And picked it up..pics to come soon. Everything came with it, rocks, sand, test kit, food. I have been looking for a little while, and have had to turn down a 40g breeder, initally because it didnt have a lid (crazy cats) and secondly because the seller hasnt gotten back to me in a few days. I was wondering what kind of recommendations people would recommend right off the bat to improve the tank. Very new to saltwater, so trying to do everything by the book. Also, stocking suggestions? Or max fish recommended, besides the typical cleaner crew. Thanks in advance..
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So I found a 24 jbj nanocube with stand....
- Thread starter Audi0s
- Start date
Congrats on the new tank! One word of caution, those JBJ 24's have been known to crack. There's something about the curved glass on a tank that size. I'm not trying to scare you but just cautioning you to not move it or jar it once it's filled.
Other than that, they're great little setups. I had 12g JBJ for a few years. I really liked it a lot. The one thing that most people will tell you is to throw away the bio balls and ceramic rings (provided they came with it). Just use the live rock for your biological filtration. You can use the sponges that are in the first chamber in the back, just be sure to clean them regulary. Also, if it didn't come with one, get a surface skimmer for it. That's just a cheap piece of plastic with slotted teeth on it. It holds onto the drain hole by suction and works to pull the water off a broader area of the surface. I think you can get one for around $10-$15. As far as stocking, the general rule of thumb is 1" of fish (not including the tail) for every 5 gallons of water. However, that is fairly conservative rule and most people successfully maintain tanks with a higher ratio.
Good luck and let's see some progress pics!
Other than that, they're great little setups. I had 12g JBJ for a few years. I really liked it a lot. The one thing that most people will tell you is to throw away the bio balls and ceramic rings (provided they came with it). Just use the live rock for your biological filtration. You can use the sponges that are in the first chamber in the back, just be sure to clean them regulary. Also, if it didn't come with one, get a surface skimmer for it. That's just a cheap piece of plastic with slotted teeth on it. It holds onto the drain hole by suction and works to pull the water off a broader area of the surface. I think you can get one for around $10-$15. As far as stocking, the general rule of thumb is 1" of fish (not including the tail) for every 5 gallons of water. However, that is fairly conservative rule and most people successfully maintain tanks with a higher ratio.
Good luck and let's see some progress pics!
I think you made a great choice. I have the 12g and love it. I agree with JohnS in throwing out the ceramic rings and bioballs. Basically they are there to host bacteria, but your live rock will do a better job of that, also they can trap gunk. I took my sponge out and added live rock rubble back there, but it is up to you.
You can choose from a wide variety of fish that will fit in a 24g tank. The most obvious choice is clownfish which are hardy and very active. I am of the mind if I have a fish tank, I want to see the fish. You can also choose form dozens of gobies, blennies, dottybacks, or jawfish. The main thing to do is research each fish to make sure you are getting hardy fish that are easily taken care of. Also, if you can get tank raised fish they are generally easier and hardier. Start slow and read, read, read.
You can choose from a wide variety of fish that will fit in a 24g tank. The most obvious choice is clownfish which are hardy and very active. I am of the mind if I have a fish tank, I want to see the fish. You can also choose form dozens of gobies, blennies, dottybacks, or jawfish. The main thing to do is research each fish to make sure you are getting hardy fish that are easily taken care of. Also, if you can get tank raised fish they are generally easier and hardier. Start slow and read, read, read.
Thanks for the replies, right now it has 2 bags of black ceramic pieces behind the skimmer and the cermic rings in the center chamber, Ill have to go get some rubble as well. So the pieces of rock that came with it are almost pitchfork shaped, I was assuming theyd be more...well...rocklike. Ill get some rocks to build a reef, and use what I have. Also, does anyone recommend a powerhead for one of these? 1 set of lights isnt turning on as well, Ill try new bulbs.
Well, while I was running the lights for a little, 1 fan started making noise, probably shot. So now Im looking for replacements, and JBJ wants 22 each! I think thats a little ridiculous, anyone know what computer fan would match up? I found a few with the right dimensions, but theyre all 3 pin connectors, while I need 2. I can remove the pins and switch the connector, just not sure what if anyone else has found an easier way. Thanks
Yeah, when I removed it, it had play in the bearing. Actually makes a knocking noise when you shake it. Im gonna head over to a computer parts store today to see what I can do, without having to order and wait a week. Caveat emptor I guess....Im having fun taking it apart and learning all of its parts. My largest gripe so far is i keep reaching for the hood, but grab the flip top lid, which ended up cracking since it supported the weight of the hood. New hoods are only 100 from JBJ?!!
Hello welcome aboard. I had a 24 G AP so know the size fairly well.
Live rock is actually all skeletons from corals. Thus you have some long pieces from a particular area.
Get rid of all the ceramic and black things. Out out with them. What I did is filled the lower part of the chambers with rubble (little pieces of LR) and then built a platform out of egg crate(light diffuser, little squares) so that I could put in a disposable filter floss or whatever where the water skimmed into the back chamber. I had a hole in the platform so I could reach a syphon out the bottom. The other half of the back chamber I grew a small amount of cheato using a LED light. More and more you see these lights for nano tanks.
If you can put some cheato, LR, etc in the back you will be able to create a mini refugium, which I think is helpful.
