Pros and cons on having a cube tank

beaudstudebaker · Nov 11, 2016

Okay so I'm thinking about doing a build this winter. I am wanting to down size from a 90 gal measurements are 48x18x24 to a 60gallon cube measurements being 24x24x24. So I have a few questions.

Any one have a cube? What do you like about it vs the basic rectangular style tank?

What are the cons of a cube?

Will my foxface be happy in a 60gal cube?

Plz post pics if you can! Would love aquascaping ideas!

Kershaw · Nov 11, 2016

Cubes look really nice. But Aqua scaping can be difficult. And corals tend to shadow other corals as they grow. Unless It was 48x48x24 I wouldn't get another cube. And I wouldn't put a fox face in a 60gal

Quah · Nov 11, 2016

I'm in the process of moving to a cube. There are some pro's and some con's - in a 24x24x24 sized cube most all single lights can provide coverage for that since lights usually scale by 24x24 increments. Having the extra depth makes aquascaping more interesting, they are space saving compared to other tanks. The cons are its generally difficult to get flow everywhere. I will be using a pair of Sea swirls and possibly the Neptune WAV's. I personally like the look of a cube and that's why I went with it. I also can't say a foxface will be happy in a 60gallon they get pretty large - AND WELCOME TO R2R.

TheEngineer · Nov 11, 2016

Welcome to R2R!

Here's a current post about cube tank aquascapes:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/show-off-those-great-cube-tank-aquascapes.273164/

And there is an entire section dedicated to just cubes:
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/club-cube.258/

Jimbo662 · Nov 11, 2016

A couple of years ago I had a SCA 50g cube. It was nice but soon realized there just wasn't enough real estate for corals. It also depends on what type of tank you're planning...LPS or SPS. With cubes you really have to plan exactly how you want to set it up to best meet your goal. I recently moved and went with a SCA 66g tank. It's 32x24x20. To me it's a perfect size...not too big and not too small.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/sca-66g-tank.264341/

NanoDJS · Nov 11, 2016

I love /hate cube tanks I jsut took down my 24 x 24 x 12 , and I loved it and hated it , lighting and flow were a ***** to get the way I wanted until I did t5+LED and 4 nano streams on controllers

Jimbo662 · Nov 11, 2016

NanoDJS said:
I love /hate cube tanks I jsut took down my 24 x 24 x 12 , and I loved it and hated it , lighting and flow were a ***** to get the way I wanted until I did t5+LED and 4 nano streams on controllers

I originally had an XR30 on it and recently changed to a T5/LED hybrid and love it so much more. I bought the package deal on amazon and for me it's the perfect height to be able to look down into the tank.

Jimbo662 · Nov 11, 2016

NanoDJS said:
I love /hate cube tanks I jsut took down my 24 x 24 x 12 , and I loved it and hated it , lighting and flow were a ***** to get the way I wanted until I did t5+LED and 4 nano streams on controllers

I originally had an XR30 on it and recently changed to a T5/LED hybrid and love it so much more. I bought the package deal on amazon and for me it's the perfect height to be able to look down into the tank.

Husker · Nov 11, 2016

I always think that cubes look smaller than a similar volume long tank. I have seen some great cubes, though. But if I were to get a cube, I would want a 90 gallon or larger.

cpschult · Nov 11, 2016

sumps for smaller cubes are brutal- that being said I just set up a 30x30 cube with a 20g sump. No room for the fuge I wanted.

Sprzout · Nov 11, 2016

Man oh man...This is making me rethink a nano cube. I like the looks of cube tanks, and it just makes it feel like a bigger tank to me...but it looks like there's a LOT to work out for directional flow, sump filtering, and placement.

Harleybronco67 · Nov 11, 2016

I love my cube, but Aqua scaping can be a *****

spidercrab · Nov 11, 2016

love the shallow squares. I think they are so much easier to aquascape than a tall narrow tank. 24x24x12 is the perfect dimension for a reef tank IMO. If your looking to save room and have a nice display or work with frags frequently.