95G Rimless build

[Sleepingtiger]

Update!! So much has happened since my last post

• The aquarium has finished cycling
• equipment upgraded
• fish added

 

[Sleepingtiger]

So after having ammonia way high, I gave up and added actual live rock and this did the trick. After 2 days, the ammonia has dropped to zero. Added 5ml of ammonia and the next morning, it was down to zero again

This is great news as I acquired some fish and I was forced to put them in the tank after an incident. I acquired a purple, yellow and naso tang, flame angel, pair of platinum clowns and melanarous wrasse. Also go a bunch of snails. Well, the other night after cleaning the filter. Late last night the snails became active and all 11 Astraea snails started to breed. Releasing sperm and eggs everywhere. I was forced to do a water change. I went to bed and woke up to a completely cloudy tank. I guess these snails wanted round two and started to release sperm and eggs into the water column again. I was then forced to add the fish prematurely to my display. The fish were suffering as the ammonia was between 3-5ppm

 

[Sleepingtiger]

In the past several days, I managed to get an Apex unit and I had to rewire everything. I made an acrylic enclosure to house the AC adapter blocks.
I managed to add some additional equipment.

Current equipment
Ecotech XR15 Pros x 2
Ecotech MP40QD x 3
Reef Octopus Regal 170sss with Skimate collector
Trigger Systems Emerald Cube sump
Ecotech Vectra S2
Apex Controller
Tunze ATO

 

[saulgoodmannnn]

About a year ago, I picked up a 95G rimless cube with a very beat up stand. I decided to just build a new stand. Being a seasoned reefer, I kinda had an idea what I wanted or not.

• Stand must be tall to make it eye level
• All seems/joints to be caulked
• Adjustable feets
• Waterproof paint
• Full extension drawer
• Equipment display panel

After building the stand, I decided to sell the tank and stand. After many people on Facebook kept comparing my aquarium and stand to the petco $1/gallon sales or other crappy aquarium and stands to lowball me. I gave up and decided to set it up myself. My budget is very tight so everything I buy will be used and abused. Things might change dependent on Reef2Reef Marketplace availability.

• Ecotech XR15 G5 (acquired)
• Trigger System Sapphire 20 (acquired)
• Octopus 170sss Skimmer (pending)
• Apex Controller (pending)
• Varios 6 return pump (acquired)
• Ecotech MP40 (acquired)
• Ecotech Versa (good luck to me)

I just acquired about 100lbs of macro rock and will start construction soon. I was going to use the E Macro mortar from BRS, but have decided to use Gluemasters instead.

absolutely sick setup man, I have the same tank I got used from a buddy and I hate the marine land stand that it came with. I’m 6’6 and the tiny 24” stand isn’t cutting it. Do you have the blueprints or a link to that stand? It’s amazing

 

[Sleepingtiger]

absolutely sick setup man, I have the same tank I got used from a buddy and I hate the marine land stand that it came with. I’m 6’6 and the tiny 24” stand isn’t cutting it. Do you have the blueprints or a link to that stand? It’s amazing

man, i am only 5'6" and I hate low stands. You must really hate crouching over to look at your fish.

I don't have blueprints or anything like that. I build this on the fly. I made adjustments as I went along. There are some things I would do differently like making the drawer not as wide so I can run vertical support the entire height of the stand. If you need help, I would be glad to send you pics of the build as it came along. Or give you any tips.

 

[Sleepingtiger]

 

[Sleepingtiger]

So I just decided to build an acrylic box to hide all those eye sore power bricks. Not as pretty as I want, but it does the job

 

[Sleepingtiger]

Current equipment update

2 x Ecotech G5 XR15 pro
3 x Ecotech MP40 QD with Mobius
Ecotech Vectra S2
Sea Swirl 1"
Reef Octopus Regal 170SSS
Reef Octopus Skimmate Collector
Trigger Systems Emerald Square sump
Apex Controller
Amazon Fire Display
Tunze ATO


I am very much at a struggle right now. I absolutely refuse to pay $200 for a 10g acrylic box for a ATO reservoir. However, I not going to put a orange bucket on display. I looked at all the different options where I can save some money and its not really making any sense. The time and cost for me to buy acrylic, composite saw blade and glue would cost me more than just buying a new reservoir. There is someone local who builds ATO reservoir, but it doesn't look very good. Any ideas?

 

[Sleepingtiger]

 

[Sleepingtiger]

I am so ticked with myself. I found the perfect fish. I picked up a pyramid butterfly that was eating like a champ. I left it in my quarantine tank with a yellow watchman goby. They were fine for 2 weeks as both were eating like pigs. I was driving past Petco and decided to stop by. I picked up a purple pseudochromis. I placed the fish in with my pyramid. I so regret it as the pseudochromis had velvet. In 7 days, my pyramid died. The pyramid show symptoms and passed away three days later. What a huge mistake on my part. This is really a heartbreaker for me because I grew so attached to the butterfly. The fish came to greet me everyday. I am so ticked with myself right now. I just want to abandon my main display and sell it off.

