JBJ 28 Gallon Nano Owners Club

[ReefCare4U]

Aquamaxx hob-1 on my tank. Works well.

 

[chad p]

JNS VS1 which is just another brand for the Aquamaxx HOB-1. Can't go wrong with that skimmer. Once it's broken in it runs so consistently. Mine doesn't even act up after water changes or after changing filter floss anymore.

I get a little bit of micro bubbles during feeding for about 5 minutes but that's it. It's a great choice for the NC 28.

 

[pleuralplexus]

I have the JBJ skimmer. Dont buy it.
I have the HOB-1 on the way

 

[Gagonzalez]

I have heard that the stock Accella pumps that come with our units are garbage and one of mine just went out so I have been looking at replacing them. I contacted JBJ for a replacement but I just read that we need to pay shipping to send them so I think instead of spending $10-12 to ship it, I can just replace them. I heard a Maxijet 1200 is a good replacment and quiet. Is this a good recommendation? Are we talking about the Marineland MJ-1200 or the Cobalt International MJ-1200? The Marineland Version is $20 while the Cobalt is $33. Are they basically the same unit?

Thanks

 

[pleuralplexus]

I love maxijets. they're powerful, cheap and reliable. In fact, I've got 3 maxijet 1200's driving my 7 foot outdoor fountain in the garden.

 

[geezers11]

I've read the 900's are the sweet spot if replacing the stock pumps. Powerful enough, low heat and wattage.

I replaced one Accela so far. The pumps work fine until you need to clean them. Taking (twisting) off the pump cover is dicey as the plastic rod holding the impeller in place is flimsy and breaks easily.

 

[Gagonzalez]

Question for those with PC Lights:

Have you replaced your lights with another PC light that is better? I don't care for the stock 10k/7100K Combo light and was hoping I had some options for something like a 10k or the the like. Can anyone make any suggestions?

PS - I will be going LED soon. Probably a retrofit kit of some sort. (Any suggestions on these would be great!) I like those kinds of projects and I'm good with soldering. Thanks

 

[Gagonzalez]

2nd Question: Who keeps their return pumps on all the time and who alternates them with the wavemaker? For how long? What if you use the Hydor Flo Rotating Deflector?

Thanks Again

 

[chad p]

I tried alternating my return pumps but I'd rather have more flow in the tank at all times.

Now that I have an ATO going I don't think it would even be an option now. I would say you're better off alternating flow with your powerhead(s) inside the tank.

 

[Gagonzalez]

C**P! I just ordered a JBJ ATO. Am I going to have problems alternating the pumps?

 

[chad p]

It's a possibility. I had different return pumps so the level in the back would consistently fluctuate. If you have the original, or any matching pumps I guess the level should remain pretty consistent. If one of the pumps runs slower than the other the level will dip down and back up but I guess even in that case it would just top off on the low end.

Eh...don't listen to me. Should be fine. I got my JBJ ATO on craigslist for $45 shipped and it's been great. I had problems trying to use the aqualifter pump but once I switched to a bigger pump it's been great.

 

[Gagonzalez]

Very Cool! Thanks

 

[Gagonzalez]

Does anyone have any pics of their tanks with their LED lighting?

 

[geezers11]

There are many pics in the member gallery section or in the nano section. I will say that once i quit using the dawn/dusk lights, the JBJ coloring looks better...I go straight from the moonlights to daylight (using both) and going back to moon.

 

[ange062]

My 2c. The stock Accelas are great pumps, been using for nearly 2yrs with no hiccups. The MJ's are loud pieces of crap IMO, Eheim compacts are same price, dead silent, and much better overall. Dont alternate the pumps, run them both a get a powerhead for intank circulation.

The stock cf quad is 10k/actinic combo, not 7100k. And there are no different replacement bulbs, its a propreitary setup.

Plenty of LED nanos in this forum. Check out my build thread for a Radion equipped JBJ.

 

[Gagonzalez]

I must have a bad batch then. 1 accella pump failed and i can hear the other grinding when starting up from the wavemaker. Ordered 2 MJ-1200's so I hope they work out. If not, I may send them back.

As far as LED's, I am deciding between an open top with a kessil 350 or a retrofit kit from RapidLED. Both have adjustable units which I am looking at.

Thanks

 

[chad p]

I'm with ange on not alternating the return pumps. I'd rather get the increased turnover on the tank and add a powerhead with a wavemaker. That or just go with a programable one like the mp10.

I highly recommend the Kessil A350 as far as your LED choices. I went from the stock HQI to the Kessil A150 and now run the A350 and I love it. Since I went with this light my few SPS frags have colored up nicely and they're encrusting faster as well. Everything in the tank seems to be really happy with the light and I like being able to tweak the color on it.

Here's a shot of my tank with the A350 over it. The cruddy cell pic makes it look more blue than it is but it's currently at roughly 75% blue and 85% white. I know there are plenty of success stories but I've also read too many stories of people going with retrofit leds and then burning corals, bleaching them or just never getting the color they're after. The Kessil has been great so far for growth and color.

 

[Gagonzalez]

Very nice tank Chad. Your layout is similar to mine. Not too much LR filling the tank up.

I like the Kessil 350 which is why it's 1 of my 2 picks. Asthetically though, a retrofit kit would look better IMO. And I don't know how my wife will like the open top idea either. She already doesn't like the HOB-1 sticking up on the back. As far as Bleaching because of too much light with Retrofit's, I'm planning on making sure it's dimmable so I can dial down the lighting. This should resolve the "Too Much Light" syndrome that others have encountered.

Pump wise, I think I am going to leave both return pumps on and place the Hydor Nano 485 on the Wavemaker and have it turn on and off. Or should I just leave all 3 on at all times? What do you think?

Thanks for the Help.

 

[Gagonzalez]

Would it hurt to add another 10lbs of sand on top of my current 30lbs of established sand? I would be adding Bio-Active Sand. Thanks

 

[chad p]

Wouldn't hurt to set the Hydor to turn off and on just to mix up the flow. I have mine going off and on every 10 seconds but I'm hoping to pick up an mp10 pretty soon.

As for the sand. I don't think it would hurt to add 10 lbs but I wouldn't go too thick with the sand bed personally.