SoCalDude's 60g SPS cube

[SoCalDude]

I thought I would start a thread for my upgrade. I ordered a new 60g cube (2'x2'x2') and plan on turning it into a nice SPS tank with a few fish I have always wanted to keep. Now, this tank will not be set up and cycling until I get back from doing research over the summer, so it will be a work in progress. Things will start taking shaping at the end of September and early October though and I am hoping to have thing thing wet with sand and rock by the second week of October.

The equipment list is as follows:

60g cube with DIY stand
used acrylic sump (thanks Brian)
SLS Reef Optix III Plus HQI Pendent with 250w Galaxy E Ballast
mp10es (will add another later on most likely)
200w aqueon heater
1250 ehiem return (or comparable used one if I find)
BRS biopellet reactor
Reef Octo NWM110 or 150 (comments on this skimmer choice? The reviews say they are good)
JBJ ATO

I will be transferring all my current fish and corals from my 20h SPS tank (1 true perc, 1 possum wrasse, 1 goby) to the cube and adding a leopard wrasse, some sort of tang ( :banghead: ), and a flame angel. I will also be adding a haddoni carpet after the tank is settled.

 

[reeferguy]

Nice start so far. I had a 2x2x2 also i dont recommend tangs in such small tanks they dont do well.

 

[SoCalDude]

Nice start so far. I had a 2x2x2 also i dont recommend tangs in such small tanks they dont do well.

Ya, I know. We will see how that works out.

 

[reeferguy]

yeah if you scape a little island and get a juvi youd get by for good while. Good luck!

 

[SoCalDude]

Ended up getting a mag 7 for the return. Ordered 5 stage RO/DI from BRS and picked up a bucket of Tropic Marin salt. This is not the "pro" or the "reef" stuff, but I figure it is good enough since I need to dose every day to keep Ca and Alk and Mg in line. Most likely will be ordering a Bubble Magus NAC7 when the time comes.

 

[SEAMONSTER]

Very cool tank! Its gonna look very nice when it's done!

 

[colereef]

Nice, love cube tanks! Nice set up.

 

[SoCalDude]

Thanks! I wish I could set it up now...

I am planning on having one tall pillar in the middle of the tank that has a couple of peaks and plenty of flat rocks for the sps to sit on with room lower for the zoas. I don't like LPS or softies (other than zoas) much so this will basically be an SPS/zoa tank.

 

[BluRocket3]

Looks to be a nice project

 

[Davelink]

yeah i love sps cubes too man.. should be a nice lil setup it looks like

 

[Bobgeo]

I have a 60 cube also, I recommend the SWC 120. It has a small foot print and it's a cone skimmer. Pulls gunk out like a beast. I have to empty my cup every 3 days, and i get dark skimmate since i have a heavy bioload.

 

[SoCalDude]

I have a 60 cube also, I recommend the SWC 120. It has a small foot print and it's a cone skimmer. Pulls gunk out like a beast. I have to empty my cup every 3 days, and i get dark skimmate since i have a heavy bioload.

I am thinking about getting a SWC 160 cone now after reading that the BM NAC7 needs a min of 9-11in of water level in the sump. I think the SWC 160 cone might be a better option. I hear only good things about these skimmers, though the Altman pumps seem to be getting a bad rep as of late, though the BM would use the same pump.

I am also trying to figure out my plumbing situation. I think I am going to go with vinyl tubing leading to the sump for a ball valve that is connected to the durso standpipe and bulkhead. I am currently looking around for more info on how I should go about plumbing the tank but have not found much info on how to actually do it step-by-step. It may seem fairly straight forward but I have not done it before so I am at a loss on how I should connect the tubing and how to do the drain etc. Thoughts?

 

[xxtechxx]

how much did you get the tank for?

 

[dorkymk3]

Looking forward to see when waters in the tank . I have a bm nac 7 and i notice my water level has to be around 10" for it to work really well.

 

[SoCalDude]

Things are a little rough still and I have to move a couple of rocks around, but this this is pretty much the finished design. As you can see, I went for a more stepped look.

 

[ReefRiley]

How much live rock do u have?

 

[SoCalDude]

60 in the DT and 20 in the sump

 

[MichaelE]

I am loving that big encrusting monti! Awesome tank man

 

[SoCalDude]

I am loving that big encrusting monti! Awesome tank man

Thanks, I just added:
pink lemonade
green milli
garf bonsai
red planet
monti setosa
teal stag
hawkins echinata
green slimer

Looking to add clams and a couple of fish in the next two weeks or so.

 

[SoCalDude]

Here are some iphone pics. I added the clam a couple days ago and one thing lead to another... and the rocks were rearranged all of a sudden! Crazy how these things happen... I need to keep my hands out of the water lol. I have my radion hopefully coming in this week along with a reefcleaners.org order. I also will be adding a leopard wrasse Thursday when the order comes in.

Bad pic of Pink Lemonade. Has great PE

Bad iphone pic of new clam

Fire and Ice