Yet another 24g Aquapod Tale:

[Mhensley]

I've been reading RC for about 2 years now, lurking and planning my first marine aquarium as I wasn't able to set one up. I've been working on the road for two years, and it's been impossible for me to have an aquarium, being gone 2-3 weeks at a time.
Now I've been put in a perm. position in Atlanta, GA, and to start off my first learning experience, I decided to go with a nano-tank.

I've been reading this forum the most the last 3-4 months, and I thought I'd have this thing completely under control.



The story starts out:


Well, I purchased my Aquapod about 4 weeks ago from a LFS in Lafayette, LA. I also purchased a specific gravity meter, a testing kit, and took it to my parents. I water tested the tank, and then brought it all back with me to my new home in Atlanta, GA.

I added a heater, got my temp at a steady 81 degrees, and hopped on the internet to purchase my livestuffs.

I ordered 40lbs of Nano Rock from Premium Aquatics as well as 20lbs of their Florida Live Sand.

I set up the tank with my RODI water, put my sand bed down, and let it settle.

I cleaned each piece of live rock I wanted to use, and soaked them in high salinity water to quasi-cure them. I followed guidelines from posts here on RC.

I tested all of my levels a few days, and my Ammonia was off the charts. And, of course, my tank reeked of, well, dead things.

After that, I did something most reefer's probably don't do:

I took a 10 day vacation to Africa.
That puts my cycle going a total of 16 days.

I returned yesterday from the trip, and tested my levels:

Ammonia 0
Nitrates 10ppm
Nitrites 0
PH 7.8
Salinity - 1.021

I'm fairly pleased with this, and my Fission Nano Skimmer has also arrived, and I've started to play with it as well, hoping to avoid the horror stories of many.

Today I'm going to do some rearranging of my aquascaping, and head off to the LFS to look at some inverts, and possibly my first fish.

Once I get to the office this evening, I'll post pictures of the entire process. I've got start-to-current pictures.

What I could use are some good suggestions on a few fish for my aquarium.
I'm definitey planning on a softie aquarium, with zoos, mushrooms, and hopefully a cool hammer if my tank can support it.
I know very little about the coral side of marine aquariums and could use advice on what to prepare for.

How should I set up the compartments in my Aquapod?
There are only two compartments, and currently I still have the stock pump and the heater in one chamber, and the Fission Nano Skimmer in the 2nd.

What sort of things should I count on having to dose for?

What should I prepare for, as to the "feeding" of corals?

Should I get some cheato, and turn one of my back compartments into a little refugium with a submersible light?

What species of fish (mostly gobies, a jawfish perhaps) can I use with these types of corals? (zoos, mushrooms, ricorida, a hammer coral, torch coral)

What inverts should I use in my nano tank?

Is my sand bed deep enough? (It's only about 1-2" thick) I've heard DSB arguments, but I'm not sure how they apply to a smaller sized tank.

So, as you can see.... planning and reading fails in the light of actual experience. I know a lot of the basics as far as the setup goes, but now that I'm faced with making decisions I feel lost.

I can use all the advice I can get, even if it's just a point in the right direction.

You guys are a helpful, well informed bunch, so I hope you can point me in the right direction.

Thanks for your help in advance, and pictures to come soon.

 

[Discdogge]

<b>How should I set up the compartments in my Aquapod?</B> - I filled most of the right camber with live rock rubble and I cut a bunch of the sponges into smaller peices and I'll be replacing them at least once a week. Im looking into a skimmer... dunno for sure yet. my pump is in the left chamber, as well as the heater that I dont need.

<B>What sort of things should I count on having to dose for?</B>- Seems you may have to dose for ph. Currently I am dosing "purple up" for corraline growth. Im also dosing for PH.

<b>Should I get some cheato, and turn one of my back compartments into a little refugium with a submersible light?</b>- Frankly I dont see how theres room.

<B>What species of fish (mostly gobies, a jawfish perhaps) can I use with these types of corals?</B>- I think you'd be ok for most blennies and gobys, it seems a lot ae annoyed with gobys perching, My green goby or citron goby doesn't seem to bother anything, but he is easily picked on.
I currently have a strawberry pseudochromis, a false perc, and the green goby. I dont intend on anymore, possibly another perc.

