Setting up new Nano Cube 12g Deluxe - Need Help

[Brian_Nano12g]

Hi everyone,

I'm a newbie and need some help. Due to the limited amount of room in my apartment, I opted to get a smaller tank (despite advice to start out with 20+ gallons). I've owned tropical fish in my youth but still considers myself a novice. Anyway, I've read in other forums that with adequate water changes and careful observation, people have successfully kept a pair of German Blue Rams (male & female) in a 12 gallon Marineland Elipse with some Neon Tetras.

I have a some questions that hopefully you can shed some light on:

1.) Can a pair of Rams be kept successfully in a 12 gallon Nano Cube?

2.) What hardy fish should be used to cycle the tank before the introduction of the Rams? Should I use products that help with expediting the cycling process (i.e. Cycle by Nutrafin)?

3.) Would I be able to add (1) one Dwarf Puffer and (1) one Dwarf African Frog and (5) Neon Tetras in the tank with them?

4.) Since I don't have the Nano Cube yet, I can't determine if there is a port in the back to add an air hose for an air-stone. From all the pics (which are mostly of marine setups) appear that no one sets up the Nanos with airs-tones. I personally like watching the fish interact with the bubbles. Anyone have experience with this?

Any help and tips would be greatly appreciated. I figure that the Nano Cube as with the Eclipse 12 have a 3-stage filtration system and should do an efficient job and keeping the water clean for these fish. Am I correct to assume this? I don't plan on setting this tank up with live plants. I want a really clean and simple setup. I will add a bunch of rocks, caves, and artificial plants for the Rams to hide in.

Any help will be appreciated

[mfdrookie516]

Welcome to AA

1- i dont think so, but i have no experience with rams, so ill leave that one to somebody else. I will say that www.liveaquaria.com says that they require a minimum 20 gallons, so its probably a no-go, not to mention they are notoriously hard to keep alive.

2- none. read the link in my signature on fishless cycling

3- assuming the rams did work, the dwarf puffers are best left in a species only tank. theyre notorious fin nippers and can kill fish twice their size.

4- i dont like air stones. theyre not natural. i prefer my tanks to look as much like a lake/river as possible, and air stones take away from that. Theyre also not necessary. Surface agitation from the filter and possibly a powerhead if need be will do all you need for oxygen exchange

All of the above should be noted as JMO

EDIT: On a side note, i would like to suggest some neat fish that i think you would enjoy in that tank. neolamprologus multifasciatus (aka multis) would be some awesome little fish. Just a suggestion though, not sure on what other types of fish youre interested in.

[Brian_Nano12g]

@mfdrookie516,

Thank you for your input! I really want a Dwarf Cichlid species of some sort. What do you think of a pair of Kribs or Neolamprologus Multifasciatus? However, these are smaller Cichlids from the Africa region and therefore would require hard water or something like that? Does that make it more difficult to take care of? Or would you think the South American Dwarf Cichlid varieties such as the Apistogramma or Apistogramma Agassizi (with its softer water requirements) be easier for me? OR (shall I say it again), 2 Rams? Maybe the Bolivian if they're more docile than the GBR?

Although these Dwarf Cichlid species state to have 20~30+ gallons of water requirements on sites such as www.liveaquaria.com (as you mentioned) to have room to swim and establish territories, I think that statement might be more suited towards those who want to stock up a lot more fish? I'm thinking of a really small community of 2 Dwarf Cichlids (max) and a school of 5 or 6 tetra or Corys (for the soft water, not sure about the hard water variety) and 1 African dwarf frog. Moreover, I've been reading about sexing the fish. I would therefore opt to get one male and one female. I think if there were more than one male of a particular species that would increase the chances of them killing each other over time for territories - correct?

Thanks for the advice on cycling. I'll take a look at your fishless cycling method when the tank arrives this Tuesday.

[joy13]

Check out Bolivian rams they they are a little hardier than the German rams. Some people have actually had them breed in 10 gallon aquariums but it is something I wouldn't want to try.

This will help you decide if rams really are something you want to try
How to keep and breed rams with pictures

[Brian_Nano12g]

@joy13,

Thank you for your input. That link you provided is very helpful! Do you have Rams? I just want to keep 2 of them so I'll try them out in my Nano Cube (after I cycle it of course). I have a couple of questions though. Do I need additives such as Blackwater Tonic to make the water mimic their native conditions? I want to make the Rams happy but I don't really care about them spawning (if that's what the Blackwater additive is used for). I obviously don't have the room for their fry if they were to get busy...LOL

(@joy13 or Anybody) If you do have practical experience with them, please give me some tips on products. I will be going to my LFS to get some supplies soon (i.e. cycle expediters such as Tetra Safe Start). What can I get to control the PH and the water hardness or softness levels? Anything else useful that would be needed at the LFS? I want just the basics and nothing too fancy since I'm on a budget.