Tank Build - 18" Cube

[padilla95624]

I am starting a new tank build to replace my aging 30 gallon tank. It was my very first tank, which currently houses 30 bubble tip anemones. This new tank was given to me because it did not fit where the previous owner wanted it. It is an 18" cube with a frame-less top and low iron glass. So far I have build a steel frame, cut to fit some rubber pads and drilled out the back for the plumbing. I plan to sell all of the anemones and make this a soft coral tank. I have purchased all of the materials needed and have a lot of plans for this build so I hope you enjoy following along.

What do you think about painting the back with a light blue? My 100 gallon is painted back, which hides the plumbing but is a bit dark.

Should the rockscape be a single island in the middle or should i cut rock to cover the entire back wall?

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Up to you for the aquascape! I do like the idea of doing a backwall aquascape!

 

[Silentpanda619]

I think the rock on the back wall could be cool! Definitely a little more unique than the single island in a cube, but both options should work nicely. I'm always a big fan of painting the back wall black, so I would vote yes to that!

 

[DEE’S reef]

Back wall would look cool have you thought of a floating aqua scapes I seen some of those online and they look pretty cool.

 

[padilla95624]

The floating aqua scape looks cool but I do not like the potential for a large shadow in a limited space. I just read an article here that talks about the importance of having good negative space and a backwall may just blanket the entire view with rock. I will probably go with an island and another small one if I can fit it in.

 

[viceversabrd]

Yours is similar to mine, my cube is 24x20x18. I bought a bunch of dead liverock off a reefer that was getting out of the hobby, ended up just putting in the one largest rock as the aqua scape.

 

[padilla95624]

I have a lot of rock from someone that got out of the hobby so I might get my tile saw out this weekend and see what I can come up with.

 

[padilla95624]

 

[padilla95624]

I used the long weekend to swap over the cube tank. It is a work in progress but it is running. I rinsed the gravel through a strainer but it is still producing a lot of haze in the water. The skimmer and roller filter is slowly clearing it out. The rock went together with epoxy stick and hot glue with a carbon fiber rebar drilled through the center.

 

[padilla95624]

I got the panels up on the stand this weekend. They are held on with long magnet strips so I can remove them for easy access. Now do I paint them to match the walls or a grayish blue?