JBJ Cubey 3 gallon

[Katrina71]

My son is getting one for Christmas. Planning some mods. Interested in what others have done. Please share pics, tips, and tricks. Thanks in advance.

 

[Katrina71]

 

[Katrina71]

Planning to use this with a modified hood.

 

[Katrina71]

@cromag27 will hopefully be helping me with the hood/screen mod.

 

[Katrina71]

@vetteguy53081 He fell in love with your light. He snatched it and said it needs a special tank. I'm blaming you for this build.

 

[Retro Reefer]

For what it’s worth I would go with a bigger tank, Im a very experienced reef keeper and just tore down a 3.7 gallon cube that I had set up for about 2 years.. it was a nightmare, the small volume of water is very unstable and you will get wild fluctuations of salinity, temp and water chemistry.. any little problem like the death of a inhabitant can wipe out the tank very quickly.

 

[Katrina71]

I understand your concern. That's actually why I want him to have the opportunity to try this. He will be doing weekly water changes of about 50%.

 

[Retro Reefer]

50% weekly water changes will help but that doesn’t address any of the concerns I laid out. you can still do a small reef but 3 gallons IMO is just to small.. I also have a 14 gallon nano that’s probably been the easiest tank to care for I have ever owned. Both my 3 gallon and my 14 received the exact same husbandry, same water, same rock, same substrate, same filtration and similar lighting.. all corals in the 3 gallon where propagated in the 14 and transferred over, almost nothing would survive in the 3 no matter what I did.. the near death corals from the 3 once put back in my 14 would bounce back and thrive.. I was determined to make the 3 work and was constantly working with it trying to maintain stability and provide the best environment possible using all my years of experience and knowledge, nothing worked On the other hand everything in the 14 thrives and it runs pretty much hands off except for ATO top offs and monthly water changes.

 

[Katrina71]

We started in an 8 gallon. I'm curious to see what thrives and what doesn't.

 

[Katrina71]

@Retro Reefer Did you use macro algae?

 

[Retro Reefer]

@Retro Reefer Did you use macro algae?

No I have never used macro algae.. nutrient control wasn’t the issue, of course it’s the one thing I can’t test for but it’s my belief coral warfare and the release of chemicals from them into such a small volume of water where the bulk of the tanks problems, if you kept a single species of something simple like Kenya trees or Xenia's you may do ok in a 3 gallon

 

[Katrina71]

I'm looking for a pico circulation pump. Any suggestions?

 

[Retro Reefer]

Didn’t run a circulation pump in the 3 because my return pump created enough flow, in the 14 I have a RW-4 and a imaginarium PH1.. I was thinking about trying one of these in the 3 gallon but never pulled the trigger.

https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4586+23729&pcatid=23729

 

[Katrina71]

Didn’t run a circulation pump in the 3 because my return pump created enough flow, in the 14 I have a RW-4 and a imaginarium PH1.. I was thinking about trying one of these in the 3 gallon but never pulled the trigger.

https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4586+23729&pcatid=23729

Do it. We can have fun trying things together.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I'm looking for a pico circulation pump. Any suggestions?

Wont need return pump. Focus on return pump for current.

 

[vetteguy53081]

@vetteguy53081 He fell in love with your light. He snatched it and said it needs a special tank. I'm blaming you for this build.

 

[Katrina71]

My husband will be super thrilled about another tank!!!

 

[Katrina71]

pretty sure I'll be getting divorced if I get one of those hats

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hmmm.... I'll get you one

 

[Katrina71]

Hmmm.... I'll get you one

Pm me what shirt size you wear.