Outtafocus's 25gal cube

[outtafocus]

Welcome to my tank.

This cube tank has been posted several times before with several different setups.
I have finally settled on a system design and I am now going to share it with you, my fellow members of Canreef.


I believe a quick description is required,

Tank: Approx. 25gal 18x18x18" cube, 1/4 sides and 1/2 thick bottom. Drilled to accept a 1" bulkhead with a 4x4 corner overflow box.
The overflow box contains a very customized Durso standpipe, custom because 1" pvc and a 90 degree elbow will not fit in a 4x4 box. This tank houses quite alot of some very nice Fiji live rock, I have no idea on # of lbs. The rock has a large quantity of purple coraline. For flow I have a SEIO 620 hidden at the top of my tank, I also have an MJ1200 which I hope will be removed once I redo my plumbing to bring better flow. There is also an Aquaclear 500 (110) setup as a refugium with a great quantity of chaeto hanging on the tank edge, I am undecided wether or not to keep this online.

I currently only have a red open brain, a colt leather, a pipe organ, and a couple zoo frags along with the snails as inhabitants, this will increase shortly.

Stand: I decided to go with an Oceanic cube stand in maple flavour, meant for their 30gal cube tanks. My tank looks very much at home on this stand and dimensions are excellant.

Sump: I built my sump out of 1/4" thick glass and had all the baffles cut to my specs. I designed this sump to use the maximun space inside my stand, which resulted in an approx. 11gals of usable space with lots of room for backflow.
The sump contains my Mag7 return pump which pushes the water back up to the display tank after it first passes through an SCWD.This sump also contains my Coralife superskimmer65 and a several pieces of live rock.
I am using a Tunze Osmolator 5017 as auto top off.

Lighting: The majority of the lighting in this setup comes from a Hamilton 150W HQI metal halide with a 13000K bulb. I supplement this with a Current-usa Satellite 40W 50/50 power compact. This Current fixture comes stock with a white LED moon light, which I quickly replaced with a hyperblue LED.


And now for some photos.........
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b213/outtafocuscalgary/2005_1019Image0007.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b213/outtafocuscalgary/2005_1019Image0006.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b213/outtafocuscalgary/2005_1019Image0014.jpg

[reeferaddict]

Hey nice tank... Nice, pretty, and clean. You've planned well & compacted some nice gear in a relatively small space... :cool: I really like the light.

Keep us up to date... :mrgreen:

[outtafocus]

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b213/outtafocuscalgary/2005_1022Image0004.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b213/outtafocuscalgary/2005_1022Image0003.jpg

[BT05]

What made you change your mind about bare bottom? Also, why do you have two valves inline on your return pump? (well, that's what it looks like anyway)

[outtafocus]

I just like the look of sand better than bare bottom, I may regret it, but I love the sand look.

As for the 2 valves, 1 of them is just acting as a spacer/coupler. I cut my pipe a weee bit to short and since I had a second valve laying around, I added it to the system. I will be redoing the whole return line when I get around to it, the new setup will elliminate at least 2 90's and maybe other ineffiecencies, which should give me a little but more return flow.

[outtafocus]

There have been a few additions since my last installment.
Here is my black and white clown, I have been told he is both a perc and and oscellaris so I dont know.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b213/outtafocuscalgary/2005_1111Image0008.jpg
I also have a shy Bicolor Blenny who has managed to elude my camera every time. As well as a common cleaner shrimp.
Bob was kind enough to trade a nice zoo frag, it has some very nice colours.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b213/outtafocuscalgary/2005_1111Image0018.jpg
Here is a pic of a nice candy cane frag I bought from BMW Rider. Thanks Ed.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b213/outtafocuscalgary/2005_1113Image0001.jpg

I will get more pics up as soon as my tank inhabitants cooperate.

Any ideas on what I should add next? I was think maybe some xenia or a hammerhead.

[outtafocus]

I am currently water testing a new addition to my tank set up.
My original plan was to build an external refugium. A whole seperate tank I would have plumbed into my sump.
Upon building this tank, I now realize I can not keep it as just a refugium.
This tank will be lit by Coralifes 96w pc quad fixture, this light will be sufficient enough to also use this tank as a frag grow out area.

The tank was custom built by me. 1/4" glass, measurements are: 20"long x 12" x12". Making it approx 12gals.
I am soft plumbing (flex vinyl tubing) into my sump via an external durso type drain. The water is being fed into this tank from a MJ1200, which actually provides more than enough thrust to lift the water up the 3feet required.
I will have pics up soon.

[outtafocus]

Heres the pics of my external fuge.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b213/outtafocuscalgary/2005_1211Image0008.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b213/outtafocuscalgary/2005_1211Image0009.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b213/outtafocuscalgary/2005_1211Image0007.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b213/outtafocuscalgary/2005_1211Image0006.jpg

[outtafocus]

I know this isn't so much a fuge as it is just another tank. I think this means I need a bigger tank to keep me happy.

[BT05]

I agree. It's more like 2 systems plumbed together... However, it looks too good sitting up there just to be filled with macroalgae so maybe try adding a seahorse or something? Great job!

[gbeef]

sweet nice setup.... your going to have macro algea farm. why are you ditch the AC500's?

[Bob I]

He will have trouble on the farm when guys like me keep taking chunks of Chaeto away. I honestly would have taken five times as much.:biggrin:

[outtafocus]

I would have given you 5 times as much, but I am hoping to get a good pod population going in there.

As for the AC500's. I just didnt feel they fit into my tank plans, thus they were removed.

[outtafocus]

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b213/outtafocuscalgary/2005_1223Image0012.jpg

[outtafocus]

I was finally able to get a pic of my little porcelain crab. He came on my live rock, this is the most I have ever seen of him.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b213/outtafocuscalgary/131344.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b213/outtafocuscalgary/131338.jpg

[outtafocus]

I moved a powerhead around a bit the other day. This afternoon I noticed that a small clump of polyps on my orange zoo frag were missing.
Well I found them tucked under some of my live rock, of course I can see them but I can not reach them. I know its only 4 or 5 polyps but I was really hoping I could get at them and reattach them. I will wait and see if they roll out on their own.

[fakename]

Try taking a turkey baster and blasting down the other side of the rock (like down the back) The polyps should slowly roll out. Try to turn off your other flow before you start so they do not blow away again!!
Good Luck!
Aaron

[i have crabs]

asfar as the tank with the macro mabey get something in thier that will eat it alittle to keep it trimmed down.

[outtafocus]

I dont see why I would want something in the refugium that would eat all my macro. You do know it was put in there on purpose right?

Having something eat the macro would completely defeat my intentions.