Hi Folks, I was debating whether to post this in the Cube forum or here, but decided to go with Nano, as my 40G DT just squeezes into that category.
For those who read my introduction thread you might remember I have embarked on three-stage reefing journey that is the culmination of 30 years in the aquarium hobby, over a year of research and planning and an approach that, while taking the best learning from here on R2R, also intends to go outside-the-box (perhaps somewhat controversially)..
As per the previous thread, Stage one – The Balcony Box – has been running beautifully for several months. Temp and parameters have remained super stable (even with direct outside exposure to 2c nights and 30c days). The 250Kg of Live Rock has matured well and already has some nice coralline growing well. Stage three – The Red Sea Peninsular 650 room divider – is still in the planning and slotted for mid-2020, when it will ‘plug’ into Stage two.
This thread is for those who want to follow me on the journey of Stage Two – The Hypercube – a 40G Aqua One Mini-Reef that I had set up a few years ago but has sat ideal in storage. When it was running it was a fairly generic low flow, low light clowns and softie’s setup and nothing special.
In its reborn form, it will be an experiment in extremes. – inspired by decades of diving on the GBR, especially one memorable episode after a drift dive of hanging on a mooring line with a current so strong I felt it would rip the Reg from my mouth and arms out of their sockets
The cube has undergone a no-expense-spared makeover and is intended to reflect a true high flow reef-crest environment. On-paper flow is slotted to be an immense 500 x tank volume. The reality of running levels and wavemaker pauses will drop that to a real turnover of about 200x, but that’s still impressive, with tank volume turning over every 15-20 seconds.
Lighting on the 2-foot area will be what most would consider adequate over a 6-footer, with four T5’s and a pair of AI Hydra 52’s. I will be ramping up PAR slowly (over several months) but the intent is to match sunlight levels and provide high SPS growth and stunning colours. I believe that the extreme flow (which will be over 300x during the highest light periods) will help offset the intense lighting.
The lighting will be closely monitored by my Apex PMK PAR sensor, which is in turn attached to pretty much the full Apex suit that I have been collecting for the past year. The only thing missing is the Trident, but that gap will be filled by my KH Guardian Pro, along with manual Ca and Mg monitoring. The Apex will also control my Calcium reactor and there will be a large carbon reactor for water clarity.
Aside from that, there will be no other mechanical or chemical filtration in the system. A deep appreciation of biology (which I studied at Uni before switching to IT) gives me a strong belief in an old-fashioned Berlin Method that I have morphed into my own hybrid oversized design.
The Live Rock I have been growing in my balcony tub will be key – in the cube, it will sit over a clear PVC frame with hundreds of holes with a 10000lph Jebao DCQ pumping water through it in constant wave mode. 4000lph will also leave the DT to be fed into the huge ‘stomach’ of the system – my custom-designed remote deep sand bed ‘racecourse’ – An 80G tank (in a nice discrete customer cupboard) which is divided into 4 sections in a “W” shaped baffled flow path. The water will flow across an 8” DSB that has an inert plenum under it (to prevent sulphate).
On top of the DSB will be A Turbo L4 ATS that has already been running in the balcony tub with amazing results in pulling the Po4 that was in the dry rock that I originally obtained (it’s now zero after starting near to 7ppm).
With this much bioprocessing I am confident to be able to heavily stock the cube, with very carefully chosen compatible species, and better reflect the amazing ‘buzz’ seen on real reefs. I believe that the compatibility, along with crowding, group introduction, high flow and frequent feeding will dissipate aggression before it gets hold. As this will be an SPS only (just top-shelf Arco’s and Monit’s) tank I have chosen to have a large number of wrasses as pest control. I will have a couple of dwarf angels but believe that healthy coral growth, along with the absence of Tangs (leaving enough algae for the angels) will keep picking down – if I’m wrong then they can always be removed.
