12 Gal. Nano Project

[Phurst]

OK, I finaly get a project thread! My 120 had been up for a year when I found TR, so it was kinda pointless th start one for that tank, but one of my friends from my local club has given me a JBJ 12 gallon nano deluxe.
The tank looks like this (stock photo).





When I got it, it was pretty filthy. The previous owner had kept a snowflake eel in it that died while he was on vacation. He dumped the water, pulled out the rock, and set it on his deck for 6 months.

I got it home last Thursday, dumped the CC substrate, and scrubbed the hell out of it. Along with the tank, I got a heater, about 10 pounds of base rock and some Deltec CA reactor media to use as substrate. With everything clean, I toted it to work with me last Friday and proceded to set it up after work. I mixed 7 gallons of fresh SW (we have RO water in the water cooler ) and used 5 gallons of SW from my 120 DT at home. I used the base rock, several pieces of LR from my sump and a good sized piece from my DT. I also dumped in a cup of sand from my tank and put a sponge I keep in my sump in the filtrattion department of the nano. I fired it up, tested the 2x24w PC lights and let it run over the weekend in the dark. I'll be ou of the office all this week at a training calss, so I didn't get a chance to check on it again until Tuesday, when i had to go in to pick up the palys and digi that Carmie sent me. I tested the water, which showed no amonia, .02 nitrite, a trace ammount of nitrate, SG was 1.025, CA was 350, alk was 9 dkh and phosphate was .02. Not too bad all in all. Looks like there was a mini cycle. I put the lights on a timer and called it a day.

I won't get a chance to check on it again until Monday probably. If everything tests OK, I'll probably bring in a couple of hardy frags from my tank at home. Maybe some zoas and button polyps and see how they do.

Of course, I found out today that next month my department is moving to another floor in the building, so I'll need to move it about the time everyting really gets going .

Im planning a LPS dominated tank with zoas and maybe a few softies/shrooms/ricordia. As far as livestock, I'll probably have a couple of turbos, a few nasarius, a couple of hermits, a couple of peppermint shrimp, and for fish, maybe a pair of percs and a purple firefish or a royal gramma.

I'll try to get a picture Monday or Tuesday so I can track my progress. I must say, I'm a little nervous about not having a skimmer, but changing 5 gallons a week will be super easy, and hopefuly that volume and frequency of waterchanges will keep everything in check. The back wall of this nano is plastic, and I've been toying with the idea of plumbing in a sump and using a spare 10 gallon under my desk. I could put in a DSB, LR rubble and maybe some cheato. I guess I'll see how it goes with the built in filtration, but I could do SOOOO much more with a sump/fuge.

Anyone have any commentary, suggestions, ideas, etc?

[rroselavy]

Originally Posted by Phurst

Along with the tank, I got a heater, about 10 pounds of base rock and some Deltec CA reactor media to use as substrate.

I have never heard of reactor media being used as a substrate. Does this work well?

I also dumped in a cup of sand from my tank and put a sponge I keep in my sump in the filtrattion department of the nano.

On my 24g Nanocube, I dumped the sponge and bio balls a while ago - but I have a AquaC Remora HOB attached.

As far as livestock, I'll probably have a couple of turbos, a few nasarius, a couple of hermits, a couple of peppermint shrimp, and for fish, maybe a pair of percs and a purple firefish or a royal gramma.

This is the equivalent of my bioload on my 24g. You are planning rather aggressive water changes, so maybe you can keep up in a 12g?

The back wall of this nano is plastic, and I've been toying with the idea of plumbing in a sump and using a spare 10 gallon under my desk.

I don't think the back of a Nanocube is plastic. Mine is a vinyl laminate on glass. The Nanocube is basically a glass tank with a plastic interior walls for the sump chambers.

I could put in a DSB, LR rubble and maybe some cheato. I guess I'll see how it goes with the built in filtration, but I could do SOOOO much more with a sump/fuge.

One trick is to use the center chamber to grow Chaetomorpha. The tip is to trim and peel away the black vinyl laminate that covers your center chamber, submerge the Chaeto and light it from behind with a low wattage (ie 13W) PC light or L.E.D. fixture from Nanocustoms. This provides better light penetration into the chamber for growing your Macros.

Sounds like fun. I want a second tank! Good luck!

-Scott

[Small Fry]

dood, i toyed with the same idea you did, but by the time you figure it all out, there is so much piping in the tank, and its so much work, that its not even worth it.