 

[Sleepingtiger]

Update

My purple tang one day decided he had enough of the flame angel and killed it. With the stress on the flame angel, all the fish came down with ich. Now all the fish are in 29g quarantine. Currently in the 29g QT, I have purple pseudochromis, yellow watchman, purple tang, one designer clown and a blue face angel.

The main display is now fallow until Christmas.

 

[mehaffydr]

Dude the stand looks great you have great cabinetmaking skills fore sure. Sorry about the fish losses. I get it as I've had a few myself and the preventable ones really suck. Hang in there you have a great looking set up.

 

[Sleepingtiger]

Well, its been two months. My quarantine tank crashed and killed all the fish in quarantine including my blue face, purple pseudochromis and a copperband I had picked up.

I am now remembering how much of a headache it is to keep marine fish.
Tank has been fallow now for two months. The tank was was in the hairy algae phase when it went fallow. It went through red slime, and now I have bubble algae. The glass was covered in bubble algae.

Anyways, good news.
I acquired a cherub angel, diamond goby, scopas tang and two pink square anthias. The cherub and scopas should be finished with their quarantine tomorrow and will be added to main display
Pink square, and diamond goby will finish their 10day, 2 day ttm in 6 days
I am also receiving a regal, 4 firefish, copperband and a yellow watchman tomorrow and they will start their quarantine.

I am so exited about adding fish tomorrow. No matter how much I like coral, it will never be the same as fish. I basically ignored my reef because it was fallow. All my coral flourished even though i didn't do water changes and test any parameters.

I just acquired two neptune DOS dosers, Avast plank and Avast kalkstirrer. I am hoping to get that all installed this week.

 

[Sleepingtiger]

update:

good - scopas tang and two pink square anthias are in the main display
added 4 emerald crabs

bad - the cherub and diamond goby expired. I was doing a water change and I shocked myself touching the water in the quarantine tank. The stupid titanium heater somehow broke.

fish from NYaquatic came in looking good. The indo regal, copperband, 4 firefish looks great. The yellow watchman didnt come in and another goby did. That goby expired the next day.

picked up two baggai cardinals and a black cap basslet. They are also in quarantine.

 

[Sleepingtiger]

Current stock list

Inverts:
Acro - JF Frankies Red Table
Acro - JF Strawberry Wine
Acro - JF Serial Killer
Acro - PC Rainbow
Acro - Pink Cadillac
Seriatopora - JF enchanted forest
Cyphastrea - Bling bling
Cypastrea - JF Strawberry
Montipora - Tyree Superman Digitata
Hydno - JF Blueberry Blast
Monti - JF Frankies Hot Pink Rim
Monti - WWC Cherry Tree
Monti - RRC Red Roses
Monti - JF Citrus Twist
Monti - RR Tropic Thunder
Monti - JF Superman
Panoma - JF Golden Yelow
Porites - Darth Maul
Scroll - JF Flying Saucer
Stylo - JF Stardust
Stylo - JF Burnin Banana
Stylo - Steve Garret
Indo Torch
Hammer
Octo
Frogspawn
4 x Emerald crab
Tiger pistol shrimp
Japanese pistol shrimp

Fish:
4 x Firefish
2 x Baggai Cardinal
Tricolor sailfin wrasse
checkerboard wrasse
gold nugget wrasse
copperband butterfly
black cap basslet
masked clown
scopas tang
2 x squareback anthias
diamond goby

On order:
Red Sea Regal Angel
Blue face or majestic angel

Looking for:
Pyramid butterfly
2 x squareback anthias
Shrimp goby

 

[truepercs]

All looks good,
funny how everyone looks at their aquarium differently... I always like low stands so that I can look down from top to see the coral. The issue is the sump with low stands. Looking forward to the coral pics.

 

[Sleepingtiger]

All looks good,
funny how everyone looks at their aquarium differently... I always like low stands so that I can look down from top to see the coral. The issue is the sump with low stands. Looking forward to the coral pics.

My thing was always about fish with coral secondary. However, both are extremely important and would look weird without the other.

 

[Sleepingtiger]

Devastated. I came home and my gold nugget wrasse was in the floor. He was eating like a champ. So healthy, started to be boisterous. I have no idea how he managed get past the screen top.

 

[Sleepingtiger]

I finally placed the Majestic angel in the main display

 

[cancun]

Hi! I just saw your build thread! Any updates? What fish do you currently have in your tank? Sorry for your issues earlier in the year.