new to s/w. bought a 12g nano. read FAQs but still want help

[jonathanws]

hello everyone. i have a lot of stress in my life (school/work/girlfriend) and i think that a saltwater hobby could be very rewarding and something to look forward to. i had a bunch of freshwater fish as a kid, but my dad wouldnt get me a saltwater tank unless i hit a home run...i never did, so i just bought my own tank!

so 10 years later i just bought a jbj 12gallon nano dx tank. i've read a bunch on the internet about what to do, especially the faq for beginners on this site. i want to make it colorful and simple, with at most one tiny tiny fish. i bought the tank and cleaned it out. i'm going to the local shop early this week to get live sand and saltwater.

so does anybody have any suggestions as to how i should start off after i put the water and live sand in? it would be much appreciated if you shared your insight, because i really know nothing and i want to learn a lot. i know this stuff has been asked a zillion times, but i'm a huge n00b.
thanks!

 

[ryguy]

Welcome to AA.

First off, a good SW book will go a long way.

I urge you to read as much as you can before starting. Don't just jump in and try and learn as you go. You will make crucial mistakes that way, some that could lead to even more stress than you already may have now. You are starting with a nano tank that is a challenge in itself. Larger tanks are always recommended for beginners because they are more forgiving and don't need as much hands on maintenance and constant monitoring.

Just be prepared and learn as much as you can BEFORE you start and you'll greatly increase your chance of success.

When you decide to start, you can mix your salt and place your sand in the tank and use uncured LR to start your cycle. Add the total amount of LR you want in the end right away to avoid a future cycle. Aim for 20lbs of LR. Don't stock anything until your cycle is complete and your nitrates are around 10ppm.

I would also do searches on this site on anything that you question and read as much advice as you can before trusting the advice of your local fish store. (LFS)

Cheers,
Ryan

 

[melosu58]

Jonathan I moved this to a forum on nano tank. There will be lots of people that had to start just like you that can help. Good Luck on your endeavor

 

[jonathanws]

thanks, i put 15 pounds of live sand, about 5 or 6 pounds of live rock, and filled it with water. i also added the cycle liquid product. how do i use the lights? do they even matter with just live rock and sand in there?

 

[lando]

Welcome to AquariumAdvice.com!!!
The 12gal Nano is a good all-in-one product. For SW applications I would not use the sponges, bioballs or ceramic rings that came with the unit. Using LR rubble in the filter compartments is going to be a much better option. In mine, I filled up the first chamber half way with LR rubble and run a bag of chemi-pure and a PURA filtration pad on top. The middle chamber is filled up completely with LR rubble. The last one has an upgraded powerhead a heater and more LR rubble.

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

i would recommend more lr, about 1-2 lbs per gal. if its a 12 gal, i would go with 18 to 24 lbs. if you add it now, it you wont have to cure it and it will help tremendously....

 

[jonathanws]

thanks for the replies, so i should remove all of the filters and just put crushed up live rock in the chambers? what exactly will that do and adversely what will happen if i just leave all of the stock stuff in there?

 

[lando]

thanks for the replies, so i should remove all of the filters and just put crushed up live rock in the chambers?

Yes.

what exactly will that do and adversely what will happen if i just leave all of the stock stuff in there?

LR rubble is simply a much better filter media then the sponges, ceramic rings and bioballs that come with the tank. It will give you much more surface area for beneficial bacteria to colonize. Leaving the other stuff in will work, but you will need to keep a very close eye on NO3 over time. There is not a lot of water volume in the 12gal cube and parameters can change quickly.