IT CAME EARLY!! OOPS!!!

[chicagoanimal]

My Nano 12 DX came today which is like 4 days early!! I am pretty much caught off guard. WHat all do I need to get this bad boy up and running for LPS and a clown fish.

Tomorrow I want to get my live rock to start the curing process.

Any tools you think I should get and any special salt mixture?

Someone mentioned getting a maxijet 1200. ANy other suggestions to start out with?

 

[brandon]

Congrates!

Before you start anything, are you just going to keep the tank Fish Only with Live Rock? (fowlr) or are you going to be doing corals as well?

If you do corals, what corals were you thinking? (softies?, LPS? or SPS<---not recommended)

I would definately upgrade the stock pump to a maxijet 1200, that will increase the flow.

You will need live rock, and if you want substrate, you can buy live sand.

If you have any other questions, go ahead and ask

HTH
Brandon

 

[islandcreation]

chicagoanimal,

The excitiment BEGINS :razz: ha,ha,ha FIRST and foremost patients is virtue. You can read all of the tips given to newbies in the beginners area from previous posts. My tip that is usually left out is "get matured live sand from your LFS" usually a cup or more if possible! Hopefully their nice and will just give you a free cup since you'd be buying your LR's there. It helps introduce live micro organisms to your live sand new sand and kind of speeds up the process. Anyways, glad that your excitiment has began.... Remember do research and have patients cause mney adds up very fast even if it is a nano

 

[chicagoanimal]

LPS, Live rock and 1 or 2 fish.

WHy no SPS?
WHat kind of salt mixture do you use?
Do you have anything to read Parameters?
Should the live sand be about 1 pound per gallon or is that to much?

 

[brandon]

You should do just fine witht he stock lighting for LPS

SPS are very light demand and need a stable tank with very clean water, something that is extremely difficult when you are a beginner.

I use premixed water from my LFS because i dont want to mess anything up, haha

I have test kits that i use, and a hydrometer too to check up on salinity

Also, i think you know this already but, first cycle your tank, than add the fish

Brandon

 

[chicagoanimal]

Yeah I know about adding fish and cycling. Thats why I want to get the rock and sand ASAP to start the cycling. I also know to take out the bioballs & crematic rings. WHat is good to put in that compartment? A heater? Also, what kind of heater is best? A standard one that is also used for freshwater?

 

[brandon]

A 50w heater is what i have, not sure what brand, thats up to you. yes, freshwater heaters also work for saltwater

Chemipure and phosban are good things to put in the back. Also, you could make the back into a refugium by peeling off the black tape stuff, add a light (like a coralife 2x9w) and putting in some chaetomorpha macro algae and some live rock rubble. You could run carbon, but it is recommended to not use for more than a week. Remember to rinse out your sponges everytime you do a water change, helps keep the nitrates down

 

[chicagoanimal]

Thanks Brandon! Hey, how soon after starting to CURE the LR should I add a Cleanup Crew?

 

[brandon]

well, it depends on how long it takes to cycle, usually 2 weeks- 1 month, but could be longer/shorter.

No problem chicagoanimal
remember to post some pics soon

Brandon

 

[rescuediver19]

Took mine a week! Make sure to test at the LFS before any other things. As soon as your levels are good add some (4-6) snails / maybe a cleaner shrimp. Id wait a little longer to add fish just incase theres a swing in the parameters. Monitor your temp before the lights turn on and then right before they go off to make sure theres no big swings over night (fishies dont like that). A heater is necessary if that's the case to mantain a stable temp (which is contingent on the fish you choose). If you want to add coral I suggest a pilot (trial) coral (i.e. xenia) because its cheap and if it survives for a week then look at other hearty corals if you want (mushrooms, candycane, etc...).

Hope that helps
-Chime in if you have any problems with my comments guys :!: :!: