DIY 30g Nano Reef Aquarium Setup Week 1

newyorksteelo Says:

Aug 7, 2012 - Use Live rock. Get it from liveaquaria.

Jason Kim Says:

Sep 28, 2012 - do you recommend to hav chemipure elite during ur cycle??

newyorksteelo Says:

Sep 28, 2012 - Yes, absolutely. The cycle produces all kinds of organics and the Chemipure will only help the cycle further.

Brendan Mccrory Says:

Sep 29, 2012 - aren't green brittle stars predatory? all my research about them pointed towards them catching and eating fish in peoples tanks whereas the other types of brittle stars are safe.

newyorksteelo Says:

Sep 29, 2012 - Think about this for a second and ask yourself the following question. A slow moving Brittle Starfish catching a healthy fish? Not possible, even during the night. This critter gets the same reputation as Bristle Worms and for doing its job. If a fish is sick or dying in the tank, this critter will be the first to devour it, keeping your tank free of waste and decomposition. Same goes for Bristle Worms. Hope this makes sense to you. Good luck.

Brendan Mccrory Says:

Sep 29, 2012 - I've got a black brittle star which just sits under its rock and hardly moves from it but i've read that green version hang under caves waiting for fish to swim under them and drop on them. Maybe theres 2 different types of green brittle stars? which causes the confusing.

newyorksteelo Says:

Sep 29, 2012 - I have also have a pair of black ones on my 90g tank, and they do spend most of their time under the rock, but during the night, they are on the move. Do these critters move about the tank, absolutely, especially at night, but they are not "HUNTERS" buddy, they are scavengers. Sounds like the posts or article you read was written by a hobbyist that imagines things if you know what I mean :) Hanging under caves to hunt land on fish just sounds bogus to me. More like scavenging, not hunting.

Brendan Mccrory Says:

Sep 29, 2012 - i've actually read it on a lot of different reef forums, so might be a myth that got out of hand. btw we are talking about brittle stars and not serpent stars? brittle star =spikey legs? I'm from UK so sometimes stuff gets mislabelled.

newyorksteelo Says:

Sep 29, 2012 - Yeah, the Brittle Starfish has spikes hence the name "Brittle" and the Serpent has no spikes so I know which you mean. If you continue watching my videos, you will see what this tank turns into a full blown reef, yet all my corals thrive and i still have Brittle Stars in this tank 2 years later. Don't get me wrong here, these stars do prey on sick or dying fish, or even sick or dying corals, but so do all brittle starfish, and if the animals are healthy, they will never be prey to this critter.

Brendan Mccrory Says:

Sep 29, 2012 - yeah, its probably sick/dying fish that are being ate which is given it a bad name. cheers anyway, always nice talking to fellow reefer.

newyorksteelo Says:

Sep 29, 2012 - :)

SuperIgnitus Says:

Jan 28, 2013 - Hello newyorksteelo. Was wondering if there is a general rule for choosing powerheads. I have two 1300gph on my 40g that is 36" wide (1 on each side) . I just put 2 clowns and i feel like i might have too much current because they get swept away and dont seem to have much control. Should i buy some weaker power heads or do I just need to let my clowns get used to the current? Thanks for your time. :)

newyorksteelo Says:

Jan 28, 2013 - Get a wavemaker.

deepelements Says:

Jan 28, 2013 - Nike!!!!! still tear up sometimes when i see her. I'm running the fluval 306 for a filter with live rock in the main display. I love the ceramit meidum and active charcal in the fluval, is that a good ideal?. also I'm hooking up the my coralife super skimmer 65. I should be able to keep the tank stable with this set up you think? I also have one 750 Hydor for circulation

newyorksteelo Says:

Jan 28, 2013 - The setup will do fine if for fishes only. Good luck and enjoy :)

deepelements Says:

Feb 5, 2013 - cool thx. I had to return the coralife super skimmer because of leaks so i'm going to get the AquaC Remora Hang-On Protein Skimmer instead. The only thing i'm not sure about now is, should i keep using the ceramic medium the Fluval cam with or should i replace them with those bio plastic balls? thx for the help agian.

deepelements Says:

Feb 5, 2013 - oh also I want to add corals at some point as well. I have a long tentacle anemone and 2 clowns now but I need to get a diff anemone for the percula clowns I have. The tank seems pretty clean and healthy and I also i left the little ceramic tubes and charcoal packs in. Just curious why you took all yours out and if i should do the same.

newyorksteelo Says:

Feb 6, 2013 - If you have at least one pound of live rock per gallon in the system, that is more than enough biological filtration for your setup. Because of this, I would just use that filter to house chemical media only.

newyorksteelo Says:

Feb 6, 2013 - You should only have 1 Anemone species per tank, especially in smaller systems. I already answered your question about the filter in my previous response to you. Good luck and have fun with your new setup.

Dylan Harrison Says:

Mar 18, 2013 - Can you have a salt water tank that is smaller? I have a small tank that was used years ago for fresh water and i want to have a saltwater setup but don't know where to start or if my tank is to small and I have herd its harder to keep a smaller tank going so i'm prepared for a battle.

newyorksteelo Says:

Mar 18, 2013 - Yes you can but like you stated, it was way harder to keep. I recommend you visit my video titled "Nano Reefs VS Larger Reef Tanks" before you venture into setting one up so you can know what to expect beforehand.

Wigge Holmkvist Says:

Mar 31, 2013 - I have just setting up a DSB and now after almost a month is the algae on the sand that looks like brown cyano... is that normal?

newyorksteelo Says:

Mar 31, 2013 - A normal part of the cycle and the bed maturing. Now its time to control your nutrients and let the bed mature. Please visit my video titled "How To Cycle A Reef Aquarium" to find the answers you seek.

Robert Rangel Says:

Apr 3, 2013 - I am in the process of sanitizing my 25 gallon freshwater tank to start a nano reef. I have a backpack filter and need to buy a new heater.(I dropped it while watching your vids) lol. So.. after I bleach and rinse and use chemipure do i need to have a fan to circulate the salt water until I get the live sand or should just wait to start the water until I have the fan, live sand, and live rock? Also do I have to have a protein skimmer??

newyorksteelo Says:

Apr 3, 2013 - Ouch lol. One way to avoid this is to get a Titanium Heater instead of a glass heater. JBJ makes a nice Titanium heater called the True Temp. As for your question, you need to have power heads in the tank to mix the saltwater well for at least 24 hours before you begin to add the contents such as sand and rocks. A protein skimmer will be your best bet, although it's not an absolute necessity. Have fun and good luck.