Daniel's Reef Savvy 50g Cube - A Recovering Build...

Daniel@R2R

Living the Reef Life
View Badges
Joined
Nov 18, 2012
Messages
37,334
Reaction score
63,109
Location
Fontana, California
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Okay, so let's get this party started!

I just moved from Ohio to California, so I've been without a tank for a few months now. I brought a Red Sea 130 (34g AIO cube) with me that I planned to set up in our new apartment...but I won the Reef Savvy 50g Cube in the MACNA raffle, so now I'm going to set that one up instead! (...who knows...the Red Sea may also get set up before it's over...maybe a seahorse tank...)

Tank: Reef Savvy 50g cube (24" L x 24" W x 20" H)
Stand: Made from the Reef Savvy crate that the tank came in

Planned equipment

Sump: Geo's Reef custom sump with built ATO reservoir
Skimmer: Tunze DOC 9410
Return: Quiet One something something...(I forget the actual ratings...I'll be upgrading to a Vectra M1 at my first opportunity)
Flow: MP10s (still gotta get those)
Lighting: Radion G3
Controller: Puratek Insight 24/7
Also eventually planning to add a calcium reactor of some kind (probably made by @geo as well)...but I won't need that right away.

Substrate and Rockwork
Sand: Mix of mesoflakes and reef flakes by Tropic Eden
Rock: Minimalist scape of some kind...I will be using dead/dry/acid bathed/bleached rock that I saved from my 180. Planning some type of arch or bonsai structure with shelf pieces.

Planned Livestock (this list is a work in progress)
Golden Assessor Basslet
Swales Swissguard Basslet
Diamond Goby
Pair of Black Ice Clowns
Maybe a blenny of some sort...I'm thinking midas blenny

Corals will be a mix of SPS and LPS (SPS dominant)
At least a couple of clams thrown into the mix.

Here are a few pics from MACNA of the tank and soon-to-be converted-to-stand crate.

2.jpg


1.jpg
 
Last edited:

jlanger

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 6, 2015
Messages
757
Reaction score
1,676
Location
New Richmond, WI
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Great call on making the crate into the stand!
When you first posted the pic of the tank on the crate from MACNA, my first thought was to repurpose the crate as the stand.
I would keep the "Ghost fish" logo as the front of the stand and create access doors on each end. It might take some creative planning to do so, but it would look incredible.
Good luck!
 
OP
OP
Daniel@R2R

Daniel@R2R

Living the Reef Life
View Badges
Joined
Nov 18, 2012
Messages
37,334
Reaction score
63,109
Location
Fontana, California
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Great call on making the crate into the stand!
When you first posted the pic of the tank on the crate from MACNA, my first thought was to repurpose the crate as the stand.
I would keep the "Ghost fish" logo as the front of the stand and create access doors on each end. It might take some creative planning to do so, but it would look incredible.
Good luck!
Thanks! I'm planning to keep the crate almost completely as is. I'll be adding some bracing, drilling the top for plumbing, and making the front panel (with the Reef Savvy stamp) into a door by just adding hinges and a notch in the side of it that I can grab as a handle (trying to keep it as low profile as possible so that it just looks like a crate). I'll be lightly staining the outside of the crate and putting some kind of seal on it to protect from the water, and I'm painting the inside glossy white. I'm hoping it comes out looking as nice as I'm imagining in my head. LOL

This will be awesome Daniel
Thanks, bro!
 

revhtree

Owner Administrator
View Badges
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
47,553
Reaction score
85,880
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
WOOT! Gonna be a nice thread!
 
OP
OP
Daniel@R2R

Daniel@R2R

Living the Reef Life
View Badges
Joined
Nov 18, 2012
Messages
37,334
Reaction score
63,109
Location
Fontana, California
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
OP
OP
Daniel@R2R

Daniel@R2R

Living the Reef Life
View Badges
Joined
Nov 18, 2012
Messages
37,334
Reaction score
63,109
Location
Fontana, California
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Right now I'm working on the stand. ...arguing with myself over whether to use this side...
20160923_113047.jpg


Or this one...

20160923_113127.jpg


As the front of the stand...I'm kind of leaning toward the 2nd one that just has the fish.

Whichever I choose will not get altered except to add hinges.

Oh, and you can see my kids have already discovered they fit well inside the crate. :)

20160923_113156.jpg
 

hybridazn

Acro killer.....
View Badges
Joined
Apr 29, 2010
Messages
7,929
Reaction score
10,541
Location
Grapeville PA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Yaaaay a build thread!

