My 150g Cube Journey

ScubaShane · Oct 25, 2022

That's a sexy setup! I love cubes. I'm following.

backbayreef · Oct 25, 2022

I believe that one can implement a recirculating CO2 scrubber to improve the media’s longevity by feeding it from the skimmer cup. However, if that fills up, I might crash the tank! I can program the Apex to turn off the skimmer once the collection up gets closer to the top…another weekend project!

For now, will settle for outside air! :)

backbayreef · Oct 25, 2022

ScubaShane said:
That's a sexy setup! I love cubes. I'm following.

Thanks — it’s obviously a WIP but that’s what this is all about… ha

backbayreef · Oct 25, 2022

ScubaShane said:
That's a sexy setup! I love cubes. I'm following.

Also — saw your Floor build, very cool! I’ve never seen one in person actually. Might love to try that one of these days ;)

ScubaShane · Oct 25, 2022

bakbay said:
Also — saw your Floor build, very cool! I’ve never seen one in person actually. Might love to try that one of these days ;)

Thank you. I'm laying on the couch staring at it now. Still building stands and showcases. Between COVID and me getting injured, buying wood has been on pause!

backbayreef · Oct 25, 2022

I’ve added a “frag rack” with the following frags from a local reefer:
Walt Disney
JF Tierra del Fuego
UC Miami Beach
BC Frankenberry
RR Wolverine
RR Rainbow Loom
RR Lady in Pink
RR Pink Floyd

backbayreef · Dec 8, 2022

I’ve recently added two MP40s to the tank. One of them is on a DIY battery backup solution from a fellow R2R member. The other convo is here:

DIY Bootleg "EcoTech" Battery Backup

Decided to make my own instead. BTW, I'm a huge fan of EcoTech products, just not the battery backup. Not feeling like soldering (and I have a background in micro-soldering), I decided to make it a plug and go system right off the shelves of Amazon (mostly). Been working great for a year and...

www.reef2reef.com

Total flow: 3xWAVs and 2xMP40s

I’m hoping to swap out 3 WAVs for 2xMP60s this Christmas but that is still a wish…

nuxx · Dec 8, 2022

Looks great, love new builds :)

Part of me thinks starting a new build and transferring everything from an existing tank sounds fun every few years. Would never have to worry about a ticking time bomb ;)

backbayreef · Dec 8, 2022

nuxx said:
Looks great, love new builds :)

Part of me thinks starting a new build and transferring everything from an existing tank sounds fun every few years. Would never have to worry about a ticking time bomb ;)

Thanks -- well, that has always been the plan but please don't tell my wife! lol

I've never had a monster tank (biggest was 175g) so been contemplating to "take the plunge" of getting one. However, given my crazy work and hectic lifestyles, that's currently out of reach. One of these days, I will attempt the 500g+ tank in the garage. For now, just enjoying the 150g cube in the kitchen... perhaps it will be my "quarantine" tank in a few years? Again, still day dreaming...

backbayreef · Dec 8, 2022

@nuxx just looked at your build thread -- what a phenomenal setup! Hope you've restarted yours?

nuxx · Dec 8, 2022

bakbay said:
@nuxx just looked at your build thread -- what a phenomenal setup! Hope you've restarted yours?

Well I feel so sad looking back at it now...

I actually started selling fish/coral online back during that build, kind of how I had such crazy fish while still blowing money on things like cars lol

I got completely out of the hobby for years and years after I had those mysterious deaths and taking the tank down.

Eric Cohen (Used to run Seadwelling / Was on Tanked) called me up last year and asked if I'd want to get back into selling fish/coral online with him and I was excited to.

So fast forward a year and now starting to get back into the hobby side.

We just had our first children a month ago (twin girls) and had moved from Austin to Llano and started and sold a brewpub and remodeled a 100+ year old house and 100+ year old building in the town square. We're back in the Austin area now and once our Llano house sells, we're going to remodel this house a bit (it's new but builder grade, we did a foundation to roof remodel of the Llano house, so I'm picky now).

The media room in this new house would have a crazy view (the back of the house does) but only has one forward facing window. We want to take out all the carpet in the house and put wood in and also add windows to the media room to make it my office.

When that's done, I think I'll probably get a small tank (30-60 gallons) and do SPS and species only with a Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse (a fish I love and couldn't get through QT). There are tank raised Hawaiians now, but are not available most of the time. I think it would be a fun project to cover for the site as well.

I know that's how it starts, but I'm not sure I have the time to do a big tank again. Also, I want to move in the next 7-10 years, so I don't want to have such a big boat anchor in a house ATM.

