JBJ RF-25 New Year, New Tank Build (aka "The Cube")

rennjidk · Jan 1, 2023

This is my 3rd attempt at a successful reef tank. I'm hoping to take everything I've learned along the way and apply it to this build.

Equipment:
JBJ RF-25 and stand
Ai Prime 16 HD
Intank media basket (Floss, rox 0.8, & purigen)
Tunze 9004 dc skimmer
200w Aqueon Pro & Inkbird controller
IM Mighty Jet return (326gph)
IM Spinstream nozzle
GKM UV sterilizer
Tunze ATO
Marinepure Gems

Display:
30lbs live rock from LFS
15lbs Ocean Direct mixed with AF Lifesource mud
Redsea (blue) salt

Stocking:
Mocha Clownfish
Black Ice Clownfish
Diamond Goby (potentially)
RBTA and Cuc package from WWC arriving in a few weeks.

No dosing, no corals. 10% weekly WC and maybe some aminos. It may be a bit boring to some, but I just love a good Nem tank.

Amstar · Jan 1, 2023

Nice start - is that a swirl for your return nozzle?

rennjidk · Jan 1, 2023

Amstar said:
Nice start - is that a swirl for your return nozzle?

Yes, I forgot to mention the Spinstream. It's awesome. I almost didn't get it because of all the reviews about the noise, but it's honestly silent unless you're within arms reach of the tank. Even then is still very quiet.

rennjidk · Feb 15, 2023

A little update: So the SpinStream broke within 3 weeks and lodged pieces of plastic in my return impeller. I replaced it with an RFG from VCA. The tank is doing well so far (fingers crossed). I'm not dosing anything except amino once a week since adding the RBTA. I did throw in a large bag of GFO before I added it, as my PO4 was up to 0.7, but I removed it after a few days when I bottomed out. Current inhabitants are the clown pair, RBTA, conch, 2 red hermits, 2 trochus, and 3 nessarius snails. I've placed an order for 10 zoa frags and will be adding them when they arrive, along with possibly another nem. I want to keep this tank stupid simple with bi-weekly WCs as the only source of maintenance. The 2yo liverock and ocean sand/reef mud seem to be paying off as I'm not seeing much in terms of uglies, besides some green spot algae and a diatom bloom.

rennjidk · Feb 15, 2023

Gumbies R Us · Feb 16, 2023

Love the clowns in your tank!

rennjidk · Apr 26, 2023

Added some zoas last month and my nem split this week. Getting a little more hair algae than I care for, but overall not too bad. Nutrients are low, but stable. I'm starting to form some coraline and my alk is dipping, so I'm starting to add kalk to the ato in very small amounts. I plan on picking up a turbo snail in the near future.

Lebowski_ · Apr 26, 2023

Looks great!

rennjidk · Apr 28, 2023

Sold some spare lights and made another trip to the lfs today. Picked up an urchin, turbos, and a few frags including a nice center piece chalice for the back wall. I've also started dosing nitrate and phosphate. I'm going to try to keep the levels at 15ppm and 0.1ppm.

Amstar · Apr 28, 2023

Liking the idea of chalice on the backwall. Did you just secure it via the frag plug and glue?

rennjidk · Apr 28, 2023

Amstar said:
Liking the idea of chalice on the backwall. Did you just secure it via the frag plug and glue?

I used ca glue on the plug and chalice itself

rennjidk · Jul 18, 2023

The cube is getting a make over. After having the nems split and realizing they will in fact take over the tank, I decided to give them their own home. This is where the clowns and btas will reside from now on.

With the live rock out of the tank and an upgraded light (A500x), I will be building a wall to wall SPS only tank. I've ordered a caribsea nano tree, and I'm counting on the sand and fist sized live rock still in the tank to dark cycle the new rock through the ugliest. I still need to pick up some powerheads and a dosing pump, but the tank is more or less ready to go for sps.

rennjidk · Aug 2, 2023

I took out 4/5th of the ocean direct sand and replaced it with special grade, mixing well to seed it. This turned out to be a pretty good decision as it allowed me to remove all of the bubbles algae which had gotten out of control.

I then added a caribsea nano tree, which was also seeded from the resulting sand storm of replacing the ocean direct. My water was so cloudy you could not see the back wall after I refilled the tank.

I did a mini dark cycle for around 2 weeks and haven't seen any ugly yet since the lights have come on. I then added a nero 7 for some good flow (I plan for this to be an acro dominant tank)

Fish order arrived today and I now have the original mandarin from the start of the tank, a long nose hawkfish, a new clown, a royal gramma, and a caerulean damsel.

I'm going to give it a few weeks to settle and make sure my parameters are still stable, them I'm picking up a 10 frag battlebox. I already have a 4 head simplicity dosing pump, 3 chamber res, and supplies for the BRS/TM balling hybrid which I'll start when alk starts to fall.

rennjidk · Aug 2, 2023

65% power on the a900x (uploading for my own reference)

rennjidk · Aug 25, 2023

Added another 10lbs of nano rock and some magnetic fragrocks before the corals arrive. Hoping this will give me a little more space to mount plating montis at the base.