60 Gallon Cube SetUp and Growth

[Callieach]

Hey, lovelies!

So, we came in to a 60 gallon Cube over the weekend. Figured why not share the setup and transformation of this beauty?

Got it cleaned, positioned, and filled with water and substrate yesterday morning. And the new skimmer for it arrived today. Woohoo!

As of right now, here's what we've got:

• Oceanic 60 Gallon Cube Aquarium w/ Stand
• 10 Gallon (I think?) DIY sump w/ refugium
• Maxspect 20.5" Razor 120w 10K LED Light
• Eshopps Overflow
• Can't remember what the return pump is, but it's overkill for the tank. Have to dial it back to minimum and use a valve to mitigate the flow, but it's what came with the initial setup and why change something that works for the moment?
• 60 lbs CaribSea Arag-Alive Hawaiian Black Substrate
• IOAOI PS120 Protein Skimmer (arrived today, so it's being broken in)
• Small powerhead that we had laying around. It's one of the backup powerheads for the 75 gallon that we have, but it works until I can get one specifically for this tank. Looking at getting another Jebao PP-8 for it. Undecided at the moment.

We've also got quiet a bit of rock to put in to the tank. It's currently laid out on a towel in front of both tanks while I try to figure out how I want to do the rockscape on it.

Please note that what is currently residing in the BioCube 14 will eventually be moved in to this tank once it's cycled and ready to support life. This will be a gradual shift once everything's ready, too. No tank crashes allowed here! Currently includes the main rock that I want to use as a centerpiece for this tank, as well as:

• Several mushrooms (basic brown and ricordia - yellow, blue, orange)
• 1 small long tentacle leather
• 1 small red acan frag (4 heads)
• 1 small green button scolly
• 1 rainbow trachy (can't remember the specific name for this trachy)
• 1 frag of firework clove polyps (5 polyps)
• 3 frags of Green Star Polyps (this will go on to the back wall of the 60 gallon when ready)
• 1 small purple hiatian anemone
• 1 small green bubble tip anemone
• 1 blastomussa frag (2 heads)
• 1 small Yellow Watchman Goby (2")
• 1 small Pistol Shrimp (1.5")
• 1 small Valentini Saddleblack Puffer (1.5")
• 2 small Tomato Clownfish (1" each)

And, yes, I also have a post up about possibly turning this cube in to a predator-based reef tank, but that's a different topic.

Updates to come as things get added. Still got quiet a bit I want to get for this bad boy, including another refugium light like the one we have on the sump for the 75 and a new filter sock bracket since the one that came with it was super brittle. Didn't trust it not to crumble away.

 

[Callieach]

Partial rock work in place. The large centerpiece from the biocube will be off centered near the front of the tank once transferred. Keeping it in the biocube for now though for the anemones.

 

[Callieach]

Transferred everything from the biocube over to the 60 cube over the weekend. Only issue we came across was the green bubble tip bleaching a little in the biocube. It’s being fed small amounts of a mysis/shrimp/krill mixture daily to help it recover.

 

[Callieach]

Did a small 5 gallon water change this morning. Got a lot of the substrate cleaned up (going through the ugly phase at the moment).

Transferring the two cardinals from QT today. Yay! Temp matching right now and then I’ll gradually add tank water, dump half in a bucket, repeat, net and release.

 

[jeffrey750750]

Looks good, nice upgrade. I have a 60 cube as well

 

[Callieach]

Looks good, nice upgrade. I have a 60 cube as well

Thank you! The two cardinals were a gift from my partner about two weeks ago since the three I originally had in our 75 didn’t survive a flukes outbreak that wiped all but two of those fishes out - they’re still in a different QT tank. Tank breed/raised.

I was originally wanting to go predator with this tank, but I think we’re gonna go predator in the 75. Considering maybe one more cardinal and a mixture of blue/green chromis or another small schooling fish.

 

[jeffrey750750]

Thank you! The two cardinals were a gift from my partner about two weeks ago since the three I originally had in our 75 didn’t survive a flukes outbreak that wiped all but two of those fishes out - they’re still in a different QT tank. Tank breed/raised.

I was originally wanting to go predator with this tank, but I think we’re gonna go predator in the 75. Considering maybe one more cardinal and a mixture of blue/green chromis or another small schooling fish.

I love my blue green chromis, he's in my 60. So active and I love the color

 

[Callieach]

We added two new fishes.

Royal Gramma

Lawnmower Blenny (temporary - have some GHA that’s blooming, so he’s been snacking on it - will be transferred to the 75 once the algae is take care of)