aquapod 24g.

[tiburone9162003]

ok,i finally got the nano,few people that recoment me getting one THANX! ...i need to start from the bottom and them will see how it goes with this tank...hopefully in few months i can learn more and maybe get a bigger one... oh yea capital was the one that took my $$ lol...i bough everything i needed but sand and rocks...

 

[JAnwyl]

I would recommend the Select Nano Live Rock from liveaquaria.com. It's the perfect size for a 24 gallon tank. (Little much for a 12) Some very nice shapes and colors. Much better than I've found at local stores.

-J

 

[dots]

Good for you!!! I am glad your dipping your toes in first, rather than headdiving into the deepend of the reef. Good choice, you wiil be able to learn all the basics and figure out whats what until that time. I am having just as much fun with my new one as my big one, maybe more 'cuz there so simple....good luck.

you want to get some live sand, either see if someone can give you a couple cup fulls and get a few from different people to increase your biological diversity, or buy the bags of live sand at the LFS. There are couple of different shapes and types of live rock available, For example Bali, Figi, and Tonga Rock.....they all have distinct shapes, review some of the vendors I supplied in that thread, to find your preference.....For example I hate tonga branch.....you may like it.....pick what you like here.

Get some rock and sand ASAP, this contributes to your Cycle and what matures your tank and allows you to put critters in......

IMO, live rock is live rock locally, sure there is some places that have cured, which means less die off, but in the end I think its all about the same quality after a few months........I believe Yourreef had some nice stuff recently as a thread had mentioned.....Congratulations on you journey into an obsessive hobby......and Good Luck.

 

[tiburone9162003]

thanx...yea i bough some live sand and little piece of LR,i need to get some water from RO to mix salt...dunno,but on the aquapod,do they come with carbon? all i see its the black bio-balls,this white bag with like little white rocks inside with holes in th middle and the blue sponge...

 

[dots]

Toss the balls, thats what the LR and LS does, these are marketed for Freshwater too....they don't have LS and LR.
I am drawing a blank on the white rocks.......

just get some activated carbon and a filter sock and hang it in the back in direct flow.

You are going to need to change A LOT of water between now and your ready for fish.......when I start new tanks I just dechlonate tap water and use that to get them going......I kinda think extra phospates are good to help things get going, (thats one of the reasons you don't want tap water, phosphats (P04) cause algae).....after everything is stable, you have don a bunch of water changes over the course of a month and the ammonia is 0 and nitrates are as close to 0 as possible....then add stuff and switch to the RO/DI then.

I was able to bypass all of this because I started my new nano with sand, rock and sand from my bigger tank........benifits of having two. But I am still going through a mini cycle as the tank is starting to mature.......

expect within a few weeks brown alge to begin, then some green hair....this is natural....when that time comes and you have a good crop we will send you off to get snails and crabs......however, ammonia and nitrates will kill them and if you put them in too early they will die and your ammonia will be high for weeks and you will have to wait even longer to add fish.

I thought I was helping to mature the sandbed and when snails started dying, I just burried them........couldn't keep a thing alive for months and didn't know why.......hence my wanting to help and not learning things the hard way as I did.

Before you get critters, we will help you get your water params in check and help you accuratly measure it, so you know what is going on........thats when the fun of learning about alkalinity/calcium relations comes in....and we have the when and what to add to get your Ca/Alk levels correct and stable discussion......but I think by the small tank volume and a water changing regiment, you params will be kept up by that rather than worrying about dosing Alk and Ca regularly.

 

[tiburone9162003]

coo,so any activated carbon with a filter sock will work,no matter what type? the aquapod suppost to come with it? i was wondering cuz i notice that the box was kinda open when i got home,dunno if something might be missing...

 

[Nu2SW]

I wouldnt use just any activated carbon.... some have more dust than others and such.

We did a group buy not that long ago with justin74 for some carbon, I have no complaints so far, water has been crystal clear and doesnt smell all nasty.

I use about 1 cup for 2 months on my nano and my 50.

The only thing with this carbon I think it has to be bought in bulk. There is so much thru out mars, some of us may be able to hook you up with some. I got 5 pounds, and got like 4 1/2 pounds left.

I can set you up with some to last a few months if you want.

 

[tiburone9162003]

do i have to use carbon,some people tell me i dont need it,other that i do lol...my nano didnt came with any carbon,only bioballs,ceramic and sponge...i wish i knew how to pos pics to show u guys the tank,i add distilled water,add salt,check gravity,add sand...right now its all cloudy....

 

[Nu2SW]

distilled water? is that ok for reef use????

Carbon take all the smelly crap out of the water and makes it crystal clear.

Every see a yellow tank.... Carbon is what helps keep it from getting all yellow and nasty.

 

[tiburone9162003]

i hear people useing that on nanos,im waiting for sand to settle to do the tests on water...

 

[tiburone9162003]

yea i think i need some carbon.. i wanna keep the water crystal clear lol

 

[tiburone9162003]

filter sock needs to be hand somewhere or just let it be on the chamber where the bioballs used to be?