32 g coralife biocube rimless mod

[Runnin'Reefer]

Got a rimless coralife biocube off fb marketplace for $250 with wave makers, sand, bucket of instant ocean reef salt, dry rock, digital thermometer, heater, upgraded pump, intank filtration upgrade, digital gravitometer, viparspectra 165 w light, and water testing kit. Probably the most ridiculous deal that I will ever get in this hobby. The buy said it was around $1,100 investment on his side, but he had a kid and needed to get rid of it. Parents got it for me for my bday. Trying to do a budget-ish tank right now to save money as a recent college grad.

Here's my set up during cycling. *see photo at bottom*

I'm going to do updates as I add livestock. I currently have a little zoa frag in the tank, and I am getting some clownfish and a few other surprise fish with them from a company that a friend is ordering for me. Any big advice for a nano cube starting out. Currently wondering if an expensive custom acrylic lid is worth it to limit evaporation. Let me know if anyone would suggest it! Hoping to get a BTA for my clowns and either a pistol/goby pair or a yellow headed jawfish to add some character to the tank. Gonna take it slow and add overtime, and we'll see what happens!

Follow along with me and feel free to give advice as I go!

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Make a screen lid out if a window screen kit.
Get at hardware store and some 1/4" bird netting.
The spline and spline tool. Hack saw. Done.
D

 

[dstockwell]

Nice find.

Welcome to the Reef

 

[Runnin'Reefer]

Make a screen lid out if a window screen kit.
Get at hardware store and some 1/4" bird netting.
The spline and spline tool. Hack saw. Done.
D

I've read about stuff like that or making something out of egg crate. Still trying to decide. I like the rimless look, but I evaporate a lot of water

 

[dstockwell]

I use egg crate but on a stand tank. Not sure how you use that on rimless

 

[afrokobe]

could always save for an acrylic mesh lid from kraken reefs, top lids, etc... Going to be bit expensive, but if you want to keep the rimless look. Otherwise I'd go for the window screen mesh, probably a bit harder to make it look nice with the curved sides.

 

[Runnin'Reefer]

could always save for an acrylic mesh lid from kraken reefs, top lids, etc... Going to be bit expensive, but if you want to keep the rimless look. Otherwise I'd go for the window screen mesh, probably a bit harder to make it look nice with the curved sides.

That's what I'm thinking is my best choice. I just have to dish out the money. The curved front definitely makes it harder. I'm hoping it won't be too much for a custom lid because they just have to tweek the standard ones they make for the tank when it still has the rim

 

[Runnin'Reefer]

Got a bam bam zoa from a friend about 2 weeks ago. Same guy was able to order me some clowns and a yasha goby. The goby has disappeared and because of some issues with the shipping was super stressed, so I'm not sure if he made it. Hoping I see him in the next few days, and he's doing alright.

The ice bullet hole clown was a freebie in the order. Originally had just planned on getting the pair of premium gladiator/davinci. What do you guys think? Should I keep him and have three or sell him and make some money back. I think he is super cool looking. He just doesn't match the other two with the more natural look. Same guy also gave me some digi he was throwing out, so those went in the tank with the clowns. Hoping everything goes well over the next few days and weeks.

If the yasha survived, I'm going to get a pistol shrimp to pair with him. If he didn't, I'll just replace him. The company we ordered from sells Passer angelfish that are juvenile. Thinking about getting one and maybe selling it once it outgrows the tank in a few months. Good investment or too small of conditions for the fish?

 

[afrokobe]

Got a bam bam zoa from a friend about 2 weeks ago. Same guy was able to order me some clowns and a yasha goby. The goby has disappeared and because of some issues with the shipping was super stressed, so I'm not sure if he made it. Hoping I see him in the next few days, and he's doing alright.

The ice bullet hole clown was a freebie in the order. Originally had just planned on getting the pair of premium gladiator/davinci. What do you guys think? Should I keep him and have three or sell him and make some money back. I think he is super cool looking. He just doesn't match the other two with the more natural look. Same guy also gave me some digi he was throwing out, so those went in the tank with the clowns. Hoping everything goes well over the next few days and weeks.

If the yasha survived, I'm going to get a pistol shrimp to pair with him. If he didn't, I'll just replace him. The company we ordered from sells Passer angelfish that are juvenile. Thinking about getting one and maybe selling it once it outgrows the tank in a few months. Good investment or too small of conditions for the fish?

Even if you can't find your yasha, make sure you have something covering the top. I put a yasha in my tank and he hung around the top near the wavemaker for a few days before finally finding the pistol shrimp. Well those 3 days he spent at the top of the tank, he was constantly trying to get out.

I personally don't like clowns that don't match and I would get rid of the bullet one. I also got bali aquarich picassos because I thought some of the designer ones look a bit too deformed.

 

[Runnin'Reefer]

Even if you can't find your yasha, make sure you have something covering the top. I put a yasha in my tank and he hung around the top near the wavemaker for a few days before finally finding the pistol shrimp. Well those 3 days he spent at the top of the tank, he was constantly trying to get out.

I personally don't like clowns that don't match and I would get rid of the bullet one. I also got bali aquarich picassos because I thought some of the designer ones look a bit too deformed.

That's good to know about the yasha. I've checked around the tank and on the ground several times and have seen nothing. I have no clue what happened to him. Still hoping he's just hiding. My goby was struggling from the shipping, and he was chilling on the sandbed when I saw him last.

