What to do with our new AquaPods?

[bored4long]

Many of us took advantage of the awesome sale at MarineDepot for the 12 gallon AquaPod.

Since there are so many of us that will be setting up nanos (some of us for the first time) I thought it would be very appropriate to discuss what everyone plans to do with their AP12 along with any planned mods.

Here is a good thread on suggested/known mods for nanos: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=665448

I'll start:
I hope to take my AP12 to work. I'd like to make it a zoo reef and add a goby or a pair of clowns and hopefully a shrimp.

I want to build a stand for it and will be upgrading the stock pump to a MaxiJet 900 or 1200 and add the Hydor rotating deflector. I will also be ordering a Theo 50 watt heater for this because I have read they fit nicely in the back. I think I'll cram LR rubble in the back and just do regular water changes. I'll keep a 5 gallon jug of RO/DI at work for topoffs. I'll consider adding cheato and a light to the back to help with nutrient export, but that will depend mostly on where I place the tank since the light add to the depth of the tank because it will be placed behind it.

Since so many of us have these, it would be fast and easy to bust out MANY stands if we can all decide on a design. (Cutting wood for 10 stands is not much more effort than cutting wood for one stand.)

So what are you gonna do?

 

[jtarmitage]

Sounds like an interesting thread. I would have jumped all over that deal, if I hadn't just bought a 22g CAD nano tank. Mine has the built in area for a fuge, and I put a small 9" coralife PC lamp behind mine, just like you mentioned you might do. I also used a 5g container below my tank to hold freshwater for topoff, but decided to go ahead and use an ATO with it. Salinity fluctuations in the nanos can be a big problem, especially on long weekends or during vacations.
My only dilema at this point, is what fish to incorporate. I'm thinking only 1 or 2 small fish, but am not sure what yet. This will also be a zoa/ric dominated tank, but I may incorporate a couple of sps and a small frogspawn(as I have a few left unsold).
Jeremy

 

[shiveley]

That LR rubble stuffed into the back chamber is going to accumulate a lot of detritus, which will in turn restrict water flow. IMO there's no benefit from having LR rubble in the rear chambers if you already have a decent amount of LR in the main display...

If you want to see what a lot of people do with their nanos, then you need look no further than here:
http://www.nano-reef.com/

 

[bored4long]

Thanks.

Am I allowed to post content from there? The below information is an excerpt from this thread: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=74703

Recommended Fish by Nano size:



0.5g Pico (Includes Red Sea 0.5g Deco Art) (1 extra small fish)

-Blue Neon Goby
-Catalina Goby [cold water]
-Clown Gobies
-Eviota Gobies
-Panda (Clown) Goby
-Redhead Goby
-Trimma Goby
-Yellow Neon Goby

2.5g Pico (Includes 2.5g Minibow, Eclipse Explorer, JBJ 3g Pico) (1 fish)

All of the above plus:
-Citron Goby
-Green Banded Goby (added by c'est ma)

5g (1 fish)

All of the above plus:
-Green Chromis Damsel
-Yellowtail blue Damsel

(NOTE: This seems to be a socially accepted practice, although most if not all damsels will eventually out grow a 5g tank)

7g (Includes 7g Minibow, 6g Eclipse, 6g CPR, 6g Nano Cube, 8g Aquawave) (1-2 fish)

Keep in mind that the 6g CPR and 6g Nano Cube lose some swimming area to the built in filtration. I would not recommend the clowns in either of these tanks. One clown in a 7g minibow should be ok though.

All of the above plus:
-Ocellaris Clownfish (False Percula) (1, if you want a pair, move up to 10g+)
-Percula Clownfish (True Percula) (1, if you want a pair, move up to 10g+)

10g (Includes 12g Aquapod, 12g Nano Cube, 12g Eclipse, 11g Via Aqua, 12g Biocube) (2-3 fish)

Keep in mind that the 12g aquapod and 12g nano cube lose some area due to the internal filtration. In reality the tank swimming area before rock is really only like 8 gallons. With these two tanks I would suggest 1-2 fish and some of the fish listed below may not be suitable for these tanks, but should be ok in a true 10g+.

