Returning to the Hobby! 12g

[TMIAAL]

Hello All,

I'm returning to the hobby after an extended hiatus. My tank was last active probably 8 or so years ago and that was probably the last time I was also active in this community. I'm now looking to break back into the hobby and restart my old tank. I'm pretty rusty on a lot of the stuff so I am trying to read as much as I can to get back up to speed.

I've got a 12g JBJ nanocube. My plan is to do a nano reef. Planned stocking list is as follows: 1 ocellaris clown, 1 black ocellaris clown, and maybe a small clown goby or firefish. As far as coral goes, I've just got the stock lighting so I was thinking zoos, shrooms, ricordea, xenia.

Suggestions on a CUC? I was thining 1 turbo snail and then a few nassarius and astraea snails and a peppermint shrimp to take care of any aiptasia. Are hermit crabs reef safe? Should I just avoid them?

I also plan on just using the same (no longer) live rock that I had in my past tank and just seed it with live sand.

One thing I am totally lost on is food. With the last tank I fed frozen. Is there such thing as an all in one pellet or food that will feed both the fish and the coral? With the coral I listed, do any of them need special feeding needs?

As far as equipment goes, I purchased this tank probably a decade ago. Everything is still in good working order. I gave it a good wipe down with paper towels and warm water. Is this tank still good to go? It hasn't become obsolete over the past 10 years or so, has it. I believe it has 54 watts of lighting. Is that going to be sufficient for the corals listed? Is it possible to easily upgrade the lighting system? I'm going to buy replacement bulbs, but which kind do I want? The daylight or the combo? Or one of each?

For filtration I'll have the stock sponge filter in one compartment and then Chemi-pure in another.

Appreciate any and all help. I'm really looking forward to getting back into the hobby and these forums.

Thanks

 

[Steveabg]

I am not really a fan of hermit crabs, myself. I've never seen one eat any corals, but I've also never had any that seemed to take care of any algae. Stealing food from corals seems to be their forte.

Astreas are my favorites.

And an emerald crab instead, to take care of any bubble algae.

 

[proenca]

hi there,

I'm pretty much in the same boat as you - last reef tank I owned at few years ago.

Now pretty much changed - pumps are incredible advanced, LED is the way to go, either you go almost shallow to no sand or big DSB, its normal to go skimerless and refuge's are the norm.

I had many many tanks but never a nano and this time around, I'm also going with a nano.

Few answers, since I've been non stop reading as well :

two clowns + another fish for a 12g ? thats pushing the limit. can be done - just dont start with that

avoid turbos and be sparse with astreas - they are big ( specially turbo's ) and couple of them dying and if you cannot find them, can crash a small nano

focus on cerith and nassarius - couple of astreas

had a bristlestar to tackle detritus ( nassarius will help here ) and cerith and astras for algae

emerald crab a must to keep valonia in check

light for those corals ( also want to keep softies like you ) seems more than fine. just pick a couple of good bulbs - if that hood can light each bulb independently, pick an actinic and a 14,000k one. use the actinic to simulate sunrise and sunset

careful with the sponge filter - nitrate factory and everything happens fast in a nano. we have no leverage ( as per a larger tank )

get a couple of good powerheads - these days there are many options and the price is very reasonable. as you, I used an old tank and few older materials - heater, etc. but powerheads, you can have the doulbe of the flow for a 1/3 of the size - I bought a couple of Tunze 6020 and they just thunderstorm the tank around - for half the size ( both together ) than a decent powerhead of my days. oh and they consume 2w each.

 

[TMIAAL]

Thanks much for the replies.

I think I'll stick with the stock lighting for now and see how it goes. Can always upgrade to LEDs down the road.

Is the added powerhead a necessity? I thought that the tank had pretty good flow from the stock powerhead. I just worry about space in the already small 12g nano.



Also, can someone explain an ATO system for me?

I see things like this: http://www.marinedepot.com/JBJ_ATO_...In_Units-JBJ_Lighting-JB5111-FIDPETPU-vi.html

That seems to just monitor the water level. So I will need to buy an additional pump and then some sort of reservoir? I'm having trouble picturing all of this and how exactly all of this will fit with my tank. My tank stand just arrived it today so I will be assembling it this weekend. Is this something I could put under the stand? Thanks!

 

[Turbo5oh]

hey i pretty much did the same thing back in december. Tank was sitting for about 8 years. Nano cube 12.

I have been playing with different hardware and what i have settled on is:
Added In tank media rack with filter floss. Carbon & purigen
Second chamber rock rumble and a media bag of gfo.
3rd chamber cobalt digital heater, cobalt mj pump, Hydro flow deflector on the out put.

In the display i put a cheap jabeo rw 4. Awesome pump for the money

Lighting i did the steves's leds conversion. Which i feel is to much light for the tank. But i can keep what ever i want in there. But i had to add a diffuser to stop the spotlight affect

 

[TMIAAL]

hey i pretty much did the same thing back in december. Tank was sitting for about 8 years. Nano cube 12.

I have been playing with different hardware and what i have settled on is:
Added In tank media rack with filter floss. Carbon & purigen
Second chamber rock rumble and a media bag of gfo.
3rd chamber cobalt digital heater, cobalt mj pump, Hydro flow deflector on the out put.

In the display i put a cheap jabeo rw 4. Awesome pump for the money

Lighting i did the steves's leds conversion. Which i feel is to much light for the tank. But i can keep what ever i want in there. But i had to add a diffuser to stop the spotlight affect

Thanks. Just looked into steves. What is the difference between steves and these
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+33148&pcatid=33148&r=570 In terms of total lighting power for corals?

 

[Turbo5oh]

If i were to do it again i would go topless with some type of hanging pendent. Led's that close to the surface of the water are way to spotty looking
Your link only has smallest of 24". Which is longer then the tank but the right idea i think

My tank is in my office. We make stone counter tops so keeping the top was important for keeping people/stuff out of the tank

Also take a look at the "in tank" media rack. Worth every penny when it comes maintenance time