What is the best way to go? Purchase all your live rock first and get your aquascape done, then add your corals? Or buy live rock and corals intermitantly? I can't decide for myself. Right now i have between 9-10lbs of live rock in the tank...and i'd like to add another 5-10lbs, but the cost at the LSF is holding me back. They are charging $9.99per/lbs with most lacking great coraline algae growth. I really want to start getting some exotic corals with some kicka$$ colors! All advice welcome!!!
Help Me Stock My NC24!!!
- Thread starter triciod
- Start date
Illuminati
Premium Member
I have the same setup as you and I wish I would have aquascaped it to my liking first because it is such a pain to mess with stuff now.
$9.99/lb is steep. I got mine from Premium Aquatics (Marshall Island) for like $6/lbs. I ordered 30 pounds and shipping was only $30 (for ground).
I would go that route or check out someplace like craigslist or the selling forums here for someone close that is selling some.
Did you do any mods to the tank? Any idea what you want to keep?
$9.99/lb is steep. I got mine from Premium Aquatics (Marshall Island) for like $6/lbs. I ordered 30 pounds and shipping was only $30 (for ground).
I would go that route or check out someplace like craigslist or the selling forums here for someone close that is selling some.
Did you do any mods to the tank? Any idea what you want to keep?
I haven't done any mods yet...i just moved the tank onto a new stand. The first mods that i would look to make would probably be to a) add a hydor unit and or higher output powerhead pump b) upgrade the hood to higher wattage possibly MH lighting. I live in Minnesota and i don't know of any clubs...i will check around though. As far as what i wana to keep...im looking into different types of mushrooms. I haven't been doing too much research about corals and all, since i really haven't gotten to that point yet. Hopefully my Oscellaris might choose to host one(assuming that species does host...cus idk).
Illuminati
Premium Member
Just some pointers to help you:
The only reason to upgrade your lights to MH is to keep SPS. It's possible to do in a Nano Cube but you run into possible heat problems (water to hot, mainly in summer months) and you have to keep up on the water quality a lot more with SPS.
Mushrooms are softies and you right now have more than enought light for them.
I keep everything from zoa's, blasto's, Candycane, Acans, Torches, Mushrooms and a pagoda cup in mine. With the stock lighting you can keep ALL softies and 90% of the LPS corals out there (The only one that might need more light are micromussa's but even then I think you could still keep them.)
My point is don't mess with the lighting unless you are 100% sure you want SPS.
I added a MaxiJet 1200 in place of the stock pump. I heard stories of the stock pump running hot (and raising your tank temp) and being an all around piece of junk. Love the 1200, it moves plenty of water.
Toss the sponges and get filter floss for the back chambers. I don't think you can ever get all the crud out of the sponges and that leads to nitrate problems down the road. For $7 I got a bag of filter floss @ Dr. Foster & Smith and it should last a year. Just throw the used stuff (it will turn white to brown) when you do weekly water changes.
The hydor flow is a good idea. I actually bought one but I think I messed it up when I was playing with it so I have never installed it (yet, it's on my to do list).
I have a photo album of my cube here
http://s61.photobucket.com/albums/h73/colinadam/
It has newer and older pictures, the newer ones are toward the beginning.
If you run into something and have a specific question feel free to shoot me a PM, I'd me more than willing to give you my advice.
Keep us updated
The only reason to upgrade your lights to MH is to keep SPS. It's possible to do in a Nano Cube but you run into possible heat problems (water to hot, mainly in summer months) and you have to keep up on the water quality a lot more with SPS.
Mushrooms are softies and you right now have more than enought light for them.
I keep everything from zoa's, blasto's, Candycane, Acans, Torches, Mushrooms and a pagoda cup in mine. With the stock lighting you can keep ALL softies and 90% of the LPS corals out there (The only one that might need more light are micromussa's but even then I think you could still keep them.)
My point is don't mess with the lighting unless you are 100% sure you want SPS.
