Jasonanatal's JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI Nano Reef Aquarium.

[Jasonanatal]

Jasonanatal's 28 gallon JBJ Nano Cube HQI Reef Aquarium Update.

Controller & Automation Design

With a new job comes more responsibility and also increased hours spent at work rather then being home with your arm in the Aquarium. So I wanted to bring a new level of automation and control in my Reef Aquarium. I turned to the Digital Aquatics ReefKeeper 2. An amazing piece of equipment that after using it I honestly didn't know what I was doing without one. I managed to replace 4 bulky power strips with one Digital Aquatics ReefKeeper 2 (8 Channel Stock Unit) and one Expansion Module. This device not only enhances the level of control that you have over your Aquarium and Aquarium Equipment but also performs Data Logging and allow your to remotely view your Aquarium via the Internet.

The Digital Aquatics ReefKeeper 2 refers electrical sockets that it can control and display the staus from the main display as channels. Here is how I set my Digital ReefKeeper 2 for my Aquarium.

Jasonanatal's Digital Aquatics ReefKeeper 2 Settings

• Channel 1 (Tunze Osmolator 9002): This channel is set to always on for a constant supply of power to the Tunze Osmolator 9002 Automatic Freshwater Top Off System.
• Channel 2 & Channel 3 (Pump One & Pump Two): These channels are set to wavemaker mode. These two channels switch on and off for a duration of 2 minutes each.
• Channel 4 (Metal Halide Lighting on Expansion Module): This channel is set to turn on at 2:00pm and turn off at 10:00pm with a safety feature to turn off if the Aquarium water temperature reaches 81.5 degrees Fahreneheit.
• Channel 5 (Tunze Nano DOC 9002 Protein Skimmer): This channel is set to "Protein Skimmer" and is on until I enter standby mode to which turns the channel off. After standby mode has completed the channel waits an additional 5 minutes (time I choose and entered manually) before turning back on.
• Channel 6 (Marineland Visi-Therm Stealth 100 watt Heater): This channel is set to turn off should the Aquarium water temperature reach 78.5 degrees Fahreneheit.
• Channel 7 (Aqua Ultraviolet 25 watt Ultraviolet Sterilizer): This channel is set to turn on between the hours of 12:00am and 11:00pm. with a safety feature to turn off if the Aquarium water temperature reaches 81.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Channel 8 (Pacific Coast Imports 1/10 hp Chiller): This channel is set to turn on at 78.5 degrees Fahrenheit and turn off at 78.0 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Standby Mode is set to run for 30 minutes.

Photograph - Digital Aquatics ReefKeeper 2.

 

[ZZROCOOL]

Lighting System Redesign

Nano Aquariums are just absolutely great and as being the new fade in the world of Reef Keeping their are a few design flaws that I feel are apart of any new product. My 28 gallon JBJ Nano Cube HQI was the first Nano Aquarium to my knowledge to introduce Metal Halide Lighting as a stock component in their package giving Reef Aquarist the ability to maintain High Lighting Corals right out of the box. However, some of the drawbacks to this all-in-one design include increased Aquarium water temperature due to the decreased ability to normally evaporate water and the creation of what I refer to as
the "dead zone". The "dead zone is an area created in the upper 1/4 region of the Aquarium in which even high lighting Corals will not survive due to the lighting intensity being too high.

I decided to incorporate a redesign in my Aquarium to provide the most suitable environment for my inhabitants. I decided that I should completely remove the stock lid/integrated lighting system and go with a Pendent Style Reflector. This will create an open design that would allow normal evaporation to occur which results in natural reduction of heat of the Aquariumw water.

You are your own worst enemy people keep SPS corals all the way to the top to the water line with no DEAD zone aquarium lighting can't get any where close to the power of the sun. Don't fool yourself! stop screwing around with the tank and leave it alone then and only then will things really take off.

 

[ZZROCOOL]

PS calling your self the "nano king" is totally ridiculous there and many many members on here who have successful Nano's that house SPS and hard to care for species. You are a rookie and shouldn't self proclaim titles like that on your self! At least until you have a kick a$$ nano!

 

[Jasonanatal]

:funnypost

 

[Jasonanatal]

Jasonanatal's JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI Reef Aquarium Livestock Addition.

Livestock Addition: Tiger Tail Cucumber "Holothuria Hilla"

Care Level: Easy
Reef Compatible: Yes
Diet: Detrivore
Range: Indo-Pacific to Red Sea
Family: Holothuriidae
Water Conditions: 74-80? F; sg 1.023-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4; dKH 8-12

I picked up this beautiful specimen as an addition to my cleanup crew and preventative maintenance against Anoxic Spots (a buildup of Hydrogen Sulfide) within the subtrate as well as the removal of detritus in a small area. He is extremely beautiful and at least 10 inches in length.

Photograph - Tiger Tail Cucumber "Holothuria Hilla".


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWhzIvVO1rA
Movie - YouTube Video of my Tiger Tail Cucumber "Holothuria Hilla".

 

[ZZROCOOL]

What would posses you to put a 10" Cuc into a 28 gallon Nano you will starve it to death in that tiny tank!

