Help for a complete newbie with a nano cube

[sahara910]

Hey everyone! I was googling for nano cube info and came across this site I live in Canton. Heres my dilemma. I have a 6 year old who LOVES fish I mean LOVES lol he is obsessed. And my husband used to be a hobbyist way back when (before me so at least 11 years) Well a good friend of his is a diver and got wind that my son is into fish and is sending him a 24 gal nano cube and cooling light (I think he said cooling light)
Is there somewhere that has very very basic info on setting up a reef tank. Im so so nervous. Like even what supplies I need. The only fish I ever had was beta. And do you need to buy like small starter fish to get the cycle going?
sigh I am so thankful for such a nice gift but I am in over my head (pun intended!! lol)

Thanks so so much
Sarah

 

[johnr2604]

Welcome to the site. Just ask questions, read alot and search the new member q&a. There is a wealth of info on here. Good luck with the new tank.

 

[blind1993]

as for the cycle dont add any fish, just get live sand and live rock and they should start the cycle.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

You will want to start reading here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com">www.wetwebmedia.com</a>

You are going to want to get a few books and read the cover to cover. First one to start with is: [IMG]http://www.amazon.com/Conscientious-Marine-Aquarist-Commonsense-Successful/dp/1890087025/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1228713468&sr=8-4">The Conscientious Marine Aquarist: A Commonsense Handbook for Successful Saltwater Hobbyists </a> - About $10 used on amazon.

Plus, as stated, you can ALWAYS read and ask questions here. If I had one piece of advice, it would be NOT to ask a local fish store for advice. Just trust me on that. The good ones are far and in between and most do not give good advice or have good, knowledgeable staff.

As far as your first question: No you do not need a started fish to start the cycle. To tell the truth, it is very cruel to the fish to start this way. The proper type of rock and sand will do this for you. In some rare cases you can use a raw table shrimp, but it is really not needed.

I applaud you that you have sought out advice BEFORE setting up the tank. It will save you SO much headache and money. It is not hard to set up a tank, I promise! Just before adding water make sure that you learn the steps. That book will be all you need to get started. The number one reason people think this hobby is hard or too expensive is because they make poor decisions and get frustrated.

Let me finish by saying, what a wonderful gift for your 6 year-old. My 5 year-old know so much about the ocean and sea life because of our tank. It truly is the gift that keeps on giving!

 

[rockdog]

Welcome!! ^^^^ What he said is GREAT advice!!!

 

[ralph atl]

Welcome!

 

[jason sartain]

Welcome!
I have a complete 24gal cube myself.
Just ask questions and someone here will help you out.

 

[sahara910]

Xyzpdq0121;253138 wrote: You will want to start reading here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com">www.wetwebmedia.com</a>

You are going to want to get a few books and read the cover to cover. First one to start with is: [IMG]http://www.amazon.com/Conscientious-Marine-Aquarist-Commonsense-Successful/dp/1890087025/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1228713468&sr=8-4">The Conscientious Marine Aquarist: A Commonsense Handbook for Successful Saltwater Hobbyists </a> - About $10 used on amazon.

[/QUOTE]

Thank you everyone. I will start with the links and order the book. When I add the live sand (what makes it "live" anyhow) and live rock Do I add those to water that is already "sitting" and if so how long has it been sitting ?
(roughly) and how long after that do we add fish (again roughly Im sure there are things to watch for) I just want to give my son some idea in case this thing shows up in a box not covered while he is home from school!
Its a combo bday Christmas present and I know he will want to get right into it but luckily he actually "understands" fish need certain things to survive and is happyto go hang out at that store on Haynes & ld Milton in Alpharetta.

 

[jason sartain]

Live rock(LR) and sand(LS) have all the little critters in it that you need to start your tank.
As far as water you just buy saltwater at your local fish store(LFS), you put in about one pound of rock and one pound of sand per gallon and then fill it up with water ,drop in a raw shrimp for a few days(To start the cycle) and then just walk away for about a month(depending or your cycle time)
You don't want to put any live stock in there until after the cycle has stopped.

sahara910;253172 wrote: Thank you everyone. I will start with the links and order the book. When I add the live sand (what makes it "live" anyhow) and live rock Do I add those to water that is already "sitting" and if so how long has it been sitting ?
(roughly) and how long after that do we add fish (again roughly Im sure there are things to watch for) I just want to give my son some idea in case this thing shows up in a box not covered while he is home from school!
Its a combo bday Christmas present and I know he will want to get right into it but luckily he actually "understands" fish need certain things to survive and is happyto go hang out at that store on Haynes & ld Milton in Alpharetta.

 

[nukieuk]

Hi,

I just got into the reef part of the hobby and have a similar setup to you. The biggest single thing I can advise is do not rush it. Many fish stores will try and sell you stuff to "help" cycle the tank faster. Some work most do not, patience is the key to setting up a reef tank.

When getting your live rock and sand if possible keep it wet as much as possible. You want to aim for around one and a half pounds of live rock for each gallon of water. Be warned live rock can work out very expensive.

