And another new NC 12DX thread

[jcgso]

This is my first post in the nano forum. I currently have a 55G mixed reef, 29G seahorse and 29G zoanthid tank. When I said jokingly to my wife, how about another tank, she actually said OK. So now I'm setting up a NC 12DX. I received it yesterday and already changed the stock pump to a MJ900 and added a Hydor flo and a Via Aqua 50w titanium heater. 10 pounds of true live sand and 18 pounds of live rock should arrive next week. Just curious, do most add the water first or sand first. I've done it both ways and still can't decide which is best.
My livestock plans include a yellow watchman goby, a pistol shrimp, a green clown goby or yellow stripe neon goby (I guess all three fish would be too many), 2 sexy shrimp, 1 small serpant star. 6-8 mixed snails, maybe a feather duster and various zo's and softies from my other tanks. Any comments/suggestions would be welcome. I'll try to post pictures after I get the live rock in.

 

[mattyp]

the pistol will wreak havok in the small tank. I just recently got rid of mine he dug caves everywhere and kept messing everything up on me...

 

[jcgso]

Have others had this problem with pistol shrimp?

 

[HartfordWhalers]

For adding the water and sand. I found the best way to do it without a sandstorm is putting the the sand on the bottom. Then taking a plastic bag and putting it on top of the sand. Pour the water on the bag so it doesn't disrupt the sand to much. I did this for my 12 gallon Nc and it cleared up in about 2 days. Good Luck

 

[Mikeeal]

My pistol doesn't make much of a mess at all, a couple small mounds here and there.

 

[Sefu]

I actually got my pistol shrimp as a hitchhiker in a coral that I bought from the LFS, unknowingly I thought it was a Mantis shrimp because new holes would appear among my rocks..

You might be lucky and get a cave dwelling pistol shrimp like mine, I've never seen him touch the sand, but than again, I've never seen him at all..haha, except for the one time he popped his head out and I could ID the little retard... he has never come out of the rockwork

 

[snarkes]

I've heard others do the plastic bag on the sand thing, but I have the same tank and I just put a bowl in the middle of the tank and poured the water into the bowl. Worked like a charm. I dont know if it was because I put the live rock in shortly thereafter or not, but it cleared up in a few hours.