12g NanoCube at 1 Year

[tgcreef]

looks like someone loves xenia

 

[vanmo92]

SWEET!!!

 

[FishWife1]

Wow!

Wow!

That is gorgeous! What are you doing for skimming? I'm not familiar with all the "new" terms :lol: I've been away from reefing for a few years.

You have "almost" sold me on a cube. Great work.

Oh, BTW, see if you can sell your frags for credit to your LFS. That's how I got the stand for my old Oceanic 200 a few years back - nothing but xenia - made lots of money on it.

Laurie

 

[Bobalouy]

Thanks everyone!
I think xenia loves me more than I love it, lol.

I do not run a true skimmer, Just the cassette mod. Which is just a cassette tape case with teeth cut in it, put over top the intake grate.

I do trade my xenia in at my LFS, and they give me pretty good credit for it. I think the the tourch is the only coral I have spent cash on since I bought the xenia 9 months ago.

 

[bubblevssqueek]

Stock lighting???? i cant believe that. Nice tank

 

[CamBarr]

wow that looks great do you have any pics after you set it up???
cb

 

[Bobalouy]

Here it is a year ago :
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=48920

 

[CamBarr]

wow thats amazing any upgrades to bulbs or non stock items

 

[egdevilboy]

he stated the only mod was the casette surface skimmer. The lighting is stock

 

[CamBarr]

thanks robb

 

[rogerwells]

ok i have a question about the filtration.....you said in the first compartment is just some live rock? well what did you do with that sponge? and what is cheato? cause my 12 gallon is looking pretty brown and not healthy...i want to know what i should do about the filter

 

[icenine2005]

wow... stunning tank!

 

[Bobalouy]

I got rid of the sponge and all of the other stuff that came with the tank.

Cheato or Chaetomorpha, is a macro algae. So basically the back of my tank is a 'refugium'

Here is the back of the tank

I did run one sponge for the first couple of months, untill the tank was established. Just make sure you wash it out alot, atleast with every water change.

 

[Genin]

wow what a great nano. it is really stocked to the brim and the colors are fantastic. good job.

 

[rogerwells]

and did you just get the macro algae at your lfs? and does the back of the tank being a refuge really keep the tank clean as good as it would with the filter stuff it comes with?

 

[Bobalouy]

I actually got the cheato from a local reefer, you can probably find somone giving it away near you because it grows so fast.

I belive it keeps my tank cleaner than the mechanical stuff. Because the cheato eats up any of the nutrients that any bad algae would use to survive. Most of the sponges and bio balls just turn into nitrate factorys, over time.

 

[rogerwells]

well im only having a mantis tank anyways....so that doesnt need to be as clean and pure as yours....but i think im going to get some zoos in there after awhile for the hell of it....so then ill do what you did

 

[FishWife1]

Do you have any lighting on that Cheato in your refugium?

Seacrop.com sells it by itself or in a refugium kit that has 30 aquacultured amphipods along with it for $14. That's going to be one of my first purchases after my tank has cycled. I just love having lots of pods and worms all over the place.

Laurie

 

[Hanauma-Reef]

I have a question for you ...maybe a stupid one, but is it okay to do water changes like that with the coral so close to the top???

 

[Bobalouy]

FishWife1 - Yes I have a Palm light behind the tank, you can probably find someone local that will give you cheato free, and Im sure it will have pods in it. But either way its definatly a good addition to the tank.

Hanauma - The corals are fine, they are only out of the water for a minute or two. Anthony Calfo, recommends 100% water changes on nanos.