60 Cube Build!

[Justin1997]

I looked at your build thread and saw the video of your tank. That is a nice sump and your Tomini Tang is beautiful!!! It has such great colors and you got a really nice one! :biggrin1:

Thanks a lot I love it, much more other tangs that I prefer out there but there's a difference in preference and what's appropriate.... Sadly

 

[Justin1997]

So if you approve of bristletooth tangs..... then can I get a Chevron tang? Haha. Maybe they are easier to keep on this coast if they come from Hawaii which is closer than the shipping stress to the east coast? I just love that tang way too much... Plus there is a lfs here that hand picks livestock from local wholesalers and they say they get the miracle stock. I have never seen such nice stuff before! I might give then a try after the tank was set up for many months...

And I looked up Lodi from where I am in the Bay Area. We are about 1 hr and a half away! Are there any local reef clubs in the Bay Area that I should look at wanting to join?

To answer your question I'd approve the chevron, although I've had no personal experience I can imagine them to have same personality as the bristle tooth and kole tang. They grow approximately same size right?

 

[bshowe]

Thanks a lot I love it, much more other tangs that I prefer out there but there's a difference in preference and what's appropriate.... Sadly

I know! I need to be rich and famous and need like a 5000 gallon tank for everything I want! Haha.

I will say there was a lfs back where I am from and they had a 2000 gallon tank. Not a pretty tank but they had some large tangs (1 foot and a half) in there and it puts you back in reality and perspective. You see some fish in there full grown and go ohhhh thats why some fish are not appropriate... Haha.

 

[Justin1997]

Yea great tank to have a look at on YouTube if you ever have the time is peters reef tank, amazing stunning in real life, the guy that works at one of my LFS is the caretaker of it, truly a masterpiece.

 

[kevantheman35]

Check out my 60 cube build thread I just posted some pics of the 20000 tank i dive in. We have some giant hippo tang in there probably closer so 12 inches. https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/member-tanks/173973-kevans-reef-adventures-cubed.html

 

[Longnose Hawkfish]

Haha i have never tried a Chevron but that would be cool! And I'm in Northern Valley Reefers. I don't know of any clubs in the Bay Area though. Where are you in te Bay Area? Btw what is the store you are talking about? I wouldn't mind taking a drive up there I check it out.

 

[bshowe]

Yea great tank to have a look at on YouTube if you ever have the time is peters reef tank, amazing stunning in real life, the guy that works at one of my LFS is the caretaker of it, truly a masterpiece.

Woah... His tank is impressive. I wouldn't mind having a tank like that. I also forgot about Moorish Idols! They are a cool fish but super delicate and need a big tank. Also his Sohal is a monster already in that tank. Haha.

 

[Justin1997]

Yea quite insane to listen to the stories he had small mandarins and pipe fish that he sees only once or twice a year, but wow what a sight it would be make the hobby much more exciting.

 

[bshowe]

Haha i have never tried a Chevron but that would be cool! And I'm in Northern Valley Reefers. I don't know of any clubs in the Bay Area though. Where are you in te Bay Area? Btw what is the store you are talking about? I wouldn't mind taking a drive up there I check it out.

I live on the Peninsula near Palo Alto. The hidden gem store I found is called Aquatic Collection over in Hayward I believe. I walked in and he had a black tang, chevron tang, purple tangs, peppermint hogfish, yellow belly regals, majestic angels, you name it and many other real nice high end fish. I also saw them eating and they were going to town on the food! His prices were also pretty reasonable for a store in this area. My jaw dropped when he only wanted $125 for the Chevron! The weirdest and one of my favorites is he has a 8" Blue Hippo Tang in his display coral tank but it has no tail. It is the strangest thing to see swim!

 

[Justin1997]

So what exactly are you using for an overflow?

 

[bshowe]

So what exactly are you using for an overflow?

It is called the XAQUA In-Out. It is the coolest thing I have seen in awhile.

Here is a funny video promoting it http://youtu.be/JSyVrNfgT4A.

Here is the company website explaining it INOUT marine water - Xaqua.

 

[FLipp]

be careful when adding two blennies, they might not get along and chase each other around. best of luck!

 

[LILBUDDHA]

Very nice build .. I don't blame u on regaining that real estate in the tank . I take it X-Aqua in -out's are still to be had in the U.S. ? I talked a buddy into getting a glass cages 34 x35 x 17 ? SF glass tank and he used one of those boxes . It still is quiet and still pulses like it should . His tank is at least 1 year old . I keep looking at cubes again and the drawback is always a big honking overflow box stealing real estate lol . I wonder if that unit can handle a DC return pump . Anywho congrats on the new build and I look forward to your updates .

