Equipment for a 12g AP

[Wanabe Reefer]

Hi there

I'm starting to plan a shopping list and was wondering about what i needed to turn a 12g AP into a healthy reeftank.

I heard a MJ900 would be a good replacement pump but I have no idea when it comes to heaters, filtration, and other stuff I probably need but dont know about.

So any help with my shopping list will be greatly appreciated from all you nano experts out there.:rollface:

 

[saltman123]

I've had a 12 gallon AP for 4+ months now.

I kept mine pretty stock so I will list some stuff I've purchased, and mods I recommend. Some stuff will be obvious so just bear with me

For starters, you'll need:
Sand
Live Rock
Water - I mix my own salt water with walmart RO water.

Heater
Digital Thermometer
Refractometer/Hydrometer - Go for the Refractometer if you can afford it.

Another thing you should look into is a magnet cleaner, the nimblenano is nice. http://nimblenano.com/

The Maxi-Jet 900 must is definitely a must. It is said to run cooler and keep water temp down.

Next, ditch your sponge, and ceramic rings. Get yourself some filter floss, and then try to get enough live rock rubble to fill one of your chambers.

Another mod you will want to plan to do is block the bottom vents on the chamber #1. This will force water to pour over the top of the chamber and act as a surface skimmer. I actually blocked up my lower and middle vents leaving the water to pour over the top.



You should also think about when you are bringing stuff into the tank. You should be dipping most of the stuff to kill of pests so I would recommend:
Flatworm Exit by Salifert
Lugol's Iodine

What else what else....
A net incase you need to catch a fish or something. I would recommend you get one that is a fine mesh. I sometimes use it to filter stuff.

A few Buckets for water changing and water storage. Some small tupperware containers for you to dip new stuff coming into the tank.

A turkey baster is always handy. Some gloves to protect yourself.

A small towel to keep handy since your hands will most likely be wet every time you are poking around at the tank.

A long pair of tweezers if you can find them to reach in the tank.

And lastly, some good test kits to make sure your water is doing ok.

Hope that helps with a bunch of odd ends

 

[Wanabe Reefer]

Wow saltman that was a really helpful post. Looks like my shopping list will be growing even larger now.

Now what about the kind of heater, is there a specific one thats good for nanos? I've heard before stealths are good, is that true?

 

[03Mach]

I have a Stealth in my pod and works great for me, my temp is stable and the heater seems to be reliable. Saltman has pretty much everything covered. A few things I can thing of that I had to buy are:

-extra heater for making up water
-spare pump for making water
-siphon
-power strip
-light timers

If you get the Maxi you won't need an extra pump as the stock one will work fine. I have also found that if you are only doing 2 gal batches of water in a 5 gal bucket, the pump heats the water to about 80 degrees.

The Hydor FLO is also a really nice thing to have for good water movement. Go with Salifert test kits, they have the best results and can read much lower than some of the cheaper kits out there. I'm sure there are more things to get, you will soon realize the list gets HUGE!!


BTW the mods saltman said to do are really key in good surface skimming, I highly recommend doing them.

 

[Wanabe Reefer]

Thx Mach. I almost completely forgot about equipment for making water and yes I will for sure be doing the mods saltman suggested.

 

[saltman123]

Yes, 03Mach hit everything I missed pretty much

I too recommend Saliferts. They are a little more expensive than the all in one kits, but they seem to be more accurate, so they say.

I too am eventually going to try a Hydor Flo.

One recommendation on a heater is the Hydor Theo heater. I've found that it isn't the greatest at accuracy, but it SHUTS OFF when it comes out of the water. I find that the water levels in chamber #3 and #4 become inconsistent as the filter floss gets dirty so the levels drop dramatically. The theo is sure to shut off and not crack or start a fire. I know the Stealth is not a glass so it can't crack, and it turns off when out of water so yes, that may be a better option. My theo seems to be a little off since it comes out of the water I think..

Either one you go with will probably do the trick, but I figured I would point this out since the water levels dropping seems fairly regular in my aquapod.

Here is a link to a Theo for comparison, but the Stealth may be the winner here:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=11368&N=2004+113767
I have the 50 watt.

 

[danmc00]

All my LFS are very expensive. Where can I get the MaxiJet 900 and the floss online? I am really new to saltwater aquariums. Does anyone have a step by step process on what mods to do to the Aqua Pod 12 gallon? I have seen many people put the heaters with the pumps and other mods that seem to really help, but I have no idea what I am doing.

 

[saltman123]

premiumaquatics.com has good stuff. Search around and you'll find even more places.

For Mods, you will also want to block off the lower and middle vents on the first chamber to force water to pour over the top into chamber one. This can easily be done with a piece of plexi-glass.

Also, get yourself some super glue. You can go to Walmart and get it. Make sure it is SUPER GLUE GEL and cyanoacrylate. Super glue can be used to frag soft corals and stuff later as well.

Filter floss? Go to walmart and buy a bag/bog. Polyester fiber fill I think its called? I've been using it successfully for 4+ months.