Lambo's 28g JBJ Nano Cube
- Thread starter Lambo
- Start date
I found a good spot in the basement, it's on the tile and near my future fish supply room. The nano cube has five chambers, the overflow goes into the center chamber and works its way to the outer chambers where it gets recirculated.
From left to right
1) pump
2) heater
3) nothing right now (former location of media basket which I can't seem to find)
4) skimmer
5) pump
I purchased ~ 40 lbs of "live rock" from Cris at Aquatic Art, along with 20lbs of fiji pink sand and enough water to get me going. A note about my live rock, it's a man made product that is colored to look like coralline. It has some biological activity on it was in the tank with other "real" live rock.
With that said, chime in if you guys want to clarify.
From left to right
1) pump
2) heater
3) nothing right now (former location of media basket which I can't seem to find)
4) skimmer
5) pump
I purchased ~ 40 lbs of "live rock" from Cris at Aquatic Art, along with 20lbs of fiji pink sand and enough water to get me going. A note about my live rock, it's a man made product that is colored to look like coralline. It has some biological activity on it was in the tank with other "real" live rock.
With that said, chime in if you guys want to clarify.
Why do they call rock scaping "rock scaping". I call it 4 hours of agony, tearing up your hands while your wife chews you out for not finishing sooner. The quote of the day "It looks fine, stop messing with it"
Since this was tank build 2.0, I knew there were certain features I wanted.
1) cave
2) sandy area to have a clam
3) lots of horizontal space
4) asymmetric design
Since this was tank build 2.0, I knew there were certain features I wanted.
1) cave
2) sandy area to have a clam
3) lots of horizontal space
4) asymmetric design
I hope that this is useful for new reefers in the iterative nature of rockscaping. I finally got out the hammer and a chisel and removed a few pesky protrusions of rock that were inhibiting my vision. I finally settled on this, filled up the tank, then just let it run for the next three weeks or so while I indulged in other intellectual pursuits.
I really struggled liking the 'scape. It had all of the features but I thought that the shelf was angled back too much, and the sides of the tank were very steep which would not be conducive to coral placement. So here is my last and final. I am happy with it and I think it accomplishes the original goals: sandy area, horizontal space, cave, and asymmetry.
I picked up some Turbostart 900 at Stone Aquatics along with some RO for top off. I added about half of the bottle (2oz) a few weeks ago. Then this morning, I added the rest of the bottle. Not a lot of logic there other than, the bottle has a shelf life of 4 months, and absent a complete rebuild, I didn't need a bottle of reef bacteria growing in my fridge.
I picked up some Turbostart 900 at Stone Aquatics along with some RO for top off. I added about half of the bottle (2oz) a few weeks ago. Then this morning, I added the rest of the bottle. Not a lot of logic there other than, the bottle has a shelf life of 4 months, and absent a complete rebuild, I didn't need a bottle of reef bacteria growing in my fridge.
The tank has been going through some mechanical growing pains. One of the Accella SP-1000 pumps quit working. The impeller shaft had broken. I called JBJ and $16 later a new impeller was on its way. Unfortunately I received the "white" impeller which was different from the "blue" impeller which I was replacing. Another call to JBJ and they shipped me a blue impeller at not charge.
The new impeller was installed and it works, it just makes a lot of noise. I have been searching for replacement pumps. The short list right now is to go with a pair of Cobalt Aquatics MJ1200s.
The next challenge was that one of the LED strips started flickering and eventually went out. I disassembled the hood and tested the driver which was not at fault, so another call to JBJ and $50 (yikes) later I have a new LED strip enroute. When it arrives I plan on replacing all of the screws on the hood as some are starting to rust. Not sure if a screw dripping rusty water into the tank is a good thing or not.
The new impeller was installed and it works, it just makes a lot of noise. I have been searching for replacement pumps. The short list right now is to go with a pair of Cobalt Aquatics MJ1200s.
The next challenge was that one of the LED strips started flickering and eventually went out. I disassembled the hood and tested the driver which was not at fault, so another call to JBJ and $50 (yikes) later I have a new LED strip enroute. When it arrives I plan on replacing all of the screws on the hood as some are starting to rust. Not sure if a screw dripping rusty water into the tank is a good thing or not.
So the next decision to make is how to automate the lighting. I have three types of LED lights.
Daylight: 25 x 3W - 14k
Dusk: 4 x 3 W - Actinic (466)
Night: 2 x 1W - nite-vu (456)
I want them to all be separate timers.
I found these on Amazon, they are digital timers with a small footprint that can be plugged in adjacent on a power strip and they are $10 each. T
Daylight: 25 x 3W - 14k
Dusk: 4 x 3 W - Actinic (466)
Night: 2 x 1W - nite-vu (456)
I want them to all be separate timers.
I found these on Amazon, they are digital timers with a small footprint that can be plugged in adjacent on a power strip and they are $10 each. T
I made a trip to Aquatic Art and picked up a few goodies:
a pair of Clownfish
Carpenters Wrasse
Cleaner Shrimp - I love this guy
Black Ray Goby
Tiger Pistol Shimp
pair of snails - they look like mexican turbo snails
Ricordia - orange
Ricordia - pink
Hammer coral
Duncan
After a second trip to Aquatic art:
mushroom - orange
mushroom - pink
Favia (I think) - toxic green
clove polyp
I attended Reef Ed
From Reef Stars
Acan - pink
Zoas - pink
Zoas - orang & blue
From Keys Island
Hammer - Blue & green
toadstool
Zoas - green
From nitro Corals
Blastomussa - red & green
Goniopora
I took pics but forgot to transfer them to the computer
a pair of Clownfish
Carpenters Wrasse
Cleaner Shrimp - I love this guy
Black Ray Goby
Tiger Pistol Shimp
pair of snails - they look like mexican turbo snails
Ricordia - orange
Ricordia - pink
Hammer coral
Duncan
After a second trip to Aquatic art:
mushroom - orange
mushroom - pink
Favia (I think) - toxic green
clove polyp
I attended Reef Ed
From Reef Stars
Acan - pink
Zoas - pink
Zoas - orang & blue
From Keys Island
Hammer - Blue & green
toadstool
Zoas - green
From nitro Corals
Blastomussa - red & green
Goniopora
I took pics but forgot to transfer them to the computer
Everyone in the tank seems happy, I have been keeping up on water changes, and top off. I tested calcium and it was 400ppm. My goby and pistol have found each other and the pistol is busy excavating away. They both shoot our for breakfast, it is really cool how the pistol will keep an antenna on the goby.
I haven't permanently attached the corals. I have everything sitting in the sand bed now.
My snails, which I have named the Dozer Bros, seem to run everything over.
I lost my pink ricordia after it spend the day upside down in the sand.
I am contemplating a minor rework of a few rocks, then time to break out the epoxy putty and super glue.
Any considerations on what I can put next to each other?
The Favia has some pretty long tentacles that come out at night.
I haven't permanently attached the corals. I have everything sitting in the sand bed now.
My snails, which I have named the Dozer Bros, seem to run everything over.
I lost my pink ricordia after it spend the day upside down in the sand.
I am contemplating a minor rework of a few rocks, then time to break out the epoxy putty and super glue.
Any considerations on what I can put next to each other?
The Favia has some pretty long tentacles that come out at night.