24 Gallon Nano Cube

L

landon_brim

I just recently purchased a 24 gallon nano cube from another member, and dont really know where to start. I was planning on using this in my office, but needed to know what your thoughts are.

What extras do I need to place in this tank to get it up and running? Ex. Heater, extra power head, etc. Anyone running the JBJ 24 Gallon feel free to chime in or show me some pictures. Is the filtration sufficient in these tanks? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

BTW, I am looking to have this tank stocked with a couple small fish, (suggestions needed) as well as zoos, and rics. Thanks for the help.
 
Landon,
I would suggest first, removing any sponges, ceramic rings and bioballs in the compartments. Most people recommend not using these at all. I'm with the camp that advises cutting one of the sponges in half and then cleaning it every day or two. I would also consider filling the middle chamber with live rock rubble. Running a bag if carbon, chempure, or Purigen (usually in the third chamber with the pump) is a personal preference. Consider upgrading the pump to a Maxijet 1200 with a Hydorflo on the outlet as a cheap alternative to a wave device.
Also, if the tank doesn't already have it, you should buy (or make) a surface skimmer.
If you need any further advice, I'll be happy to elucidate further on any of the above topics.
 
you may have better luck on nano-reef.com
that's where I go for some of the more nano specific questions I have.
 
I agree with the mods Tom talked about. I just bought the Current Aquapod and have removed the ceramic rings and bio balls. I did leave in the sponge for now since the tank is cycling and I am trying to clear up the water from the mini sand storm (The plate method of adding water works like a charm). The stock pump of the Nanocube may put off more heat than wanted and upgrading the pump to a maxi-jet 1200 should help in that department.

The Aquapod has the built in surface skimmer already, but I do plan on replacing the stock fans with some better ones...They are so noisy. I have also ordered the Hydor FLO rotating device and will give it a try. It might be too much since I am setting this tank up for seahorses.
 
Thanks for the help guys, I have checked out nano reef, and it is a great wealth of information for me. I am going to use some of the diy tips that they have posted in some of there threads.

I just thought I would check local experience with these types of tanks. Thanks alot.
 
My 24G cube has been running for over 8 months now. There is nothing wrong with the sponges. I run 2 sponges in the first chamber to filter out the sediment. There are alot of opinions about how to run one of these things and everyone seems to think their way is best. Just find out what works good for you and stick with it.
 
http://www.nanocustoms.com has all sorts of lighting upgrades. I would stay away from JBJ brand bulbs because they are not actinic in any sense of the word--its a blue "film" inside a 10k bulb. depending on how long the tank was running before, if the bulbs are old, I would look into replacing them with coralife 50/50's. I ran a 70w metal halide in mine but this required replacing and adding fans and was really more complicated than was worth.

I agree about surface skimming, the link above sells one of the nicer ones. I would also look into the new nano protien skimmers by via aqua (i think), they seem to work surprisingly well (this is hearsay, i've never owned or seen one). If you remove the hood you can run a backpack skimmer on the back; you can find used or imitation ones here or on ebay for cheap. I ran one at night, and saw a dramatic impact on the health of my tank--now I won't run any SW tank without a skimmer, preferably 24/7.

all this stuff isn't necessary, but you wanted to know! i would start with DalaiTom's suggestions, then look into a protein skimmer as the next main upgrade.
 
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