14gal vs. 29gal BC

[Guest anthony]

im beginning to plan out my new nano project i will be starting by the end of the month. i'm deciding now between a 14gallon and a 29 gallon biocube. im having trouble deciding, i know that the bigger it is than the easier it will be to keep stable and everything but im not sure if i want a big tank (im not sure it even qualifies for a nano or not) or a small tank (14gallons). both tanks have the same light for softies and and clams but im really having trouble deciding. i also want to know if i should have a small sump underneath or if i clip-on fuge will be enough, i'll probably have a small skimmer attached to the fuge/ or sump. im not too sure on a skimmer though becuase i have heard some bad things on the fission nano skimmer. so if anyone can help me with my little problem or has a suggestion for a tank i'd appreciate it, Thanks

-Anthony

[Sugar Magnolia]

My first tank was a 6 gallon nano. Yes, it is prety easy to screw up water quality in a smaller tank and typically when something bad happens, it happens fast due to such a small volume of water. You really need to stay on top of your water parameters and be diligent with the water changes to keep the water quality within the recommended ranges for saltwater tanks. http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php

 

Have you looked at the CPR tanks? Come with a built in skimmer - http://www.cpraquatic.com/products/lifetank.html

[Jenny]

The lights with the biocube are not sufficient for clams. Clams need high wattage lighting, 250W or above, in the 10000-14000K range. Please do not try to keep clams without.

 

As far as the tank goes... get the size you like better. IMO they will be about the same difficulty as far as keeping them stable. So the question is what do you want to keep? IMO/E it is best to plan out a detailed stocking list beforehand. That way you stay on track and are less likely to get fish that will outgrow or consume your fish or corals and corals that will kill each other.

 

Just so you know Oceanic has a 29gallon cube that you can get an optional 70W MH. That could be an option for you as well. Still no clams though.

 

HTH

[Guest anthony]

ok, i guess ill stay away from clams for now. what kind of skimmer should i use for it? and should i make a small sump and refugium or what? im really not too sure how i should have it all set up, if anyone has any suggestions or ideas let me know.

Edited December 9, 2006 by anthony

[Jenny]

Anthony,

 

The AquaPods, BioCubes, etc. are designed to run without a skimmer. I have seen mods where the back area is turned into a skimmer/fuge area though. I think the website is nanoreef.com? You may not need to do any mods though depending on what you want to keep.

 

If I remember right this will be your first tank? So you'll probably want to start out with softies, zoas or shrooms or something. With all tanks there is debate about whether a skimmer is even necessary. IMO if you run carbon in a softie tank that size you won't need a skimmer if you keep your fish bioload low. You can probably just buy one of those cubes stock and use their filtration setup. When you get into more advanced corals/fish thats when you will want to start modifying.

 

My opinion, for what its worth. Since you want a smaller tank. Get the biocube w/ the metal halide; buy a good RO/DI filter: 5 stages or more, 75 GPH (any higher and it is no longer a RO but a microfilter); enough sand for a 5-6 inch sand bed; live rock; salifert test kits for ammonia, nitrates, phosphates, and pH. I recommend buying Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Bob Fenner, Marine Fishes by Scott Michael, and Marine Invertebrates by Ron Shimek. Then read read read for the 6 weeks its cycling so you know which animals you want to keep.

 

HTH. I know it is nerve racking trying to wade through all the contradicting advice. But some things you just have to experience. Go slow. Research everything before you buy it. That way you'll learn what you need to learn without killing everything in your possession. Sometimes things die but we try to keep it at a minimum ya know?

 

J

[funnyguy911]

I would go bigger I've seen the 29 and it is beautiful, nano-reef.com and nanotuners.com are good sites for any nano, good luck.....

[funnyguy911]

oh yeah nanotuners.com has the new sapphire aquatics skimmer that they may have for the biocube which will fit into the chambers in the back, and light upgrades to fit a fuge light to turn one of the chambers into a refugium. Some nano's have vinly which can be peeled off to hang a light in the back to shine on the chambers, I think thats about it.....

[Guest anthony]

yea I'm deffinitly getting a 29, now it's just planing for the skimmer and the fuge. i did see that sapphire nano skimmer for the 29 BC and that looks pretty cool. my only deal now is to find out how to make one of those chambers into a refugium without breaking anything.

[Brian Ward]

I'm also looking at the sapphire aquatics skimmer - you can find more info on it at www.sapphireaquatics.com, I also like the 4.36 mod for the BC29 from nanotuners.com - that puts in 2 more 36W PC lights to brighten it up and changes out the fans to make the hood quieter. I think you can scrape the black off the back of the tank and get a lightbulb behind it to turn chamber 1 into a fuge take a look here:

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...mp;hl=tealcobra

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...&hl=robster

Those are 2 of the better threads on setup and mod of a BC29. I've been running mine "stock" since the end of september with no real problems. I'm battling cyano right now, but that's pretty typical for a young setup. There's another new tank out that is quite a bit more expensive, but if you're looking at modding your BC extensively, it at least comes close to working out, it's the Red Sea Max 34:

http://www.redseafish.com/max.asp

CadLights also just came out with a new tank that has some nice features including a built-in refugium:

http://www.cadlights.com/product_info.php?...;products_id=89

If you have any questions, just let me know.

~Brian

[Guest anthony]

I'm also looking at the sapphire aquatics skimmer - you can find more info on it at www.sapphireaquatics.com, I also like the 4.36 mod for the BC29 from nanotuners.com - that puts in 2 more 36W PC lights to brighten it up and changes out the fans to make the hood quieter. I think you can scrape the black off the back of the tank and get a lightbulb behind it to turn chamber 1 into a fuge take a look here:

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...mp;hl=tealcobra

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...&hl=robster

Those are 2 of the better threads on setup and mod of a BC29. I've been running mine "stock" since the end of september with no real problems. I'm battling cyano right now, but that's pretty typical for a young setup. There's another new tank out that is quite a bit more expensive, but if you're looking at modding your BC extensively, it at least comes close to working out, it's the Red Sea Max 34:

http://www.redseafish.com/max.asp

CadLights also just came out with a new tank that has some nice features including a built-in refugium:

http://www.cadlights.com/product_info.php?...;products_id=89

If you have any questions, just let me know.

~Brian

 

 

wow, thanks for all the info i like those mods. i also had an idea about just gutting chamber 2 and adding some small LR rubble and the rest with chaeto and just mounting an egglite on top or something for light.

[AndrewB]

We have a 29-gallon BioCube set up at the store if you want to see one in action.