I would use the 2nd pic as the front, but having the Reef savvy across the top in the first one would be really nice to have as well. Maybe switch the top boards out?
 
OP
OP
Daniel@R2R

Daniel@R2R

Living the Reef Life
View Badges
Joined
Nov 18, 2012
Messages
37,334
Reaction score
63,109
Location
Fontana, California
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Yaaaay a build thread!

I would use the 2nd pic as the front, but having the Reef savvy across the top in the first one would be really nice to have as well. Maybe switch the top boards out?
I'm going to use the 2nd one, but unfortunately, that board with the Reef Savvy name is stapled to the plywood...so it's not moving. LOL

Here's a picture of the back of that...

20160923_160324.jpg
 
OP
OP
Daniel@R2R

Daniel@R2R

Living the Reef Life
View Badges
Joined
Nov 18, 2012
Messages
37,334
Reaction score
63,109
Location
Fontana, California
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Btw, I should state clearly that I'm only the "helper" in all this woodwork. I've got a friend who is a carpenter, and he's definitely the master builder on this project. :)
 

jsker

Reefing is all about the adventure
View Badges
Joined
Apr 11, 2015
Messages
24,970
Reaction score
79,700
Location
Saint Louis
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Great build, using the create was a great idea. I was just laughing to myself and saying, how long has been there? A week maybe, and he is already setting up a build:D:cool:
 
OP
OP
Daniel@R2R

Daniel@R2R

Living the Reef Life
View Badges
Joined
Nov 18, 2012
Messages
37,334
Reaction score
63,109
Location
Fontana, California
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Either side is great would just use a poly coat to seal the wood so it stays looking great over time.
Thanks! I'm going to use a light stain on it (one that will leave the reef savvy stamp showing up easily) and seal with polyurethane. On the inside, I'm using a white semi gloss to paint.

Great build, using the create was a great idea. I was just laughing to myself and saying, how long has been there? A week maybe, and he is already setting up a build:D:cool:
LOL I wanted to get to work on it as quick as possible. I REALLY miss having a tank up. ...I was required to unpack enough boxes to clear the living room and kitchen before beginning work on the build. ...but I may have ordered some stuff for it before those boxes were unpacked. :rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
OP
OP
Daniel@R2R

Daniel@R2R

Living the Reef Life
View Badges
Joined
Nov 18, 2012
Messages
37,334
Reaction score
63,109
Location
Fontana, California
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Thanks for the kind words, everyone! Looking forward to getting this thing going!!

Got more done on the stand today.

20160926_130843.jpg


20160926_130856.jpg


I told you guys that I'm not the master carpenter on this job, here's Jason working his magic. :) (He may be joining the ranks of the reef community soon...he wants an aquarium...thinks he wants freshwater...but I'm wearing him down. :D )

20160926_133109.jpg


20160926_133120.jpg


A pic from behind...the back will be detachable, but normally left in place. (Shown without the back on below)

20160926_133641.jpg


And here's the semi-finished product. I still need to stain and seal the outside and also paint the inside.

20160926_172946.jpg


20160926_173345.jpg


20160926_173858.jpg


20160926_173931.jpg


Did my best to leave it with the crate look. There's a latch on the outside and a keyed lock on the front (I have preschoolers) and the hinges, but otherwise it's retained the crate exterior. The inside has a shelf built into it (separated by 3 joists into 3 compartments). Overall, I'm pretty proud of the results so far. :) :D
 
OP
OP
Daniel@R2R

Daniel@R2R

Living the Reef Life
View Badges
Joined
Nov 18, 2012
Messages
37,334
Reaction score
63,109
Location
Fontana, California
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Looks great! Congrats! Whats going inside? Mixed, SPS only, some weird mushroom-only fantasy land?
Thanks! It'll be SPS dominant with some LPS and clams thrown in. Planning to stay (somewhat) minimalist with the aquascape.
 

Aquatic acrobat in your aquarium: Have you ever kept an eel?

  • I currently keep an eel in my tank.

    Votes: 29 14.9%
  • I have kept an eel in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 32 16.4%
  • I have not kept an eel in my tank, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 35 17.9%
  • I have no plans to keep an eel.

    Votes: 96 49.2%
  • Other.

    Votes: 3 1.5%
Back
Top