12 g nano cube dx beginner

[the reefer]

hey hows everybody doing? im a beginner nano cuber and have a lot of questions lol. well first ive been reading and been emailing ppl on youtube with the same tank. and ive been referred to certain items for the tank. i havent started it up yet because im wating till i buy a ro/di unit or i can find a spot that can sell me water till i get the unit. so thats the water im gona use. also is instant ocean a good salt to have?
and ive purchased these items for my tank so far: Seachem stability for cycling... and the rest are:
purple tech, liquid calcium, coral vite,phyto plex,essential elements, pro bufferx dkh, microvert, zoo plex
ALL KENT BRAND

maxi jet 900 pump, hydro flo rotation deflector,and the oceanic protein skimmer, argonite sand. i know i m gona buy live rock probably fiji rock to start the cycle but can i get more info and tips.

so far the way i want to set up the back chambers are
1st... skimmer
2nd...sponge,bio rings
3rd...pump,heater,active carbon,and stock bio rings for more bio filtration.

PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW IM DOING BEFORE I START THANKS

[Gayle66]

Most folks don't use the bio media that comes with these things. It tends to become a nitrate factory in time (short time). Also, all of those additives are probably not necessary. If you can't or don't test for it you shouldn't add it. It also depends on what you are going to put in there. If this is your first SW tank, then it might be a bit difficult for you to keep it stable.

[the reefer]

so wat do u recommend?

[Gayle66]

Well, that depends. What are you looking to do with the tank?

[the reefer]

live sand,rock, sum corals like frogspawn,polyps,xenia, mayb and anemone. something like that. and 2-3 fish mayb 2 clowns and a another.

[Jadinop]

Remove everything from the back chamber except the pump and skimmer. Keep it clean by siphoning out the rear area during waterchanges.

Stop buying all those chemicals. You don't need a single one of them. Weekly water changes are all you need to keep the levels good in a basic nano tank. 3 gallons a week would be good amount.

[Gayle66]

Whoa, slow down. That tank is too small for a nem. Maybe one or two small fish, or one clown, not two. Unlike FW, SW fish need a lot more space/surface area/gallons for each fish. Frogspawn are sort of aggressive and get too big to be kept in a 12 forever. They send their sweeper tentacles out at night and anything in their way will get stung. Do you see yourself upgrading (size) in the near future?

And ditto to what Jadinop said. No bio-media, no added chemicals.

[Jadinop]

If you want to get the tank started, you can purchase distilled water at most grocery stores. It will be ok to use until you get an RO/DI unit or locate a place to purchase RO/DI water. Just be sure you buy distilled and not drinking water.