Rimless 55g sps cube build

[Newb_reefer1]

Hey everyone, after picking up an interest in sps reef tanks I decided I wanted to setup a tank and give sps a go. I love that I can have a reef ecosystem in my room and the colors on sps are amazing ! So this is going to be my first attempt keeping sps so ill take any and all advice you guys can give me EQUIPMENT: • 55g rimless cube •25-30g AA custom 3 chamber sump • 250w HQI 20k MH lighting • 50lbs of dry base rock/shelf rock• 45lbs of Fiji pink live sand • Bubble Magnus curve 7 skimmer • 2 single BRS reactors GFO/carbon w/ maxijet 1200/900• jbj ATO w/ aqua lifter pump • 2 wp-25s LIVESTOCK PLANS: • 3 lyretail anthias • Hawaiian flame wrasse• golden rhomboid wrasse • powder blue tang Maybe 1 other fish if I can Now for everyone's favorite part the pictures Sump:

Stand:

Tank:

Skimmer:

ATO:

MH lights:

 

[rajkovich207]

Blue tangs get huge, I would stay away from them, infact all tangs are a bit big for this. Tangs want length for swimming room. Doesn't matter if you have "minimum tank requirements" without the length for them to swim in. A group of wrasses or certain anthias would look amazing in here on the other hand!

 

[Newb_reefer1]

hmmm maybe i should get a pair of flame or golden romboid instead... or an ornate leopard wrasse, those look awesome

 

[Newb_reefer1]

I've got sand and rocks in the tank now let me know what you think about my aquascape.

Tank 3/4ths the way filled !

 

[Albie23]

Looks great so far..

 

[Newb_reefer1]

Had the tank set up for about 3 weeks then I added my clean up crew

I let the tank be for about a week after adding the clean up crew and I tested and my params are spot on
Ammonia:0
Nitrate:0
Nitrite:0
Calcium:420
Alk: 8.5
Mag: 1350

Picked up my first sps frags after the test, here they are
Green slimmer:

Blue tipped acro:

Deep water turaki:

Forest fire digi:

Green birdsnest, purple birdsnest, red monti cap:

 

[Newb_reefer1]

Oh man, these wp25s are amazing ! They move so much water it's crazy ad I love the controllability of these pumps. I can set it so the water rocks back and forth and it makes waves like no other pump. Can't believe I was going to buy 2 mp10s these are a way better deal

 

[Newb_reefer1]

Wp25s in action ! - YouTube

Here is a video of the pumps in action, I know everyone likes to see how they actually perform

 

[revhtree]

Looking good!!

 

[Newb_reefer1]

Thanks I've decided that I'm just going to make this an anthias/wrasse cube so scratch the tang idea....

 

[mp2012]

Like the rock work. Keep the pics coming!

 

[Newb_reefer1]

Like the rock work. Keep the pics coming!

Thanks I appreciate it ! I tried to make the scape with the corals and fish in mind, I have a lot of surface area for the corals to grow and a lot of open water to satisfy the swimming needs of my fish

 

[Nails12]

Looking good man! Following along!

Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2

 

[jservedio]

Looking awesome! That big stag with the purplish/pink tips is looking like it might be in trouble! It looks like there is some major recession on that one branch. Keep an eye on it. If the recession continues from the base up you will want to frag it (about 1/2" up from the line between living/dead) otherwise it will continue receding.

I can't tell from the picture if it is just from the way they fragged it (I've been super messy with the clippers or glue and mangled the bottom inch of a frag before which recovered) or if it is truly receding from the base up.

That will be your biggest challenge in the beginning - STN from the base up! Everyone I know (including me) who moved on to SPS primary tanks all had that problem in the beginning as they were fine tuning their parameters, flow, and lighting.

Good Luck - I love the pictures and that is a super cool sump!

 

[Newb_reefer1]

Looking awesome! That big stag with the purplish/pink tips is looking like it might be in trouble! It looks like there is some major recession on that one branch. Keep an eye on it. If the recession continues from the base up you will want to frag it (about 1/2" up from the line between living/dead) otherwise it will continue receding.

I can't tell from the picture if it is just from the way they fragged it (I've been super messy with the clippers or glue and mangled the bottom inch of a frag before which recovered) or if it is truly receding from the base up.

That will be your biggest challenge in the beginning - STN from the base up! Everyone I know (including me) who moved on to SPS primary tanks all had that problem in the beginning as they were fine tuning their parameters, flow, and lighting.

Good Luck - I love the pictures and that is a super cool sump!

glad you posted this because i was about to ask for some help on the stag... it looked like that since day one though im hopping its just from the way the guy fragged it, it looks sloppy and not well done. ive been watching it for the past few days, it still looks the same as when i added it to the tank it hasent STN any more than when i first realized it but ill keep an eye on it hopefully it will heal up. everything else is doing amazing im getting awesome PE & color out of all the other frags and my green slimmer even colored up from brown to vibrant green i just a few days. ill get some closer pics of the problem acro and maybe you guys can help me out

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

Love the rock work!!!

 

[calvo15290]

Suggestion ..... Put zoas at the bottom I love sps and Zoa tanks there sooo cool

 

[Newb_reefer1]

Suggestion ..... Put zoas at the bottom I love sps and Zoa tanks there sooo cool

maybe.... i dont really like zoas i an sps guy way more colors and cooler look to them

 

[calvo15290]

maybe.... i dont really like zoas i an sps guy way more colors and cooler look to them

That's what I love about the hobby it's what you want best of luck looking forward to seeing it develop

 

[Newb_reefer1]

Here's a pic of the sump and all my equipment, using the 2 liter bottle as a drain for the skimmer so I don't have to dump it out as offen
Still need to get a fuge light and some sort of substrate to grow my mangroves in...