, had great Calcium but terrible alkalinity problems. I then switched to Tropic Marin.....saw no difference and couldn't stand the paper box. Then someone told me that Reef Crystals had higher magnesium levels and buffered better. Tried it..and..bingo....tank params looked much better.

I do about 4 gallon water changes weekly. Occasionally I'll buffer with either B-Ionic or Kent's 2 part...sometimes only adding the calcium portion. My calcium hovers at 380-390. SH

[MaryBebo]

Thanks for the info :)

My order has been shipped I CAN'T Waite lol.. also did you put the 10w Lighting in the bottom of the middle section or on top pointing down?

Thanks for the HELP :)

[steelhealr]

I've changed to the external fuge method, ie, cutting off the vinyl from the back of the tank and shining thru. I have about 27W's of PC lighting now from the back. Funny thing...Costco had an 'Executive Light' on sale for $27 which had perfect PC tubing and the spectrum looked really bright white. Seems to be true...my chaeto has increased in size in the 1-2 weeks since it's been on. SH

[MaryBebo]

What do you think about this light?

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=14245&Ntt=submersible%20halogen%20light%2010w%20&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&pc=1&N=0&Nty=1

[fishman805]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6719209#post6719209 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by steelhealr
I've changed to the external fuge method, ie, cutting off the vinyl from the back of the tank and shining thru. I have about 27W's of PC lighting now from the back. Funny thing...Costco had an 'Executive Light' on sale for $27 which had perfect PC tubing and the spectrum looked really bright white. Seems to be true...my chaeto has increased in size in the 1-2 weeks since it's been on. SH

Could you share a picture of the new "mod" SH..... I saw another thread where someone cut away part of the back plastic to facilitate their macro algae lighting.....

Bob

[steelhealr]

MaryBebo...I had a similar light on my tank for quite some time and it supported the chaeto...even grew some. Was very supportive of this type of light (mine was an Egglite). However, since making the change, there is NO comparison at how much better the macro is doing under more intense PC light. The mod is SO EASY it's pitiful how hard we struggled to fit a fuge light in a NC.

For fishman, here is the link to setting up the mod. Anyone can do it and have a 'professional' fuge on their NC's with horrible wiring.SH

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=694466

[steelhealr]

Just to let others know that the rear refugium light mod has worked out really well. For the first time since setup, I have 0 nitrates and this coincides with a huge growth in my chaeto. SH

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/steelhealr/nano157.jpg

[Kigs]

i love the tank! it's starting to look a lil crowded though. Maybe it's time to upgrade to a 200g tank? :D

[steelhealr]

I hear ya.....I'm waiting for Megamillions. LOLOL. The wheels are already turning. SH

[califreefnut]

I am currently setting up/moding a 24g pod and have learned a lot following this thread. VeryNICE tank!!!!! Nice to know I don't have to upgrade the lighting. I am moding the pumps/circulation with a spraybar that will go under/thru the LR though, love to tinker! I had a maxi 1200 but it did not have enough pressure for the bar so I ordered a Rio 1400. Have to get some bigger tubing and will hook that up tomorrow. I am going to the beach this weekend to get my water from the public aquarium there. I can't wait. I also ordered a Tunze nano skimmer from Marine Depot and am anxious to see how that works in compart 1. I plan on filling part of the compartment #2 with LR pieces, carbon. I took a piece of filter material and blocked the flow plate from compartment 1 to 2 with it for filtering. What do you think? I had a 10g previously and learned a lot from trial & error. I love to hear what others are doing & especially seeing the results! You obviously are having great results.

[steelhealr]

Sorry for the delay. I'm not a big fan of any permanent sponges in the tank. I HAVE started a trial of putting filter fiber in the first chamber and changing it out 1-2X per week. I just don't trust a washed out sponge to stay super clean. It's just me. SH

[Chris13]

I hear you about the sponges. But they are pretty good for mechanical filtration. I take mine out every month or so clean them, soak them in bleach, clean them again, then soak them for a day in diluted vinegar. this keeps em clean, but they do have to be completely replaced every 6-9mos.

[fishman805]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7049957#post7049957 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by steelhealr
Sorry for the delay. I'm not a big fan of any permanent sponges in the tank. I HAVE started a trial of putting filter fiber in the first chamber and changing it out 1-2X per week. I just don't trust a washed out sponge to stay super clean. It's just me. SH


Another thing I hated about using the sponge was everytime I cleaned it out, I was flushing pods down the drain:( I've since put a wad of cheato in there:) Still need to do the lighting mod for chamber one though.... I'm relying on bleed over light from the hood.....

Bob

[alien9168]

I love the hammer and sun corals. They are very vibrant in your tank. :)

-alien

[alien9168]

Cool Idea with the cassete skimmer as well. :)
How did you think of that?


-alien

[steelhealr]

The cassette skimmer is an old mod that was started, to my knowledge, by Doriftu at N-R. The only problem was tht it was wide and fish could get trapped in there. I bought the NanoBob skimmer and I think it was worth the investment. SH

[outrigger]

awsome tank!

[steelhealr]

Thanks outrigger. Coming up on one year. My sixline and perc are almost one year old. I have 2 nassarius that are one year old, a couple of astrea. SH

[alien9168]

SH-
Are you a doctor?
Just looking at your ocupation. ;)

[califreefnut]

At the risk of sounding stupid, or worse yet, a newbie, whatis cheato?

[XxMutedYouthxX]

tail spot blennys are the ISH! i love mine all he does is cruise the tank cleaning 24/7

[alien9168]

Cheato is a type of macro alge- sort of looks like a greem ball of yarn...Dont worry...the stupid thing would be not to ask ;)

[steelhealr]

Alien...yes....doc. Hey, califreenut...the only stupid question is the one not asked. SH

[steelhealr]

Alien...yes....doc. Hey, califreenut...the only stupid question is the one not asked. SH

[alien9168]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7165621#post7165621 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by steelhealr
Alien...yes....doc. Hey, califreenut...the only stupid question is the one not asked. SH

THanks :)

[califreefnut]

Thanks for the help, and the advise...it seems to me my father told me the same thing?!!

[Pillz]

beautiful.

all I can say.

[steelhealr]

Almost 5 years later my clownfish is still alive.

The cube never cracked.

SH

[Jadams]

updated FTS?? :)