I also agree on the livestock. Way to much. Perhaps a clown and a small goby, MAYBE a pair of clowns if you do a water change like every other day (kind of hard to do :s)

[Phurst]

Thanks for the input, that's why i was posting before I added livestock. I like the goby idea. My first thought was a watchman and a pistol shrimp, but I realy want a perc, so maybe one clown and a small goby is a good idea. How about the invert list? Overkill as well, or is that OK? I'd realy rather have a skunk cleaner rather than a peppermint, because they're out in the open all the time, but the pep is much smaller.

The reactor media works fine. There's no real added benefit, since the pH isn't low enough to desolve it, it's just like any other media. I used it because I had it handy.

I dumped the bioballs and replaced them with some LR rubble from my sump. The sponge is just in there to help seed the tank, then it will go back in my sump where it stays for when I need to set up QT.

The back of mine is definitely plastic. The whole filtration section is plastic, and is siliconed to the back of the tank. I wish it were glass, that sounds like the perfect solution to growing macro.

The hood on the tank is such that I can't use a HOB skimmer, which puts me back to the posibility of plumbing in a sump.

Josh, what was so difficult about it? I was thinking I could just drill 2 holes in the back panel and use some 1/2" spaflex to drain down to the sump, same for the return. I'd probably plumb the return to feed back into the filtration section and let the MJ continue to handle flow in the tank.

With a sump, I could have a skimmer, fuge, ATO, more LR and maybe a DSB, not to mention the extra system volume.

[rroselavy]

Originally Posted by Phurst

I like the goby idea. My first thought was a watchman and a pistol shrimp, but I realy want a perc, so maybe one clown and a small goby is a good idea.

I recommend the goby/pistol shrimp combo. The Yasha Hase Goby (sometimes referred to as Yashia Goby is, IMHO, a bit more pretty/striking than the watchman - and should pair up with a pistol quite nicely. Perhaps one Perc and Yasha/Pistol? Instead of the perc, you might consider a Basslet (such as Liopropoma rubre) or something else. This vendor actually has a Nano fish page that may give you some ideas.

How about the invert list? Overkill as well, or is that OK? I'd realy rather have a skunk cleaner rather than a peppermint, because they're out in the open all the time, but the pep is much smaller.

My cleaner is quite a voracious eater of meaty foods. He is good at scavanging food, but must contribute to the bioload significantly. There are other smaller shrimp. How about a Sexy shrimp?

The back of mine is definitely plastic. The whole filtration section is plastic, and is siliconed to the back of the tank.

Hmm...that should be great for installing a bulkhead then! If so, I would definitely set up a sump/refugium.

The hood on the tank is such that I can't use a HOB skimmer, which puts me back to the posibility of plumbing in a sump.

Sapphire skimmers might do the trick for you. They supposedly are well regarded. Check it out.

regards,

-Scott

[Phurst]

That's a sweet skimmer. What a good idea.

Anyone know how deep the substrate has to be for a pistol/goby combo?

[rroselavy]

Originally Posted by Phurst

Anyone know how deep the substrate has to be for a pistol/goby combo?

Mine seem to be fine in my ~2" sandbed. Just make sure your LR is seated well. My Yasha and Pistol have taken up residence in 4 different pieces of LR, literally making a network of tunnels under each one. You don't want a rockslide. I sometimes worry about their tunnels collapsing and them getting crushed under there...but so far so good.

You'll have a blast watching them. My Yasha goes from being skittish to bold back to skittish again. One time, the Yasha took up residence under a different piece of LR for a month. It seemed almost as if they had a spat and then made up eventually.

Enjoy.

-Scott

[CarmieJo]

Very cool. I'll look forward to seeing it progress.

[Phurst]

I decided to go to the office last night to check on the tank. Ammonia is still 0, and Nitrite is down to .005 or less. Assuming everything tests 0 on Monday, I'll do a 5 gallon water change and bring in a couple of frags on Tuesday.

I do not have a thermometer for the tank, but there are temperature indications on the heater (I know, they are never accurate, but the best I could do for the moment). I had it set for 78, but the water felt a little warm. One of my co-workers has a small FW tank on his desk, so I borrowed his thermometer. It showed 90 degrees!!! The lights had been off for over 5 hours, and the MJ 900 is the only other thing in the tank, so I took a look at the heater, and it was STILL HEATING! I turned it down until th