'05 24g JBJ Nanocube Resurrection (I'm Back!)

[MNtadpole]

Greetings All,
I have a 2005 24gal JBJ Nanotube that has been in storage since about 2007 when I joined the Navy. Prior to joining the Navy, the 24g aquarium was used as a small reef aquarium for a couple years successfully. Fast forward to recently, I'll be closing on my first house soon and I'm strongly considering getting back into the aquarium-keeping hobby. My 11 year old son is obsessed with fish and I think this would be a perfect project to connect with him. Being that it has been almost 20 years since being in the aquarium game, I'm sure a lot has changed. I'm hoping to quickly pick-up where I left off and get up to speed with all the recent changes in aquarium technology and techniques. Please feel free to chime in with ANY/ALL suggestions!

**The Nanotube aquarium will be test filled with water for a week to verify that the seals are still good**

End Goal of Aquarium Setup: basic live-sand/live-rock setup with 2-3 fish with future plans to add invertebrates (corals etc).

My Questions So Far:
1.) The old Nanotube has the stock CF lighting in the hood. I'm assuming that modern LED technology blows this away. Any suggestions on modding the hood or replacing the hood with a light assembly? I'm open to all ideas, though I'm kind of partial to the existing fitted hood look.

2.) Historically speaking, the Nanotube only had sponge filtration, activated carbon bags, and bio-balls for filtration. Has any new equipment been added to the modern nano tank? I vaguely remember folks leaving out equipment like skimmers...

3.) Beyond online forums, are there any great YouTube channels or websites that can be used for marine aquarium setup, cycling, and maintenance? Although I feel pretty confident in my abilities, the goal is to teach my son the hobby craft. It would be nice if we could go over the material together, not just what's still stuck in my brain.

4.) I'm sure a lot has developed in the online sale of aquarium life. If we went the route of online purchasing, are there any suggested sites or ones we should stay away from? Are there any good online shops for supplies? I plan to support the LFS, but I have yet to explorer what's available in the area.

5.) I'm going to be in the market for a new RO/DI system, since I gave my last one away. Are the same 3-stage canister systems with the in-line DI still the way to go?

Thanks in advance all!

 

[griss]

First, thank you for serving.

Second, this is gonna be a lot of fun to follow. I’m still running my tanks 90’s/2000’s style.

1. Still running metal halide but, @wvned @reefing102 both have a pretty good grasp in LED.

2. Depending on what you’re wanting to keep, I’d ditch the bio-balls. Skimmers, personal preference..many have great reefs writ/without them.

3. I pretty much stay here because I don’t like change

4. Live Aquaria formerly Dr’s Foster & Smith is average at best, when back in the day they rocked.

I personally like KP Aquatics for Caribbean livestock and some of the best live rock I’ve seen in a long time.

Tampa Bay Saltwater is also outstanding for Gulf livestock.

For Indo-pacific, I buy from LFS.

5. Now you’re into one of my favorite equipment related topics. Depending on your source water, that will help decide on your RO/DI. My system is as follows:

- 5 micron sediment filter
- 5 micron carbon block
- 1 micron chloramine carbon block
- RO membrane
- Cation resin
- Anion resin
- Mixed bed resin

 

[wvned]

There are lots of options for a tank that size, I would probably put an AI prime 16 on it. Found this too.
K-2 Viper Lamps

The foundation of filtration for small tanks has always been water changes. I don't think that has changed much.
But they have cannister filters with UV built in now.

Anything and everything reef tank knowledge is on BRS
Learning Center - Bulk Reef Supply

My preference is to buy livestock at a LFS if possible. But I have fish from all over. Petco, Bluezoo, saltwaterfish.com, live aquaria. many others. Reef cleaners and Gulf Coast Ecosystems come to mind as well.

I use a simple 4 stage RODI. My source water is from a reservoir in a non agricultural or industrial area and is easy. I do have a booster pump. I make a lot of water. Look at 75 gallon per day systems.

 

[griss]

There are lots of options for a tank that size, I would probably put an AI prime 16 on it. Found this too.
K-2 Viper Lamps

The foundation of filtration for small tanks has always beed water changes. I don't think that has changed much.

anything and everything reef tank knowledge is on BRS
Learning Center - Bulk Reef Supply

My preference is to buy livestock at a LFS if possible. But I have fish from all over. Petco, Bluezoo, saltwaterfish.com, live aquaria. many others. Reef cleaners and Gulf Coast Ecosystems come to mind as well.