The company mine are from is called Proaquatix. Super helpful with their customer service. Great experience dealing with them. And IMO all of their clowns look natural and not deformed despite being designer and unnatural designs. I'm super happy with mine.

 

[Runnin'Reefer]

Any other suggestions from my post yesterday?

 

[Runnin'Reefer]

Bump

 

[afrokobe]

Give it a few days and just keep checking around the tank. I would also check inside the tank to make sure he didn't perish and get eaten by cuc. My first pair found each other almost instantly. But the second pair took almost two weeks. first week in the goby was just chilling by himself in the rockwork and by the second week he finally found the shrimp.

 

[Hamming]

Wow, that's an awesome deal! Congrats on the new tank! By the way, for the lid, I've heard that you want to make sure it's made of polycarbonate, not acrylic. I'm not solid on why yet, but just bringing that up. Of course that isn't a huge issue with most custom lid companies since they use polycarbonate anyway.

Would you mind measuring how wide the sump is on your cube? I'm guessing about 3 1/2" but the only measurements I can find online are of the whole unit. That'd be much appreciated!

 

[Runnin'Reefer]

Yes I can do that! I actually have been meaning to measure it so I can get try get an in-tank skimmer. I won't be able to do for a few days because I am out of town. I should be able to do it Sunday. Also, are you meaning the part that is connected to the main area of the tank or the overflow area?

 

[Hamming]

Awesome! Thanks! I'm mainly interested in the 2nd chamber. I'm planning an aquascape for a 32g biocube and I'm thinking about DIY-ing some floating rock shelves with magnets and putting one on the back wall. I'd like to use the InTank media and refugium baskets, which have a thickness of 3 1/8". The coated magnets I've found have a thickness of 3/8". I've got some ideas if they don't fit together, but I'd prefer to know that before buying everything lol

What skimmer are you thinking about getting?

 

[Runnin'Reefer]

Awesome! Thanks! I'm mainly interested in the 2nd chamber. I'm planning an aquascape for a 32g biocube and I'm thinking about DIY-ing some floating rock shelves with magnets and putting one on the back wall. I'd like to use the InTank media and refugium baskets, which have a thickness of 3 1/8". The coated magnets I've found have a thickness of 3/8". I've got some ideas if they don't fit together, but I'd prefer to know that before buying everything lol

What skimmer are you thinking about getting?

Crap I completely forgot about this I'm so sorry. Do you still need the measurements?

 

[Runnin'Reefer]

I've done a lot over the past week with my tank! I've been having some issues with hair algae and a few dinos, but for now I have decided to let the tank run it's course. I bought some chemipure that I need to put in my filter basket.

Last week I picked up a bunch of coral and a new fish! I also don't think I have updated about getting a halloween hermit crab. I got him right before Thanksgiving. I also added a skimmer to the tank that a friend is letting me borrow which has been working nicely. I hate how it works, but for my budget it works great and gets the job done. This past week on Tuesday I drove to a reefers house an hour away and picked up some super great and super cheap corals. I got a massive, 6-head colony of toxic highlighter frogspawn, a big colony of teal candy cane, and a colony of devil's hand leather. The lady I was buying from also threw in a neon green candy cane colony and a little leather tree. All of it was $55 total!!! I couldn't believe it.

That same night I headed to a fish store near her house that a guy on here told me about. It was easily the best store I have been to so far near my house. It's called Discover Aquatics in Cincinnati, OH. The guy working was super helpful, and I got a tailspot blenny that night. I'm hoping he eats my algae, but no biggie if not. He's warming up to the tank. Scared the crap out of my yasha for a few days. He disappeared but is starting to come out again. Everything is settling in nicely! My red disco dropped a new head that is growing in well. My zoa seems to be doing well. I'm loving the hobby. Already looking forward to getting more fish and coral! I'm wanting another mushroom to put on the other side of the rock that my red disco is on. I'm planning on getting a colony of goni and possibly some montipora! I love the big jutting discs they make. I still want a Randall's pistol shrimp for my goby and I want one more fish for the tank. I'm planning on a dwarf angel: a cherub angel, flame angel, or something similar to a cherub.

Here's some pics of the progress!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Tank is looking good!

 

[Runnin'Reefer]

I have updates for this build! I moved to Charleston, South Carolina in February and moved the tank with me. I moved again while here again in April around across town. I have added some various coral to the tank while here like a duncan frag and some sps. I switched lights when I got here to a Noopsyche K7 for ease of mounting since I had a viparspectre 165w hanging from my ceiling back home in Ohio. I still need to get the controller for light, but I haven't been willing to spend the money yet haha. I found a hermit crab in the salt marsh that I added to the tank. I added a cherub angel a few weeks ago and a super small snowflake eel. The snowflake jumped the coop literally that same week which was so sad, so I made a lid for the tank. The fish store has another I could get, but I am moving for grad school at the end of July. I don't think it is worth it to buy one that I will just sell in 6 weeks. This past week I added a bright green BTA that is super cool. He is currently hiding under the arch of my rockwork. I am hoping he comes out for a few weeks before I have to sell him.

The light setting now is much bluer than before, so I struggle to take pics of the tank. If y'all have advice on getting good pics of the tank with the light on let me know how to do it!