Sorry for the rant :P

R2R has really got the feels going in me for the hobby though...

ScottD · Dec 23, 2022

Hey Bakbay,

I’m curious about your lighting. How are you liking the radions? Was there a reason you went with 2 of the xr30s instead of xr15s? Also curious why you went with the kessil ap9x instead of the 500x to start with?

thanks,
Scott

backbayreef · Dec 23, 2022

scott_the_reefer said:
Hey Bakbay,

I’m curious about your lighting. How are you liking the radions? Was there a reason you went with 2 of the xr30s instead of xr15s? Also curious why you went with the kessil ap9x instead of the 500x to start with?

thanks,
Scott

Hello Scott — love them! Very strong lights and less shimmer. I could get away with 2 XR15s but given I had a great deal on them, I went all in - lol. That said, I might be upgrading in a few years to a longer tank so just planning ahead…

I originally liked the ap9x due to its sleek design and shimmer but I got a headache looking at the tank. Also, I needed 2 to have good coverage hence made the switch. Nothing against the ap9x though - great light, very sleek design, etc… It wasn’t for me.

Happy Holidays!

ScottD · Dec 23, 2022

Happy holidays to you as well. Hoping to get some stuff for my tank or maybe some gift cards towards stuff. I ended up getting a great deal on a 36x36x24 tank (135 gallons) which is sitting in my garage waiting for me to get going on it.

I was curious about you going with the ap9x just because that is recommended for a 36x24 spread where the kessil A500x is rated at 36x36. It’s interesting the ap9x gave you a headache.

dstockwell · Dec 23, 2022

Cube, sweet setup

backbayreef · Dec 24, 2022

scott_the_reefer said:
Happy holidays to you as well. Hoping to get some stuff for my tank or maybe some gift cards towards stuff. I ended up getting a great deal on a 36x36x24 tank (135 gallons) which is sitting in my garage waiting for me to get going on it.

I was curious about you going with the ap9x just because that is recommended for a 36x24 spread where the kessil A500x is rated at 36x36. It’s interesting the ap9x gave you a headache.

Very cool — looks like we have the exact same dimensions. Cube tanks are cool…until they’re not, esp dealing with flow, which you’ll find out soon! :)

Currently I’m running with 5 pumps: 3xWAVs on the back wall and 2xMP40qd on the sides; yet I’m still not very happy with them…Hindsight: build rock structures to be at 50% max, not 70%

Looking forward to see your build. I’m sure it will be awesome!

ScottD · Dec 24, 2022

bakbay said:
Very cool — looks like we have the exact same dimensions. Cube tanks are cool…until they’re not, esp dealing with flow, which you’ll find out soon! :)

Currently I’m running with 5 pumps: 3xWAVs on the back wall and 2xMP40qd on the sides; yet I’m still not very happy with them…Hindsight: build rock structures to be at 50% max, not 70%

Looking forward to see your build. I’m sure it will be awesome!

Thanks, I’m excited about it. Planning on getting a build thread going here shortly. I’ve got a spot that works nicely for it. I’ll be able to view it from 3 sides. I don’t really have anywhere in my house for a 4 foot or longer tank that we’re around much so the cube was my best bet. I’ll post my thread here for you to check out if you’d like when I get it going.

I know flow is going to be a challenge. My plan has been to go a max of 15 or 16” up with the rock work. Maybe I’ll keep it around 14.

Slicktop · Dec 24, 2022

My cube is the same size .. Flow is a bit difficult for sure. Right now I have 1 Octo pulse 4 and a 2 on opposite sides of each other, the 4 more towards the back and the 2 in front . I also have a Tunze Turnbelle stream 6150 on the back glass pointing up for surface agitation. This covers the tank pretty good, except for the center bottom. I have to aim my returns there so I have no dead spots. I have mostly sps, and a few nice LPS. The LPS dont seem to mind all the flow and SPS love it. I only run the Octo 4 on lowest setting, this pump will move some water.

ScottD · Dec 24, 2022

Slicktop said:
My cube is the same size .. Flow is a bit difficult for sure. Right now I have 1 Octo pulse 4 and a 2 on opposite sides of each other, the 4 more towards the back and the 2 in front . I also have a Tunze Turnbelle stream 6150 on the back glass pointing up for surface agitation. This covers the tank pretty good, except for the center bottom. I have to aim my returns there so I have no dead spots. I have mostly sps, and a few nice LPS. The LPS dont seem to mind all the flow and SPS love it. I only run the Octo 4 on lowest setting, this pump will move some water.

what are you running for lights over your tank?