Nano Cube 28 G

[gerryo]

After giving up the 33g as a Nano tank I decided on the JBJ 28g Nano Cube with CF lighting.   

After setting this up and waiting for any cycle to happen I had to make some changes. 

The cycle didn't take long because I used sand, rock, and water from existing tanks and everything was already cured. 
With some rock in here that had some softies already rooted, I noticed my first mistake.  LIGHTING.
The CF lights were never meant for reef tanks.  Not even the small tanks like this.  I took the tank cover off and installed Current USA T5HO lights and everything is just fine.  These 18 inch fixtures fit perfectly on the topless tank and provide sufficient penetration to the substrate.

However, my experiments with my 54g corner have convinced me that LEDs are better and add better colour for reef tanks, so will be experimenting more with Rapid LED to add new lighting. 

[gerryo]

This tank has never looked better.  It has gone through a Cyano attack recently, but this is now over and everything in here is alive and well.

I even found an Aiptasia growing in here.  I have been told that this is a sign of a healthy tank ?

[Rybren]

I even found an Aiptasia growing in here.  I have been told that this is a sign of a healthy tank ?

In that case, boy is my tank ever healthy!!

[Hookup]

In that case, boy is my tank ever healthy!!

Lol!

[gerryo]

The Aiptasia seems to have disappeared, and coralines have taken over.  This will be the first scraping of the coralines in this tank.  The glass is bent very sharply around the front corners.

This should be interesting.

The other thing that is doing well in here is the Xenia.  Both Pulsing and Still varieties have taken off.

The thing that doesn't seem to be doing well is the GPS.  No growth what-so-ever.

[NanoSF]

The trick to scraping the curved glass is keep the razor blade completely straight up and down (vertical).  If you angle it when scraping the corners (or the bowfront for that matter) you can put scratches in the glass.

Odd that your Aiptasia went away on it's own. Or did you add something to the tank to control it? If not you are one lucky reefer 

As for GSP, it likes light and a lot of current. However it can tolerate just about anything. I think you should be careful what you wish for though. You don't necessarily want it to grow quick. It can take over fast if you are not careful. So as long as the green still comes out almost all the time, it's not dying and will spread at least a little.

[gerryo]

Yes, I know that it can take over.  It's down on the bottom so the light is weaker.

And yes, I know that it is GSP not GPS.  Fingers are fast but not accurate.

The aiptasia might very well come back.  You never know with that stuff.  I didn't put anything in to control it.  Just lucky I guess.

The curved glass is a headache.  My 54 corner is also curved and it needs to be scraped now too.  I dislike this so much that I am planning a larger tank and it will be flat glass everywhere.

[NanoSF]

I know the curve is a bit of a pain, but if you keep a magnet scrubber on there and just do a quick swipe every week or so nothing crusty and strongly stuck on can take hold. Just use the longer narrower rectangular mag float kind, and turn it vertical when scraping. The bottom/top and corners in the only place you should need to use a razor.

[gerryo]

Spent some time building a new stand for this tank.  This build is so that I can include a 20g as a sump and have a proper skimmer set up and carbon and GFO reactors.  I also plan to have a 5g fuge.

Using the same principle as I am with my 90g and using Pine as the skin to keep it brighter.

Drilling the tank will be a challenge, but I have done this before.  I already have the cutters and some of the piping and fittings. 

Maybe I could take some pics, but the basement is too much of a mess.  You wouldn't believe it!!!

[gerryo]

Decided not to drill this tank, but to remodel it into a proper Mixed Reef.   

Removed the rock that was in here and done a thorough cleaning job on it, with vinegar.  Then let it soak in vinegar for a few days to soften up anything else that might be on there.  Scrubbed it all again, thoroughly rinsed it and put it back into clean water again.

I bought about 10 pounds of new live rock, took a large scoop of the old live sand from my 54G Corner, set up the salt water again, and let it gurgle for a while.

When I had the parameters back into line, where I wanted them, I moved some large frags of Leathers in from my 54g.  It took about 3 weeks for the cycle to complete, then started putting other things in. 

I now have 3 large Leathers, - Kenya Tree, Colt, and Cabbage.  A small piece of Purple Sponge, a Green Stripe Mushroom, an Orange/Red Mushroom, a Candy Cane, a Torch, a Hammer, a Ricordea Yuma, a Blastomussa Wellsi, 2 pcs. Monti Cap, a Monti Digitata, a Monti confusa, a Pink Birdsnest, and a couple of other things that I don't know the names of.  Pictures will come later.

[gerryo]

I guess I was a little out to lunch with using the T5HO lights on this tank.  I have now installed the Rapid LED kit which fits like a glove into the cover of this tank.

The kit includes 10 Bright White and 10 Royal Blue LEDs, and the difference in the tank is  WOW. 

I also included their Dimming Kit which fits the light perfectly as there are 2 pots for dimming.  one for white and another for the blues.  You can also wire each set to different timer, and have just the blues on in the evening.

WOW, what a show.  I didn't know how much glow some of these corals gave out.

I am very sure that my next tank will have LEDs from the get go.   

[gerryo]

Another thing I did with this tank was to add a HOB Skimmer.

I have used the Reef Octopus for Nano tanks as recommended by az.  It turns out to be quite a fantastic skimmer.  If you leave the pumps running at the rate of skimmate being collected, there can't be much left for the corals.   

Anyway, I'll keep feeding them in the hope that they stay alive and well.   

[gerryo]

I moved my RBTA into here, after ensuring proper skimming and other parameters.

Within a week it went into hiding in a crevass in a rock.  I thought that this was where it would take up residence.  NOT SO.  Within a few days this RBTA had stretched itself to another hole in the same rock as well as the first one.  Kept on feeding it, to try to keep it happy.  After about a week and some serious searching on my part, I found that the RBTA had split again.   

This is the second time since I got it.

So then the Mother Nem decided to move, and took off up the back of the large rock pile and into a small dent in the rock.  Stayed there for a week and moved again, onto the side of the pile but probable better light.   

Yesterday, the Baby Nem began to shrivel up and looked like it was a gonner.  This morning it had totally disappeared so I thought it had it's day.   

This afternoon it reappeared up near the top of the rock pile, and about 2 inches from it's Mom.  Just lonely I guess because now it looks happy again and is eating as well.   

[gerryo]

I finally took some pics of my tank.  They are not very good, but this isn't Hollywood either.