24 g Nano Cube dx

[OctaviousMonk]

Please don't buy a mandarin, I hope you are joking. Your tank is way to young and even assuming it decides to eat your pods it will run out of them sooner then you think. This is a fish that should be left in the ocean.

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Mandarins are best left on the reef as they have a low survival rate in captivity due to their eatig habits. Your tank is too young and small for one anyway it will surely have a hard time surviving.

 

[DrCooper]

Start out with a clown or goby! Any new pics?

 

[boardryder]

Mandarins are difficult to care for. I have a scooter blenny and even though I have a ton of pods I have to baby feed all the time. Good thing I have the patience and he likes brine and mysis.

 

[Matorral]

ok... so too late, the mandarin is already dead only took 3 days.. it was really skinny when i bought it. No more Mandarins for my tank. Ill buy a Ocellaris Any thoughts about a Palette surgeonfish (aka Doris) in a 24 g?

 

[Matorral]

rookie07:
thanks for your advice, I know I should do RO, but im kind of lazy about that mess, for now levels are fine. Maybe ill end up selling it. The home depot flourescent has not done anything regarding temp fluctuations, also the chaeto is groing well. At the beggining I added a whole bunch maybe it died off or something, but the clove polyps died 2 days after adding the bunch of chaeto so im making them guilty, I should just have added a little and wait for it to grow.

I dont have any filter sponge at the back I took them out since the beggining, I hate them. I only add a little charcoal once in a while. Maybe trying to make up for not having a skimmer, I also do water changes once a week.

 

[Matorral]

4 months

.

 

[Matorral]

4 1/2 months

Added a few more zoas and kenya, also I got a yellow clown gobby. All is doing great, the xenia has doubles in size in one month. The clove polyps are also back from the disaster. Now im feeding once a day brine shrimp for the goby, he doesnt like the pellets.
My new problem: Koralia nano stop working (maybe needs celaning), and since I had it behind the rock work it will be a mess to take out, oops, now is hidden artifact, the goby seems to like it The coral seem to like the original pump, so ill just forget about the extra flow.

still using NYC tap water, 10-20% change a week, 0 nitrate, 0 phosphate.

 

[Matorral]

4 1/2 months

pic

 

[aznt1217]

How are you using NYC Tap water...?

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

still using NYC tap water, 10-20% change a week, 0 nitrate, 0 phosphate.

This is a fatal mistake. What are the TDS of the NYC tap water?

You're gonna have problems down the road because of this.,

Good Luck.

 

[lo7100]

What's TDS? I'm also using tap water for the fish tank and ro water for the reef.

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Total Disolved Solids=TDS

It's the amount of cr@p in the water that is suspended in the water column but as evaporation occurs it settles out into the tank.

 

[Matorral]

NYC tap water

I know everyone uses RO. Now is 5 month old and everything looks perfect, no exesive algae growth, no nitrates or phosphates. ill keep you informed of my NYC tap water experiment. Maybe is because my soft coral hardy. I think Im hardy too, Ive been drinking tap water for years and im fine

 

[Lenny718]

What test kit are you using? Its hard to believe you have 0 phosphate and your using tap water.

 

[Matorral]

I use salifert test, maybe they are defective. But I can also tell that is low because with high phosphate ill be having anoying hair algae all over my tank. I also have some chaeto in the back sump, only one fish, little feedings and water changes every week. I think bioload (like feeding) is the main factor that adds nitrates and phosphates.

 

[Lenny718]

You must be doing something right than. Just be careful cause tap water can lead to problems down the road.

 

[Matorral]

Ill keep you all posted, lets see how long I can avoid the RO mess

 

[Matorral]

6 months, still nyc tap water, no skimmer

So everything still going well, last week fraged 3 xenia trunks since they grow so fast, coraline algae is also growing well. No algae problem, perfect levels. I think is due to the fact that I only have 1 small yellow clown goby, so there is not lot of nutirent input. Once a week water changes about 3-4gals (10-20%) is enough for mantaining the tank. I also use small amounts of charcoal and have some chaeto in the back of the aquarium. I love my 24g nano cube dx!
Is skimming and RO completely necessary? apparently not in a tank with mainly soft coral and only one fish.
So for now my original goal of making a cheap and easy to mantain tank has been acomplished. Im not planning to add any new coral, Ill just let grow what I have and keep giving free frags. My next step will be adding a couple of ocellaris.

 

[Matorral]

6 months

here a re some pics