Advice for setting up nano cube.

[wilson]

dixon if your still thinking of setting up a tank have a look at this

http://www.deepblueaquarium.co.nz/ReefKit.htm

[Jasmine]

Hi Jasmine, a 60 cm cube is small but OK, my first "reef" was 60 cm x 30 cm, less than ideal but had it for a couple of years and was able to keep a number of soft corals and small fish.

For lighting, i would recommend either a 150 watt metal halide, preferably with a 14,000 k bulb, or some flourescent tubes. A new 150 watt MH is fairly expensive but they can often be purchased 2nd hand on trade me for perhaps 50 bucks or so, but you would have to replace the bulb with a marine suitable one. If you decide to go with flourescent lighting, a general rule of thumb, if the plan is to grow corals, that you need a minimum of one watt per litre. This will not be enough for all types of corals, but will be enough for quite a few. You need to use marine suitable tubes.

The cannister is not a good idea for biological filtration if you want to grow corals. Instead, put cured coral rock in the tank, the bacteria in the rock do the filtration. The reason for this is that using a cannister for biological filtration allows nitrate to build up to levels that are harmful to the organisms we keep in a reef tank.

BTW it is hard for people who have been fresh water tank keepers, to adjust to the idea of not using a cannister. But a marine tank will do better without one.

And before getting all set up, it is a good idea if you can, to find some nearby reef keeper and see if you can look at their tank. You will learn heaps just by doing this and can help you get started on the right track.

Thanks for the advice, anyone around the west auckland area?

Haha. And I can see why it would be difficult for us freshies to get used to the idea of not having a canister

I was just thinking of having a few of the easier corals in there anyway, at least for now. If they do ok, I might think about upgrading tank and all in the future.