A 60g Cube: I have no other clever title.

[ellebelle]

After my old tank imploded, I waited around for a very long time for a custom tank that never materialized. Ultimately, I have settled for a 60g cube tank.

For the fate of my 75g tank, read this article.

Equipment
ASM G3 skimmer with recirculation mod, gravity fed
ViaAqua return pump
Pacific Coast 1/10 HP chiller
1 x 250w 14K MH on icecap ballast
Vortech
Litermeter 3
Phosban reactors x2
Aqua 25w UV sterilizer

I'll put a few full tank shots here later. I'm starting entirely from scratch since 100% of my corals from my old tank are dead. Before the swap, I'll post a list of specific things I'm looking for and the lineages of the frags in hopes that I might be able to get some of the stuff back.

I've acquired four fish and a sick anemone from my boyfriend and those will likely be the only mobile residents of the tank for some time - at least until I'm able to make a cover.

Meanwhile, here are some teasers:

 

[jaa1456]

Hmmm, you need a clever title, lol, good luck with the tank and welcome back.

 

[ellebelle]

I'll take suggestions for clever titles and edit it later, how's that?

 

[ellebelle]

current tank inhabitants
--------------------------
- 2x Amphiprion ocellaris (clownfish - old and mean)
- 1 Pseudocheilinus ocellatus (mystery wrasse)
- 1 Gramma melacra (black cap basslet - re-aquascapes regularly)
- 1 Gobidon okinawae (yellow clown goby)
- 1 Stonogobiops yasha (yasha shrimp goby)
- 1 Wetmorella ?tanaki? ?triocellata? (possum wrasse)

- 16 Astraea sp. snails

- Yellow branching porites (Porites porites)
- torch (Euphyllia glabrescens)
- purple feather gorgonian (Pseudopterogorgia sp.)
- black sea rod (Plexaura homomalia)
- blue, orange and green florida ricordias (Ricordea florida)
- red encrusting goniopora (Goniopora sp.)
- hammer coral
- frog spawn
- Acanthastrea (x3 morphs)
- An australian favites?
- green nepthea
- green polyp toadstood
- rasta leather
- strawberry shortcake chalice

Non-coral invertebrates
- Blue maxima clam
- Derasa clam
- Red bubble-tip anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor)
- coco worm

Living Room Side

Front

Kitchen Side

Yes yes, the tang will be re-homed soon. Although it's still pretty small - those ocellaris are 10 years old and quite large. Having a small algae bloom, but that is to be expected. And if you ever wanted to know what a sick red bubble tip looks like, look no further than this picture.

Sump:

This is the entire set up. I am in no way responsible for the neatness of this - when I set up a sump, it looks like a Rube Goldberg experiment.

Place to plug in RO to refill the top off. V. useful.

Top off tank stacked behind the sump. You can see the litermeter mounted on the wall.

Better photo of the litermeter mounted on the wall, with the DC 8 next to it. Both well away from overflow problems.

UV sterilizer mounted on the side wall.

 

[ocholoco]

hey

What do you feed the gargonian and how long it usually takes to grow????

 

[ellebelle]

I've found the black one to grow at about the same rate as slower growing SPS. This is the first time I've kept a feather gorgonian - in my last tank I had a large purple Muricea sp. and it grew extremely slowly. I saw only a small change in two years.

The fastest growing ones are the big furry rods that can eat larger pieces of food. I'll have to double check the species, but I'll post a photo here later from my old tank.

These are all photosynthetic and I do not feed them specifically.

Eta: this is the fast grower

]

 

[NYreefNoob]

elle looking good, question though is that esv sand ?

 

[ellebelle]

Sadly yes. I'm not a huge fan of the ESV sand, but I had a bag of it here and I decided not to use my old sand because cleaning it would be a pain in the butt.

 

[NYreefNoob]

suggestion just watch your mag and alk levels and occasionally stir the sand as mine started hard clumping whnei had used it and sucked my alk levels way down, lol and as for title when i had my 60g was {my new 60g} lol

 

[ellebelle]

I know - I've heard two other people say that had that problem with mag, although I used this sand before and never had an issue. I'm keeping an eye on it and I have a bottle of Magnesium if I need to adjust.

 

[albano]

I'll take suggestions for clever titles and edit it later, how's that?

"A Mod's Cube...like it, or ELSE!"




I like it!

.

 

[tosiek]

Looking good Lissa =0) Im sure everyone will fill that cube up quick.

BTW why the UV?

 

[Master Shake]

dont ya think that a g3 and 2 phosban reactors are a little overkill? there is such a thing as over skiming, looks good btw

 

[tosiek]

Im guessing the 2 phosbans are 1 for carbon, one for phosban. And is there such a thing as overskimming?

 

[jr973]

Hey tanks lookin good sorry to hear ur corals got whiped out but those 60's are nice probably will b my next upgrade untill I decide on what size to stick to gl and I'm sure ull get a ton of stuff at the swap

 

[ellebelle]

Thanks Tony. . Yes, one phosban reactor for phosban and one for GFO, and no I don't think there's such a thing as over skimming!

I got the UV when my fish were sick a couple of years ago in the hopes it would kill any free floating parasites. I noticed that algae didn't build up on my glass as fast once I started using it so I just kept using it to keep algae under control.

 

[ellebelle]

 

[CONSTANTNE]

Great pics!

 

[ellebelle]

Not from the swap, but I thought I'd post him anyway. When I got him, he looked like he was going to die at any moment. Now he is gaining weight, out, active and eating eagerly. He chose life! This is from LiveAquaria.

Some kind of Australian favia from Dr. Mac.

My yellow clown goby thanks saltwatercritters for the strawberry shortcake chalice!

One of the three acan morphs I got from cherry corals. This one is the big size.

 

[ellebelle]

Deepwater Tubipora musica from Diver's Den. (not from the swap)

Some kind of Wetmorella species - either tanaki or triocellata. One may be a junior synonym of the other, I can't tell. From Diamonds of the Reef at the swap. Hopefully it will come out of the darkest, algae ridden corner for a proper photo soon.