Starting my 24G Nano cube... any advise?

[InLimbo87]

Setup looks great

Have you considered replacing the stock pump with a Maxi-jet 900? It will help keep temps low (believe me you'll want that in a couple months) and the flow output will be more. The stock pumps in the nanocubes are notoriously inefficient and weak.

[Pinkmolly21]

yeah we are gonna get a mj 900 and a sapphire protein skimmer before we put anything else in the tank.

Btw, If I put one of those sapphire protein skimmers in the back, will I still be able to keep the water level up and close the hood?

[lcstorc]

Don't worry about the bristle worms other than avoiding touching them. They are good cleaners and sand stirrers.
You will likely continur to find hitchikers for months.
I had a tank up for 6 months with nothing but rock and sand. You wouldn't believe how many things I have found. Meanwhile my reef has been up a couple of years and I spotted something new just last month. Not sure if it has always been there or if it came in on a coral.

[Pinkmolly21]

Wow! it's been forever since I posted in here... Sorry guys but we just moved to a new apartment and I was kind of busy. But hey! I'm back!

Sooooooo... we went to our LFS today and purchased one pink tip anemone, one pecular clown fish and one bubble coral (at least I think that's what it is...)...

Our water levels have been great for weeks now so we decided that the tank is ready for a bigger bio load.

Here a picture (the coral is on the bottom right between the two base rocks... the lights where off when I took the picture so it's closed)...



Since the light was off, the picture isn't as nice as I wanted it to be. I'll take another one tomorrow and post it...

[amc78cj7]

I am in the 6th week of my 24g and just added some shrooms and a leather. I'm curious why you added the anemoni. Also, has your emerald crab become more social. Mine is a total character. Always out picking at stuff and comes running to the surface when he thinks he's going to be target fed some krill.

also, how did that protein skimmer work out. Did you go with the Saphire? How much $ and trouble was it? My water has been great but I check it weekly and do daily dosing as recommended.

[Pinkmolly21]

And again it's been forever since I updated this thread...

Well not much happened really...
We are trying to take it slow and since we went on a two week vacation to Europe were to concerned with how to keep everything alive that was in the tank already to buy anything else. But now we're back and over a 6 week period added a skunk shrimp and two corals. I will post pictures later.
I don't know if I mentioned the 2 Onyx clowns we added to the tank a couple of months ago. we already had one false perc and the lady at one of our LFSs told us we couldn't add any more or they would kill each other. A couple of days later I saw those tiny little baby onyx clowns at another store and just had to get them. They were $40 for a set and I put them in a net breeder to keep them safe from the bigger clown.
That was a while back and now they are out and live in harmony with the big guy/gal. One of the babies was smaller and paler than the other and still is. But he eats good and they both already have 2 and a half stripes (had none when I got them).
The pink tip coral is the only thing they fight about. The little one doesn't care too much for it but the medium and the big one loooooove it.
It got huge and I'm glad it stays in it's corner and doesn't hurt anybody.
Oh I almost forgot. I got a bright red starfish too. He moves around a lot and seems pretty happy.

One sad thing happened though... The bubble coral (still not sure if I IDed it right) is not doing too good. Most of it is gone and the two little ends that didn't die yet are getting smaller... I'm not giving up but I don't think it will make it.

Like I said, I will post pics later and I'm looking forward to hearing all of your opinions.

I have one question: How long until the Onyx clowns should turn darker? They look just like the false perc so far...

[Pinkmolly21]

Here are the pics I promised:



just bought these ricordeas today...


These guys used to fight over the pink tip anemone... Now they share...


Beautiful Toad stool...


Work in progress...

[AndtheBonus]

Looks Good! I like the picture of the starfish

[reefsurf]

nice job! my advice would be read up, ask ppl before buying anything, go as big as your space and wallet can afford!
salt water aquarium advice is like ummmmm bellybuttons, everyone's got 1! ! and it's not always pretty!

[Pinkmolly21]

we just bought a couple more corals and I'm worried because we still don't have a protein skimmer.
Do any of you guys use the fission skimmer? Does it work? Can I put it in the back of the tank where I don't have to see it?
And does anybody know any other good and maybe bigger skimmers that I could use in a 24 gallon nano cube in one of the back compartments where I wouldn't see it?

[Intranick]

careful with the 24 nano, i had the exact same model and after a week of having standing water in it, it sprung a leak. other than that, it looks GREAT.

[yungreefer2410]

so u have 3 clowns one firefish and one clown goby. thats a large bio load for a 24 gallon tank. consider the one inch of of adult fish per 5 gallon rule. u need a protein skimmer with that bio load. if u do get rid of one of the clowns i would get rid of the one who does not hang out with the others. the other two might be mated or will become mates