Fluid's JBJ NanoCube DLX

[Fluid]

June 1st update!

June 1st update!

So it's been about three weeks! I picked up a few aquacultured SPS from liveaquaria after seeing a few other Nanocubers successfully keeping them, so we will see what happens.

Still seeing improvement since feeding mysis, most of my softies are looking so much healthier.

Hairy Mushrooms, you can see they are trying to grow everywhere:

Bullseye Mushrooms:

Closeup:

Glove Polyps and my tiny tube worm:

Button Polyps, you can see the serious bleaching going on. They've been in the tank for about a month and a half, so we'll see where their color ends up:

Close up:

Cap Coral, hasn't done much since I put it in a week ago:

 

[Fluid]

Hodag's, this one hasn't done much either. Hopefully the light can sustain it:

Turquoise Staghorn, hard to focus on this thing! It seems to be doing OK, although I never see the polyps, hopefully they only come out at night?:

Apple Cap, which has been growing well. It is extending both up and to the sides, good stuff!:

Full Tank shot:

 

[RoboPhung]

Great tank! You're right, you are running almost an identical set up to mine! Haha, let me know what your tank temp is like with that 10w submersible light. I am running a 5w submersible and I was very scared that it would push my tank temps beyond the upper threshold.

Also I'm very very curious how your SPS will do with the stock light. I'm assuming you're running stock light still? I've done some prior research and certain people have been able to keep various montis under stock lighting and have maintained the color and gotten good growth. I've never heard of anyone maintaining acro though without bleaching, except for deepwater acro.

Please keep me posted! Thanks!

 

[Fluid]

The submersible light did take my temps at least 3 degrees higher, so I ditched it. What I've found to work for me is this setup for the rear chambers: Chamber 1 (surface skimmer attached) - Filter Floss, Bag of Carbon, Bag of Chemi-Pure. Chamber 2 - Bag of Phosban, heater. Chamber 3 - Return pump. I think the idea of a refugium in the middle chamber is great, but the light just made too much heat for me to be comfortable with. Some people have DIY solutions by removing the backing for the middle chamber and attaching a light to the back of the tank, but I don't like the cluttered look.

I do get a little bit of algae growth, but it's always on the back wall of the tank, and I physically remove it during water changes. I don't know if this is from not having something take up the nitrates or not. Every time I test for nitrates it's 0. I've also found that there are some forms of macro that are visually appealing, and it is flourishing in my tank, without taking away from the look. The thread regarding it is:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1648512

Before I go into the SPS discussion, one thing to take note: I don't dose. Keep that in mind. I use Oceanic salt mix to take the place of dosing (it is supposed to be very high in calcium and Mg), as at this point I don't want to deal with more maintenance for such a small tank. How the lack of dosing affects my SPS growth, I don't really know.

My SPS order came in about a week ago, and so far this is what I've noticed: Turquoise Staghorn (Acropora sp.) hasn't done much. I don't see bleaching, but I sure don't see any growth that I'm aware of. It's placement is slightly different so that it's hard for me to reference the growth with another object, but as far as I can tell it's not doing jack. Red Candy Cap (Montipora capricornis) is also not doing much. The polyps are extended, and no bleaching has occurred, but no growth from what I can tell. Hodag's Montipora (Montipora confusa) is also showing little to no growth. Polyps are extended, but I have seen some bleaching on one side. Green Apple Cap (Montipora capricornis) is growing for sure. The sides have extended probably 1/4cm.

All these SPS were aquacultured, so I don't know if that is assisting in their survival or not.

Lighting-wise, I am still running the stock 50/50's for a total of 48 watts. I've considered getting the Tru-Brite LED strip that is supposed to add shimmer and supplement overall lighting. The only issue with that is I have no clue how to add it into the hood without making it look messy.

 

[reeferoo]

This nano is very very much like mine!
I even have some very similar livestock- true perc clown (also started with two and lost one) and some bullseye mushrooms like those, and palys and zoas and whatnot. Have not tried any SPS in my nano, though I have had duncans and a fungia do marvelously in there.

I have not incorporated a refugium yet although I did scrape the vinyl off the back and just need a light and some macroalgae. I have some rubble in the back of mine and I kept the sponges in (I rinse them out regularly)

I also switched out stock pump for maxijet 900. Have played with the rotating output thingy, but it seems to generate less flow.

This nano was bought from a fellow RCer who had it going 5 years. I still have the 5"+ striped serpent star it came with along with some other livestock.

I love the intimacy of the nano- you really notice the feather dusters and tunicates (sp?) and any other little life often overlooked in a bigger tank.

I am able to stuff occasional balls of chaeto right into the tank where they seem to grow happily.

I had one incident of a clown who kept jumping into the back of the nano. Sadly, she wound up sucked into the pump and died :-( :-(

I do dose 2-part regularly as well as run carbon. I also left the bag of ceramic rings in which I rinse occasionally.

Your tank is coming along very nicely. Looking forward to watching its development!