I will leave further information for future posts as I progress the build but am happy to hear any comments or even critique of my plans – one of the best aspects of learning are the discussions and debates here so openly welcome them
Pics below:
FRONT VIEW - FLOW
SIDE VIEW - LIGHTS
FLOW
SCHEDULES
For those who read my introduction thread you might remember I have embarked on three-stage reefing journey that is the culmination of 30 years in the aquarium hobby, over a year of research and planning and an approach that, while taking the best learning from here on R2R, also intends to go outside-the-box (perhaps somewhat controversially)..
As per the previous thread, Stage one – The Balcony Box – has been running beautifully for several months. Temp and parameters have remained super stable (even with direct outside exposure to 2c nights and 30c days). The 250Kg of Live Rock has matured well and already has some nice coralline growing well. Stage three – The Red Sea Peninsular 650 room divider – is still in the planning and slotted for mid-2020, when it will ‘plug’ into Stage two.
This thread is for those who want to follow me on the journey of Stage Two – The Hypercube – a 40G Aqua One Mini-Reef that I had set up a few years ago but has sat ideal in storage. When it was running it was a fairly generic low flow, low light clowns and softie’s setup and nothing special.
In its reborn form, it will be an experiment in extremes. – inspired by decades of diving on the GBR, especially one memorable episode after a drift dive of hanging on a mooring line with a current so strong I felt it would rip the Reg from my mouth and arms out of their sockets
The cube has undergone a no-expense-spared makeover and is intended to reflect a true high flow reef-crest environment. On-paper flow is slotted to be an immense 500 x tank volume. The reality of running levels and wavemaker pauses will drop that to a real turnover of about 200x, but that’s still impressive, with tank volume turning over every 15-20 seconds.
Lighting on the 2-foot area will be what most would consider adequate over a 6-footer, with four T5’s and a pair of AI Hydra 52’s. I will be ramping up PAR slowly (over several months) but the intent is to match sunlight levels and provide high SPS growth and stunning colours. I believe that the extreme flow (which will be over 300x during the highest light periods) will help offset the intense lighting.
The lighting will be closely monitored by my Apex PMK PAR sensor, which is in turn attached to pretty much the full Apex suit that I have been collecting for the past year. The only thing missing is the Trident, but that gap will be filled by my KH Guardian Pro, along with manual Ca and Mg monitoring. The Apex will also control my Calcium reactor and there will be a large carbon reactor for water clarity.
Aside from that, there will be no other mechanical or chemical filtration in the system. A deep appreciation of biology (which I studied at Uni before switching to IT) gives me a strong belief in an old-fashioned Berlin Method that I have morphed into my own hybrid oversized design.
The Live Rock I have been growing in my balcony tub will be key – in the cube, it will sit over a clear PVC frame with hundreds of holes with a 10000lph Jebao DCQ pumping water through it in constant wave mode. 4000lph will also leave the DT to be fed into the huge ‘stomach’ of the system – my custom-designed remote deep sand bed ‘racecourse’ – An 80G tank (in a nice discrete customer cupboard) which is divided into 4 sections in a “W” shaped baffled flow path. The water will flow across an 8” DSB that has an inert plenum under it (to prevent sulphate).
On top of the DSB will be A Turbo L4 ATS that has already been running in the balcony tub with amazing results in pulling the Po4 that was in the dry rock that I originally obtained (it’s now zero after starting near to 7ppm).
With this much bioprocessing I am confident to be able to heavily stock the cube, with very carefully chosen compatible species, and better reflect the amazing ‘buzz’ seen on real reefs. I believe that the compatibility, along with crowding, group introduction, high flow and frequent feeding will dissipate aggression before it gets hold. As this will be an SPS only (just top-shelf Arco’s and Monit’s) tank I have chosen to have a large number of wrasses as pest control. I will have a couple of dwarf angels but believe that healthy coral growth, along with the absence of Tangs (leaving enough algae for the angels) will keep picking down – if I’m wrong then they can always be removed.
I will leave further information for future posts as I progress the build but am happy to hear any comments or even critique of my plans – one of the best aspects of learning are the discussions and debates here so openly welcome them
Pics below:
FRONT VIEW - FLOW
SIDE VIEW - LIGHTS
FLOW
SCHEDULES
