Hey all... Let me start by saying im the type of person who learns things one minute too late, the hard way. I think I know better and then after I do something I find out the right way to do it. With that said, DO NOT BUY AND ECLIPSE System 12 For a reef, for starters. heres why.
-It does not have anything included in it for a reef, except salt and a hydrometer.
-It has inadequate filtration
-The lighting is HORRIBLE
-It just is a more expensive 12 gallon bowfront with nothing else to it.
I bought a 12 gallon eclipse.(1st mistake)
I started my nano "reef" on 2/21/09. My intention was to do a FOWLR tank.
DONT DO A FOWLR TANK. you will, in your travels come across the nicest looking tanks and they all have CORALS, you need them.
I ran the tank for 2 weeks with just substrate, water and salt in there. In this time I ordered an API test kit for saltwater. I dont know why I had it running for 2 weeks, maybe to remind myself to save money for live rock.
Ok so on 2/28 I purchased my live rock 14 pounds at 4 dollars a pound- a steal right???? WRONG If you are getting live rock at a LFS for 4 dollars a pound ITS EITHER NOT GOOD OR NOT LIVE. I learned later that what I was sold was seeded,ugly,white,base rock. Like crack except not addicting. I had this base rock (before I knew what it was) for 1 full month, everyday checking levels, I saw a small ammonia spike, and a 25 day long nitrite semi-spike. (by semi-spike i mean never higher then 1.0 or 2.0) After that my tank cleared up and I thought I was cycled. I then (as i was told) rinsed my filter pad with r.o. water and put it back this is NOT A GOOD IDEA when you dont have true live rock.
I then went and bought my CLEAN UP CREW. I had a crew, but nothing to clean up again because I didnt READ enough. I then (as told by my LFS) put in my clean up crew by floating the bag for a while, a few dixie cups to match pH and salinity and in they went. DO NOT DO THIS. Right after I did this I started looking on-line, just for $hI+s and giggles to see if I acclimated them right. I DIDNT. Learned the hard way there. I added 5 blue legged hermits, 1 turbo snail, 1 nassarius snail. I should not have put anything in there.
It was at this point I checked my levels and guess what??? Nitrite was back. I lost 2 hermits because of the acclimation but the rest were doing great. My levels cleared up in about a week, so I went back and bought MORE SNAILSSSS BIG ONES<---- STUPIDDDDDD. I acclimated them properly and they were in there, I just wanted something in there. The next day Nitrites were back again. I added a powerhead and Nitrites were as high as ever.
I had someone come look at my tank, the first thing they said was "thats not live rock", I was steaming. I called the store where I bought it and screamedddddd for hours. I almost drove there to kill the kid who sold me this stuff. I spoke to the manager and he told me what it was, He said try to stick it out, bring the snails back for store credit and Ill give you some of our sand to seed the tank. After speaking with my new nano reefer partner (darthpadre) on here I decided that what I had was NOT what I wanted. I called the store and told him I want real live rock. The owner said no problem he was gonna go pick it up from where he gets in, and pick me it out by hand for me (very nice). So today, 4/2/09 I went and gave him my base rock, and got new, beautiful, live rock 14 pounds, for $12.00 a pound now. All in all it cost me 168 all together but minus my old rock, and snails. The rock is beautiful and I am very happy (except for the price).
I ordered almost all my stuff for this tank now. I am doing a DIY project on this eclipse 12. As I go I will tell you the prices, how I did it, and my sad lessons. I hope none of you make similar mistakes, looking back now I dont know how I did.
In turn if you wanna do a Nano Reef do not get an eclipse. Get a JBJ nano cube.
Will update daily...
-It does not have anything included in it for a reef, except salt and a hydrometer.
-It has inadequate filtration
-The lighting is HORRIBLE
-It just is a more expensive 12 gallon bowfront with nothing else to it.
I bought a 12 gallon eclipse.(1st mistake)
I started my nano "reef" on 2/21/09. My intention was to do a FOWLR tank.
DONT DO A FOWLR TANK. you will, in your travels come across the nicest looking tanks and they all have CORALS, you need them.
I ran the tank for 2 weeks with just substrate, water and salt in there. In this time I ordered an API test kit for saltwater. I dont know why I had it running for 2 weeks, maybe to remind myself to save money for live rock.
Ok so on 2/28 I purchased my live rock 14 pounds at 4 dollars a pound- a steal right???? WRONG If you are getting live rock at a LFS for 4 dollars a pound ITS EITHER NOT GOOD OR NOT LIVE. I learned later that what I was sold was seeded,ugly,white,base rock. Like crack except not addicting. I had this base rock (before I knew what it was) for 1 full month, everyday checking levels, I saw a small ammonia spike, and a 25 day long nitrite semi-spike. (by semi-spike i mean never higher then 1.0 or 2.0) After that my tank cleared up and I thought I was cycled. I then (as i was told) rinsed my filter pad with r.o. water and put it back this is NOT A GOOD IDEA when you dont have true live rock.
I then went and bought my CLEAN UP CREW. I had a crew, but nothing to clean up again because I didnt READ enough. I then (as told by my LFS) put in my clean up crew by floating the bag for a while, a few dixie cups to match pH and salinity and in they went. DO NOT DO THIS. Right after I did this I started looking on-line, just for $hI+s and giggles to see if I acclimated them right. I DIDNT. Learned the hard way there. I added 5 blue legged hermits, 1 turbo snail, 1 nassarius snail. I should not have put anything in there.
It was at this point I checked my levels and guess what??? Nitrite was back. I lost 2 hermits because of the acclimation but the rest were doing great. My levels cleared up in about a week, so I went back and bought MORE SNAILSSSS BIG ONES<---- STUPIDDDDDD. I acclimated them properly and they were in there, I just wanted something in there. The next day Nitrites were back again. I added a powerhead and Nitrites were as high as ever.
I had someone come look at my tank, the first thing they said was "thats not live rock", I was steaming. I called the store where I bought it and screamedddddd for hours. I almost drove there to kill the kid who sold me this stuff. I spoke to the manager and he told me what it was, He said try to stick it out, bring the snails back for store credit and Ill give you some of our sand to seed the tank. After speaking with my new nano reefer partner (darthpadre) on here I decided that what I had was NOT what I wanted. I called the store and told him I want real live rock. The owner said no problem he was gonna go pick it up from where he gets in, and pick me it out by hand for me (very nice). So today, 4/2/09 I went and gave him my base rock, and got new, beautiful, live rock 14 pounds, for $12.00 a pound now. All in all it cost me 168 all together but minus my old rock, and snails. The rock is beautiful and I am very happy (except for the price).
I ordered almost all my stuff for this tank now. I am doing a DIY project on this eclipse 12. As I go I will tell you the prices, how I did it, and my sad lessons. I hope none of you make similar mistakes, looking back now I dont know how I did.
In turn if you wanna do a Nano Reef do not get an eclipse. Get a JBJ nano cube.
Will update daily...