All of the above plus:
-Yellow Assessor
-Blue Assessor
-Chalk Bass
-Lantern Bass
-Bicolor Blenny
-Tailspot Blenny (added by Steelhealr)
-Yellowtail Fang Blenny (V)
-Threadfin Cardinalfish
-Three Spot Damsel
-Talbot’s Damsel
-Three Stripe Damsel
-Firefish Goby
-Helfrich’s Firefish [$$$$!]
-Purple Firefish Goby
-Bicolor Psuedochromis
-Diadem Pseudochromis
-Fridmani (Orchid) Pseudochromis
-Purple Pseudochromis
-Scooter Blenny [with caution, not for beginners]
-Red Scooter Blenny [with caution, not for beginners]
-Painted Frogfish
-Wartskin Frogfish
-Blackray Shrimp Goby
-Orange Stripe Goby
-Orangespotted Goby
-Randall’s Shrimp Goby
-Yasha Hasha Goby
-Wheeler’s Shrimp Goby
-Yellow Watchman Goby
-Rainfordi Goby
-Royal Gramma
-Falco Hawkfish
-Flame Hawkfish
-Pearly (Yellowhead) Jawfish
-Possum Wrasse
-Sixline Wrasse (note: some believe 20g+ may be more suitable, if you buy one for a 10g, get it small)

 

[bored4long]

Jeremy, what ATO are you using? I have heard the same thing and would like to avoid the risk.

 

[jtarmitage]

I had a Tunze Osmolator that was supposed to used on the 250g, but since that was delayed... Maybe a bit expensive for these systems(as much as the tank itself, lol), but I know I don't need to worry about it with the extra overflow safety sensor it has. There are certainly more affordable options, but hey, mine was just collecting dust 'til the house sells and we move, so why not?

 

[shiveley]

Cool, I just checked and mine is due to arrive this afternoon! I'll be transferring the contents of my 12G standard nano into this one (because the lighting on my standard nano is pitiful). Hopefully I see some improvements in both coloration and growth. Though I do foresee some heat issues considering the volume of water we're talking about combined with MH lighting. As it was, my standard nano ran between 79-80 without the aid of a heater...

 

[jtarmitage]

Heat will likely be an issue on those tanks w/MH lighting. Check out the mini chillers from Nanotuners:

http://www.nanotuners.com/product_info.php?cPath=34&products_id=304

 

[shiveley]

It looks like the 70W Aquapod deal at Marine Depot is no longer available, but there seems to be a similar price at Fosters & Smith.

 

[ThunderDog]

I ordered one last night at about 2:00 AM from Marine Depot and got the out of stock but will ship probably in about a week notification today. I'm planning to put mine at work also. I travel often for work so I'm planning on corals and inverts only no fish to worry about.

 

[ThunderDog]

Are you palanning to use a skimmer? Does anyone have any experience with the fission nano-skimmer ?

 

[bored4long]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11087429#post11087429 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ThunderDog
Are you palanning to use a skimmer?

No skimmer planned here. I'll stick with dirty water corals and just do water changes as required to keep costs down on this impulse buy.

 

[jtarmitage]

I've got a Tunze 9002, but wish I could beta test the new Deltec nano, but alas, they have not responded to my email...

 

[Matt_Wandell]

Here's another Nano Fish List.

I find it really problematic to throw a this-many-gallons-per-this-fish number out there, but I do consider 12 gallons to be too small for a pair of adults of any clownfish species. Joyce Wilkerson recommends a minimum tank size of 20g for an adult pair of Ocellaris/Percula clowns, the smallest species. YMMV.

 

[bobbyblank]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11087698#post11087698 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jtarmitage
I've got a Tunze 9002, but wish I could beta test the new Deltec nano, but alas, they have not responded to my email...

A also emailed them about beta testing the nano skimmer, but have not got an application back via email eather . I figured it would be hard to get on the list, but hey, worth a shot.

 

[bored4long]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11087712#post11087712 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Matt_Wandell
Here's another Nano Fish List.

I find it really problematic to throw a this-many-gallons-per-this-fish number out there, but I do consider 12 gallons to be too small for a pair of adults of any clownfish species. Joyce Wilkerson recommends a minimum tank size of 20g for an adult pair of Ocellaris/Percula clowns, the smallest species. YMMV.

Thanks, Matt. I had a feeling it was not a good idea.

 

[bladeruner143]

I can't wait for pics of some of these tanks!

 

[funman1]

We want pics....
We want pics....
We want pics....

Hoh ok, I will stop the chanting for now...

 

[bladeruner143]

Don't worry Steve, I'll pick it up...

WE WANT PICS!
WE WANT PICS!!
WE WANT PICS!!!

 

[bored4long]

Do you really want pics of an empty tank?