My JBJ 28gal Nano Build Thread

[SGD]

I'm more than impressed.

I'm more than impressed.

I have been out of the fish tank hobby for many years and was inspired to get back into it. I have been wanting to for some time but your tank has pushed me over the end. I picked up a JBJ28 CF Quad with the free stand offer online and a JBJ24 CF from Craigslist on the cheap. I did however have two questions for you. What kind of heater are you using? Since you are in Texas may not need one. Some of the reviews of various heaters I've seen have not been that great with getting stuck on. Did you try the smaller skimmers? It looks like you went with a much bigger one right away. My impulse buys will be much more shall we say cheaper.

Thanks
Stuart

 

[ange062]

Dev, Gagan, this is the build thread for my personal tank, I think you have mistaken this thread for the NC28 Owners club.

I have been out of the fish tank hobby for many years and was inspired to get back into it. I have been wanting to for some time but your tank has pushed me over the end. I picked up a JBJ28 CF Quad with the free stand offer online and a JBJ24 CF from Craigslist on the cheap. I did however have two questions for you. What kind of heater are you using? Since you are in Texas may not need one. Some of the reviews of various heaters I've seen have not been that great with getting stuck on. Did you try the smaller skimmers? It looks like you went with a much bigger one right away. My impulse buys will be much more shall we say cheaper.

Thanks
Stuart

That's great to hear that you are getting back in, and thanks for the compliments!! I use a 100w Eheim Jager heater, though you are right, it only turns on a couple of days a year at most. It's known to be reliable, it's cheap, and it has an overheat safety if you forget to unplug when removing from the water. I've only had the HOB-1 on this tank, my philosophy is that going cheap only ends up costing you more when you inevitably have to upgrade later on I prefer just to do it right the first time.

Love your tank ange. I'm always waiting for a update of your tank

Thanks a bunch! I'll get around to a real photoshoot soon hopefully, it's been at least 6-mo since the last one.

 

[pleuralplexus]

my philosophy is that going cheap only ends up costing you more when you inevitably have to upgrade later on I prefer just to do it right the first time.

You are absolutely right Ange. I'm a converted former ceapskate myself. I upgraded to the stock JBJ LED Advancd hood for price, but I'm very sorry I did. Now I'm just passing time until I bite the bullet for a Radion. The LED Advanced hood was $350, so my mistake brings my total LED upgrade to around $1100 instead of $750 (what it would've cost if I had just bought the radion in the first place)

 

[ojonas81]

Hi ange! Did you ever take the macro shots?

My tank is humming along just nice but the upgrade nerve has started to tickle me. Already priced out a custom 120G from Reef Savvy that most likely will be my next step on the ladder sometime next year. Quickly outgrowing the NC.

Are you planning to upgrade your Radion to G2 or the Pro model? I almost pulled the trigger on the same Radion you have but then Ecotech made the announcement of the new lines so will hold off some. Maybe get them to the new tank.

 

[ange062]

Hi ange! Did you ever take the macro shots?

My tank is humming along just nice but the upgrade nerve has started to tickle me. Already priced out a custom 120G from Reef Savvy that most likely will be my next step on the ladder sometime next year. Quickly outgrowing the NC.

Are you planning to upgrade your Radion to G2 or the Pro model? I almost pulled the trigger on the same Radion you have but then Ecotech made the announcement of the new lines so will hold off some. Maybe get them to the new tank.

Unfortunately no, the tank has been a big struggle lately (as if it hasn't always been, LOL!). I was out of town for 3 weeks for work, then several weekends after that for personal stuff and the tank has suffered for it. Not really sure what the root cause is, but let me explain the symptoms first. I noticed first that things in more direct flow of the MP10 had tip burn, but it's since spread both across the tank and further from the tips.

At this point, my ORA green birdsnest is just about dead. My ORA plum crazy and cali tort both show tip burn. My red mille and green table mariculture acros started with slight tip burn, and are now about halfway dead. ORA borealis is in the same boat and seems to be fading fast.

It's weird, because my ORA hyacinth BN, sunset mille, red planet, turaki acro, blue mille, ORA green stylo, ORA purple stylo, zoas, rics, and clams are all still kicking butt and looking great :hmm4: Fish aren't phased either...

Water tests show everything inline with the parms I've been running for nearly 2-yrs now, so it's not any "major" tests unless I am missing something trace from less WC's. Temps are inline as always thanks to chiller / heater.

Three main culprits I suspect are: 1) high phosphates due to 100% switch to BRS HC GFO instead of alternating with Phosban 2) slight microbubbles over an extended period due to a hose problem with one of my returns that went unnoticed 3) overdose of my additives by my fish-sitter or other related husbandry issues in my absence

Anyway, I'm going to be patient for now and as always try to correct things slowly. If things die off, it's not the end of the world as I'd like to "restart" in a lot of ways anyway or would at least love to have some room for a nice big staghorn acro!

