First reef tank, 60 gallon cube questions

[reef’r]

first want to say hey and I’m super excited to be putting together my first reef tank. As stated the tank is a 60 gallon cube so dimensions are 24”x24”x24”. Filtration wise I’m leaning towards drilling the tank, adding Eshopps 800gph overflow box, and I have purchased the crystal cube 18 sump from trigger systems. My questions are lighting and protein skimmer preferences. Skimmer wise I’m leaning towards bubble magus and either the curve 5 elite or curve 7, but open to suggestions obviously like different brands/models. As far as lights go not sure which way to go here. As stated tank is 24” deep and my goal is starting off LPS/beginner corals but would like to be able to branch into the other stuff and have the same equipment be useful. Was looking at the Kessil 360x but have seen a couple comments about its performance at a 24” depth not being all that great? What about Nicrew 150w hyper reef? Open to any and all suggestions and I will have many more questions, thanks!

 

[JC1977]

first want to say hey and I’m super excited to be putting together my first reef tank. As stated the tank is a 60 gallon cube so dimensions are 24”x24”x24”. Filtration wise I’m leaning towards drilling the tank, adding Eshopps 800gph overflow box, and I have purchased the crystal cube 18 sump from trigger systems. My questions are lighting and protein skimmer preferences. Skimmer wise I’m leaning towards bubble magus and either the curve 5 elite or curve 7, but open to suggestions obviously like different brands/models. As far as lights go not sure which way to go here. As stated tank is 24” deep and my goal is starting off LPS/beginner corals but would like to be able to branch into the other stuff and have the same equipment be useful. Was looking at the Kessil 360x but have seen a couple comments about its performance at a 24” depth not being all that great? What about Nicrew 150w hyper reef? Open to any and all suggestions and I will have many more questions, thanks!

There are tons of skimmer options and you’ll get tons of opinions on why each one is the best but IMO bubble magus are solid options for the $$. I’ve ran the curve 5 and currently running a curve 9 with no issues. in reality most of the major skimmer manufacturers operate on the same principle with a wedge pipe to adjust air flow and usually a dc pump mounted inside the body. So basically they all will do the same thing and that’s make bubbles. If you’re willing to pay a little more have a look at lifereef skimmers. No internal parts and you can run any pump you want and require very little maintenance. As far as lighting it’s going yo be the same thing with lots of recommendations and lots of varying opinions. It’s kind of the problem with this hobby when you’re starting out because you get so much thrown at you at one time and it can be overwhelming lol. For a 24x24 tank and you like Kessil lights I would look at the AP9X. I ran three units over a 6 foot tank and was getting a 100 PAR on the sand bed of a 24” deep tank. Hope some of this helps and best luck with the new build!

 

[reef’r]

Not specific to any light brand, the Kessil was just one I have done some research on. AP9X is a little out of my price range not going to lie, hopefully could be around $4-500 for lighting if possible

 

[mortimersnerd]

Nearly all skimmers do a good job. Bubble Magus is a great option. I tend to stock my tank lightly and undersize, but that is personal preference. For lighting, the 360 is a great option. If you're just starting out you should be able to keep lower light corals near the bottom and get a great looking tank. I'm a huge fan of Kessils. The nicrew lights are well regarded and would give you a way to save some money. Both have decent resale value I'd you decide to upgrade. Start simple and don't overthink it. You will inevitably find things you want to change.

 

[reef’r]

Nearly all skimmers do a good job. Bubble Magus is a great option. I tend to stock my tank lightly and undersize, but that is personal preference. For lighting, the 360 is a great option. If you're just starting out you should be able to keep lower light corals near the bottom and get a great looking tank. I'm a huge fan of Kessils. The nicrew lights are well regarded and would give you a way to save some money. Both have decent resale value I'd you decide to upgrade. Start simple and don't overthink it. You will inevitably find things you want to change.

Thanks for the feedback! Do you think one 360 or two?