Bleigh's 60 gallon cube

[Bleigh]

Looks like a nice set up. Im not familiar with some of it as i dont know resi gear as well as pro gear but i did some quick research and its some pretty cool stuff.

Lol. It’s not too bad I suppose. Does what’s it’s meant to do. Plus it does some stuff for my tank without needing a controller (so far) so that’s a plus.

 

[Bleigh]

I would guess the light would still work through the side but you'll lose some intensity. I would give it a shot and if its not growing chaeto (or whatever you're putting in the sump as much as you want), then figure out some way to mount above. Might just be fine though. Not sure how I missed this thread- but the tank looks awesome, cant wait to see it come together. Nice work!

That’s good to know. I saw a panel of led’s that I thought about just attaching to the side, but wasn’t sure it would work well. If this small thing grows it okay, I may switch to the larger panel I saw.

 

[Bleigh]

If that doesn’t work you could put some eggcrate on top of the sump and put it on that.

Can you get egg crate from places like Home Depot? If so, I’ll run and get some tomorrow.

 

[Bleigh]

that light will grow more than chaeto, I was growing algae inside my skimmer.

Is that a good thing? Lol

I’ve read that it’s a pretty decent light. For $20, I figured it was worth a try.

 

[Hemmdog]

Can you get egg crate from places like Home Depot? If so, I’ll run and get some tomorrow.

I don’t think so I wish.

 

[Bleigh]

I don’t think so I wish.

So is it something that needs to be orders from amazon? If so, I’ll go ahead and do that.

 

[Bleigh]

I don’t think so I wish.

Wait... is this not the egg crate people use? I can’t tell from the picture.

PLASKOLITE 4 ft. x 2 ft. Suspended Egg Crate Light Ceiling Panel 1199233A - The Home Depot

PLASKOLITE egg crate louvers are an efficient, economical solution for a variety of lighting needs. The open cell design offers a modern, industrial appearance while allowing free air circulation that

www.homedepot.com

 

[Hemmdog]

So is it something that needs to be orders from amazon? If so, I’ll go ahead and do that.

For this yea that’s fine. I get mine from brs just because it’s fine to be submerged for marine. I’m not sure if the amazon ones are made the same. The white ones I know are usually not as successful for their applications, more flimsy, gha magnet for some reason. I’m not sure why.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Here’s some pictures. I don’t know what most of the things do. I know the two bottom things are batteries. The tank also has its own battery back up.

Pretty cool. I assume you can control it all from your phone?

 

[Hemmdog]

Black Egg Crate for Aquariums 2' x 2' Square

Why does BRS recommend this? Egg crate can be used for numerous different things. From frag racks, skimmer stands, to support under your aquascape. It is always a good idea to have some egg crate on hand. Black egg crate is the preferred surface for mounting large numbers of coral frags for...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

This is what I use.

 

[Bleigh]

Pretty cool. I assume you can control it all from your phone?

Yep!

 

[Bleigh]

Black Egg Crate for Aquariums 2' x 2' Square

Why does BRS recommend this? Egg crate can be used for numerous different things. From frag racks, skimmer stands, to support under your aquascape. It is always a good idea to have some egg crate on hand. Black egg crate is the preferred surface for mounting large numbers of coral frags for...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

This is what I use.

I think the black would look better than white. Also. I may get a piece of it from hd just for now while I’m waiting on a better one.

 

[crusso1993]

Can you get egg crate from places like Home Depot? If so, I’ll run and get some tomorrow.

Home Depot sells white and faux chrome plated egg crate. However, it's never in the lighting section. You can usually find it on the back wall near the doors and windows. I have no idea why they keep it there but that's where they have it.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Home Depot sells white and faux chrome plated egg crate. However, it's never in the lighting section. You can usually find it on the back wall near the doors and windows. I have no idea why they keep it there but that's where they have it.

Yeah and they have a million pieces of plumbing combinations in every store and never the piece I need. I will check by the doors and windows, LOL.

 

[siggy]

You might consider hanging it above the fuge section, too close can cook the chaeto then you will be doing the complete opposite of what your trying to accomplish. I think your location on the side is a good start. the white sump divider will also help to contain the spill from the light from growing algae elsware in the sump. FWIW home made chaeto reactor leds shoot threw 1/4" acrylic

 

[GoVols]

Was just wondering if it would be safe or if I shouldn’t do it. I’m cool if I shouldn’t. My plan had been to buy new anyways.

It's defiantly good for seeding a new reef.

I used to change out my entire sand bed (every Spring), slowly over a three week period, (and put in new) because whether sand is hardened or not it will absorb phosphates, and they could leach back out (Randy has back me up on that too)

Think that was what @siggy is eluding to.

Never meant to go BB, but one year I never got around to replacing the sand bed.

Been BB for many years now, but it's not for all.

Rakie (Tim) went BB and his phos and nitrates plummeted, because he has so few fish. He went back to a sand bed and his phos and nitrates climbed back up, and stabled back out.

If I ever went back, it's those Tropic Eden / Reef Flakes that Premium Aquatics sells...

 

[GoVols]

;Wideyed

Will ya trade it for an Apex Jr???

 

[Birddog]

that light will grow more than chaeto, I was growing algae inside my skimmer.

Same here, me too!

 

[CDavmd]

Phenomenal build! Clean and well executed....appeals to my OCD Following!
Re- will the Chaeto grow- definitely yes. My Frag system refugium section has an acrylic lid and the lighting intensity is no issue. It actually grows to well and bottoms out my Nitrate and phosphates.

Also I would not use sand in the refugium- just personal opinion- I've done it in the past and it eventually becomes quite the mess. I prefer using a layer of pond matrix on the bottom and leave lots of room for the chaeto to grow and tumble.

cheers on an awesome build!

 

[Dom]

Just getting caught up on this build. Impressive!

While not as aesthetically pleasing, personally, I have always been a fan of open tank stands. Ventilation makes it easier to prevent the tank from over-heating.

I love the idea of using a base cabinet as a stand. I had considered using one for my last build, but decided against it as I had some concerns.

Will the base cabinet hold the weight of the tank? I never imagined you would be able to use a base cabinet without first reinforcing it. The down side to cut outs for plumbing and sump access is that it also serves to weaken the cabinet.

I thought about using a 48 inch base cabinet for a stand in my last build (let the scolding commence for not updating my build thread). My idea was to build a basic stand, disassemble the cabinet and reassemble it around the stand to give it a more aesthetically pleasing appearance.

Will the cabinet stand up to the humidity? Over time, heat and humidity will build up and do what it does to wood and particle board. Another reason I'd want to reinforce the cabinet with a wood frame of some sort. To combat this, I planned on installing a modest fan that would run 24x7 to keep air flowing in and humidity flowing out.

I've always liked my plumbing within the footprint of the stand. And it is for this reason that I always drill through the bottom and count on rock work, Coraline algae and plumbing to match my background as a means of concealing the plumbing in the tank.

While I realize that plumbing coming out the back of the tank is protected as it is positioned between the tank and the wall, I've always felt uneasy about having plumbing exposed in any way.

Following along...