I am considering setting up my 24g nanocube as saltwater and have some questions of what I need/need to do. I think I am just going to do some live rock, snails, and clown fish at the start just so I slowly learn the way. Do I need a protein skimmer? Do I need a heater, because the light on the nanocube keeps the water fairly warm. What filter media should I use in it? How long should I cycle before putting fish in the tank? How much salt do I add, and can I just use pool filter sand as the substrate? Thanks in advance.
New to Saltwater Questions
- Thread starter mark23adams
- Start date
I always recommend protein skimmers. I think that the nano cubes sell a really cheap add on that actually acts as a skimmer.
Warm is not as important as stable. I recommend that reefs be kept no lower than 75 and no warmer than 80. And as constant as possible. For example...during the night, my reef drops down to 76F. (I have my heater set for this temp to prevent it from bottoming out) During the day, the MH lighting heats my tank up to 78...I save electricity on heating the water, stay consistent, and dont overheat. Its a win, win, win situation.
I recommend seachem's purigen for almost all aquaria filter media applications.
You should add the first fish after your aquarium has gone completely through the nitrogen cycle and had a water change...in small aquariums this can actually be fairly quick, but expect to wait 2-4 weeks, and have the appropriate testing equipment to be sure of when the cycle is actually complete.
Most salt mixes are about 1/2c salt to 1g water. You should check your specific instructions however, and you should also have a hydrometer or a spectrometer to be sure of your salinity while setting up your aquarium and afterwords for water changes.
I would not recommend pool filter sand. I would recommend caribsea's reef grade aragonite. You want an aragonite substrate...this one is fine enough that big particles dont get into the sand bed, and yet has a large enough average grain size that it is possible to vaccum the substrate for routine maintenance.
Good luck, post more questions as they come to you.
Warm is not as important as stable. I recommend that reefs be kept no lower than 75 and no warmer than 80. And as constant as possible. For example...during the night, my reef drops down to 76F. (I have my heater set for this temp to prevent it from bottoming out) During the day, the MH lighting heats my tank up to 78...I save electricity on heating the water, stay consistent, and dont overheat. Its a win, win, win situation.
I recommend seachem's purigen for almost all aquaria filter media applications.
You should add the first fish after your aquarium has gone completely through the nitrogen cycle and had a water change...in small aquariums this can actually be fairly quick, but expect to wait 2-4 weeks, and have the appropriate testing equipment to be sure of when the cycle is actually complete.
Most salt mixes are about 1/2c salt to 1g water. You should check your specific instructions however, and you should also have a hydrometer or a spectrometer to be sure of your salinity while setting up your aquarium and afterwords for water changes.
I would not recommend pool filter sand. I would recommend caribsea's reef grade aragonite. You want an aragonite substrate...this one is fine enough that big particles dont get into the sand bed, and yet has a large enough average grain size that it is possible to vaccum the substrate for routine maintenance.
Good luck, post more questions as they come to you.
couple more questions:
Ive read some care sheets saying 1 lb of live rock per 20 gallons. Is it unsafe to put more than that?
Also Ive read that after a week or so damsels can aide the cycling process due to their hardiness. Are clownfish considered 'hardy' and can they also serve in this role?
if i break down and move the tank and cant take all of the water with me would I have to start the cycling process over?
this is probably a dumb question--- but can i add small amount of fresh water fish waste to aid the cycling process?
thanks. probably more questions to come.
Ive read some care sheets saying 1 lb of live rock per 20 gallons. Is it unsafe to put more than that?
Also Ive read that after a week or so damsels can aide the cycling process due to their hardiness. Are clownfish considered 'hardy' and can they also serve in this role?
if i break down and move the tank and cant take all of the water with me would I have to start the cycling process over?
this is probably a dumb question--- but can i add small amount of fresh water fish waste to aid the cycling process?
thanks. probably more questions to come.
No such thing as a stupid question.
I have never heard of the 1# LR per gallon. My rule of thumbs in the various reefs I have over seen have been more like 1:1 or 1:1 LR to h2o.
- I actually had 135# of rock in my 75g at one point. Really what you want to do with rock is two things...get it how you want it to look, and have an efficient use of space. (Create as many caves and hidey holes...ledges for corals ect as you possibly can, without taking up so much space that you restrict flow in your tank or make it look like a rock aquarium)
Damsels are sometimes used from the beginning and most likely will survive the process...but why do it? Your going to have uncured rock in there to complete the cycle, and then (if you follow my advice) will slowly stock your tank. (This wont take long with an aquarium of this size) Best to wait two weeks buy your damsel, and give it a better, happier time with you.
If you keep good tabs on your tank, breaking it down and moving it is nothing more than a big water change. Now your probably going to wash your sand w/saltwater because you will have disturbed the layers of nitrifying bacteria, and stirred up a lot of crap, but other than that its a big water change. Your tank will re-cycle, but with an aged filter and live rock, most everything will probably survive the move.
- DISCLAIMER: I have moved a lot of saltwater aquariums via this method...and it has worked well for me. Sooner or later you are going to lose some livestock. Do NOT make a habit of throwing your nano around.
You probably could add a small amount of freshwater waste water to "aid" the cycle..but once again. There is really no point. You would have to adjust for salinity, or use it as top of water, but trust me. Un-cured live rock will do the trick very well, in fact when you get your rock it will be important to have strong flow and filtration to get anything that is dying off the rocks (one would not be amiss to "dust" with a powerhead daily) and out of the water. After the die-off has ceased, and you have gone through the nitrogen cycle completely, and performed a waterchange you are ready to rock.
I have never heard of the 1# LR per gallon. My rule of thumbs in the various reefs I have over seen have been more like 1:1 or 1:1 LR to h2o.
- I actually had 135# of rock in my 75g at one point. Really what you want to do with rock is two things...get it how you want it to look, and have an efficient use of space. (Create as many caves and hidey holes...ledges for corals ect as you possibly can, without taking up so much space that you restrict flow in your tank or make it look like a rock aquarium)
Damsels are sometimes used from the beginning and most likely will survive the process...but why do it? Your going to have uncured rock in there to complete the cycle, and then (if you follow my advice) will slowly stock your tank. (This wont take long with an aquarium of this size) Best to wait two weeks buy your damsel, and give it a better, happier time with you.
If you keep good tabs on your tank, breaking it down and moving it is nothing more than a big water change. Now your probably going to wash your sand w/saltwater because you will have disturbed the layers of nitrifying bacteria, and stirred up a lot of crap, but other than that its a big water change. Your tank will re-cycle, but with an aged filter and live rock, most everything will probably survive the move.
- DISCLAIMER: I have moved a lot of saltwater aquariums via this method...and it has worked well for me. Sooner or later you are going to lose some livestock. Do NOT make a habit of throwing your nano around.
You probably could add a small amount of freshwater waste water to "aid" the cycle..but once again. There is really no point. You would have to adjust for salinity, or use it as top of water, but trust me. Un-cured live rock will do the trick very well, in fact when you get your rock it will be important to have strong flow and filtration to get anything that is dying off the rocks (one would not be amiss to "dust" with a powerhead daily) and out of the water. After the die-off has ceased, and you have gone through the nitrogen cycle completely, and performed a waterchange you are ready to rock.