New NanoCube

[InxayonFinland]

i just got another nano-cube and in the process of setting it up. I have another one with various polyp and mushroom along with some zooanthid corals in it with 2 clowns. I went to the lfs to get another coral and came home with this nano-cube.

I was wondering what kind of corals i should do in this tank. I don't really want it to be like my other one with just the usual corals but i want something a bit different. I was thinking like a clam, hammers, torch, and some others. Also, what fish do you think i should get? I'm thinking i'll get a firefish and something else. thanks.

[lando]

Is this a regular nanocube or the deluxe? The deluxe version will give you enough light to keep some lps corals but clams will not do well long-term. I tried to keep a crocea in mine but ended up moving it under the MH lights of my larger reef. I do have a hammer and torch coral frag in my nano that are doing awesome. My small capnella frag is also doing well.

[InxayonFinland]

Its the deluxe. I'm also wondering how deep of sandbed i should do and what kind of clean up crew i should get. In my other one i have about a 2 inch deep sandbed which collects a lot of bacteria and i have for a clean up crew:
4 margarita snails ( kind of pointless it seems)
1 Cereth Snail ( does well )
2 bumble bee Snails ( also seem pointless)
3 Dwarf Red tip hermit Crabs ( do well )
3 Scarlet reef hermit crabs
and one cleaner shrimp

The only things that really seem productive in this crew are the Cereth Snail, Red tip hermits, and the cleaner shrimp. Any suggestions on the new nano's crew? Thanks

[lando]

Another 2-3in sand bed should be fine. I have about 8 various snails, 10 scarlet reef hermits, a cleaner shrimp and two emerald crabs in my nano as a clean up crew. I also recently nocticed a small black serpent star as sell, must have come in on the LR.

[InxayonFinland]

ok. What kind of snails do you think i should get? I'm thinking:

1 Zebra Turbo
2 Cereth
2 Banded Trochus Snails
4 Super Tongan Nassarius Snail

Does this sound good?

[lando]

That should be pretty good...it is a nice variety.

[InxayonFinland]

Thought it would be. For crabs i'm thinking 6 Scarlet Reef and 3 Red Tip. Also, i'm getting a cleaner shrimp because its done such a good job in my other tank that i want to get one for this tank. the thing is though is that i'm getting a yasha haze goby and it likes the pistol shrimp but i'm guessing it will be fine without it? Or do i need to get a pistol instead of a cleaner?

[lando]

the goby will do fine with out the pistol. I do not see a problem with having both if you want.

[InxayonFinland]

Sounds good. I think i'll just stick with the cleaner and not the pistol though.

[abnmojo]

stear clear of the clams. Not only is the lighting borderline to no good (depending on species), you will have to get a smaller clam, and the small ones need feeding. I would think that all that extra junk you would be dumping in there for the clam would through the system out of wack, and fast.

I have kept LPS (only one, a scroll coral) in my deluxe nano for almost 5 months now. He is showing all sorts of new growth in here, but it is placed very high up in the tank as well. I got this coral for my 100 gallon about a year ago - and although it was not killing him, he was not growing, at all. In fact, there was a little die back on the bottom, but putting him in the nano cured this right up and the thing is doing great.

I have seen nanos with elegance and long tent plate corals, which I can't keep due to my seahorses in the deluxe nanos. Try these, they are really nice looking animals. Hammer, Torch, frogspawn and bubble coral all will work, but watch out for placement in the nano, those sweepers will kill on the LPS. Frogspawn is probably the most docile of the group.

[InxayonFinland]

Alright thanks. I have another question.

In my old nano that is still going i upgraded the pump from stock to a maxi-jet 1200 and everything is doing 150 times better. I thought i would do this in my new tank so i did and now i have sand dunes. Anyone know what i could do to prevent this without downgrading?

[EELectric]

Can't answer that but for another coral how about you try a carnation coral. I know they are difficult to keep and require feeding but if you are looking for something out of the box you could give that a try. There is one in a nano at my well trusted LFS and it has been there for a while. For a fish maybe a sixline wrasse, those are always cool little buggers. HTH

[lando]

for another coral how about you try a carnation coral. I know they are difficult to keep and require feeding but if you are looking for something out of the box you could give that a try.

I would steer clear of the carnation coral, or any other coral that require feeding, in a nano. By target feeding corals with plankton solutions you can very quickly decline water parameters. Nanos are great frag tanks. Get some coral frags from a club or the LFS and just watch them grow.

[InxayonFinland]

Can anyone help me about the sand dune thing though?

[lando]

Try to reposition your flow. How old is the tank? How old is the substrate?

[InxayonFinland]

everything is farely new. I've adjusted the flow nozzle but it just make the sand go in different directions. I'm thinking what i might do is put the stock pump back in and let the sand settle and "harden" and then when i put in some corals put it back in. Also i'm goin to my lfs tomorrow and i'm going to get a new nozzle thing so i can have something like a "V" output instead of just the one.

[lando]

everything is farely new

I am not sure what "farely new" means. In new tanks it is common for sand to shift until it become more "weighted down" by the water.

[InxayonFinland]

Its about a week old.

I was thinking and wondering if the stock pump has enough flow for LPS corals?

[lando]

The stock pump is not that great. I replaced it a maxi-jet 900 and added a small mj 606 to the inside of the tank as well. The corals like the extra flow.

[InxayonFinland]

Do you think the maxi-jet 900 will move the sand like crazy? I'm still stuck ion this problem of getting it packed down so it won't move.