13g Shallow Cube Nano Reef

[a.ndre_s_r]

This is my custom build 48 liter (12 gallons) shallow reef cube. Dimensions are 40x40x30 cm (16x16x12 inches).

It is a soft coral and anemone dominated tank, with a few exceptions... No SPS on this one...
A couple of clownfish, a Frostbite and a Platinum. Running since 2021.

• Custom aquarium build and wood stand
• Sump and external overflow box
• Kessil A80 Tuna Blue
• One pump for return and circulation
• Coel temperature controller with AquaEL heater and fan
• Kamoer X1 pro dosing pump for Tropic Marin Carbo-Calcium dosing
• Additional supplementation with Tropic Marin Elements A- and K+
• AquaMaxx NF-1 nano protein skimmer
• 10% weekly water change with Aquaforest Reef salt

December 2020: Assembly

February 2021: Kickoff

June 2021: Added the fish and mooooore corals..

February 2022: (Finally) Added the acrylic top off reservoir

 

[ylreefer]

Very nice looking tank there good job.

 

[polyppal]

Gorgeous tank. Great work!

 

[Green_Lantern]

Love this tank! Great job!

 

[Mazapis58]

I love it! Well done! Have you got any problem?

 

[a.ndre_s_r]

I love it! Well done! Have you got any problem?

Had a ciano outbreak recently and treated it successfully with Chemiclean. I am now dosing Aquaforest Pro Bio S bacteria to reestablish the population and avoid the return of the ciano (or worst.. dinos).
Currently there is a little bubble algae here and there, but overall the tank look good.

 

[a.ndre_s_r]

Ciano started when I decided to dose aminos and phytoplankton daily to feed the gorgonias and featherdusters … I guess I overdosed it.
And I am dosing only one or two times per week.

 

[Mazapis58]

Had a ciano outbreak recently and treated it successfully with Chemiclean. I am now dosing Aquaforest Pro Bio S bacteria to reestablish the population and avoid the return of the ciano (or worst.. dinos).
Currently there is a little bubble algae here and there, but overall the tank look good.

I have also recently treated with Chemiclean and the cyanobacteria have disappeared. By cons, I have started with dinoflagellates.

Among other measures, the usual ones against the dinos, I have started to add Vibrant (only one dose). I hope it goes well in the medium term

 

[a.ndre_s_r]

Yes… dinoflagellates.. AKA “minions from hell”..:mad:

So far so good. No sign of cianos or dinos.

 

[Reef Jockey]

Very nice build.

Interested to see posts of the larger tank you have in the background of the second pic.

 

[a.ndre_s_r]

Very nice build.

Interested to see posts of the larger tank you have in the background of the second pic.

That is my 120g SPS reef.. need to gather some photos and start a thread for it..
But that is the reason it is so easy for me to resist adding SPS corals on this nano...

For the record, I had all kinds of pests in this tank... Ich, green hair algae, ciano, dinos, debersia, bryopsys flatworms.. you name it.. I has been a real learning stage.

Here is a pic (in a good phase):

 

[saltyfins]

This is my custom build 48 liter (12 gallons) shallow reef cube. Dimensions are 40x40x30 cm (16x16x12 inches).

It is a soft coral and anemone dominated tank, with a few exceptions... No SPS on this one...
A couple of clownfish, a Frostbite and a Platinum. Running since 2021.

• Custom aquarium build and wood stand
• Sump and external overflow box
• Kessil A80 Tuna Blue
• One pump for return and circulation
• Coel temperature controller with AquaEL heater and fan
• Kamoer X1 pro dosing pump for Tropic Marin Carbo-Calcium dosing
• Additional supplementation with Tropic Marin Elements A- and K+
• AquaMaxx NF-1 nano protein skimmer
• 10% weekly water change with Aquaforest Reef salt

December 2020: Assembly

February 2021: Kickoff

June 2021: Added the fish and mooooore corals..

February 2022: (Finally) Added the acrylic top off reservoir

wow! That's BEAUTIFUL!! Nice work!

 

[a.ndre_s_r]

 

[Reef Jockey]

That is my 120g SPS reef.. need to gather some photos and start a thread for it..
But that is the reason it is so easy for me to resist adding SPS corals on this nano...

For the record, I had all kinds of pests in this tank... Ich, green hair algae, ciano, dinos, debersia, bryopsys flatworms.. you name it.. I has been a real learning stage.

Here is a pic (in a good phase):

wow, that's spectacular..

 

[a.ndre_s_r]

Update:
Corals look good and the ciano did not come back after the treatment with Chemiclean.

For a while now I have watched the development of bubble algae and another thick branching algae that I think is Cladophora.

I think it is time to address that.. I will soon add an emerald crab (Mithraculus) to try to control their growth.

 

[a.ndre_s_r]

So last week I added an Emerald crab (Mithraculus). This little guy did a fantastic job and I can see less bubble algae already!
Also, they are fun creatures watch!

 

[a.ndre_s_r]

Keeping such a small tank has some challenges.. Choosing the right corals and avoiding them to sting each other in such a small space is certainly one..

I already had taken out the big green frogspawn (Fimbriaphyllia), because it was extending the branches and stinging everything..

Now I had to take out my purple scolymia, because it was getting hurt by anemones and mushrooms nearby... It was the last hard coral specimen I had in this tank..

Here is how the tank looks now:
`

 

[kad1979]

Awesome build.

That looks like it punches above its 12G weight class. What are you dimensions? 16"w x 12"h on the front glass give or take?

 

[a.ndre_s_r]

Awesome build.

That looks like it punches above its 12G weight class. What are you dimensions? 16"w x 12"h on the front glass give or take?

Thanks!
That is correct, 12g! Dimensions of the front glass are 40cm (aprox. 16in) Width x 30cm (aprox. 12in) Height.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

WOW!! Gorgeous reef!!!