Hey Everyone

**Lemonpeel** · 03-02-2010, 05:12 PM

Hey everybody...
I live in utah and have 2 Betta tanks, a 55 gallon Tropical community tank, a 40 gallon african cihlid tank, and an 80 gallon african Cichlid tank...
I had to sell my 90 gallon reef because my roommate said that it was too big and too much work... I'm planning on buying and setting up a Biocube 29 HQI reef... Just not quite sure where to start...
The 90 gallon was a Birthday present and so it had everything I need ed and then some... I need HELP!!!!

V · 03-02-2010, 07:07 PM

hey bud, welcome to TR & your forrage into the salty ways.

Id suggest having a serious go at listening to podcasts first, then coming back to the table with your questions.

**Rostr02** · 03-02-2010, 07:52 PM

Welcome to TR Lemon.

**CarmieJo** · 03-02-2010, 08:38 PM

Hi Conley and

to TR.

How long did you have the 90? What equipment were you running on it? What about stocking?

The podcasts are a great place to start. What are your goals for the nano? Do you have any fish or corals that are on a "got to have it list?" What kinds of corals do you like?

The all in one tanks come with the aquarium, return pump and lighting. You will want to throw away the bio-media that comes with the tank and add a heater and powerhead. For the powerhead I would recommend a Koralia. The best prices around are at TR sponsor http://theculturedreef.com/talkingreef.htm. You may want to upgrade the return pump and add a skimmer. Of course you will need to add sand and rock. There are lots of mods that can be made. For instance, many people turn one of the back compartments into a fuge by scraping the black plastic off of the outside and adding a light.

Before you buy equipment or livestock run it by us. We don't want to sell you anything and are not motivated by profit. We won't tell you to put an unsuitable fish in the tank or recommend equipment that won't do the job.

**rayme07** · 03-02-2010, 09:45 PM

Hi Conley Welcome to TR.

I agree on listening to those podcast's they will help out a bunch.

V · 03-02-2010, 11:45 PM

Originally Posted by Rostr02

Welcome to TR Lemon.

haha, thats gold wording

**Lemonpeel** · 03-03-2010, 12:38 AM

I had just the basics in the 90 gallon... 10 gallon sump, a CPR overflow, about 70 lbs of LR, 50 lbs of crushed coral...(I hate crushed coral and will stick with sand next time) a 150watt MH... I didn't run a skimmer even though I had one... couldn't figure out how to set it up without it leaking... For fish I had a purple Firefish, 7 Chromis, 2 Yellowtail damsels, and 3 freshwater mollies that I have acclimated to the tank... Inverts were a skunk cleaner, a Fire shrimp, 5 feather dusters, hermit crabs, nassarius snails, Margarita snails, turbos, and a carpet anemone... Corals were a burch of Mushrooms, a toadstool leather, Torch, Ricordea, and Green Starbursts...

On my must have list is a Flame, Coral Beauty, or a lemonpeel Angel...
I would love to learn how to take care of SPS corals, I had a green birdsnest... didn't work out well...

**CarmieJo** · 03-03-2010, 04:17 AM

The 28 gallon tank is right on the border of keeping a dwarf angel, a 30 gallon tank is the minimum size recommended. I do know people who have smaller dwarf angels in a big nano so a Flame or Coral Beauty would be the only one I would consider. If you go with it I would only have 1 or 2 other small fish. Remember that all dwarf angels may nip at corals. I would avoid damsels which tend to become aggressive and could kill your other fish.

The lighting in the 28 should be fine for many stony corals. A single 150 MH over a 90 would have not been sufficient though. In addition I am going to guess that with crushed coral (definitely not recommended) that you had pretty high nitrates in the 90. Between that and the lighting the stony corals wouldn't do well.

I would plan on 1-1.5 lbs of rock. For the most economical start up you can use mostly base rock and just a few lbs of LR. If you go to a couple of LFS to get your LR you will maximize the diversity of micro critters you get. The LR will quickly inoculate the base rock (and dry sand) and it will all soon be live. Aragonite sand is highly recommended. I am a fan of a deep sand bed (DSB) of 4+ inches but many people choose to use a shallow sand bed (SSB) in a nano. If you do that I would go with about an inch of sand. IMO live sand in a bag is not necessary, dry sand will quickly become live.

One of our members has http://www.talkingreef.com/forums/se...n-skimmer.html to fit the biocube for sale.

**Lemonpeel** · 03-03-2010, 11:14 AM

Ok... Thank you. I remeber checking my Nitrates and they were only at a 20... From what I understand, The Biocube 29 HQI comes with a skimmer... Or I'm reading eerything wrong...

**CarmieJo** · 03-04-2010, 12:46 AM

Nitrates of 20 are pretty high, my nano only runs at 5 and they are undetectable in my 54. I am not familiar if a skimmer comes with the biocube but it is possible.

**Lemonpeel** · 09-02-2010, 01:47 AM

Thanks Carmie,
Anyway I never got that Biocube. I'm in the market for a 40 gallon Breeder so i can set it up with LED's for some Acro. Been listening to the podcasts for the past 5 Months and I get something new from them every time I listen.