No plans to upgrade the Radion right now, though was toying with the idea of trying an MH/T5 combo instead just for comparative purposes.

 

[pleuralplexus]

Oops double post...

 

[pleuralplexus]

Just mail your SPS's to me! I'll take care of them for you!

 

[calistyle]

ditch the Radion?!?! I just ordered the Radion gen2 and was hoping to get some good pointers, starting points.

 

[ange062]

Just mail your SPS's to me! I'll take care of them for you!

Hahaha, one of these days I'll build out a tank big enough to ship freebies!!

ditch the Radion?!?! I just ordered the Radion gen2 and was hoping to get some good pointers, starting points.

I love the Radion and have had great success, don't get me wrong. I can email you profiles or offer up any advice you need as I was one of the VERY early adopters (Oct2011) and have plenty of experience. For me a stable tank is kind of a boring tank to be honest, I need to tinker so just looking for things to play with

 

[venom550pm]

Sorry to hear about your misfortunes. You're right though, slow and steady and good husbandry will get you out of the woods. lots of water changes and lights out for 2 or 3 days will help too.

For me a stable tank is kind of a boring tank to be honest, I need to tinker so just looking for things to play with

You should set up a frag tank, then you can always tinker and have a pristine tank too!

 

[ange062]

Sorry to hear about your misfortunes. You're right though, slow and steady and good husbandry will get you out of the woods. lots of water changes and lights out for 2 or 3 days will help too.



You should set up a frag tank, then you can always tinker and have a pristine tank too!

Eh, it's no big deal really, sucks to lose some of my older / nicer corals but in the end it's really my fault for neglecting the tank. And some of the corals are still doing great!

I've actually kinda been thinking it would be cool to change it up anyway, non-reefers always love "flowy" looking corals, even though we have a tendency to like SPS in the reefing community. A nem tank might be interesting! And no room for a frag tank, though that would be pretty fun.

 

[ojonas81]

If you have room for a nem I would go that route. I love my RBTA. Adds a nice "flow" to the tank that SPS cannot provide.

 

[calistyle]

Ange, have you considered upgrading your GEN1 to a PRO? I hear it's going to be 200-300 to do so, but would add the nice ultraviolet and more...

 

[ange062]

If you have room for a nem I would go that route. I love my RBTA. Adds a nice "flow" to the tank that SPS cannot provide.

No room now, but there may be if I ditch some SPS. I was thinking more along the lines of a nem dominant tank!! Or maybe I should go NPS... So many options to explore!

Ange, have you considered upgrading your GEN1 to a PRO? I hear it's going to be 200-300 to do so, but would add the nice ultraviolet and more...

Nope, I hadn't thought about it. I've had pretty dang good success and color with my original version. Maybe one of these days I may give it a whirl, I'll have to see where I go with this tank.

 

[venom550pm]

i have a RBTA in my tank right now, and it split last week so now i have two. Luckily when it split it went to a place that had no coral. I do love the nem though i love watching the clowns in it.

If you go NPS get a Dendro, by far my favorite coral. Even over all the SPS. I guess it is part LPS but it is also NPS as well.

 

[calistyle]

Ange!

I have the radions up and created a quick artifcial profile...If you have a chance, I would love to get my hands on your initial profiles. My email addy is in my last PM to you.

 

[pleuralplexus]

ange, I gues you realize you've become THE authority on the 28g nanocube, dont you?

anyway I'm about to post bail from my crappy a** stock LED hood and get the radion. I'd love to have your initial profiles too...

 

[ange062]

Ange!

I have the radions up and created a quick artifcial profile...If you have a chance, I would love to get my hands on your initial profiles. My email addy is in my last PM to you.

Sent dood! Enjoy!

ange, I gues you realize you've become THE authority on the 28g nanocube, dont you?

anyway I'm about to post bail from my crappy a** stock LED hood and get the radion. I'd love to have your initial profiles too...

Haha, thanks man. Too bad my tank is in the crapper right now, though I am looking forward to starting over. At least my fish and clams are healthy, and I was really wanting to start over on SPS anyway now that I know a lot more about growth forms and placement.

PM me your email address and I'll send the profiles over.

 

[pleuralplexus]

PM sent. Thanks!!

 

[johntran216]

i just spent two hours on this thread, because im about to start on the same tank. well worth it can u tell me ur new maintenance schedule ever since u installed the reactors?
1)how often/much do you change ur water?
2)how much are u dosing now?
3)how often do u change the medias in the reactors?
thanks !! i hope mine can turn out as well as urs.