In Planning

[AdriftQuasar]

Here's my list of what I'm buying as far as supplies:

jbj 12g nano cube dx
maxi jet 900
hydor
jager ts 50w heater
20lbs indopacific live sand
16lbs select nano live rock from dfs

what am i missing?

Corals list:
leather coral
kenya tree coral
some xenia
mushrooms
open brain coral of some kind
zoanthids

Inverts:
blue leg hermit crab (how many?)
turbo snails, 5?
peppermint shrimp
some kind of serpent or a brittle star

Fish:
percula clown
Royal gramma

My brother-in-law is planning on helping me out alot with this tank. He was thinking that whatever kind of filtration that came in the cube might not be that good. I'm not sure. Don't you have three chambers, one for a sponge or something, another for live rock, and then the third for, uh.... stuff? I'm still looking for lots of advice and some guidance on what I should and shouldn't buy, so any help here would be hot. Guide me master(s)!

 

[Salty Brother]

be very carefull of xenia, they grow like mad, keep them away from any main rock structures, id get a 150W heater, more powerful is always better. Then like 20 blue leg crabs, 4 turbos, then I think that you can make the filter system into a little fuge, so like live sand, lr rubble, cheato, and a bag of carbon, and a mj 900 might be to powerful, any other questions?

 

[theop]

I think your stocking list looks good. I would stay with the 50W heater, as a 150W is more that 10W/gal which is a lot. Also, a 150W will be taller and may not fit in the 12g.

 

[artooman]

just a comment on the heater... 50W will probably be fine. if you want more wattage, you might consider 2 50W heaters in case one fails. If a failing heater sticks on, your tank will fry with 150W heater. if you have two smaller heaters, you cut the risk of overheating. obviously, if one sticks off, then the other heater should be able to do most of the heating by itself.

also, a friend of mine had his pump between the sump and the display fail. the heater was in the sump and the display lost its heater. he lost half his corals and a fish. to prevent this you could put one heater in the display (maybe a super compact cheapy 25W or 50W behind the rocks). just some thoughts.

 

[wills]

I have Baha Red Leg Hermits from premiumaquatics.com and I LOVE them. I started with 5 (Down to 4, must have been a fight when I wasn't looking) and they do an awesome job with the algae. I have 4 of them, 2 nassarius snails and 3 cernith snails in a 24, that's my entire cleanup crew.
No way you need 5 turbo's. If you want 1 I'd do it because I have heard they clean the glass and back wall good.
The nassarius snails are good for the sandbed, I'd get 2.
3 Baha or Blue leg hermit crabs (I have heard that blue leg can move rockwork/corals, the Baha's are so small they can't).
1 or 2 cernith snail.

That should be a good cleanup crew.


There are 3 chambers and I have them set up like this:

Chamber 1- Chemipure on the bottom, filter floss, temp probe.

Chamber 2- MaxiJet 900 for ICA Chiller and heater (Both are rarely used).

Chamber 3- Maxijet 1200.

I like filter floss better than the sponge because you can throw it away. Rinsing the sponge sucks and if you don't like something chances are you won't do it. Buy the filter floss at Dr. Foster and Smith.

I am one of the people that thinks it's ignorant to add live rock to the back chamber on a Nano. You will have plenty in the display and tossing some pebbles back there won't do squat.

Here is an updated pic of my tank.

Zoo garden:

If you ever want my advice feel free to PM me. I'd be glad to help.

 

[wav3form]

Wills some people like to keep live rock rubble in the refug for frags and other uses.

 

[wills]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7592838#post7592838 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wav3form
Wills some people like to keep live rock rubble in the refug for frags and other uses.

I understand that people with nanocubes like to make a refuge in the middle chamber. I just don't think it's needed in a 12 gallon. Maybe a 24 but even then it's overkill.

Also there is more to a fuge than just tossing some rubble in the back chamber. You have to get chaeto and have it back there, peel the vinyl away from the tank to let in light and rig up a light to shine on it so it grows. All a bit more work than most people would like to deal with. I'd rather drop a bag of Chemipure or Purigen in a back chamber, less mess.

As for having rubble around for frags keep the rubble in the disply along the sides of the tank, I have no clue what live rock rubble that sits in a dark back chamber with minimal water flow will turn into but I doubt that would be good for a tank. I can imagine the dieoff hurting the water quality more than it would help.

Again, just my opinion.

 

[schnell76]

In my 12 gallon I have 6 medium astrea snails and one very tiny one. For hermits I have 6 or 7 small blue legs. Between the both of them they do a great job. My astreas clean everything, the rock, glass, and even sift through the sand.

In regards to the compartments. I would think the 900 is a bit too much flow. I am thinking of a 600 to replace the stock pump. I have a hydro flow and I think the 900 will blow it right off. In the first compartment I use one of the sponges and clean it weekly with my weekly water change. The second compartment has a half unit of chemi-pure and a few small pieces of live rock. The 16lb package I got from dr. fosters was a very heavy 16lbs, or not very dense. Thats great, but I ended up with more rock than I would like so the smaller, uglier peices went into the chamber. I do not by any means believe I have created a fuge in the chamber by throwing in those pieces, but did not want to throw out the rock and figured it would take out some nitrates if nothing else.

Good luck, your stocking list looks good except for the xenia. Loose that stuff, it will take over a 12 gallon.