Simple things to help avoid issues.

Dont leave the lights on - by all means use them to check they work but then leave them off during the cycle. If you dont you will end up with a lots and lots of ugly algae ( Happened to me)

Make sure you use purified water - RO is the term the handy glossary on the site will assist with some of these terms.

Since you have a 25 gallon setup grab three 5 gallon food grade plastic buckets to mix your water in. Use two for making 10 gallons of water at a time and the other I would set aside for water changes and storing all your wet scrapers, tubing etc.

I would invest in 2 additional heaters it will help when mixing the salt, what most salt brands hide in the fine print is the salinity is very temp dependent.

Above all any questions you have no matter how silly they may seem do not be afraid to ask.

Regards

Mark

 

[xyzpdq0121]

sahara910;253172 wrote: Thank you everyone. I will start with the links and order the book. When I add the live sand (what makes it "live" anyhow) and live rock Do I add those to water that is already "sitting" and if so how long has it been sitting ?
(roughly) and how long after that do we add fish (again roughly Im sure there are things to watch for) I just want to give my son some idea in case this thing shows up in a box not covered while he is home from school!
Its a combo bday Christmas present and I know he will want to get right into it but luckily he actually "understands" fish need certain things to survive and is happyto go hang out at that store on Haynes & ld Milton in Alpharetta.

I can not tell you everything, then you will not have a reason to order the book!! It is like giving the end to a really good movie!!

Live Rock in my opinion is the key, live sand is just sand. You have three choices here: 1) Go with http://www.aquabuys.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=crs_live_reef_sand_20lb&Category_Code=l7&Product_Count=2">"live sand"</a> (which is debatable if it does anything and is more expensive) 2) Go with [IMG]http://www.aquabuys.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=crs_aragamax_30&Category_Code=l7&Product_Count=5">"dead" reef sand </a>(Cheaper and will become "live" from your rock) or 3) Find someone in the reef club that is breaking down a tank to give you some of their sand. IMHO, Number 2 is the way to go. Less expensive and just as good. FYI: you are going to need about 30 lbs for that tank. And the links are to a local on-line retailer that allows pick up so you get internet prices without having to pay shipping. Always good to save a buck or two.

Live rock is a different animal. It has to be alive. What makes it alive?!? Glad you asked, all the little critters that live in it. Microscopic bugs and plants and sponge. This is what is going to make your sand live. Too bad, many places it can run around $7 a lb. An you are going to need about 30 lbs. You do the math!!! (Nice of the friend to give you the tank, but that was the cheap part! LOL) So hints on that. When you are ready, there are a few LFS (local fish stores) that sell rock at about $3.00 a pound. Better then that, if you can find someone breaking down a tank, they normally sell their rock for about $2.00 - $2.50 a lb. Save money where you can!

Cool thing is some of the best stuff for a kid to look at happens before there are any fish in the tank. Within a week, all sorts of ant like bugs will start coming out of the rocks and onto the glass. Worms will start to come out. it is like an explosion of life. It is not big pretty fish, but very cool for kids, and me, to look at and see appear.

 

[gwhiz]

Xyzpdq0121;253223 wrote: It is not big pretty fish, but very cool for kids, and me, to look at and see appear.

See Sarah--you're learning already. You haven't even met Brandon and you already know that he hasn't grown up yet!

 

[xyzpdq0121]

Gwhiz;253258 wrote: See Sarah--you're learning already. You haven't even met Brandon and you already know that he hasn't grown up yet!

Hey, I resemble that comment....


Sarah, if you are needing live rock, you might want to look

 

[sahara910]

Wow you guys are so helpful or should I say ALL Y'all are so helpful !!
I had no idea live rock was so expensive or that it took a month to cycle and as for worms and bugs ew! lol Im going to go check these links out Thanks!

 

[xyzpdq0121]

The hobby is not cheap... I think we figured out the average cost is about average $30-40 per gallon of water once it is all said and done.. So anywhere you can find to save money and/or buy used, you just on it!

 

[Reefplumber13]

salt water city is your friend they are not too far from you and have the best price on lr. and everything else if i wasnt tradeing my live rock i have for a light to night i would hook you up lol but they will do the same for you just take it slow just read alot and ask anythjing you can think of if you do not read it on here

 

[scubagirl12]

welcome! you will find this site to be the best resource. i have a beautiful little 12g aquapod that's been set up for almost a year. other than buying the tank and stand and fish at local fish stores, the sand at home depot, and misc equipment like additives, food, and water test kit online, i have gotten everything from wonderful, helpful people in this club. i wish i had joined right before i got into the hobby because the ARC discount would have come in handy a lot more in the beginning. buy used stuff. i would say buy playground sand at home depot (or cheap/free from another member). and save that money on really good live rock. but take everything with a grain of salt (haha pun intended) because everyone has their own opinion and there is no right answer (most of the time). to make the first month cycle even more entertaining, get a cheap little magnifying glass. with our tanks, we are all kids here. just be patient!