 

[jhale]

if that cucumber dies in your nano you might have to kiss the entire tank goodbye, hello ammonia spike.
they don't give any warning before they die, and they die pretty often. that could be a mess of trouble for a small tank to handle.

 

[jhale]

your posts continue to make me vomit. But I can help but read and watch with a morbid curiosity. IS the 150 fresh water swamp leaking yet?

And really what would posses you to put a 10" Cuc into a 28 gallon Nano you will starve it to death in that tiny tank!

please keep things civil on the board.

thanks.

 

[Jasonanatal]

Reply to Jhale.

if that cucumber dies in your nano you might have to kiss the entire tank goodbye, hello ammonia spike.
they don't give any warning before they die, and they die pretty often. that could be a mess of trouble for a small tank to handle.

Jhale, thank you for the information. I'm completely aware of the risk but I personally feel that the benefits of detritus removal in my Aquarium against my methods of feeding out weigh the risk associated with keeping such a beautiful specimen. Also I look at my Aquarium daily and have some equipment in the planning that will help gaurd against such spikes in harmful chemicals. It would only be a maximum of 1 day should I notice something out of the ordinary with this little guy since he has displayed such an active nature on average.

 

[jhale]

one day could be enough in a small tank.
But then again with a small tank you can do a 100% water change as soon as you notice a problem. for me it's not worth the risk though. good luck with him/her, do they have a sex?

 

[Jasonanatal]

Reply to Jhale.

one day could be enough in a small tank.
But then again with a small tank you can do a 100% water change as soon as you notice a problem. for me it's not worth the risk though. good luck with him/her, do they have a sex?

Well hopefully with the new equipment I will be ordering (I don't want to spoil the surprise) you will see some of the preventative measures being taken. However, these little guys actually reproduce through fission, one can split into two and they have been known to have a lifespan of several years in home Aquariums.

 

[KathyC]

Some information that you might have missed during your research of this particular cucumber:

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=16&cat=1899&articleid=2186

A quote from Wet Web Media:

A major area/occasion for problems/disasters with the group. Under the "wrong" conditions/circumstances like rough handling, objectionable water quality, pheromonal cue-ing, pushy tankmates, pump/siphon intakes, sea cucumbers are known to eviscerate. Hey, one of my favorite terms... basically cast out their respiratory trees, gonads, gastro-intestinal and it's contents, most everything but the kitchen sink through their mouth and anus. This can be a very big bummer as they say in the sciences, with consequent poisoning/pollution/death & destruction to all other desirable tank-system-mates

This was taken from this link:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/seacukes.htm

 

[Jasonanatal]

Reply to KathC.

Some information that you might have missed during your research of this particular cucumber:

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=16&cat=1899&articleid=2186

A quote from Wet Web Media:

This was taken from this link:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/seacukes.htm

KathyC, thank you for the information but I didn't miss that at all.

 

[Deanos]

Any idea why the cucumber is displaying abnormal behavior in climbing the glass? They usually forage for food from a sheltered location; which doesn't bode well for cleaning your entire sandbed of detritus.

 

[ixTCxi]

wow you have one high tech nano reef.

 

[Jasonanatal]

Reply to Deanos.

Any idea why the cucumber is displaying abnormal behavior in climbing the glass? They usually forage for food from a sheltered location; which doesn't bode well for cleaning your entire sandbed of detritus.

Deanos, its actually not displaying any abnormal behavior. In this type of system detritus collects in the rear baffled/sump area of the aquarium. Most of my detritus eating inhabitants detect this an usually attempt to climb up near the overflow area for an entrance. But he spends the majority of his time now sifting the sand and giving me clean sand like he is suppossed to do. The baffles area is actually cleaned every week with a syphon hose to get the detritus buildup out.

 

[Jasonanatal]

Reply to ixTCxi.

wow you have one high tech nano reef.

ixTCxi, yes I do and I love it!

 

[Deanos]

But he spends the majority of his time now sifting the sand and giving me clean sand like he is suppossed to do. The baffles area is actually cleaned every week with a syphon hose to get the detritus buildup out.

I'm confused If you only clean the baffle area weekly, why wouldn't it continue to attempt to access that area for food....as you explained it was previously doing in the photos?

 

[KathyC]

Deanos, its actually not displaying any abnormal behavior. In this type of system detritus collects in the rear baffled/sump area of the aquarium. Most of my detritus eating inhabitants detect this an usually attempt to climb up near the overflow area for an entrance. But he spends the majority of his time now sifting the sand and giving me clean sand like he is suppossed to do. The baffles area is actually cleaned every week with a syphon hose to get the detritus buildup out.

Dean is correct..

The Sand Sifting Sea Cucumber is one of the few species that attaches its lower body to the inside of its shelter and only extends its anterior half when searching for food. Its meals consist of whatever algae and bacteria, and meaty items are present in the sand that it can scavenge.

Perhaps you missed the link I provided regarding their normal behavior.
What you are describing is not 'normal' for a Sand Sifting Sea Cucumber.

 

[Jasonanatal]

I have one question to ask, how many of you actually have owned and cared for a Tiger Tail Cucumber in your Aquarium because I can be a master of the copy and past as well in a Google search? Experience speaks more!