<B>What inverts should I use in my nano tank?</B>- Inverts- I love shrimp, lol. I have a cleaner shrimp, and my LFS is getting me 3 sexy shrimp, they are neat, then I have the assorted snails and crabs. I also have a queen conch to clean the sand. I love white sand, so I think of my cleaning crew in what jobs I want them to do.
I do have a micro brittle star in there somewhere, i dont know what he does, lol.

<B>Sand bed</B>- mine is about the same as yours.
Here's my sandbed:

HTH a little, Im just getting started in my 24g also.

 

[icenine2005]

How should I set up the compartments in my Aquapod?
There are only two compartments, and currently I still have the stock pump and the heater in one chamber, and the Fission Nano Skimmer in the 2nd.
I've only added another pump, some bio-bale,heater and carbon.

What sort of things should I count on having to dose for?
You really don't have to mess with suppliments for the coral you are thinking about keeping, regular water changes will replenish everything the tank really needs.

What should I prepare for, as to the "feeding" of corals?
You don't have to worry about feeding softies for the most part, I add a small amount of DT's reef diet once a week.

Should I get some cheato, and turn one of my back compartments into a little refugium with a submersible light?
I've done this in a previous tank. I found it to be a waste of effort. Setting one of these is a popular notion, but it generally does not have the impact most people think it doesn IMO. In fact these rear chamber "mini" fuges can cause some of the problems people put them in to prevent.

What species of fish (mostly gobies, a jawfish perhaps) can I use with these types of corals? (zoos, mushrooms, ricorida, a hammer coral, torch coral) ...lots and lots of options. jawfish, though prefer a deeper substrate I think. I've never kept one.

What inverts should I use in my nano tank?
I'm a fan of snails,worms and stars... skip the crabs (hermits that is).

Is my sand bed deep enough? (It's only about 1-2" thick) I've heard DSB arguments, but I'm not sure how they apply to a smaller sized tank. In general DSBs don't work out in a nano. Small tanks lack the real estate for them to do what they need to do. Even more so than the "mini" fuge in the rear chambers they can do more harm than good.

Good luck! Keep posting, it sounds like you are off to a good start.

 

[smy168]

How should I set up the compartments in my Aquapod?
I have LR rubble placed in a net bag (for easier cleaning) in both compartments as well as smaller pieces of the stock sponge. When i did use the fission (now gone) i kept it in the first compartment hoping the exchange into compartment 2 would dissipate some of the micro bubbles. I have also replaced the stock pump with a Maxijet 900, it gives me more heat control and the flow rate is about the same as the stock.

What sort of things should I count on having to dose for?
B-Ionic 2 part has worked pretty well for me as far as cal and alk.

What should I prepare for, as to the "feeding" of corals?
DT's Live Phyto has been a staple in the industry though Cyclops Eeze isn't so bad either but does foul your water conditions more.

Should I get some cheato, and turn one of my back into a fuge.
my only concern with making a fuge with a light would be "heat", there are some people who cut the black film off the back of the tank in the fuge compartment and shined a clip light to it, seems like it would help control heat.

What species of fish (mostly gobies, a jawfish perhaps) can I use with these types of corals? (zoos, mushrooms, ricorida, a hammer coral, torch coral) could be a thousand combinations of fish and inverts for these systems, gobies would work and a jawfish would depend on your sandbed.

What inverts should I use in my nano tank? sometimes a basic clean up crew will do, mix of snails and hermits. Corals would depend on your lighting and water flow.

Is my sand bed deep enough? (It's only about 1-2" thick) I've heard DSB arguments, but I'm not sure how they apply to a smaller sized tank.
My sandbed is about 4.5-5 inches deep, i also plan on a jawfish which requires a deeper sandbed. I also have a deeper sandbed so that my coral placement would be closer to the light since lighting is determined by spectrum penetrating water levels, I figure this may allow me to keep more light needy corals.

sounds like you're on the right track..definitely post some pics!

Hey Ice, any update on your system?

 

[icenine2005]

I got the transfer done, posted a bunch of pics:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=774417&perpage=25&pagenumber=3

That's avery good point you brought up regarding LR rubble placed in a net bag (for easier cleaning). People forget that you really have to keep crap from building up in any filter media.