I added a MaxiJet 1200 in place of the stock pump. I heard stories of the stock pump running hot (and raising your tank temp) and being an all around piece of junk. Love the 1200, it moves plenty of water.
Toss the sponges and get filter floss for the back chambers. I don't think you can ever get all the crud out of the sponges and that leads to nitrate problems down the road. For $7 I got a bag of filter floss @ Dr. Foster & Smith and it should last a year. Just throw the used stuff (it will turn white to brown) when you do weekly water changes.
The hydor flow is a good idea. I actually bought one but I think I messed it up when I was playing with it so I have never installed it (yet, it's on my to do list).
I have a photo album of my cube here
http://s61.photobucket.com/albums/h73/colinadam/
It has newer and older pictures, the newer ones are toward the beginning.
If you run into something and have a specific question feel free to shoot me a PM, I'd me more than willing to give you my advice.
Keep us updated
Hey Colinadam-
I checked out your pics...i love the diversity in your cube! Is that some type of anemone in the bottom righthand corner? Im not running filter floss, but i do have some of that filter mat (white/blue). I have that in the first chamber. I have the a stock sponge on top, the bag of carbon, the filter mat, and then another sponge on the bottom of chamber one.
I checked out your pics...i love the diversity in your cube! Is that some type of anemone in the bottom righthand corner? Im not running filter floss, but i do have some of that filter mat (white/blue). I have that in the first chamber. I have the a stock sponge on top, the bag of carbon, the filter mat, and then another sponge on the bottom of chamber one.
Illuminati
Premium Member
In the bottom right I have 2 purple torches and a green hammer, anemone in cubes are a disaster because they grow so large, plus they need a very established tank to thrive. A friend told me he once had a Sebae anemone in his big tank and it used to eat squid from the Japanesse market but one day got the taste for Blue Damsels. He actually saw the Damsel in the anemone! He thought it was a 1 time thing but every time he put a blue damsel in his tank the anemone would eat it. Now that's an expensive diet
I use Chemi-Pure in the bottom of chamber 1 with filter floss on top. Chamber 2 has Purigen and the heater and chamber 3 has the Maxijet 1200.
Chemi-Pure is just fancy carbon that costs more $$ but I like Purigen. They claim it clears up the water quality and it's true. Tank was kind of blah before but now the water is crystal clear.
I know some people cut the sponges in half that way when you need to clean them it's easier to get the gunk out. The filter mat should also work for you.
I never thought filter floss could catch so much but every week when i take it out it's nasty
I use Chemi-Pure in the bottom of chamber 1 with filter floss on top. Chamber 2 has Purigen and the heater and chamber 3 has the Maxijet 1200.
Chemi-Pure is just fancy carbon that costs more $$ but I like Purigen. They claim it clears up the water quality and it's true. Tank was kind of blah before but now the water is crystal clear.
I know some people cut the sponges in half that way when you need to clean them it's easier to get the gunk out. The filter mat should also work for you.
I never thought filter floss could catch so much but every week when i take it out it's nasty
Yeah, i clean my sponges at least one a week, they are always nasty. The way i've been setting up my aquascaping is making a few flattened terraced levels, slowly increasing towards the back of the tank. I figured that by providing these levels that it would make a much better display of the corals that would eventually be placed on them. IDK if what im saying makes any sense as of right now. Im going to try adding a picture later today, if i can that is.
Illuminati
Premium Member
It's a wave maker. You swap out the return nozzle that came with the Nano Cube and install this in it's place. It spins around and moves the current around.
It won't stay on by itself, you will need to get some teflon tape and rig it up, otherwise the watter pressue will shoot it into the tank like a missle
Here's a link to where you can buy one
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=11363&N=2004+113782
It won't stay on by itself, you will need to get some teflon tape and rig it up, otherwise the watter pressue will shoot it into the tank like a missle
Here's a link to where you can buy one
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=11363&N=2004+113782
