My 20x20x20

moseley75 · Apr 27, 2017

I found this cube and stand on sale at the lfs. Convinced the other half that I'd die w/o it and brought it home along w/ the AI Prime HD light for it.

After some research and measuring I decided on an Eshopes Cube Nano sump. Mostly b/c it fit the stand.

After calculating the total volume (38gal) I chose a Sicce Syncra 2.0 circulating pump. It should deliver around 235 gph with the head loss in my piping.

After some choice explitives I managed to get it all piped up. The space inside the stand is only 17x17. I piped in two take.offs for future reactors and a return to the sump.

At some time during all this I chose to only black in the overflow so I can put it in the middle of the floor for 4 sided viewing and did the paint work. It is currently against a wall so I may get some vinyl and cover the back.

I'm going w/ all dry rock so as to avoid the problems I've had in my 16 gal BioCube. Also, I like the branch rock from Caribsea. I picked up 17.5 lbs of branch rock from an lfs and 9.5 lbs of base rock from another. I've been stacking the rock in it and have settled on this pile. Photos are front, left and right sides. I wanted a slight slope from front towards the back and as few shadows as possible with maximum surface for coral as this will be an sps dominant tank.

Any and all praise or criticism will be happily and humbly appreciated.

Thanks for looking.

Dxpert · Apr 28, 2017

Looking great! Well done on the new tank setup. The rock work looks good. What power heads will you go with? Have you decided on a skimmer?

moseley75 · Apr 28, 2017

Thanks. Don't know which power heads yet. I'm leaning towards getting a Reef Octopus BH50 skimmer. It's compact and will fit my space.

moseley75 · Apr 28, 2017

I have an Osmolator ATO and a Reefkeeper Lite for this system. I think I'm going to need a media reactor. I am not sure if I want to use carbon and GFO or Bio Pellets. Any one here have an opinion?

moseley75 · Apr 29, 2017

Things are on hold for a couple of weeks for this system. Needed the money for Boots the Bearded Dragon to have a new home w/ proper lighting.

rantipole · Apr 29, 2017

Love the scape.

I used to breed tons of bearded dragons. Great lizards.

Cheers,
rant

moseley75 · Apr 30, 2017

Yep boots is cool. It's still only 3 or 4 months old but out grew the 10 gallon we had quickly. I'll be back k to working on the build in a couple of weeks.

moseley75 · May 22, 2017

I have picked up a BRS 5 stage ro/di. I live in an apartment so have to install it as unobtrusively as possible. I'm going to collect ro/di water in a 20 gal Brute container in the master bath.
I also purchased a Finnex 300 watt titanium heater that will work with the RKL.
I just bought a Vortech MP10W from @Arvin0677. Thanks.
No new pics yet as I have been collecting equipment. I still want a Reef Octopus HB50 and a couple of media reactors but can now get water in the tank and begin the cycle.
[emoji443] Happy Days are here again![emoji3]

moseley75 · May 23, 2017

Ok so I am an idiot! I put water in the tank today. It held almost 40 gallons. So I turned on the pump and watched it for a bit. Lo and behold there was a leak. No problem it was between two unions. So I removed the pipe and while I was loosening the union I noticed the fitting seemed to turn. Interesting! When I got the section out I discovered that there was no glue or cleaner at all in that joint. Don't I feel foolish! LOL! I am and will always be my own source of amusement.

moseley75 · May 24, 2017

I got my rodi operational this am. It's still temporary but I was able to make a gallon of coffee water and fill up a 5 gallon jug for fish tanks.

Fargo

moseley75 · May 28, 2017

Got the RO/DI completed this weekend. Installed a float valve from. BRS so I don't have to babysit while it fills up. I watched it fill for a while and noticed that I have dangerously high water pressure, over 100 psi, until someone uses water any where in the building. When water is being used elsewhere in the building the pressure drops to between 25 and 35 psi. I will visit the local watts rep next week and get a prv that can withstand 100+ psi. I don't wish to purchase a booster pump yet so I'll only turn on the water at night.
I received the SID V2 cable I ordered for the ReefKeeper and programed it to control the heaters. And the MP10W came in so I installed that. Am going to try it in several locations to see where I like the flow patterns best. Hopefully when I put coral in there they will like my choice.

moseley75 · Jun 7, 2017

It's getting a bit crowded in here. I haven't updated in a bit. I installed the Osmolator and it works great. I need to put a lid on the ato bucket.
I picked up a refugium light at the lfs along with some macro algae and added some rubble to the fuge. I want a Mandrin dragonet so will need to grow copepods.
I ordered a Reef Octopus 110ss and got that installed today. Looks like there will be a break-in period b4 it works like it should.
The cycle is almost complete. Ammonia level has spiked twice but not more than 0.8 ppm. Nitrite has remained at 0 and nitrate hovers between 1.5 and 2. Now if I can get the 10 gal QT to cycle I can get a couple of fire fish, maybe a wrasse. I haven't decided for sure if I'm going to use Red Sea ABC or Aqua Forest 1+2+3+ in this tank. I like the results the guys at one of the lfs are getting in their sps tank with the 1+2+3+. It's somewhat more expensive than the Red Sea though.

moseley75 · Jun 16, 2017

Well now I have to be patient. Not my strong point. I have added some Chaeto to the refugium and put in some arthropods with it. But the tank is only a little over 2 weeks old.
Parameters are good.
Ammonia <2.5
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
Potassium 1500
Calcium 460
Salinity 1.025
Phosphate 0

I have some diatoms but that is to be expected. Next should be green algae, however with the Chaeto and dragons breath growing nicely it may not appear.
I've decided.to use the AquaForest reef salt and dose 1+2+3+ along with coral food from AquaForest. Have to let the tank get adjusted to the new salt so I'm going to just have to wait.

I rescued a montipora from a tank that was failing. I just put it in the bottom of this tank and it has already begun to show signs of improvement. The polyps are starting to extend.

moseley75 · Jun 26, 2017

Hallelujah! Cycle is complete. Ammonia and nitrite are both holding at 0. Nitrate is at 5. Chaeto is growing, skimmer is working better than I hoped.
I can now remove the Damsels and add other fish. Think I have settled on at least
1 Mandarin
2 Orchid Dottieback (breeding pair)
1 purple fire fish
1 other as yet undetermined

Mikedawg · Jun 26, 2017

moseley75 said:
Hallelujah! Cycle is complete. Ammonia and nitrite are both holding at 0. Nitrate is at 5. Chaeto is growing, skimmer is working better than I hoped.
I can now remove the Damsels and add other fish. Think I have settled on at least
1 Mandarin
2 Orchid Dottieback (breeding pair)
1 purple fire fish
1 other as yet undetermined

Some beautiful colors; any concern about dottys being aggressive toward the fire fish? I've read different viewpoints on how territorial dottys can be.