Newbie needs help

**rudi** · 3rd Oct 2006, 19:08

Hi All,

I'm intending to start a new simple marine tank.
Size of tank : 1.5ft x 1ft x 0.5ft
Filtration : a small internal pump (do not know the flow rate)
fine sand which i bought at fish farm.
2 pieces of rock also bought from fish farm.
A 0.5ft clip on light with 1 blue and 1 white bulb.

Can i keep a marine tank with the above items?
I intend to keep 1 or 2 shrimp and lobster kind of crastacean
and some nemo.

Do i fill in the sea water bought from fish farm and put in all the decoration and let the water "age" for like few days before i put in live stocks?

Any other equipments i need?

I need it to be as simple as possible cause this is in my office and my boss do not want a lot of equipment.

Thanks alot in advance.

Cheers!

**BFG** · 3rd Oct 2006, 23:46

Hi Rudi!

A small marine tank or a nano tank is achievable but at a cost of constant management. The water parameter will not stay constant and will fluctuate very fast either due to the temperature shift or the accumulated waste product given off by the live stock. However there are certain ways of controlling the temperature shift and also the amount of by-product from the live stock and also by feeding. You'll need to keep the amount of fish low so as not to increase the bio-load. And a form of method to keep the temperature that is constant throughout.

Please look through the marine link I have provided as a sticky thread. You'll find that there are alot of methods being used for a marine nano tank. Take your time to go through the information and plan slowly. Remember, nothing good happens fast in a marine tank, only disaster.

Hope this helps!

**rudi** · 4th Oct 2006, 08:55

Thanks a million for your help BFG.

Will check out the link.

Cheers!

**Orion** · 22nd Oct 2006, 11:26

Hi Rudi

How is your marine tank? Pls share your experience

I tried before but failed longest after 1 month. Now I have a 4 ft tank I treat it as 2 ft so there is more space for adjustment.

I often see nano tank succeed because it is high tech. The equipment used is 4 to 5 times than the tank itself. It like a intensive care live support system.

The live rock also don't last.

**rudi** · 23rd Oct 2006, 15:05

Hi Orion,

It didn,t quite work out as they start dying off slowly.
Now working out to see if aging the water longer with less fauna will
be able to make it.

I have read somewhere where they kept Marine in a tank with just a small filter and they survive. I have also seen in a LFS here that kept 2 fish and a shrimp in a small tank with internal filter and anemone and they survive.

Will update you again, good luck to me.

Cheers!

**2~Terry** · 24th Oct 2006, 12:33

To start a new marine tank, a proper cycling process is required.
juz to summarize abit;

First wash and pour ur sand into ur tank. Next, is the preparation of for the seawater. u can either get it from fish farm ( i find no point in this) or mix the water urself. In either case, salinity should be from 1.020 to 1.023 as a range. After which, which u may add a small piece of MP to kick start ur bacterial cycle.

This is the most important phase to a new tank ( marine or freshwater like wise) and during this phase, water might turn cloudy and its perfectly normal. The whole cycling process usually take bout 3 wks to 1 month plus. So having patience is important. keep ur filter ( provide some current and filtration) on during this period.

Addition of liverock may take places towards the 2-3 wks ( it usually create a nitrate spike and dirty the water). Addition of liverock too early may turn them into dead rock instead. Usually addition of livestocks can take place after 1 month of cycling. System will stabilise over the months.

For ur case, using an internal filter is fine except u might need to put ur hands into seawater every now and then to wash ur filter material. So think carefully. i will suggest using a cannister filter. Next, a skimmer is highly recommended for marine setup. At last an airstone skimmer. U can find out more about skimmer in the web.

All my comments above are a very summarise one, for more info u can do a search on the web to find out.

Hope my comment did help a little. Remember, patience pay off so take ur time to enjoy this hobby.

**BFG** · 24th Oct 2006, 23:17

Rudi, surviving and living in a comfort are 2 different matter. In the lfs, the livestock may be replaced once they perish. You need to let the ANN cycle to begin and end. Only after the ANN cycle would you start to stockup.

**solonavi** · 25th Oct 2006, 14:59

Aging water is not enough these days. PUB/SP services are adding chlorimine into ou water supply in Singapore thus you'll at least need to get those anti-chlorine solution that can rid of chlorimine or those RO/DI unit.

Yes. Do let the ANN Cycle complete b4 stocking up. Typicall its 3 - 4weeks thus if u dun wan to get testkit, leave it alone for at least 4 weeks. Normally, we will put in the Live rocks in straight on the 1st day and let the tank settle the rest themselves. U might juz need to throw a small piece of died prawn/fish meat to kick off the cycle. Adding LRs after a 2 - 3 weeks will most likely prolong ur cycle unless its fully cured and u can ensure that min bacteria died off during transportation.

As for equipment, IMO u definitely need a skimmer in such a small tank else I doubt u can keep the fishes happy or survive long.

Juz my 2 cts.
JC

**des** · 25th Oct 2006, 20:32

bro can a protein skimmer be installed in a nanacube tank?

**solonavi** · 26th Oct 2006, 01:35

U can probably find some hang-on back skimmer like weipro.

Cheers
JC

**BFG** · 27th Oct 2006, 20:10

Deltec MCE 300 should be arriving in our shores soon.

**Orion** · 27th Oct 2006, 20:23

Deltec MCE 300 is 500 DOLLARS $$$.!

Very elitist.

**solonavi** · 28th Oct 2006, 11:38

U interested in the MCE300, u might wan to try out AquaC Remora series.

Cheers
JC

**Orion** · 29th Oct 2006, 17:51

Originally Posted by solonavi

U interested in the MCE300, u might wan to try out AquaC Remora series.

Cheers
JC

I bought one design looks like MCE 300 and perform like one too. (Based on the MCE300 info. found in internet ). It's made of hard acrylic plastic and only 180 dollars. No brand type and works fine.

What the unqiueness of AquaC Remora series? Pricing?