MBVette November 25, 2011 Share November 25, 2011 I have been thinking about picking up a small tank for the house for a long time, and decided to do it today. I am going to get it setup over the course of the week by taking a cup of sand out from my big tank and using water from my next water change as well. So I shouldnt have much of a cycle. Im going to start out pretty basic and just use the BC as it came w/o no mods. But I have a couple questions. The BC doesnt come with a heater, are the lights enough to keep this at a good temp or should I pick up a small heater? And I see a lot of people add a koralea nano, is this needed for water movement? As for stocking will it be a problem if I go with a pair of snowflake clowns w/ a nem, and a goby/pistol shrimp combo, and a fire shrimp. Is that to much of a bio load for a tank like this? Thanks Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surf&turf November 25, 2011 Share November 25, 2011 What kind of lighting does it have? I think a heater adds more stability, especially with a small volume of water. I don't think I would put a nem in a 14 gallon tank. It would outgrow it fairly quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette November 25, 2011 Author Share November 25, 2011 It comes with 1 24w 10,000k and 1 24w actinic and LED moon lights. I have never had much luck with nem's anyway, so it wouldnt hurt my feelings to say they wouldnt really fit in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surf&turf November 25, 2011 Share November 25, 2011 T-5 florescent's? I think I would add a small heater just to help with temp. swings, unless you keep your house around 76 degrees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette November 25, 2011 Author Share November 25, 2011 (edited) yeah T5's, sorry forgot to say that. Ok I will make a run to BRK (I think its my second home) over the weekend to pick a small one up. What do you think about the need for water movement? Edited November 25, 2011 by MBVette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surf&turf November 25, 2011 Share November 25, 2011 What are you going the have for corals? If zoa's and LPS a Korilla nano will be fine. If it's going to be SPS then you would probably need 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan November 25, 2011 Share November 25, 2011 Water movement is very important. I've set up a couple of nanos and picos over the last 3 years. I like the nano koralea and the nano tunze. I could only find the nano tunze on ebay. They are both small yet powerful little powerheads. The tunze can be adjusted and fits nice and flat on the walls of my tanks. I also use a 25 watt heater even on my 3 gallon pico. It's better to have it than not. I needed it at night when I used a 70 watt MH on my pico. I use it still with the LEDS. I use the Theor 6". Nice and compact. If you're going to keep anemones you need a lot of light. Light and occasional feeding is what they need for survival. I don't believe that the lights that come with a standard nano are sufficient for anemones. You'll need something like a 150 watt or more or at least 250watts of T5's to give it what it needs. I had great success with coralife pro T5's on my 24 gallon nano. I had a mixed reef with SPS. But the best results came with MH's. I''m not too crazy about my LED's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette November 25, 2011 Author Share November 25, 2011 (edited) Im not going to do it off the bat, as its going to take awhile before the tank is ready for a nem. But how hard is it to switch the hood from the current lights over to MH? So I will pick up a heater and 1 nano powerhead to start (possibly a second later on) is there anything else I will need to get the tank started up properly? With my big tank it is mostly softies/shrooms/zoas. I might want to try some SPS in here so it is different from my other tank. If that changes anything for the setup. As for the livestock, am I good with the 2 clowns and the goby? Is that to much of a bioload or am I good? With my other tank I really dont have to think about bioload so much as its a large tank, so this part is new to me. Edited November 25, 2011 by MBVette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan November 25, 2011 Share November 25, 2011 (edited) With nanos you need to think nano. Think long term nano. Look for nano fish. Liveaquaria actually has a list of just nano fish. Fish that don't get bigger than 2-3". Clowns will outgrow your nano tank and then what? I like to keep fish in it that will stay in it. The nem is stationary and can live in a cup if it has to even though it can get big. So I'd say consider maxi mini anemone, sexy shrimp, borneman anemones, Rock flower anemones, goby clownfish, tailspot blennys (they jump). livestock along those lines. Livestock that stays small. As far as the lights go. I took the hood off of my JBJ nano and purchashed a seperate light unit. My T5's came with legs and so does my Aquapod MH. I'm not mechanically inclined so I need somthing that's take it out of the box, set it up, plug it in and turn on the lights. If you're into doing modifications then i hear it's a great project. There are mod suggestions and kits all over the internet for these systems/hoods. Consider viper clip on, sunpod, single hanging for MH's. Nothing less than 150watts if you want to keep anemone. Current Aqualife pro for T5's (I think this is the name)it has 6 T5's. Enough like to sustain an anemone and SPS and it wont generate too much heat. Ideally the best combo I've had is MH with T5's. I can't get the color spectrum, the shimmer and the growth with anything else. This is my opinion. Im not going to do it off the bat, as its going to take awhile before the tank is ready for a nem. But how hard is it to switch the hood from the current lights over to MH? So I will pick up a heater and 1 nano powerhead to start (possibly a second later on) is there anything else I will need to get the tank started up properly? With my big tank it is mostly softies/shrooms/zoas. I might want to try some SPS in here so it is different from my other tank. If that changes anything for the setup. As for the livestock, am I good with the 2 clowns and the goby? Is that to much of a bioload or am I good? With my other tank I really dont have to think about bioload so much as its a large tank, so this part is new to me. Edited November 25, 2011 by Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette November 26, 2011 Author Share November 26, 2011 (edited) I had looked on liveaquaria, and they do list clowns as nano fish. I just dont know if you can have two of them in there. I dont thinking clowns really get any bigger than 3", I know mine in my bigger tank are about 3 years old and neither one of them is near 3" I would actually guess my bigger one is close to 2". I will look into the light fixtures and maybe taking the top off, just need to make sure my cat will not try and eat the fish. Just thought of