Nanocube

[villjr]

Anybody running a nanocube brand tank? Any comments on it?

[Ross]

I am, its a cool little tank. Stock however, its not good enough if your really going for a nice reef. I did many mods including adding an extra pump, much more lighting, etc. Its a good tank overall and easy to ungrade.

[GaryP]

You might want to call Richard or Mark up at CB Pets. They have been running them for a while and could probably give you some good feedback. I trust them to give the straight stuff on a product, not a sales pitch. I can think of a couple of times they have talked me out of buying something that they had tested.

What Ross said is pretty much true of any nano. They all need to be upgraded and retrofitted for lights and flow. I think the new cubes have better lights then most and they have colling fans too. You might consider the newer JBJ as a lower cost alternative. I have a 10 gal. Hard to beat for $50.

[villjr]

Thanks Gary. I'll give them a call, maybe even go up there. They're only about 30 mins. from me.

Ross- on the upgrades. How did you make them? I saw one and it's a pretty enclosed. Didn't thnk you could upgrade. You running a 12 or 24? I was interested in the 24.

[GaryP]

Replace the bulbs with higher output PCs and install a cooling fan if needed. It all depends on what you want to do with the tank. FO, softies, LPS or SPS?

[villjr]

Gary/Ross can you log into the chat?

[Ross]

I have a 12g. You can install another pc in the stock hood pretty easily...but if it were me i would go metal halide. I had 3x24w pcs over my 12g for a while, and all my zoos extended really long and didnt spread at all. Then i added a 150w halide and now everything is doing much better. The extra pump in the back is a must. Just drill a hold through the back and install a small bulkhead then hook the pump up to it. The overflow will keep up with 2 pumps...

[GaryP]

I'm in chat.

[Ross]

If you keep stock lighting, change out the bulbs to 1 10k and one true actinic. That would be better than the 2 50/50s. They sucked.

[villjr]

Would you be able to have sps and clams if you put in the 10k and actinic

[Ross]

nope, sure wouldnt, but it would be better for softies.

[Ross]

nope, sure wouldnt, but it would be better for softies.

[GaryP]

Earnest,

What is the wattage of the stock bulbs? My guess is probably not without a lighting upgrade. These things aren't designed to be reef tanks. Check this out:

http://www.nano-reef.com/

They do make a "deluxe" canopy that has extra lights.

[GaryP]

OK, I just did a little research. The deluxe 12 gal. hood has 2 X 24 watt bulbs. That's a total of 48 watts. You need 2.5-3 times as much light for an SPS/clam tank. I'm guessing somewhere between 100 and 150 watts.

What does everyone else think? Ross, jump in here.

[Ross]

The stock lighting is average at best. It really lacks the intensity needed to keep anything other than low light corals. Even after i added an extra 24watts, it was still just average. If you upgrade to a 70w halide you will be able to keep sps and clams, they will survive but there still really isnt enough intensity to get good growth. If your serious about keeping sps and clams in this tank go with 2x70w halides or a 150w halide. I went with a 150w halide and 3x24w PC's for a total of 222w i think. Its overkill but i got aggravated and just crammed in tons lights because i was tired of having all my zoos extend their polyps...

[villjr]

Great great link Gary. I'm gonna go through that and read everything they have plus the book I got from Mike. I think I'm gonna skip the nanocube and try a conventional nano reef system. Plus I would like to have a timer on the lights and be able to have some sps and clams.

I'm also gonna check out Fin-addict and CB Pets this week and check out there nano-reefs.

It was a pleasure meeting you and George. if you have any other info or links for nano-reefs that would be great.

[GaryP]

http://home1.gte.net/rhe1/nanoreef/frindex.htm

http://www.reefscapes.net/nano/nano.html

http://www.reefcentral.com/library/faq/nano.htm

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/nano-reefs/4477-my-new-jbj-nano-cube.html

[villjr]

What's the difference between reef crystals and regular marine salt? Do you recommend one? And what about synthetic salt?

[GaryP]

They're all synthetic salts. You'll get a different opinion on salts from every person you talk to. Its like Miller vs. Budweiser on that topic around here.

[Richard]

I don't know the pricing but you might want to check into these if your wanting sps....

http://www.current-usa.com/products/aquapod.html

[GaryP]

Is that the system by your front door?

[villjr]

I saw that at Texas Tropical today. The 24 was $190. But the way the guy explained it, it seemed like the lighting still wasn't enough. Plus he said they recalled the 12's because of faulty electrical.

[NaCl_H2O]

Ross, hope you don't mind but ... If you want to see the Cadillac of Nano's, take a peek at This Thread (http://www.maast.org/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=16852&pos tdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0)

[villjr]

Sweet

[jap1]

Louis at Aquatic Warehouse had a clam in a stock nanocube DX for about a month before he sold it and when I saw it, it looked fantastic. Beautiful blue color. I personally have a 12 gallon Current Aquapod and I LOVE it. It has 2 X 27 watt bulbs. I have a torch coral, some palythoas, and some mushrooms and everything's looking good so far. Maybe it's because these size tanks are so shallow. I'm new to all this however so I really don't know if it will work in the long run.

[cbianco]

I love my (brand name) 24 Gallon Nano Cube. The lighting is not great for anything demanding like everyone has said but it will support the less demanding corals easily. I upgraded the stock flow in the tank to two Rio 600's, flow is great now.