I use a simple 4 stage RODI. My source water is from a reservoir in a non agricultural or industrial area and is easy. I do have a booster pump. I make a lot of water. Look at 75 gallon per day systems.

This guy knows what he’s talking about

 

[Reefing102]

If you want to integrate into the current hood, you could look at the Steves LED upgrade kit - NanoCube 24 LED Upgrade - Plug and Play-8794102548 but it’s kinda pricey.

If you want to stick with the hood look, and If you’re good at DIY, even something I’d be willing to try (and I’m far from a DIY guy), you could likely retrofit mount an LED set up into the hood if you gutted the internals (such as a Noopsyche, Radion XR 15 or similar). You will really have to watch your par numbers with a set up that close to the water as well has would likely have to drill holes for the LEDs fans for adequate air flow and cooling.

If you’re fine losing the hood, it just depends what budget you have for lighting (there’s systems that would work for as little as around $150 (Viparspectra, smatfarm, and Noopsyche come to mind) but you’d lose some controllability and/or lack in spectrum to get that real good “pop” of color many enjoy today (though Noopsyche is arguably the best of those three though the app is meh from what I’m told). I personally have a SmatFarm and the spectrum is definitely lacking.

An AI Prime 16 is slightly higher ($265 ish) and very likely will work for needs. Also it’s a high quality light. It could be mounted in the hood (with adequate air flow) but would be best mounted higher above the tank.

If you’re price is mid range (around $400/$500) a Reefi Uno 2.0 pro (personally I believe to be overkill for your tank) or a XR15 (also likely overkill for your tank) would be fine but would definitely need to be mounted higher above the tank (and you may have a good amount of light spill from these based on the size of the tank).

I personally wouldn’t go with anything much larger than what’s been mentioned. You can also hang a ReefBrite metal halide system above the tank (it looks like the K2 mentioned above is discontinued) and bask in the glory of white light (but you would need some form of supplement for the color pop unless you stick with OG corals that are naturally colorful under whiter light vs flourescent under blue (also note many OG corals in my experience do not flouresce very well))

As for websites:

The number 1 site that most order from is Bulk Reef Supply. I’m not a fan of them for various reasons corporate decision making reasons but they’re customer service is usually top notch.

Most of the time I order from saltwateraquarium.com or premium aquatics. But also note, many brand name dry good items (Neptune, Radion, Hydros, AI, Reef Octopus, etc.) are under a MAP pricing structure meaning the price should be pretty much exactly the same at all retailers (including your LFS) so I generally try to support the local shops if it’s equipment even if they need to order it, plus it helps build a relationship with the LFS.

Fish I tend to stick with LFS, however I have ordered online from Petco before with no major issues. As mentioned, liveaquaria has fallen quite a bit from their glory days, but there’s plenty of known reliable vendors such as @Dr. Reef (quarantined fish and corals), world wide corals, top shelf aquatics, and others. I would encourage you just research each vendor you look at for some reviews.

I think everyone else covered it pretty well. Hope this helps!

 

[MNtadpole]

Thank you so much for everyone's input! One thing I remember about the hobby was the encouragement and support in the community. I'll shoot some further questions to what has been posted when I get more free time.

 

[ironwill723]

Husbandry is still the same. Tech has advanced but most of the gadgetry is not needed, I still run a simple Berlin filtration method from the 90s. There are a few excellent online QT vendors if you want to go that route let me know I can post up a list. Best live rock is from KPAquatics or TBSaltwater. Avoid the dry rock trend and you will save yourself a ton of headaches. I believe you can order an updated LED hood from JBJ as well.

 

[Dr. Reef]

We have quarantined livestock at www.drreefsquarantinedfish.com
or conditioned livestock for people that dont qt or do their own at www.affordableaquaria.com
Either way we can get you healthy livestock qted or non qted at reasonable prices.

 

[MNtadpole]

Sorry for the late update. So the JBJ NanoCube has been a decent success thus far. I had to purchase a new stand for the tank as the original stand started to have its vinyl exterior peel.