another question. How do you guys work timers for moon lights? Are they on all day and just stay on an extra hour in the morning and night compared to the regular lights or they just run for that hour before and after the other lights come on? If they just run for an hour at a time what kind of timers are you using that lets them come on at two different times? Edited November 26, 2011 by MBVette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason the filter freak November 26, 2011 Share November 26, 2011 Clowns are no prob in a 14 gallon IMO as long as you get rid of them/move them up to a larger system when they outgrow it. http://www.wamas.org/forums/topic/43515-introducing-the-shock-trauma-nano/page__st__40 Thats what I did for a 14 gal bio cube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette November 26, 2011 Author Share November 26, 2011 Thanks Jason, I will keep those mods in mind and might add the extra light later on. But I am thinking I might move to LED or MH lights over the tank in the future. When you made the center chamber a fuge, did you add something to get light back there or does the stock lights get enough light back there for the cheato? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan November 26, 2011 Share November 26, 2011 (edited) Steve T of http://www.mediabaskets.com/ sells media racks as well as a light to fit most biocube modifications. He custom builds them as well. You can purchase the submersible fuge light or purchase a small clip on LED and attach it to the back of your tank. Thanks Jason, I will keep those mods in mind and might add the extra light later on. But I am thinking I might move to LED or MH lights over the tank in the future. When you made the center chamber a fuge, did you add something to get light back there or does the stock lights get enough light back there for the cheato? Edited November 26, 2011 by Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette November 26, 2011 Author Share November 26, 2011 Just got back from BRK and picked up a couple pieces of rock to go along with a nice piece I snagged from my other tank. So here is what I have the tank at currently: I picked up their smallest korala and it was the 750; I think that this might be a bit to big for the tank but I will let it run and will watch to see if its to much. I decided on the fish while I was there and this is what I am going with. They had a pair of small snowflake clowns that I bought and they are holding for me until I feel the tank is ready for them. And then a ORA green bar goby, coolest looking little goby I have ever seen so I picked him up along with a small CUC. So I guess we will see how this goes over the next few weeks and hopefully I can get my clowns before christmas. And the only reason I was able to get it setup so quickly is that I took water from my other tank and seeded the sand in this tank with some of the sand from that tank as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette November 26, 2011 Author Share November 26, 2011 ok the 750 is a bit to much, the poor hermits are trying to walk and getting blown over LOL. Now it is rather funny but its just to much in there. Should I go to the nano 425 or the nano 240? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surf&turf November 26, 2011 Share November 26, 2011 I would do the nano 425. Like your rock work, looks good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette November 26, 2011 Author Share November 26, 2011 ok I just ordered the 425, I should get it Monday (I love amazon) I wanted to make as many little shelves as I could so when I start putting corals in I have a lot of spaces so I picked out a few flat rocks. I might add 1-2 more small rocks, but I am pretty happy with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette November 27, 2011 Author Share November 27, 2011 Have any of you used Ecoxotix Panorama strips in your BCs? I was wondering if I could just get a couple of them and attached them into the hood replacing the PC's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan November 28, 2011 Share November 28, 2011 I have 1 on my 3 gallon pico. It's okay. I'm still not convinced that LED's is the way to go. I'm not seeing the growth I saw with MH's. I'm not too crazy about the color spectrum either. I'd add a blue strip for more color. It gives a nice shimmer effect and doesn't generate any heat. Have any of you used Ecoxotix Panorama strips in your BCs? I was wondering if I could just get a couple of them and attached them into the hood replacing the PC's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette November 29, 2011 Author Share November 29, 2011 I went ahead and bought 2 strips. It was not to expensive, and it has to be a lot better than the CFs that come with the BC. In 3 days I have gone from keeping the thing stock to buying a media basket and ordering new lights. Im addicted to this crap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason the filter freak November 29, 2011 Share November 29, 2011 I went ahead and bought 2 strips. It was not to expensive, and it has to be a lot better than the CFs that come with the BC. In 3 days I have gone from keeping the thing stock to buying a media basket and ordering new lights. Im addicted to this crap Welcome to the habbit erm hobby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette November 29, 2011 Author Share November 29, 2011 no crap. Not sure why, but I just seem to be much more excited to work on this 14g tank than my 220g. Dont get me wrong I love that tank and the large fish are amazing; but there is just something about being able to have everything in the tank easy to access and no ladders needed. One week in, I am 1500 invested into this thing. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef November 30, 2011 Share November 30, 2011 Its the new factor.... and is SOOO much cheaper to do stuff to a smaller tank! SO have you settled on the 3 fish then... or changing?? and seeing as it has rock and water im guessing your getting close? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette November 30, 2011 Author Share November 30, 2011 I decided on the 3 fish. I bought a pair of snowflake clowns from BRK (they are holding them for awhile until I think the tank is settled) and an ORA green bar goby which I put in the tank. I stocked it right away as I took sand and rock from my other tank so there should be no cycle. If there is, it will be a small one, so I am not worried about any issues adding the fish. I also think that I will add a fire shrimp, and try a few SPS to see if I can keep them in here. With no skimmer I figure I can just do a 2 gallon water change every week and hope that it keeps the water clean enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef November 30, 2011 Share November 30, 2011 Yippeee.. sounds like a plan! can't wait for new pictures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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