 

[bshowe]

Very nice build .. I don't blame u on regaining that real estate in the tank . I take it X-Aqua in -out's are still to be had in the U.S. ? I talked a buddy into getting a glass cages 34 x35 x 17 ? SF glass tank and he used one of those boxes . It still is quiet and still pulses like it should . His tank is at least 1 year old . I keep looking at cubes again and the drawback is always a big honking overflow box stealing real estate lol . I wonder if that unit can handle a DC return pump . Anywho congrats on the new build and I look forward to your updates .

Thanks! I can't wait to put water in it and really see how well the X-Aqua works. That is good to know it is quiet and still working well after a year on another tank!

In terms of getting it, I used my father's wholesale license so I bought it straight from the company in Italy. They are real nice and easy to talk to. But yes it seems to be hard to get in the U.S. as well.

As for the DC return pump. I have no idea. I have never used one before. What is special about them?

 

[LILBUDDHA]

Thanks! I can't wait to put water in it and really see how well the X-Aqua works. That is good to know it is quiet and still working well after a year on another tank!

In terms of getting it, I used my father's wholesale license so I bought it straight from the company in Italy. They are real nice and easy to talk to. But yes it seems to be hard to get in the U.S. as well.

As for the DC return pump. I have no idea. I have never used one before. What is special about them?

DC pumps are controllable with a remote type device and use a lower power draw.They pump water well but the head pressure can be lacking if you push them too much .The fellow reefer I mentioned uses the new Eheim compact plus 3000 pump. FWIW I would keep a close eye on that rio pump since they have a history of shorting out in the tank etc. Just make sure its on a GFCI circuit .

 

[bshowe]

DC pumps are controllable with a remote type device and use a lower power draw.They pump water well but the head pressure can be lacking if you push them too much .The fellow reefer I mentioned uses the new Eheim compact plus 3000 pump. FWIW I would keep a close eye on that rio pump since they have a history of shorting out in the tank etc. Just make sure its on a GFCI circuit .

Thanks for the info on the DC pumps! That is interesting about the Rio pump. I have never heard of that. I had one on my tank last year for a whole year and it worked great. Will just keep positive and hope I have no issues!

 

[Devesh]

build is looging good so far

 

[bshowe]

Updates! :bounce:

First I decided to build a catch tray for my sump. Wanted to catch any leaks or if I spilled water over the edge of the sump. I figured it would help protect the stand more. Made this out of 1/8" black acrylic. Below is the water test. It failed with the regular acrylic glue (pinhole leaks) so I sealed all the seams with JB Weld. I think the cuts by the store were a little too rough and uneven when I went to glue it together. Nothing is getting through the seams now though! I feel safer with another layer of protection for the tank.

Next I decided to paint the inside of the stand white with some heavy duty Behr exterior waterproof paint. I think I put on like 3 or 4 coats of it. I thought it would give the inside a lighter feel so I can see better under the stand. Additionally, I found lots of parts of the stand with exposed wood (edges of the plywood and the underside of the stand.) Good job Marineland! :nono: Haha. I wanted to make sure no wood was exposed in case water ever got to it to protect the longevity of the stand. (No photos. Forgot to document that part of the process!)

After playing around for a few hours with a giant bin of Real Reef Rock at a LFS I managed to get the correct shape I was looking for. (That was so much fun! I think I had like 5 or more people come by and give advice and help me out. Haha. :happy It was nice to be able to pick and choose the exact pieces to see how they would go together. Of course I came home and had no idea how to build what I made at the store again even though I took pictures. :doh: So I played around with it for awhile and came up with this similar aquascape. I am actually much happier with the way the final version turned out. It looks much better and it was easier to figure out things with the rock and sand in the tank!

I wanted to do a shallow sand bed and minimal rock work. Hoping to have corals grow out and fill the current negative space. I think in all there is 20 lbs of live sand and 26 lbs of live rock.

Here is the aquascaping:

 

[bshowe]

And more updates! :bounce:

I decided to get the tank wet since the best sand I found and bought was "live." I also wanted to test out the pumps and make sure there were no leaks. Everything is running great and works perfect so far! The only thing I am working on is getting the skimmer tuned in. Let the cycle begin! :becky:

You can see how everything fits nicely under the stand and sort of see the white paint. At first I thought I wouldn't like the two higher acrylic walls (back and left wall) but in fact I think they are awesome now! They are like splash guards to me when I accidentally had the skimmer overflow trying to get it dialed in or splash poring water in.

Now the hard part of waiting for everything to cycle and slowly adding up from the bacteria (currently there from the live sand and rock), to pods and sails etc., to maybe a coral, and then the first fish. I have had it running wet for about a week and everything runs great. I am going away for Christmas break so I figured this would be the perfect time to let the tank cycle and leave it empty. It will make this part feel much shorter. The tank is already starting the ammonia spike, then we will get the nitrite spike, and then everything should be golden once those go back to zero. :becky:

Plus I need time to acquire some more parts like a light. Haha. Hoping for a good Christmas present!

 

[bshowe]

build is looging good so far

Thanks Devesh!