JBJ Nanocube DX

TimSchmidt

TimSchmidt

New Member
Well I got this setup up for a killer price - free. I am 99% positive that this is the 12 gallon model. I had to replace the pump (an equivalent to the maxi jet 600) and I'm sure the lights will need replacing (it has two power compacts, stock lighting I'm sure). But it has the surface skimmer attachment and it is just perfect for a tank in my loft for my son to look at. As such it will probably only have one fish and some very easy corals. Muschrooms, ricordia, and maybe a frogspawn or bubble coral.

I'll post pictures when I get a chance.

LR, LS, and water will actually come from my 90 gallon tank so I'm not expecting any real cycle (but will still test).

Any way to cram in a ATO without drilling the lid?
 
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reefman23

New Member
Nice! Free is always in everyones budget!

As far as the ATO goes, I think you'll have to drill a smal hole. I think Edgray has his JBJ ATO set up to where he just has a hole cut out in the back of the lid where the cord from the water level sensor and the tube for the water resevoir thingy go through. The hole doesnt need to be too large at all. I use airline tubing for the water line tubing thing...

Does that make sense? :lol:

The other thing... that bookcase thing that you have the tank sitting on... does it bow at all from the weight of the tank? If so, I would be a bit worried about the tank cracking from the bottom torquing or bending.

Keep us updated!

Jesse

BTW, cute kid! Get them hooked on reefs at a young age!
 
TimSchmidt

TimSchmidt

New Member
Not the slightest buckle. There three upright sections and all three are held together by a single bar in the back. heck I stood on it and ... not jumped, but bounced my weight up and down and not even a squeak. Yes the ATO makes sense. I figured I needed to use airline tubing.
 
TimSchmidt

TimSchmidt

New Member
Pics. :D

All mature LR from tank and parameters look great in the tank.

Christmas tree worm rock
Neon green birds nest
Unidentified birds nest (almost dead, got from a friend, wonder if it will ever bounce back)
Ricordia
Astrea snail
Dwarf blue leg hermit



 
TimSchmidt

TimSchmidt

New Member
Well I moved a few things around. I took out all the birds nest. The stock lighting wasn't cutting it. So they moved into my 90 gallon. I currently have the one ricordia and the christmas tree worm in the tank. I have a frogspawn frag and a candy cane coral with two polyps that I will put in this week end after my water change. (I am switching salts from Instant Ocean to Seachem reef salt). No fish yet, not really sure I want any in that tank. I just may put some invert in there.
 
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reing7299

New Member
That tank is really starting to come together (especially for free).

Is there any particular reason you are switching salts? Or is it just personal preferance?
 
TimSchmidt

TimSchmidt

New Member
My 90 gallon is the main reason. I don't like the starting point of CA and MG with Instant Ocean. Don't get me wrong IO is great stable salt, no problems. I just want to try Seachem and see how stable it is. I have two clams and will be adding more, I have SPS and LPS so the CA draw on my main tank is pretty large (and only going to get larger) I want higher numbers and not have to dose so much just to get to a point to maintain. I will be using ESV 2 part B Ionic supplement to maintain my trace elements, I just don't want to have to doctor my salt right from the start. I'll keep you all posted on how I feel about the salt.


These numbers are why:

................................. Calcium...Alkalinity....Magnesium

Instant Ocean................350...........12.............1070

SeaChem Reef Salt.........540..........10..............1450
 
H

helifaxnz

New Member
Cool. I had a tank very similar, but built for tropical fish, not marine.

One of our LFS had a porite with christmas trees. I was sooooo tempted to buy it, but it costs NZ$160 I think which is very expensive. Also I've heard that it is hard to look after Christmas trees.

Where I live in NZ we can collect natural sea water which helps cut down costs, but I'm sure we don't get the high reading of CA and MG.

All corals do well just using natural sea water.
 
TimSchmidt

TimSchmidt

New Member
helifaxnz said:
Cool. I had a tank very similar, but built for tropical fish, not marine.