Here are the notable items that I've modernized this "vintage" tank with:
-20-25lbs of dry rock
-1 bag of livesand
-AI Prime 16HD Reef
-Helio PTC 100w Smart Heater
-"480gph" Chinese Amazon special adjustable DC return pump
-Innovative Marine Auqa Gadget 5 Gallon Hydrofill Reservoir
-XP Aqua Duetto 2 ATO
-Innovative Marine Auqa Gadget Spin Stream Nozzle

Items Enroute:
-AIO surface skimmer w/ locking clip (JBJ Nanocube skimmer falls when the return pump is off...sucks)
-Hang-on dosing hose holder - for the ATO.

The tank has been successfully cycled using the fishless ammonia dosing w/ Fritz Turbo start. I was monitoring cycling activities with an API test kit. The process was probably about 1.5 months, but the ammonia dosing only took 14 days to finish the cycle.

Last weekend my family and I went to the LFS and picked out a couple of paired Picasso Clownfish. So far they've been doing pretty well, with only one being a little bit picky with eating various frozen foods (brine, mess, or marine blend). I'd really like to get these two clownfish to accept some dry foods - future plans. Surprisingly, the LFS tossed in a frag of GSP for free! I think my wife's enthusiasm while shopping at the LFS rubbed off on the owner that she was speaking with. TBH I wasn't planning on getting frags for at least a couple months, but I wasn't about to say no to the LFS's offer. Does anyone have any suggestions on any additional testing that I should do to support the GSP? I currently only had the API kit with pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate.

I'm looking at going to Clearview lids to get a custom clear lid made. Since I tossed the factory JBJ Nanocube lid and went with the AI Prime, I've installed a temporary egg-crate over the top. It looks a little hack, but it functions quite well. Does anyone have any experience working with Clearview Lids?

Does anyone have any suggestions on automation/auto feeding that might allow for a possible weekend vacation without a caretaker? Is that even a thing?

 

[MNtadpole]

I'm really thinking about getting some programable powerheads for this tank. The AI Nero3 is looking like a strong contender. I've been reading tons of review between the Nero3 and the Vortech MP10's, but it's a hit or miss on either side. It seems like some people have gotten duds and some winners. At the same time, it seems like some folks really like the wet/dry sided MP10s. IMO the Nero3 offers a lot of value, so that's why I'm leaning towards it.

Do you think it would be over kill to put more than one Nero3 in this 24g cube?

 

[Reefing102]

Looking good. I have an Eheim auto feeder on my tank for dry foods. I don’t have one (yet) but there’s also the Indaquatics AF4 frozen fish food feeder, but it’s definitely a newer product and currently out of stock. Seems to get good reviews so far (other than being a little noisy).

For lids, I have no experience with Clearview but have had great experience with Kraken lids.

As for the powerheads, I have the Jebao version of the Nero and I like it. Whether or not the Nero 3 is too strong for your tank I think will depend on its placement (blowing sand, knocking frags, etc). It is adjustable so that should help.

 

[MNtadpole]

Looking good. I have an Eheim auto feeder on my tank for dry foods. I don’t have one (yet) but there’s also the Indaquatics AF4 frozen fish food feeder, but it’s definitely a newer product and currently out of stock. Seems to get good reviews so far (other than being a little noisy).

For lids, I have no experience with Clearview but have had great experience with Kraken lids.

As for the powerheads, I have the Jebao version of the Nero and I like it. Whether or not the Nero 3 is too strong for your tank I think will depend on its placement (blowing sand, knocking frags, etc). It is adjustable so that should help.

Yea I reached out to Kraken but they didn’t want to take on any custom jobs.

 

[Reefing102]

Gotcha.

 

[griss]

Looks good.

As far as keeping the GSP, one thing that's different from when you were last in the hobby is we no longer shoot for absolute zero nitrates and phosphates. Here's a guide to where you want to keep your nutrients in order to maintain corals, anemones, etc. To keep myself reminded of this, I printed off a copy, laminated it and keep it with my test kits.

 

[MNtadpole]

Looks good.

As far as keeping the GSP, one thing that's different from when you were last in the hobby is we no longer shoot for absolute zero nitrates and phosphates. Here's a guide to where you want to keep your nutrients in order to maintain corals, anemones, etc. To keep myself reminded of this, I printed off a copy, laminated it and keep it with my test kits.
View attachment 32404658

So at the moment my plan is to rely on weekly 10% water changes to keep healthy levels in the tank. Beyond the API teat kit that I have, what else should I be frequently monitoring in your opinion?

