Looking at 28 gal nano cube HQI- what do i need??

hello,

I am a very experienced tropical fish owner and now have decided to move up to the next level. I think i am going to get this 28 gal nano cube hqi.

Nano Cube Aquarium Kit: JBJ Lighting 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI Aquarium Set

I am choosing this because it comes complete with lights, a skimmer, and all that good stuff. I will be having a reef tank that i hope to have one day looking like the picture on the site i posted.

so basically... what else do i need!?

i am looking into buying about 40-50 lbs of cured live rock from the LFS and using aragonite sand. I am hoping to cycle my tank with all of the live rock and sand and see how that goes.

chiller? i know the tank comes with a compartment for a chiller- so obviously i am wondering if i am going to need one or not.

also. at my LFS they have taps for marine water. should i do this over salt mix??

i realize that i am probably missing a lot but i am in a rush to purchase this so i need to know what else is required

thank you so much

Nano Cube Aquarium Kit: JBJ Lighting 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI Aquarium Set

 

First of all dont get in a rush the nano hqi will be around. I have this tank it is great. You will probably want to be getting a heater 100w, and a koralia nano or 1. I have found that the skimmer works ok but not the best, i am currently researching and am going to diy one. you may want to look into getting an actinic lighting upgrade from nano tuners or nano customs. Right now mine stays at a perfect 79 degrees with no additions i run a fan on the back in the summer. Good luck and happy reefing

 

yeager003,

i notice that you have 20 lbs of black live sand... believe it or not- i have been wanting black live sand! did you buy this online? does it work well? is 20 lbs enough? sorry for all the questions- and one last one, if you are running a 100w heater, do you have it in your tank or in the giant filter box behind (and what brand please) sorry thats kind of a questiony mess

 

Go slow and read this site a lot to get as much info as you can get. Depending on your climate and your environment, you will either want to invest in cooling fans or a chiller. You already mentioned that you are open to the idea of a chiller, so it won't be a shock when you see the sticker price on them. The skimmer it comes with will work ok, but isn't the most efficient one out there.
Pass on Dr Fosters, Marine Depot includes a free stand for $500:
JBJ 28 Gallon Nano Cube HQI Aquarium with FREE Stand (MTS-60)
As for the water, it's personal preference really. I would be cautious about the marine water and where they get it from. Personally, I use a high quality salt mix with RO/DI water. And don't forget to get an RO/DI system in your house for top off water.

 

Patrick

The sand is from CaribSea Arag-Alive | Special Grade Reef Sand | Indo Pacific Black | Fiji Pink | Bahamas Oolite | West Caribbean Reef | Florida Crushed Coral | Bimini Pink hawaiian black i found it at petco. it is mixed with about 4 pounds of aragonite so there are white specks. I think 20 pounds is plenty. There is about a 3" deep sand bed.

I have my heater in the back compartment it is a
Hydor THEO Heater

 

You can get black sand online:
CaribSea Aragalive Indopacific Black Sand 20
CaribSea Tropic Isle Tahitian Moon Sand 20 lb
Keep in mind the second one probably is not a good choice since it is not made up of aragonite, so it will not help maintain the water chemistry in your tank. For 28G, I would suggest using 20-30lbs of sand about no less than 40lbs of rock. When you use a heater, you will want it in the back filtration compartment, that's what it was designed for. To be honest, with the lighting being HQI and pretty close to the water surface, you probably will never need a heater. If you do use one, I would suggest Eheim/Jager, they are built like tanks and have the least complaints of tank burn out and failures than any other brand. I have 3 of them for my various tanks.

 

20 pounds is enough. I would go for about 40 pounds of rock.

 

ok... unless someone else brings up a topic i have questions about- this will be the last one haha..

the heater- do you use a 100 watt because in my old 29 gallon i was told i needed a 150 watt... and i was looking at the hydor theo 150 watt heaters but i want to make sure that it will fit in my filtration compartment

RO/DI?

i have heard so much about these but when i look them up online they seem to be sooo expensive! i undertstand the problems that arise if you use conditioned tap water alone but what are the key points?

and lastly- salt mix... which would you prefer?

oh and by the way i was planning on purchasing the one with the free stand, drs foster and smith just had a better picture/ description

 

Patrick, Here in colorado i use the 100w heater as it gets very cold at night it is only on during the night the light makes enought heat to keep it warm during the day. the heaters will fit there is about 12 in length for it to go into. and diameter is not an issue. I get rodi water from my lfs for now, 35 cents a gallon and i get about 10 gallons a week. I just use brand new gas cans to carry it in. Phosphates are huge problems along with metals when it comes to tap water. Phosphates = Algae. I have been using red sea coral pro salt and have no complaints.

 

Wow-
Thank you all so much i truly received more feedback than I thought i would! Yeager003- i suppose if i was smart enough to look at your location under your name i wouldve seen that you live in colorado... but im dumb, so i didnt- i live in the bay area of california so i dont think water temp will be a huge issue although i will still purchase a 100w heater just incase... ONE LAST THING; i notice that the tank has 2 directional outputs for a natural current,but you recommended i get a koralia nano 0r 1 powerhead... is this a good idea even on top of the other outputs? i have no problem buying one though (they are only like 25 bucks)