One of our LFS had a porite with christmas trees. I was sooooo tempted to buy it, but it costs NZ$160 I think which is very expensive. Also I've heard that it is hard to look after Christmas trees.

Where I live in NZ we can collect natural sea water which helps cut down costs, but I'm sure we don't get the high reading of CA and MG.

All corals do well just using natural sea water.
Click to expand...
My trees really prefer the power compact lighting over the T5 lighting and all i do is make sure to add phyto to the tank once or twice a week.

True the corals would do fine with natural sea water, but I would have to supplement quite a bit to keep my CA readings where I want them.
 
TimSchmidt

TimSchmidt

New Member
I have rethought the inhabitants and have decided on ricordias with a couple LPS here and there. How does it look?

1 frogspawn frag
1 rock of christmas tree worms
4 various ricordias (three of which are currently splitting)

1 blue spot jawfish
1 green spotted mandarin (she is in here to fatten up, kind of a pseudo-quarantine to make sure she is eating)


 
S

SaltWaterNewb

Member
Looks great. I am using SeaChem in my tank but I am switching to Oceanic. It has great numbers as well plus it is available locally and SeaChem is not. I hate to have to order a huge bucket of salt through the mail with shipping charges the way they are now :neutral: When I set my tank up I just ordered the small bag of SeaChem so I didn't get killed with shipping. I do need to get my tank back in order and more populated. I have been slacking lately, especially since I am setting up a frog tank in my old 75g, my attention has been diverted.
 
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reefman23

New Member
SaltWaterNewb said:
Just a little FYI on salt, here are some results of a salt test done by a reefer over at Reef Central. Not scientific but still something to go by.

Ok, posting the chart did not work so here is the link...

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthrea ... id=1287118
Click to expand...
FWIW, I have been very pleased with the Coralife salt. I have noticed that the levels have been very consistent with all of the "salt studies". It is one of the cheapest salts out there (I get it for $14.99/50 gallons, 38.99/150g at my LFS) and mixes up very quickly.

Jesse
 
TimSchmidt

TimSchmidt

New Member
All salts pretty much get us similar results, but I am lazy and don't want to dose up my fresh saltwater to get the CA and MAG to where I want. I hope that the other trace elements are in order too. I don't mean to discourage any other salts as Instant Ocean was working GREAT. I just want higher CA and MAG for my clams and SPS.
 
TimSchmidt

TimSchmidt

New Member
So the salt is working great, but a bit of sad news. The mandarin died. She didn't starve, she just jumped to the back chambers and since she was so small the impeller on the pump killed her. I moved the rock around and did some water changes to lower any residual nitrates. I haven't even touched my hood but I have all the parts to put in the MH. Just not enough time to dedicate to rewiring everything.
 
TimSchmidt

TimSchmidt

New Member
MH is not in the nano, but it is over my 20 gallon long temporary tank. My 90 gallon is coming down since I am moving out of the town home. I will not be setting the 90 gallon up until I find a more permanent home, but the 12 gallon is coming with and I will be purchasing a larger "nano" to hold my other corals. I am thinking the JBJ 28G HQI. I like the nanocube look and the sealed top is plus as most of the fish I like tend to be jumpers. Well I haven't posted pics in a while so here are a few. I only have two rics in here now as after I added my fuge light some of the excess spilled over and discolored most of them. You can see a discolored spot on the one up close. The other rics are in the 20 gallon long with the MH to color back up (70watt 14K astralux bulb) and man does that light do wonders to color.





 
TimSchmidt

TimSchmidt

New Member
LOL guess I should post my own pictures huh? I did quite a bit with this tank. I changed out my bulbs to 50/50s, added in better fans on their own power source, I put the LEDs on their own power source, added in that LED fuge light, added in more ricordias and took out all my fish and put in my mantis shrimp! :cool1: Oh yeah, and I moved from a townhouse to a condo.

Other than that nothing much! :lol:
 
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