 

[griss]

So at the moment my plan is to rely on weekly 10% water changes to keep healthy levels in the tank. Beyond the API teat kit that I have, what else should I be frequently monitoring in your opinion?

It really depends on what you're planning on keeping. If you're wanting to keep corals and inverts, besides Salinity, pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate, you'll want to test Alkalinity and Magnesium, especially if you're going to keep stony (LPS and/or SPS) corals.

That said, once you're cycle is complete, you can likely stop testing ammonia and nitrite. And this is just my opinion, you can just test pH, Nitrate, Alkalinity and Magnesium. Others will likely recommend testing more parameters but, like I said, the above is my opinion.

To be honest, I don't regularly test. I just observe my tank and only really test when I notice something appears off. I've found, over the years, that sometimes, "chasing numbers" can make things worse. If something is off, test and determine what parameters are out of whack. If there is more than one, adjust one at a time and don't try to fix everything at once.

Just always remember, there are different ways to be successful in this hobby. Just because something works for one person doesn't mean it will work for something else. And, keep in mind, nothing good happens fast in this hobby.

 

[Reefing102]

One other item to test for, in addition to the above would be phosphates. Once the tank is cycled, if found ammonia and nitrite testing to be unnecessary unless there’s something catastrophically wrong with tank. (I’d possibly look at getting salifert tests (generally more accurate) or possibly Hannah checkers (for nitrate, phosphate and alk as they’ll give a digital read out)).

That said, I’m also like @griss, I don’t test regularly. Knowing how coral behaves tells me when something might be wrong with my tank.

 

[MNtadpole]

One other item to test for, in addition to the above would be phosphates. Once the tank is cycled, if found ammonia and nitrite testing to be unnecessary unless there’s something catastrophically wrong with tank. (I’d possibly look at getting salifert tests (generally more accurate) or possibly Hannah checkers (for nitrate, phosphate and alk as they’ll give a digital read out)).

That said, I’m also like @griss, I don’t test regularly. Knowing how coral behaves tells me when something might be wrong with my tank.

So I’m all for getting some more Hannah kits, since I enjoy using their salinity tester. I just want to make sure that if I get more it’s for a parameter that I will use frequently.

So like I mentioned before, I have successfully cycled already, as monitored by the API kit I have. After the cycle I did do a 50% water change to try and drop the nitrates in the water. It’s been a few days since the water change and the fish stocking and the levels of nitrates are looking like they are 20ppm, which I should address. I’ll probably do another 10% change tonight and maybe another 10% on Friday. Currently the GSP is looking happy…and I’m all onboard with often not trying to fix what isn’t broken too. I just don’t want my nutrient levels to drive algae growth. My tank was covered with lights off throughout the duration of the cycle, so I’m fully expecting to see algae and diatoms soon.

 

[griss]

You will likely go through the ugly (algae) phase since you cycled with lights off and now they're on. That's normal so don't be too worried. Weekly or bi-weekly water changes should help minimize that.

 

[Reefing102]

So I’m all for getting some more Hannah kits, since I enjoy using their salinity tester. I just want to make sure that if I get more it’s for a parameter that I will use frequently.

So like I mentioned before, I have successfully cycled already, as monitored by the API kit I have. After the cycle I did do a 50% water change to try and drop the nitrates in the water. It’s been a few days since the water change and the fish stocking and the levels of nitrates are looking like they are 20ppm, which I should address. I’ll probably do another 10% change tonight and maybe another 10% on Friday. Currently the GSP is looking happy…and I’m all onboard with often not trying to fix what isn’t broken too. I just don’t want my nutrient levels to drive algae growth. My tank was covered with lights off throughout the duration of the cycle, so I’m fully expecting to see algae and diatoms soon.

For me, I’d honestly do Hannah Checkers for phosphate, Low range nitrate, and alkalinity. I’ve read to many 50/50 reviews of the calcium and magnesium kits.

You should definitely see algae start to grow (probably in the next week or so).

Your nitrates at 20 aren’t terrible, so I wouldn’t be overly concerned with them yet. They may stabilize as algaes and your coral consume them.