For fish because of the covered top you can have jumping guys like wrasses, firefish(very nice choice), cardinals, clownfish, dwarf angels etc. Stay away from IMHO pseudocromis,though there are supposedly a couple friendly ones, as they are aggressive. A suggestion only is stay away from aggressive fish, in that size tank you can have some real wars. That includes the previously mentioned pseudocromis, damsels, and some dwarf angels. Try to match the disposition at the very least, as speaking from experience a bi-color pseudocromis type fish can kill a fair number of tankmates.
Good luck ask lots of questions.
PS get a turkey baster.
Live rock is actually all skeletons from corals. Thus you have some long pieces from a particular area.
Get rid of all the ceramic and black things. Out out with them. What I did is filled the lower part of the chambers with rubble (little pieces of LR) and then built a platform out of egg crate(light diffuser, little squares) so that I could put in a disposable filter floss or whatever where the water skimmed into the back chamber. I had a hole in the platform so I could reach a syphon out the bottom. The other half of the back chamber I grew a small amount of cheato using a LED light. More and more you see these lights for nano tanks.
If you can put some cheato, LR, etc in the back you will be able to create a mini refugium, which I think is helpful.
For fish because of the covered top you can have jumping guys like wrasses, firefish(very nice choice), cardinals, clownfish, dwarf angels etc. Stay away from IMHO pseudocromis,though there are supposedly a couple friendly ones, as they are aggressive. A suggestion only is stay away from aggressive fish, in that size tank you can have some real wars. That includes the previously mentioned pseudocromis, damsels, and some dwarf angels. Try to match the disposition at the very least, as speaking from experience a bi-color pseudocromis type fish can kill a fair number of tankmates.
Good luck ask lots of questions.
PS get a turkey baster.
Ok, so I had to order the lights from JBJ, 17 each plus shipping. Reef wants 33 each. Also went to Microcenter on Rt. 20 in Paterson to find new fans, I didnt want to pay 50 for 2. I actually found the exact size for 12.99 each. The only problem was that its a 3 pin harness and connector, I cut the signal wire on the new fans and spliced in the 2 pin connector from the original fans. Worked perfect, so thats an option for anyone with that problem too.
I filled the chambers in the rear with rubble, pulled out all of the bioballs as far as I can tell. Everything is working well, Im surprised at how quiet it is without the lights on.
How much should it be filled up? Id say I have a 1 finger gap between trim ring and water line. Also my salinity is a little low, 1.020, how would everyone recommend raising it? I cant mix straight salt in right? And how long until I can throw some fun stuff in there? Corals anytime soon? Im using live rock and sand straight from a tank, I got from a friend near me, 4 a lb for his lower grade, nicer stuff is 5. PM if anyone is looking, he has alot of supplies as well. Anyway thanks again.
I filled the chambers in the rear with rubble, pulled out all of the bioballs as far as I can tell. Everything is working well, Im surprised at how quiet it is without the lights on.
How much should it be filled up? Id say I have a 1 finger gap between trim ring and water line. Also my salinity is a little low, 1.020, how would everyone recommend raising it? I cant mix straight salt in right? And how long until I can throw some fun stuff in there? Corals anytime soon? Im using live rock and sand straight from a tank, I got from a friend near me, 4 a lb for his lower grade, nicer stuff is 5. PM if anyone is looking, he has alot of supplies as well. Anyway thanks again.
The level in the display tank is dependent on where the drain hole is. If you buy one of those surface skimmers I mentioned, you can position them so that the water level in the tank is just above the trim ring so you never see the water line. Evaporation will be evident in the third chamber in the back. Keep that filled and you'll be OK. When the water level in that chamber gets too low, your return pump will start to vortex.
When we first set up the 24 nano dx we had to do alot of rearranging in the back compartments. Added a thin piece of poly filter on top of the sponges to catch debris that goes straight through the crappy sponges they come with, also lost the bio balls/ ceramic rings in the #2 compartment, instead put plastic eggcrate halfway up with cemipure bag on that so water flows through also installed a rio 1400 pump in the back. Tank had horrible flow before. Stock pump was rated at 320gph but i dont think it moved half that. Got a koralia 2 and a powersweep powerhead in the tank....Softys love the flow it seems!
N
njstillwell
Guest
Scottyrock ......believe me this was a phone call a day setup/help/throw the tank outside until you figured it out....
Scottyrock said:
I had a small powerhead in there as well, older Hagen 301. I gave it to my friend, his tank had horrible flow, so hoping that helps his situation. So far things havent been too bad. I have all live rock, and some small floss right at the outlet behind the skimmer. Looking for pump upgrades once I can get my loc-line setup to fit on the factory output tube. Anyone know a fix to this problem? Locline is 1/2". Any chance on having anenomes in there? I just got a true perc, and Id love to give him a home...I also rigged up another led cheato light, only been running for about 12 hours though. I might need a patch to start it off, Id likke to get my nitrates down a little.
You indeed were the wind beneath my nano wings stillwell..... Babys spot on now!
I was going through the thread and did not see what kind of lights you were running on there, which will effect if you can keep an anem or not. You should be fine, but you might want to wait until you get the tank under control before you add one. The true art comes not from getting your water parameters to ideal levels, but keeping them there. Anems will be much more sensitive to water parameter changes, and if they die they can crash your whole tank pretty quickly if you are not home. Wait a bit and then start with a nice dark bubble tip which is one of the hardier species and they start pretty small. You also kind of have to make the tank anem safe, removing heaters or any other thing that could sting or affect it.