Too strong?

[Slightly]

Hi! I recently purchased a 12 gal Nano Cube, set it up, and let it cycle. The guy who owns the fish store where I bought it said that the water should be about 1/2 an inch from the top, and that there should be lots of bubbles.

I put a clownfish in there today, and the water flow seems to be too strong for him. I'm afraid he'll get too tired trying to swim around!

Is the filter supposed to be that strong? The water is just shooting out from the hole, and making the whole tank seem like an extremely windy day, but under water, if that makes sense.

I'm obviously new to this, so any help is appreciated. I don't like the water 1/2 an inch from the top. It makes it look like the water evaporated and I'm too lazy to top it off. Why does it need to have bubbles? If this is how it has to be, I'll keep it that way of course. Just wondering.

Thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

Hey man welcome to RDO!

1. Fill it up all the way.

2. Did you use the stock pump that came with the Nanocube? Many (including me) actually upgrade the pump. I think the main problem is not current strength, rather it is the direction. For now, you can use the mag float algae scraper that comes with the aquarum to break up the current. Put it at a 45 degree angle up at the top right ... you'll see a little whirlpool form even... here is a link to a pic of mine:
http://www.website-x.com/images/nanoree ... e_nice.jpg

... many people have made various modifications to the output nozzle, or added a 2nd mini-jet pump on the other side to oppose the flow.

3. The guy at the LFS was probably telling you to have bubbles so the water gets good gas exchange and stays properly oxygenated. In most reef setups, we design our tanks to have enough flow and surface agitation where this is not needed. Think of the skimmer, filters, pumps and everything ... water movement == gax exchange.

 

[Slightly]

Yes, I used the pump that came with the cube. I don't have a skimmer yet, should I get one? :?

So if I fill it all the way to the top, the tank will still get the gas exchange?

I'm thinking that if it's filled all the way, the flow won't seem as strong. It's just the crazyness of the bubbles that are the problem. I want the tank to look calm and peaceful, and not like a hot tub.

Right now I just have the live rock, a brittle starfish, a clownfish, and a feather duster. Over time I'll add coral and other things. It's not much of a reef tank yet. How far apart should you add new things to a tank? I know adding everything at once is bad, right?

 

[Anonymous]

1. Skimmer:
- as an FYI, a skimmer on the nanocube is probably overkill in such a small volume of water (heh, but I'm about to do it anyhow). However ... you'll have to mod the hood to fit it on ... where would you hang it?


2. Filling - yep it will seem much more peaceful.

3. Adding livestock - add them as much as you feel comfortable with your own progress ... but keep in mind when something goes haywire it's easy to figure out the problem if you only have one new variable to account for. Also, if you add a bunch of fish specifically the urea (ammonia) will probably spike temporarily before your sand bed, live rock and filters can catch up and process it down. Generally it's a good idea to take it slow. Lately my routine is weekly or biweekly to add stuff ... if you're keeping tabs on your setup and testing the water regularly and doing water changes ... you should be good to go!

Hope the helps
Post some pix!
-me

 

[Slightly]

Alright, thanks for your help.

And how about a heater? I was told that it only really needs a heater during the winter. When I bought the Nano, it was a special package that came with the live sand, live rock, a heater, and 10 gallons of saltwater. I put the heater in the tank where it's supposed to go, but I haven't turned it on yet. If it is infact needed, what temp should it be set at?

Here's where I'm at so far -

 

[tazdevil]

Set it at 78 deg f, then make sure to watch the temp (some heaters can be off by a few degrees) and adjust accordingly. I'd wait 24 hours between any adjustments to ensure the operating temp is achieved each time. FWIW, I have the "standard" setup, and a 12w Titanium heater in the back. I've only seen the heater actually turn on twice during the whole winter, and I let the house go down to 68 degrees at night then. Setup looks good so far.