I have pictures if you are curious. :)

Good luck and make sure to research your reefkeeping choices before you buy! :)

Christopher

[villjr]

yeah some pics would be great. What's the flow now with the two rios and what was the flow before? What do you have in yours?

[cbianco]

The stock JBJ pump was said to pump 290 gallons per hour.

I purchased two Rio pumps and they are said to pump 200 gallons per hour. The Rios seems to be more reliable than the stock JBJ pump (so far). You can see the pump returns in the picture.

I will eventually have my own picture gallery once the BOD decides to add me as a "charter member." I will post better pictures there! :)

Christopher

[villjr]

Is the black tube on the right a return also?

[cbianco]

The black tub is 1/2" Loc-Line that directs flow behind my rock structure. There are two pump returns on my back wall also. This configuration really moves the water around the tank. Unfortunately, with all this flow my sand gets kicked up when the tank is "active."

Christopher

[Richard]

Is that the system by your front door?


No that's a JBJ 12 gallon. Standard lighting. All we did was add a powerhead. Also took the filtration that came with it (sponges, ceramic rings & stuff) and threw that in the trash. Then I stuck 1 lb of tribase carbon in a filter bag and put that in the filter compartment never to be changed. That's it. For maintenance we do a 2 gallon water change per week, unless we forget, and we don't dose anything to it. I actually stuck a little frag of a chips acro in it and it has grown and done well but it doesn't have the coloration it would under higher lighting.

[villjr]

Hey Richard. Ernest here. Gary was telling me about your store and that you were running a couple of nano cubes. Gary and a couple other guys I met tonight said you had the best store in the san antonio area. Planning to make my way out there Wednesday to check it out and pick your brain a bit.

-Ernest

[Richard]

Ok, just ask for me and I'll tell you what I can. There's several good stores around now. It's good to be a hobbyist in SA now. Lots of selection, not like when I started in the hobby.

[villjr]

I'll be sure to ask for you. Thanks Richard.

[GaryP]

Just so I don't have the other LFS owners in SA mad at me, let me clarify. What I said was that some LFS are better at some things then others. CB is certainly the best at many things, including their knowledge, equipment and supplies they stock, and the quality of their fish. Their corals have come a long way in the last few months and are certainly close to the best in town. They are the only LFS in the SA/Austin area that I know of that quarantines their fish. For this reason you are assured of getting a healthy, eating fish there. The only bad thing I can say about them is that they aren't located around the corner from me.

[TheOtherGuy]

Some discussion on Nano Cubes and so I took a few shots of our 12g Nano today.

We have mostly zoo's and other polyps in there but there is one acro that I think Richard put in a year ago. It was so tiny when we put it in and now is starting to grow pretty good. We need to replace the bulbs on this nano and someday we will. With the exception of the acro we set this tank up in about an hour a couple years ago. We try to do a 5% water change weekly but, I do not think that always happens. LOL. The tank is doing well. That giant polyp on the left will glady eat meaty stuff including shrimp, fish and anything that should happen upon it. Not sure what species it is? But, it sure does like to eat things. I think that thing ate our peppermint shrimp that was in there. Richard says he has seen thing close up around some mysis shrimp. Next time I see that giant polyp enclosed around something I will have to get a pic of it as it looks like a giant bubble.

So here are some pics........

http://static.flickr.com/43/90895301_efb71c29f9_o.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/37/90895205_232c08a05e_o.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/18/90895182_2cdd49d07e_o.jpg

[taldrich13]

You could buy a super modded hood like this one: http://www.nanocustoms.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=163but this guy http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=745652 has an awesome tank using stock lighting. I cut the vinyl off the back of my middle chamber like he did and added an exterior light and filled it full of the cheato I got from Ping (Thanks Ping!)

I'm thinking about adding one of these:http://nanotuners.nanocustoms.com/nanotuners/product_info.php?products_id=150 Anyone heard of/have any experience with these?

[villjr]

That is a sweet tank. Have any pictures of your tank taldrich?

[taldrich13]

Mine has only been up for a month so I am currently still cycling and in the middle of an algea bloom. Since my other computer is broken at the moment and I can't use photoshop, I have no picture I want to share :lol

[Richard]

Mine has only been up for a month so I am currently still cycling and in the middle of an algea bloom. Since my other computer is broken at the moment and I can't use photoshop, I have no picture I want to share


I think you should post a pic anyway. We always want our tanks to be perfect before we show pictures but the problem is they are NEVER perfect. Besides, anyone who knows anything wouldn't say or think anything negative of an algae bloom on a newer tank.

The chips acro was about a 1/4" tip that I accidentally broke off. I just tossed it in there to see what it would do. I still can't believe it has done ok in there.

[villjr]

What's the cassette skimmer he's talking about? From the taldrich link.

[jap1]

You can use one of the sections from an 8mm cassette tape, put some notches in it, and voila...easy and cheap surface skimmer. Don't bother buying the ones from the website or ebay when you can DIY in no time.

[villjr]

Thanks. I have seen those, wasn't sure what they were.

[GaryP]

I think you should post a pic anyway. We always want our tanks to be perfect before we show pictures but the problem is they are NEVER perfect. Besides, anyone who knows anything wouldn't say or think anything negative of an algae bloom on a newer tank.

The only perfect tank I have ever seen is someone else's. We are always our own worst critics about our tanks. That's because we see blemishes that other's would overlook. I remember going to my first MAAST meeting at Jim Norris's house a couple of years ago. I had a very bad case of "tank envy," but then I don't know many reefers that could look at his tank without the same kind of reaction. That was a lesson learned.