[passinetti2007]

I would put this in the Nano Section but it seems like it is overlooked more then this one. So I just got my new tank today in the mail. I'm a little disappointed because the tank looks cheap but I'm going to give it a try anyways. It looks like a knockoff of the one you could win in the giveaway that the this site is doing. It's a 12 Gal cube tank, with the filtration allready installed so I'm told it doesn't need a sump. I've got so many questions my head is spinning. I've taken some pictures of the tank after I put water in it. I havn't put the salt or anything else in it yet just the water to test if there were any leaks and to turn on the pump and test out the lighting. All looks good so far.

The tank came with its own filtration. Bio-balls. A tea bag looking thing with what appears to be charcoal or something like it. Another tea bag looking thing with ring shaped cylinder things that look like coral all compressed into tiny tunnels of some sort. (Sorry thats the only way I can discribe them to ya. I wish I would have taken pictures before I filled it up with water. I was impatient.) One white sponge like filter and one black filter with bigger pores. So the water enters the filtration on one side and goes through the white filter first then travels down and through the black filter then through the charcoal, coral like rings, then bio-balls, and up and out back into the tank again. I heard that instead of using the filtration I could use dead coral frags. My question is this:

Is it too late to remove the filtration system and replace it with dead coral frags. The charcoal bag seems unstable and I fear it will cloud the water with the black crap thats inside of it. If so will I have to drain the water and start over again?

Okay next dilema. My LFS is going to sell me Live Rock, Sand, heater, Salt mix, testing equiptment, hydrometer, and anything else I need to start up for under $100.00. I'm pretty sure I need to buy this stuff in 2 phases because I need to have my water salt ready and up to temp before I place my live rock in it, right?

When I place my live rock, can I have it up against the back wall or do I have to have it in the center where the fish can swim around it. I would like it up against the wall so livestock can't hide behind the rock where I can't see it. Is this possible?

How do you know what your gravity is? And why is this important?

My LFS says I should only have one fish in such a small tank. I want two. I respect the guy at the LFS because he knows his stuff, but is it possible to have two small clowns in this tank? That is all the fish I want.

Wait that isn't all the fish I want. I also want this fish, that I don't know the name, but all it does is burrow a hole in rock or sand and sits in it's home until it is feeding time. My LFS has one in their display tank and the little guy is so funny all it does is just chill in it's little home it built.

IS this too much? Fish I mean.

I'm pretty sure I don't have the sufficient lighting necissary for hard coral. What can I have? What do you suggest? I want a nice looking tank and am willing to do whatever it takes to get one.

Here's the pictures if I can figure out how to post them. Please answer all that you can, because I have no idea what I am doing.


Here's my baby, still in the box!!! Boy was I excited to finally get it!


Just put water in it and turned it on.


Here's the top with two switches to toggle between lighting. I got a question about this too. If I get a timer, how does it work to opporate the lighting going from T5's during the day and the moon lighting during the night if they all have just one power cord?

I guess I can only do 4 images per message so I'll try and see if I can add more on extra post. heres this so far.

[passinetti2007]

Heres the T5 lights



Blue Lights

[passinetti2007]

Moon Light


T5s with Moon Lights on


T5s and Blue Light on

[passinetti2007]

Just the blue light


Are these any good? Will they work? And with what exactly?



Can I replace this with dead coral?

Well that’s what I got so far. I'll keep ya all updated.

[ninnybone]

cool i would like to get my son one of them

[volitan_fa]

I don't think that's too bad of a tank, from the looks of it. I would upgrade the bulbs eventually (those are cheap), but the lighting system itself is decent. I think you could keep a pair of small (percula) clowns and that goby if you wanted to.

Those teabag-looking things are probably activated carbon and an ammonia reducer. You should have rinsed them good in water before putting them in the filter, that will prevent them from murking up your water. You could certainly replace them with rubble if you wanted to. I would leave the sponge filters though.

Specific gravity measures how dense your water is compared to pure water, which gives you a measure of how much salt is in your water. You measure this with a hydrometer. It's important because you need enough salt in your water to maintain a specific gravity of 1.023-1.025 or certain corals, inverts, and fish will die. Also, the live rock doesn't need to be in correct water at first. Mix the saltwater and then just add it to the tank for the first time. Add the heater and live rock and presto! I would get all those at the same time, and that's a heck of a deal for $100.

Lastly, you can stack your rock however you want. However, I recommend giving your inhabitants as much hiding space as possible, it will prevent them from getting too stressed. I also recommend you add your live rock BEFORE your live sand if you want anything that will dig in the sand at all (that goby).

This thread is good, but I would post any further questions on your new nano in the nano section. Thanks!

[passinetti2007]

Yeah I did post some stuff in the nano section but that section doesn't seem to get as much love as this one does. I did some cool custom changes today to the lighting system. I didn't get new bulbs but I'll write more about it in another thread. Thanks for the help.

[volitan_fa]

That would be cool. I don't watch the nano thread as closely as I should, so maybe shoot me a pm when you need help in the nano section....I love the nanos!